Shopping Report

Further to the update re Shanghai etc. On my return and during my week off (we're back in July now...) the second nicest thing I did was buy a new Bernina:)

A 630 with an embroidery unit - and several different sorts of feet etc etc... as you do.

Also invested in a proper trolley suitcase for it. It cost heaps - but it's to protect my investment - and I do now have three machines (each one special in it's own way) and I have to say that I really wouldn't trust any of my machines to the vagaries of the other machine trolley I purchased a couple of years ago. It has not held up well - gone a bit wonky and rarely been used for a machine. But it is good for classes that I go to where only heaps of fabric etc is required - and no machine.

The nicest of all though was to stay for a few days with my mate Pam - up in Shropshire. Oh it was just what I needed. We gel so well together - can be in the same house, doing creative stuff - and not in each other's pockets - if you know what I mean.

Arrived on Thursday evening (the trains were kind for once). We had yummy fish and chips for supper and then sat and chatted, and looked through books, discussed projects, ideas etc...

On Friday we visited Castle Court Quilters in Whittington - a shop owned by a friend of Pams'.

They have a very nice selection of quilting cottons. Also a nice big workroom where Pam teaches from time to time - embroidery classes.

Basically - we both just chilled. Later when we got back home - sat about in the sunshine in the garden which is absolutely charming (all put together by Pam's hubby)and did ZILCH!!!! Neither of us could recall the last time we just were - without needing to rush and DO SOMETHING!



Saturday more sitting around sewing etc - and being served strawberries and ice cream whilst we sat in the garden - byt Pam's hubby. We had our strawberries and ice cream before dinner!!! Which included the yummy yummy broad beans home grown.

Sunday - home. A great few days. and ready for work again...

Been very naughty and not updated for a very very very long time – not since mid June.

Was away on business for the last part of June and early July. Bonus of this was I got to visit my favourite city - Istanbul. We stayed at the gorgeous Four Seasons - which to me is 'The' only hotel in the whole world. Sadly – only for one night. It's so gorgeous and right on the doorstep of Haghia Sophia. We had a very short time after business to do a visit to places so I took a couple of colleagues on a very superficial, fast whirlwind tour of the major sites of old Istanbul. They really enjoyed it.

Then a week in Shanghai for workshops and forums. Sounds fun you say... Actually it was - it's great to finally meet all the people on the phone list etc... Learnt a lot about where things are going with the company and found time for good food (I did not eat the jellyfish or the swordfin that was on offer) and good company.

Huge amounts of smog though. We visited a new container port – built on an island 35km off the mainland and joined to the mainland by a 35km long bridge and the smog went a fair way out to sea.






Did some shopping too. Got gorgeous pearls for embroidery and bags galore for my favourite bag ladies (sister, and nieces etc etc).

Here are a few pics of things bought.













On my return I had booked to have a week holiday. I did lots of things that had been outstanding for a while. Bought a new special mattress for my bed, new ironing board (one of those big brabantia ones – yes boring details – but with the ironing involved in all that fabric dyeing – it’s essential).

Stitching

Hot here in London. So only ventured out this weekend for shopping. Don'tlike hot weather - makes me irritable. Also commuting each day is even worse than usual - specially the getting home.

I'd planned to do a bit of journalling/altered books this weekend - thought it would be helpful to air some of life's horrible bits in this way. but couldn't face gluey mess etc.

Have been knitting a little on the gift I'm doing as part of the knitting exchange I take part in for the past few years. This year the theme is hearth and home. I'm making a cushion - but won't say more at the moment about that. Suffice to say it's going well.

But I have stitched this weekend - I mean embroidery. Just found that I wanted to pick out a piece of canvas and stitch. I like canvas stitching from time to time. Generally not formal stitching, ie. not strictly geometric - but more free.

I also have reaslied that I like simple things - that don't necessarily say anything - and I find myself taking lots of pictures of flowers and leaves in the parks - they are so beautiful and colourful.

But the stitching I really emjoyed. I used acrylic paint to sponge colour onto a piece of canvas. Then stitched it. But I also found a smaller piece of canvas that I'd started to stitch a heart onto yonks ago. It wasn't working and so was abandoned. But I unpicked the stitching and started again this morning - and have completed a small piece in a day... Quite a satisfying feeling.

Here are some pics for you to see - this weekends work.

Crafty and other doings in recent weeks

Hi all

life has got away from me in recent weeks, and no phone or internet for over two weeks, also been away on business and other work type things have kept me busy.

On to important things.

Did a Pru Mapstone course a couple of weeks back. It helped enormously to really see how freeform is done, unfortunately due to a business trip I had to cancel the second day. But the first did give me lots to be getting on with. Now all I need is time to do it - and all the other crafty things I want to do...

Here's a pic of my freeform pieces.

The real wow for me was being shown how to do the great bullion crochet stitch. I have tried to follow the instructions in the book - but couldn't get it. But a demo did the trick.







Other than that I had two blissful days at the Committed to Cloth studios - one my regular monthly day and the other a make up day - from beng off sick and missing the April day.

