Spring

Isn't it wonderful?   The clocks have gone forward, the evenings are getting lighter, the temperature's rising and, best of all, there's blossom and buds on the trees and daffodils everywhere.   Yesterday, we went to a Craft Fair at the Old Police Station, Lark Lane.  It was their first fair of the season and it was great to catch up with some of our old friends.    Although it was quite quiet the people who came were really interested and interesting to talk to.  I sold a few prints and several scarves and other bits and pieces.     We will be there again on St. George's Day (Easter Saturday) so, as it's a holiday weekend we hope people will be browsing and, perhaps, even looking for last minute Easter presents.

I've made some shoulder  bags this week.   I  hate waste and have collected a 'stash' of various fabrics over a number of years.  It is my ambition to make good use of all the pieces of fabric I've acquired and turn them into something useful.   The bags, this week, have been made out of furnishing fabric, they all  have a longish strap and two are decorated with tabs fastened with glass beads and the other one has a 'cuff' decorated with a large button.  Each one has a snap fastener to close.

On the same note, I made two handbags from a piece of beautiful, soft, felt which I stupidly allowed to get into the washing machine!   It is still beautiful, but not soft!  I generally wash felt in the washing machine on a gentle, wool, cycle but in a distracted moment, of which I have more and more lately, I put it in a normal wash at 40 degrees - ow!   Rather than let it go to waste, I have used it to make two, similar handbags using bought handles.   One is trimmed with a glass bead and loop to close it, while the other has a flower decoration on the flap.

On Friday, I  also made a couple of felt bowls.  My niece commissioned one in pinks/purples as a present,  so I actually made two and she can choose which one she likes best.    I'll photograph the 'rejected' one to show you after she's chosen.

I think that's my limit for now - I hope you're impresses that I've, at last, managed to keep to my resolution to 'blog' weekly - it can't last.

I'm Back

Oh dear, I have been remiss - not a single post since 20th February.  I should explain that I have been away on holiday and that slowed me down a bit.   I haven't been totally idle however, I've been updating my website which always takes longer than you think it's going to.   I've added lots of silk and satin cards - each one is a fabric collage which I have embroidered both by hand and machine and some of them are beaded as well.  Each one is like a mini work of art and, although they are fiddly, I really enjoy making them.  There are so many of them and I wouldn't know which to choose to picture here, so I'm afraid you'll have to look on the website.   

Last week, I made another felt bowl, which I am very pleased with - it is mostly grey merino with a snall amount of  black and blue,  and I've added some grey and white fibres also.   To finish it off, I have attached a small piece of grey slate which I picked up on a beach in Pembrokeshire - it works really well.   I've also, at long last, photographed the red bowl I made before Christmas, it is decorated with french knots in various shades of red and coral.

Since February, we have attended two Craft Fairs, one in Neston Town Hall - a new venture for us, which was very successful .   We will be going there again on 2nd April -  it was very pleasant and well organised.

While I was away, Liz went to one at the Park Inn,  St. Helens.   As usual, the staff were so welcoming, warm and friendly but, unfortunately, for some reason, there didn't seem to be many people about.    Very strange, last time we were there it was quite busy.   We'll be at Lark Lane, this weekend for their first Fair of the season.    I hope we'll get lots of interest - Mothers' Day is on Sunday, so perhaps there will be some last minute present buying!

I'm hoping, in the next few days, to download and print some of the (few) photos I took when we were away - I'm hoping I might have one decent shot of an egret and perhaps one of a surfer.  Neither are easy to photograph - the egret was very shy and the surfers move at quite a lick! 

With a bit of luck, I'll get in a walk in the Lake District in the next few weeks and that might yield some good photo opportunities.  In the meantime, I'm making a couple of bags - I hope to finish, and photograph them, for the next blog.



Catching up at last



 

During the last week I haven't actually done much new work, but I have finished off a couple of items and, at last, photogaphed the felt bags I made before Christmas.     They are seamless and the flap is fastened with a press stud.   Both bags are approximately 7" wide and 6.5" deep and have a shoulder strap which is 35.5" long.  The colours are wonderful.

