Textiles in Focus

Nickie and I had a lovely day at Textiles in Focus, there is such a lovely atmosphere at this event. First stop was to re-visit the O2 exhibition (  saw it twice last year when it was at Hyde Hall)..
On Marion's workshop we made a little stand up figure using Jet FX and using the Ballet Russes exhibition that has been at the V&A.  I have some more work to do on it, but it might be something that Kezzy can adapt and use in her art work.  Lunch and then time for demonstrating.  Although the Dawn Thorne lecture was going on we still had a steady flow of people showing interest in our work.
Time for shopping, a look at the  Fibrefusion exhibition and then home-exhausted from all that talking!!.

I was very restrained with my spending  as there was nothing I needed, but I couldn't resist these strips of fabric from the African Shop.

As you can see from the picture above, I have now finished machine stitching Che's face and applied his face and hat/hair to the background. I will now continue with working on the background.
 BUT, tomorrow I have to start getting ready for Textiles in Focus.  I am going on Saturday with Nickie.  In the morning I am doing a workshop with Marion Murphy and then demonstrating in the afternoon.

Save the date.

If you are not doing anything on these dates in half term, Textiles in Focus is well worth a visit.  Nickie and I are not teaching a workshop this year, we have asked to have  year off.  Instead we are going to be demonstrating. Exhibitions, workshops and lots of suppliers to buy much?? needed supplies from too.

Art Van Go

Art Van Go was at Textiles in Focus the other weekend. As regular readers of this blog know, Nickie, Margaret and I are members of Fen Edge Textiles, anyway, there's photos of our work from the exhibition on their blog. ;0)

Textiles in Focus.

It was silly hats on for Textiles in Focus. I hadn't had time to make another hat so made do with last years one!
When Nickie and I started our journey this morning, I wasn't even sure that we were going to get there. The back roads were so icy, and we saw remnants of several accidents but Nickie got us there in one piece. I had a lovely classroom to hold my workshop in. A bookcase to display my work, plenty of space and light. The ladies were very enthusiastic and were a very creative bunch as you can see by the work below when we got together at the end of the class for a 'show 'n' tell'

I was asked today by one of the ladies on my workshop to teach at her textile group - Impetus, later in the year:-) One of my 'students' is doing C&G felt making and cut up her totem to put in her sketchbook.
I think they all did very well.

MESCH had an exhibition at Art Van Go last November and I couldn't get there so it was lovely having the chance to view it today.
This toucan was made by Margaret for her hubby, it actually sings Happy Birthday. Also met Mavis at last, have been reading her blog for some time now.

I loved the way MESCH displayed their birds-very innovative!

It wasn't until we started packing up our stand that we realised that we hadn't taken a picture of it, so only a few pieces left on the table.

I just had to buy a few 'necessaries' to round the day off!

Our journey home was good, the snow had melted. I have been to tired to do anything at all creative- all that talking!

Kezzy got home at 5.00pm and was in bed not very long after. She slept under canvas in the snow last night, but was nice and warm thanks to the new sleeping bag. I hope to find out about her weekend tomorrow when I get home from work. Alan and Kezzy have got the day off!

Jacky Russell workshop.

A very thick frost this morning meant very icy roads driving to Chelmsford for the Jacky Russell workshop. And didn't we have fun! Painting, stitching, zapping and burning, what more could a girl ask for?

At the end of the day, we had a show 'n' tell and what a lot of work was produced though not everyone's work was here when I took the photo.

Jacky was very generous with her materials and techniques. Even when we were eating our lunch, Jacky was still demonstrating to us. If you get a chance to do a workshop with her, go for it you wont regret it!

We had so many members wanting to do this workshop, that we are having Jacky back again to do a repeat performance.

The final bits have been packed ready for TIF tomorrow, and my playroom is tidy-though as hubby says 'not for long!'

Packing

I have wrapped up the two prizes for my giveaway and they will be in the first post tomorrow. ( Should have been today, but hubby forget to get some padded envelopes) All the kits are collated and equipment packed for Sunday's workshop at Textiles in Focus. It is surprising how long it has taken, I suppose its like anything you get quicker with practice.

Another busy day tomorrow, Kezzy is meeting a friend in the morning, then its the dentist for her, then off to the camping shop to get a new outdoor sleeping bag and a new rucksack, for her camping trip this weekend followed by her art lesson and then finally Air Cadets.

Back home!

I have had a lovely time at Mum's lots of reading nattering, eating and some stitching. Yesterday we went out to High Wycombe to get my wool but we didn't realise it was a home and furnishing shop only, so we ended up going to the Milton Keynes branch. I had a terrible job deciding what colour combination to get, but went for this one in the end. While we were driving around ,we saw lots of Red Kites, they have been reintroduced into the area after a breeding programme. They were fascinating to watch, but often when man interferes with nature the balance gets upset, and from what I could see, there could be a problem with these birds in a few years time. A very busy week ahead of me-appointments, chasing Kezzy to get her outstanding homework done, preparing for my workshop at Textiles in Focus next Sunday, and tomorrow night we have Lynda Monk aka Purplemissus coming to our Embroiderers' Guild to give a talk on her work. (memo to self ,need to sort out the Contact mags as well)

Happy Australia Day and completed Textile Totem

As mentioned last night, a picture of the finished Textile Totem. I just need to get to Homebase this weekend to get some wood so that I can
mount it.






Here is a close up of the medallion that I have made for the top section.







Painting finished, then had to sift through a brochure so that we can book a holiday. We have not had a holiday for four years, and hubby decided that he needed a break this year. We have booked a farmhouse in Cornwall, near Manaccan and it will be a real family holiday as we are taking my mother as well as my daughter her husband and my 2 grandchildren- 8 of us all together!

