Bikes and Barrows on Bank Holiday

Today we went to the Bikes and Barrows Festival at Scorton, Lancashire.   We have been to Scorton a couple of times before and were happy to be returning - it's a great venue and the welcome is always friendly and helpful - especially from Joanne and Nick.   The coffee's good too!    I didn't get time to have a good look round the village but it looked as though everyone had made a great effort to decorate bikes, barrows and all sort of other things - some very imaginative and inventive and well worth a look.    

We met some of our old acquaintances, including the ladies who sell patchwork (quilts, bags, etc.) in aid of the Hospice at Knot End - I hope they made lots of money - they deserve it, their work is absolutely beautiful.   

Today, we actually sold two of Liz's Jubilee brooches - red, white and blue, crocheted flowers with a Union Jack heart-shaped button in the middle.  I think she'd better be making some more before 2nd June!  

This week I've finished off some felt brooches, a couple of cowls and I'm half way through making a small shoulder bag.   It's really lovely, diagonal strips of silk applied to a felt backing and decorated with squares of silk, sequins, machine embroidery and beads.   The colours are jewel shades of blue, turquoise and jade - it's really quite sumptuous.   Watch this space - there'll be a picture of it soon.  

Her are some pictures of the silk bookmarks I made a couple of weeks ago.  

Craft and Hobby Exhibition

I was so looking forward to the Craft and Hobby Fair at Aintree but was quite disappointed.   I had deferred my Mothers’ Day present to the show so that I could buy (yet another) a craft book but there were no booksellers there (there’s always one or two)!   Also, there seemed to be far fewer exhibitors and certainly there was nobody selling threads or quilting equipment – so I didn’t cross much off my list despite being there all day.   However, there were some very interesting displays by various groups and, although there were very few textile artists, some of my favourites were there – Jane Davies, Wendy Dolan, Valerie Hughes.   We also visited Felicity Howatson’s  stall (3 times) and went to hear her excellent lecture on machine embroidery on soluble fabric – I came home full of enthusiasm and inspiration.   Give me time and the results will appear!

kindle cover

kindle cover

i phone case

We were at the Craft Fair at Lark Lane on Saturday,  there were a lot of new craftspeople there as well as the ‘old hands’ who it was good to catch up with.   I took the new items which I’d made.   There were 18 hand painted silk bookmarks, a couple of kindle cases, a mobile phone cover, an evening bag , a felted book cover and a wall hanging.   We also took the 3 glasses cases  - two in the shape of fish (the heads forming the flap)  whose pictures are at the end of the blog.    Only the glasses cases and the wall hangings got much attention.   There were more people about than last month, apparently, although they weren’t spending much.   I am beginning to think that the recession is beginning to bite really hard now.  

I’m in the process of completing another book cover, needlefelted  this time and I’ve bought a supply of glittery ladder yarn to knit some cowls – I’ve finished one and hope to have another one or two finished this week in time for our visit to the Bikes and Barrows Festival in Scorton, Lancs.    We are really looking forward to our visit – we’ve been there a couple of times before – it’s close to the Trough of Bowland and is a lovely little village.    http://scortonvillage.com/#/whats-on-events/4548209297

Back to normal

At last, we're back to normal - or what passes for normal in this household!    The decorating is finished and everything is back in its place - well nearly.

There's been a  lot to do to prepare for the Camera Club's Annual Presentation tomorrow - trophies to be engraved, certificates to be printed etc. so that's kept me occupied for some time.  Liz and I didn't do particularly well this year, a 2nd and a three other awards for me and a 2nd and a couple of other awards for Liz.   We are spending more time on textiles and the web site than we are on photography - we must buck our ideas up!

However, at last, I've made some more progress with the baby quilt.   I've done some free machine embroidery on it and basted the batting onto it - next step is to put the back on and quilt it.   I've also been trying out a few new things - I've made a couple of  lightly padded kindle covers and an i-phone cover.  I've also completed a needle felted glasses case.   My latest experiment is an evening bag - it is dark blue silky fabric decorated with blue velvet and gold ribbon and metallic stitching and lined with another very pretty silky fabric.   It is really quite lovely.   I will be taking all these new items to Lark Lane on Saturday and, if they don't sell, I'll have some pictures of them soon, as well as a strip patchwork hanging which I'm rather proud of.   Today, as well as making a piece of felt for a book cover, I have prepared lots of book marks and I hope to get them sewn ready for sale too.

I had some good news on Wednesday from the gallery at Coffee Etc. in Parbold,  they had sold the faux chenille bag (I hadn't even taken a photo of it- Oops) and a picture made from felt and fabric with machine and hand embroidery.  