 



I've also finished off another nuno felted scarf.  The wool is felted onto a hand dyed shibori scarf  and I've decorated the pink wool with cream silk yarn.  The texture on the back of the scarf is very interesting too.

  





As well as the feting, I have made a brown fabric bag or purse - this time out of cotton/polycotton fabric.   It is decorated with couched yarns and machine embroidery.   It is fully lined in brown fabric  and has a long cord shoulder strap which allows it to be worn across the body.   I am very pleased with the results and think I'll probably make one or two more - the shape is quite novel.



detail of texture















I've done quite a lot of knitting as well, this week,  using some more of that novelty yarn, so I'll be photographing the scarves for the next blog - I must put them on the web site too.  

 



































Knitting

Since I last posted, I have been doing some knitting - just for a change.   When I went to the show at Harrogate before Christmas I saw some lovely, twirly, hand-knitted scarves.   I bought a pattern from the stall and I've used some wool that I already had to knit a pretty novelty scarf.   It is made from very fine wool in three colours, pink, blue and lavender - the result of mixing these is a sort of heather colour.    It is quite unusual and very easy to wear - I'm thinking of making another one.

As well as this one, I saw a friend with an attractive, ruffled scarf, in purple and cerise - she said it had been hand knitted.   I trawled the internet and  I spotted, as well as a possible match for that one,  a yarn which produced an  intriguing, almost frilly lacy knitted scarf.  I was lucky enough to find a shop locally which sold both these yarns and I knitted a scarf with the 'lacy' yarn and my sister knitted up the ruffled one - wow!  The results were really rewarding - here's a picture of mine.   It feels really soft and warm and drapes beautifully.




On Saturday, we went to a Craft Fair in Walton Vale.   It seems we're doomed there - this was our third time at this venue and each time the weather has been atrocious.   This time, it rained unremittingly all day - no-one in their right mind would have gone out if they hadn't been forced to.  Needless to say, there were not a lot of customers.    As usual, we met some interesting people and renewed acquaintance with some of the 'old' faces.    I sold a few Valentine's Day cards which I had made last week too.

Also this week, I completed a nuno felt scarf and experimented with a lattice work felt scarf which is quite funky.  I'll have them photographed by the time I write the next post.  In the meantime I'm experimenting some more with the embellishing machine I bought before Christmas - it certainly has possibilities.

Busy day with the web site

I've had a really busy time today. Having spent some time at the weekend photographing some scarves and brooches, and then quite a lot of time editing and preparing the images, I've spent all day uploading them to the web site.  It takes ages to write the descriptions, key words etc. but it's a job well done.    I've entered lots of products and lots of pictures so I'm hoping that, perhaps, I might have an order or two?

I made a really lovely scarf, last week.   A friend gave me some striped, woollen fabric in lovely autumn colours,  which I backed with a gorgeous piece of embroidered taffeta which I've been hoarding for ages.  The result is a luxurious, fully reversible, warm scarf .

Last Friday, I nuno felted a hand-dyed pink silk scarf.    I used a very fine layer of pink merino wool and decorated it with wisps of grey/blue merino and some small pieces of blue/lavender/beige wool yarn.  I let the silk 'frill' at the edges.  The result is a pretty, very lightweight, but surprisingly warm, scarf.  It's not very big but its absolutely beautiful - the texture of the silk on the back is wonderful.

A New Year - a new me?

Well that, albeit early, New Year's resolution didn't last long, did it?   It has now been over a fortnight since I added a post.   What can I say?   I did go away for New Year and, of course, there was a lot of catching up to do when I came back.   I will say, though, that I haven't been idle - I've done lots of reading of those lovely books I was given for Christmas and I promise I will get round to trying some of the new techniques they describe.

In the mean time I've made a couple of lovely felt scarves, one red/orange based and one blue/green.   I am particularly happy with the red/orange one,  it's not a colour combination that I often use - I stick to the old favourites green/blue/purple - but I am really pleased with it and hope to use that combination or variations of it more often in the future.

