New Blog

If you are looking for Cellostitcher you will find her at JannArt.

Art Doll Swap

The October swaps for Unlimited Textiles is an Art Doll and a quiltie with the theme being a choice between Autumn or Halloween. I chose Halloween for the Art Doll and here is a photo of the witch I have made for the swap. My family love her and don't want me to let her go but she will be flying on her way to my swap partner next week. I really enjoyed making her. I think she looks a bit cheeky!

Backgrounds

Spent a lovely day making lots of fabric paper as per instructions in Beryl Taylor's book Mixed Media Explorations. I have had this book since it first came out and it has become a favourite of mine. I really enjoy making the fabric paper and use it a lot as background pieces.

Back At Last

It is such a long time since I last posted but things have been a little bit hectic. The main reason I have not posted is that I had to have major surgery and obviously recuperation took quite a while during which time I haven't really felt very inspired. Anyway I am on the right side of things now and am feeling quite enthusiastic about my textile work again.

To get me going I joined an online class through Joggles. It was Michelle Verbeeck's Cat Sack class. It was really good to look forward to something each week and just to get me going again. I really enjoyed it. Here are some pictures that include the choice of materials, work in progress and the finished cat sack. Good fun!

Another Felted Bag

I decided to make a larger felted bag and bought the approriate number of balls of yarn to do so. I was pleased with the size I knitted - popped the result in the washing machine and was moderately pleased with the finished bag. Not being pleased enough I decided to pop said bag back in the washing machine and in my excitement put on too long and hot a wash and of course you know the result. Ooops! One bag smaller than the previous bags I have knitted. Anyway it is quite cute and I love the colour.

My best friend Ali sent me a lovely brooch she had made. I have pinned it to the front of my bag. Thank you Ali it was a lovely surprise and I love it.

Getting Ahead For Christmas

Each year I like to make a little textile something for family and friends. The other day I received my copy of Quilting Arts gifts Holiday Issue magazine. I was inspired by one of the articles and decided to make these gift bags/decorations. I have made six so far and am enjoying making them so much that I cannot stop. Hope you like them.

Walking in the Peak District

Instead of pottering about and ending up not doing very much as is usual on a Saturday we finally arranged to go for a walk in the Peak District with very close friends of ours. So armed with rucksacks full of food supplies myself, my husband, my two daughters, my very good friend L and her husband M, their two daughters and their son set out for the Peak District.

After hitting a couple of traffic jams due to roadworks we eventually arrived at the beginning of the walk. We piled out of our cars all raring to go when one of L's daughters realised she had not got the correct walking boots with her. After a bit of swapping about the poor girl ended up doing the walk in boots rather on the large side for her and not only that she wasn't feeling too well either! Anyway she completed the walk without a moan. Well done L's eldest!

Beside all that we had a lovely walk. It was rather steeper at the beginning than we had anticipated but we all coped well considering some of us (meaning me and dear husband) haven't been walking in years. The views were lovely, the rain held off until the very end

and I for one thoroughly enjoyed myself. Even my eldest daughter was running up and down hills like a mountain goat and all after she had been pulling a face because she had to get up early. She had said she would never forgive L for making her get up so early on a Saturday morning (I am meaning teenage early which is not early of course!). We had one stop for lunch and the only other stop was for a re-arranging of L's son's socks to stop him getting blisters.

After we had been home and sorted ourselves out we rounded off the evening by spending it at L's where we had a Chinese meal. Thank you L and M and family for being such good friends and company. We always enjoy ourselves when we are with you. Looking forward to the next walk.