Textile Totem

Stitching has now been completed on my textile totem and I have given it a coat of emulsion. Tomorrow night all being well I will apply the colour - another late night finishing school tomorrow, we have after schools club and a 1.15 hours inset training:0( .
I am running a workshop at Textiles in Focus for Pauline Verrinder and this is what is gong to be created.

Textiles in Focus

We had to take our 3d piece along to our Fen Edge Textiles meeting that we would like to be exhibited at Textiles in Focus. There are some very lovely pieces, though a few who have had life get in the way, have got a few extra weeks to complete their work. Nickie and I have got some customers for our workshops on the Sunday morning and we are doing some stewarding in the afternoon. There is always such a lovely atmosphere at this event, a day out not to be missed!

Textiles in Focus

I have wasted a fair bit of time tonight trying to put a Blogger gadget on my side bar- I have nearly thrown my teddy as Blogger has not been behaving!

Anyway what I am trying to tell you all, is that Textiles in Focus have released details of the Lecturer-Isobel Hall and the workshops. The workshops are for 2 hours and the tutors include Gina Ferrari, Myfanwy Hart and Viv Arthur to name but a few.
AND

Trade stalls to spend your Christmas money

AND
Exhibitions by MESCH, Threadsx4 and ERTF.

It should be a great event!

Lightening strike.

Two days of trying to think what workshop I can do for Pauline at Textiles in Focus and a creative thought struck me just as I was going to sleep last night. I was too tired to get out of bed and jot it down. A moment of panic this morning when I couldn't remember what that 'thought' was. Luckily it came back to me! Time to go and experiment to see if:-
a) is my idea any good?
b) can it be done in 2 hours?
Watch this space.
My rust coloured vessel that I am making at the moment, has got a new home (when I have finished beading the top edge). One of my colleagues at work wants it for her home.
Nickie and I are off to Cottenham on Saturday, and as it is the last meeting this side of Christmas we are having a Christmas lunch.

More reverse stitching!!!!!!!!

Last night I was able to spend a few hours sewing my dangly-bliss!!!!! BUT I was still worried by the wobbly picot edge on the pyramid, I have re-done it several times as it was not to my satisfaction, and after the last attempt I decided I was going to live with it, but I couldn't. So tonight come 9o'clock I will be re-stitching the picot edge AGAIN! I have to have it finished by next Sunday when I am at Cottenham for the Embroiderer's Guild meeting as Pauline needs it for the following Thursday when she sets up Textiles in Focus. Art Van Go are going to be there, I was going to try and be frugal in February, but I don't think that I will have much chance of that!

Found it!!!!

When I woke up this morning the sun was shining (though we had had a frost) just right for a day trip to Mersea. We got onto the Island just before high tide by the skin of our teeth. After a lunch of prawns bought from the local fishmonger it was time to go down to the beach- BUT- oh! what had happened to the sun? We had not been out walking for more than a few minutes when the skies opened, so I dashed into a local charity shop to keep dry. I have been on the look out for a Scrabble board for the last couple of weeks, I didn't mind if the pieces were missing, I just needed the board- and guess what? the charity shop had one (20p). So tonight I can at last start making the 'Blue Peter one I made earlier' book that we are going to be doing at Schoolhouse Arts in the New Year. We did not stay on the beach very long as the weather was bitter.

In fact it took my son an hour to get home from work ( normally a 15-20 minute journey ) because of this- SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Pauline has O.K.'d my postcard workshop for Textiles in Focus- I just need to think up a catchy title-duh!!!!!!!!

Off to London tomorrow, to the British Museum (looking for inspiration for the Sutton Hoo exhibition) and if we have time, my daughter has now chosen the Natural History Museum instead of Tate Modern to visit as well.

Buckingham

On Friday, I had to go to Basildon Magistrates Courts to start proceedings against a dodgy dealer. As I had not made enough copies of my claim I had to pop to the library to photo-copy my form. This was very lucky for me as they were having a book sale on and I managed to find a small book that I can use for the Maggie Grey lessons.
I have spent the last three days with my mother in Buckingham, I managed to finish my sample postcard for the Textiles in Focus workshop that I am doing. (Image sent to Pauline Verrinder, for her to OK it) Yesterday I had to go to IKEA to get some fabric to line some curtains I was going to make for my brother. I found a lovely 100% cotton, so had to but some extra for me to dye and stitch some time in the future.

On our way back to sunny Essex this afternoon, we did a slight detour to Missenden, to stop at Rainbow Silks. The shop is next door to the Rhoald Dhall museum, so get hubby to take the children there while you get some 'me' time in Rainbow Silks.

I tried to get Liquid Sculpy for the Catalogue Killer lessons that start on November 1st, but they didn't have any so have got a similar product, I hope it works. I also bought some Artgirlz bits to make a 'Wild Women' in my tea breaks at school next week. They also had some face moulds, so I bought 2 different types to see if they would be any good for doing my own 'wild thing'.

E.G. committee meeting

We had two members volunteer to join the committee at our A.G.M. on Monday, and tonight was our first meeting with Nickie in the chair. I have just finished typing the minutes because I am off to my mothers for a long weekend and if I wait until Monday I will forget what my notes are about- I never learnt shorthand. Our Guild is holding an exhibition in Chelmsford library next March and we are holding the Regional day in 2010,so we will be very busy.
I have spent part of today experimenting with an idea for Textiles in Focus workshop that I am doing in February at Cottenham. I am now on sample number 4 and I hope to have the piece finished in the next day or so.