A busy weekend ahead.  We're really looking forward to going to Aitnree to the Craft Show there on Friday - I've got a list as long as my arm and that's only essentials.   We hope to get there at the start and will probably be there all day.  We've arranged to meet up with some of my old classmates from the City and Guilds course that we all did.

Saturday will see us at Lark Lane hoping for a good turnout.   It will be great to catch up with all the other 'crafters' who I haven't seen since before Christmas too.    On Sunday, I'll be going to a concert by Swingshift in Crosby with family so that will be a nice relaxing evening.

Back again

I've been away again, so haven't posted for nearly a month. In the meantime I seem to have been most unproductive - I don't know why I seem to be so busy, but that's the only excuse I have for not getting down to some serious work. I suppose having the hall stairs and landing decorated and a new carpet fitted did hold me up somewhat.

Found time for a walk in the Lake District on Mothers' Day - just the way to celebrate, especially as the weather was so good. Walked near Elterwater, had a picnic lunch and, when we'd completed the walk, drove up to Blea Tarn to take in the scenery there - wonderful. Liz and I carried our cameras and lenses around with us all day and didn't take a single photo - that must be a record!

I haven't been totally idle though, I've printed out lots of photos which I took on my New England trip last October and one or two of them are quite promising and will be going into camera club competitions in the near future.

Before we went away, Liz and I had a couple of photo excursions when HMS Liverpool paid her farewell visit to the port. We went down to Crosby to see her sail in and to sail away again - how sad!

We also went into Liverpool on the day the crew paraded with fixed bayonets from St. Nicholas Church to Exchange Flags where they were inspected by the Lord Lieutenant of the County and the Lord Mayor. The band of the Royal Marines led the parade and it was a very moving occasion. After everyone had gone into the Town Hall for their lunch, we went to the landing stage to see the ship close up. Then, as we were out and it was a lovely day, we went over to the ferry terminal at Secombe and took lots of photos from there too. I should have at least some decent images.

Finally, on Sunday, my husband and I and Liz and her husband, went to the Palm House in Sefton Park to see our daughter and grandson playing in a concert with Maghull Wind Orchestra. It was lovely to see people of all ages and abilities enjoying making music together. They are really very good. Of course we took lots of photos there as well.

As I mentioned in my last blog, we went to St. Peter's, Newton Le Willows, on 10th March but, again, there was not a lot of footfall and it was quite quiet. Since then, while I was away sunning myself in Fuerteventura, Liz went to the first Craft Fair of the Lark Lane Season. The weather was beautiful and, apparently, most of the neighbourhood went to stroll/sunbathe in the park so it was very quiet there as well. Our last venture was on Saturday in St. Helens. This was, again, a new venue and, again, there was very little footfall and apart from other stallholders, nobody was buying. To cap it all, we very nearly got a parking ticket when we were loading up to come home. Phew!

Liz and I are going to the Craft Show at Aintree on 27th April and I hope to pick up some new ideas there as well as the odd item of fabric/fibre etc. I'll have to restrain myself or I'll buy all sorts. Our next Craft Fair is at Lark Lane on 28th April so we're hoping that we'll have more customers than last time. I'm hoping to have been a little more productive by then, and to have some different items for sale - we'll have to see what inspires me!

Happy Easter everyone.

Patchwork bag

I'm still finding my way around my new computer - making some progress but, every now and again, it completely throws me and slows me down.   However, I've made some inroads into the backlog of photo printing I promised I'd do - despite the fact that the all singing, all dancing, new printer has also proved quite temperamental.   I will conquer it - it may cost me a fortune in wasted paper and ink but I will win!

The Spring Fair at Maghull Town  Hall for Macmillan Cancer Support was a bit of a disappointment - not a lot of footfall and very few sales.   I'm hoping for better things tomorrow when we go to St. Peter's Church, Newton -le-Willows - another new venue.

I've not made  any progress with the web site, although I know Liz has put in lots of work trying to tidy it up and improve on it.   I have, however, made my first patchwork strip picture - and I've incorporated it into a bag.   I quite like the result - it was fun to make, but I'm still debating whether to make the next one, which I've already got under way, into a picture.