I have worked on some space dyeing on silk velvet and cotton












I've also spent two days of this bank hols weekend - dyeing, rinsing, washing and IRONING... 40 odd pieces of fabric for a class I am booked to take with the American Quilter Nancy Crow in late October. nancy subcribes to the theory that the more choice you have with your fabrics the more creative you can be. Hence dyeing a huge range of colours will be my aim for at least one weekend a month between now and October. More about that later. and pictures of velvet etc end results - if I can persuade the camera to give a good idea of the colour.

The last thing I did this weekend was a little free machine embroidery. I haven't stitched for months and seeing some of the beautiful work that others had brought to the make up day last week inspired me to at least get the machine out and begin to stitch. I think it will end up a bag - it's space dyed cotton sateen ( a divine fabric) but not a piece dyed by me - I bought it from Leslie Morgan my dyeing tutor and master dyer. I bought it when I was feeling very blue. I bought a few pieces from Leslie at the time - they were happy to me and I needed cheering up:)

A week since setting up the blog. Many many thanks to you all who wrote comments to me - and that I didn't have the energy to reply to individually. They certainly cheered me up.

Several more days coughing and spluttering and very tired. Now thankfully on the mend.

One thing I missed was - Monday 10th - my study day at Committed to Cloth in Surrey - where I go once a month to print and dye fabric to my hearts content. This made me rather cross - but having little energy - I couldn't let that go on for long.

But I will show you a couple of pics of things of things I did earlier in this course. The pink is screen printed chiffon pinned out ready for some scree printed poetry - no not mine - Tennysons's (from Morte D Arthur).

The blue is a sort of spiral that I drew/painted literally hundreds of - to get 'the right one' for making into a screen.

Couple of good things in the past week. My two new books by Jan Eaton - 200 Crochet Blocks and also 200 Ripple stitches arrived. Also my Susan Bates needles from the USA. Nice - but not as nice as the old ones. Now why did they change those lovely metallic button ends for plastic!!!

I also tried a crochet flower out of the new Knit Simple (by Vogue Knitting) Mag. Quite pleased with it - and I got to use some of my huge stash of embroidery thread.

Am also crocheting a bag. This is quite accidental. I made it into the loft yesterday morning to pull down some wool to try some things in the Jan Eaton books. However, got distracted by a crochet spiral in the Freeform Knitting Handbag book by Pru Mapstone - made one and then whilst making a second - it somehow became a bag.

Yes you will have to wait for the finished object for a picture. Should be later this weekend. Also via a message on UKHK I found that Pru is in the UK and have signed up for 2 one day workshops in mid May with her. Can do freeform - but it will be so much fun to learn and widen knowledge and get hints and tips from the expert.

I also learnt yesterday that my local department store Allders in Croydon is to get Rowan yarn. I popped in not expecting much - in my hunt for some nice (NOT ACRYLIC!!!!) 4 ply - and they had Jaeger Matchmaker 4 ply in a dozen colours and then round the corner they had some of the new Classic yarns - I asked and the assistant said they're to get the full range. I do hope so. Of course as a Liberty gal I can get lots there - but sometimes you need something urgently and don't want to trek into London. I did needless to say get some 4 ply and the news made my day - was still a bit up and down yesterday.

Went out properly today - down to Eastbourne - to get a nice long walk by the sea - to blow away the cobwebs - and get out of the flat. Also to visit a bead shop I knew of but had not visited. Didn't buy too many beads - but they do have a good selection - specially of delicas - my favourites.

I also popped into CH Fabrics - am collecting 4ply yarn for the crochet blocks - I do believe that although I like those thick chunky fluffy yarns - my hands and I prefer finer yarns. I bought a book - Colour in Spinning - by Deb Menz. I don't spin (at the moment) but I love colour and this book is superb. Lots of stuff on colour and dyeing too - which is of interest to me. I picked it up and flicked through and instantly knew it had to come home with me.

Also made it to Lakeland Plastics - where stocked up on some essentials - including Carrs breadmaking mix - recommended to me by Les of Silkwood. My first loaf is just out of the oven. One thing I cannot abide about my bread machine - it cannot do a lovely brown crust - so this one I just used the dough program and then put it in a tin in the oven. It looks and smells divine.

The other thing - that being off sick enabled me to do - was to make my niece her loopy scarf in a fancy blue fluffy stuff (which I have no label for) and that chunky velvet Wow stuff. Can't say it was huge fun - think I prefer knitting - but it was quick and I have promised to make one for Sarah (nephews girlfriend) - but more like niece's big sis.

Enough for now methinks - better get on with that bag.

New Adventure

Just felt I had to accomplish something useful today. Been off sick since mid last week and still feeling rotten - bad cold and cough.

Followed a few people's blogs for a while and see that people can have lots of fun with it and join in with different activities. So whilst waiting for my shopping I decided to set up this blog.

For a colourful start I'll show you the bit of freeform knitting I've picked up off and on over the last couple of days - when not sleeping:)

I also include a close up to show a kid-silk haze curly whirly in minature. One of my favourite all time yarns and I love ruffles and curly things too.