I have also finished a canvas.  It is a mixture of gossamer felt and hand and machine embroidery on pale green silky fabric.   I have just got to mount it so, hopefully in the next blog, I'll post a photo.

I've started to make another scarf, not felt this time.   It's reversible, made of woollen fabric lined with an embroidered taffeta and it is mostly rust and brown, another seldom used colour combination for me - so perhaps there is a new me in there somewhere!!!  . 

Christmas past

Once again I have been very lax about my blog.   November was a busy month and , needless to say, December was more than a little hectic.

On 7th November we were at the Park Inn, St. Helens.  What a lovely venue - light, airy room, well laid out and the staff were delightful.  We really enjoyed the day and it was very successful - as well as a few brooches, cards and gift tags, I sold a dozen diaries/notebooks and address books - Christmas presents, no doubt.   My lovely pink/purple treasure bag was bought by the mother of a young lady who obviously adored it and the beautiful black and white nuno felt wrap also sold.   Two of my favourite pieces sold on one day!    Still, it's great when someone appreciates your work.

The following weekend we went to a sale at Cuddington in Cheshire.   Quite a trek for not much return - there were quite a few people there but they seemed to be there for a chat and a cup of tea rather than to buy!

On 20th November, we went to the Adult Education College at Lancaster.   We've been there before and were looking forward to it.   In the event, it was worth the journey - the staff, as usual were friendly and helpful and the room was bright.   We renewed some old acquaintancesand met some other  interesting people too.   I even met my old boss why had retired up to Lancaster - that was a surprise - for both of us.   One lady bought a print of Bamburgh Castle which she was going to send to USA as a Christmas present.   Another American lady bought a couple of items to send home as presents too - in fact, she bought the red and gold treasure bag which I had made specifically with Christmas in mind. 

Flushed with success, the next day, we were at Eccleston, St Helens for a sale organised by a charity.  It was not a happy day for us - we were not in the best position, opposite the door, and it was freezing.   Add to that, nobody seemed that interested in us!  

On Friday, 26th November, we spent the day at the Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk.   We have been there before, and, as usual, the staff were very friendly and helpful but the weather was awful and I think it kept a lot of people at home.   On the Sunday, we were at Fir Tree Farm, Crank - it was bitterly cold but we kept warm by 'dancing' to the carold played by the local brass band.  We were kept supplied with hot drinks and, despite the condititions, enjoyed ourselves as usual.

On 3rd December, we went to a PTA Christmas Fair at Malvern Primary School in Knowsley.   Again, the weather was dreadful - snow.   The sale only lasted about two hours but there were hoards of people there and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Our last two fairs of the year were at Walton Vale and the wildflower centre at Court Hey, Liverpool.   Both were spoiled by the awful weather which kept most people at home.   The organisers at Walton Vale tried valiantly to get people through the door but it was an uphill task.  The Court Hey organiser had, I think, a terrible day, trying to keep everyone as warm and comfortable  in what must have been the worst possible conditions.

The year, then for us, ended on a downward note but we'll put that down to the weather conditions and start to prepare for next season.   We've already got one fair booked at Ormskirk on Saturday, 12th February - just in time for Valentine's Day so I'll have to put my thinking cap on and make some appropriate bits and pieces.

As you can see from the list of events we've been to, there hasn't been a lot of time for creative activities.   Apart from making lots and lots of Christmas cards, I think I've only managed one felt scarf since November.  

Because, unexpectedly, I started work again in September, having 'retired' in July, I had a little extra money so I treated myself to an Pfaff embellisher which I'd been coveting for ages and which I saw at the Knitting and Stitching show at Harrogate.    Because of the snow, I have been more or less confined to the house since 17th December (I hope to go out tomorrow!) so I've been using the time to get to know the machine - I've made lots of samples but, as yet, not much else!   Still it's great fun.

For Christmas, my daughters bought me some craft books so I'm avidly reading and hoping that they'll give me ideas for some different techniques - not that I'm short of ideas - the problem is not having enough time.

I think that's about all my news for now, except that my (early) New Year's resolution it to update the blog regularly and to put some new items on the website - here's hoping!