Happy New Computer

Since I last posted, we have been to Holland visiting our daughter and her family so, once again, I have not been terribly productive.   I did buy some interesting wool and some space dyed cotton thread from a craft shop there – it’s always interesting to see different products. Also,  whilst we were there, our daughter  took us to the little town of Ootmarsum which has lots of artists and craftspeople.   I really enjoyed looking round the quaint town and particularly Annemiek Punt’s glass gallery and seeing the absolutely amazing work done by Ton Schulten, an artist whose paintings are really striking – the colours positively glow – they were so inspiring.   The museum there is filled with his paintings and some beautiful sculptures.   The visit has given me some ideas to try in felt and patchwork.  We’ll see.

Since I arrived home, my brilliant brother in law has delivered my new pc – all set up and ready to go – what a man!     It is a much more powerful machine than the last one, and far more up to date as regards Windows, Word  etc.    The only problem is that my brain’s processing power can’t quite keep up yet.   Everything seems to work differently, or be in a different location, so I’m feeling my way a bit.    When I get to know my way around it, I’ll be able to work on my photographs without the frustration of the screen freezing at regular intervals.     I’m expecting great things of it!

Today, I have arranged to have a table at the Spring Fair which will be held at Maghull Town Hall on Saturday, 3^rd March, in aid of the Macmillan Nurses.   I hope it will be a really successful day for them, they do such invaluable work.

During the next few weeks, I am hoping to make some inroads into updating the website, printing some photographs from my New England trip, and generally catching up.   If there’s time I’m hoping try out some patchwork strip pictures – a new technique for me.   I’m debating whether to mount and frame them or to incorporate them as a front panel in a bag – perhaps I’ll do both?

At last I've got some of the long promised photos to post - the front of the white/cream quilt which is still waiting to be sandwiched and quilted, my first felt hat - still waiting for some embellishment and the two nuno felt sketchbook covers I made in the New Year.   Also, I'm posting a picture of the 'amazing technicolour dreamcoat' which was our Christmas present to one of our granddaughters.    

Happy New Year

I can hardly believe it’s 2 months since I last posted.    Christmas was incredibly busy and, since then, I seem to have been running around like a mad woman!   I can’t honestly say, though, that I’ve achieved an awful lot.

On second thoughts, I have achieved one goal.    I have actually made a number of Christmas cards - about 200 in fact.   I had promised myself that, before I put all the Christmas 'stuff' away, I would make next year's cards - that will mean that I won't have to panic next November - at least that's the theory.  

     

I have been busy with rehearsals for my Operatic Society’s production, which took place last week.  I was ‘persuaded’ to take on the job of wardrobe mistress as well as performing in the chorus, so the last couple of weeks have been particularly stressful and hectic.  However, despite a few last minute glitches, everything went swimmingly – the costumes were gorgeous.  I only had to alter 4 costumes in total - thank goodness I’ve got an overlocker.   I could do with a ‘Learn to love  your overlocker’ course though – it’s very much a ‘hope for the best’  procedure!   According to all the reports I’ve heard so far, the production was ‘outstanding’, ‘the best yet’ and other similar comments.

On the photography front, I’ve done very little – I had to buy a new printer in the end, and it hasn’t been extensively tested yet – but I hope to give it lots of work in the next couple of weeks.   Sadly, my pc is slowly dying and, before it freezes up totally and gives up the ghost completely, I’ve followed the good advice of my guru and ordered another one, so I have spent a lot of time backing up all the files – just in case.

On the textile front, I’ve done a little experimenting – I’ve made a  ‘faux chenille’ panel; which I’ve used as the front of a bag, and made a picture in  strip patchwork and hand embroidery – I promise I’ll have some pictures soon.   

I did, as I’d hoped, get some lovely craft books for Christmas so I’ve got lots of ideas to work on.   One of the books is about creating felt garments and, full of enthusiasm, I cut out the fabric for a lovely nuno felt jacket using chiffon fabric.   Just to be sure, I decided to try out some colours on a small sample of the fabric.   After hours of rubbing and rolling, I had to give up and admit that the fabric (which was synthetic chiffon) was not going to allow the wool to penetrate enough, and that the whole project would not work.   That will teach me not to cut out a garment before trying a small sample first!  Another lesson learned though!

I did manage to make a couple of nuno pieces felted onto muslin – they were very successful – and I have used them to back a couple of sketchbooks.    I have also completed a number of brooches in bright colours which I thought might sell well.

Last weekend, we went to our first craft fair of the year – it was a charity event in aid of the MS Society and was held at St. Anne’s Social Centre in Ormskirk.   It was only for 2 hours and I believe it was successful in adding to the branch’s funds.     I sold a print and a scarf and some odds and ends, so  it was worthwhile loading and unloading the car in that terribly cold weather, especially as I have been a member of the Society for about 40 years.