A workshop, a visit to Creative Stitches & a start on the peacock fabric

Delighted to be asked to give a workshop at Skyeworks Gallery in Portree (on the Isle of Skye!) on April 9th & you're all invited - I appreciate it may be a little way for most of you to come!

Had a wonderful day at the Creative Stitches show in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago, traveling down with my friend Jenny. 

Some people from last year had returned & it was good to see them again. I might even consider a stand myself one day, promote some workshops perhaps.... nothing like frightening myself to death, having that idea! Feel the fear & do it anyway I think they say.

 Susan Hotchkis

 There was a series of quilts from the Quilter's Guild based on 'hidden histories', I've just shown a few here, lots of beautiful work. Edit : So sorry in advance, I thought you'd be able to read the info I so carefully included in the pics of the quilts but you can't in most of them ;( I'll try better next time

 name unclear, (in my pic) sorry - hope you can read the names on the others

 Katrina Parris

 Millie Thomas

 Khurshid Bamboar

 Judy Fairless

Below there were some lovely hats & bags from the 1890's - 1960's

& above, Jeanette Sendler from Hat in the Cat, a place I'd love to go for the many wonderful Masterclasses they give in Newburgh, near Edinburgh. She was very helpful in giving advice on making a fascinator, lovely pieces here.

 above was a weaving made by 'the people' from Rachel Powel's last show, you write a label with a memory, choose a thread beautifully dyed by Rachel then you tie it to the weft using , I think, a Turkish knot. This one was complete - the one we took part in had only just started.

I admit to not having seen Les Miserables

 with a stunning dress like the one above I think I must!

I came across Reveal, info above, a surprise as I hadn't realized they'd be here, first met them at Knitting & Stitches 2 yrs ago. Lovely work but quite bright lighting in the stand.

Wonderful Contemporary Quilts & info below with my favorites

We went to a talk by Dionne Swift - this pic in the link is exactly as we saw her on her stand, one by Pat Archibald - her talk was on Indian inspiration, in this link, & Jenny, who organizes people to visit the group Skye Quilter's, who I've just joined, says she's coming up to give a workshop next year, can't wait!

We also heard Lynda Monk talk about her wonderful techniques & had to visit her stand for her latest book....of course 'Exploring Creative surfaces. Then over to Colouricious' stand to meet Jamie Malden of Talking Threads fame - I've watched so many youtube clips from them it was great to see her in the flesh & she's coming to give Skye Quilters a workshop next year, too ;) We revisited some of the people from last year who came back & finished up at the Yorkshire Books stand where I got Cas Holmes & Ann Kelly's book Connected Cloth which I'm enjoying slowly, such a treat. Jenny bought a couple of different books & when we can find a minute she's going to give me a dyeing workshop at hers, further up the island - I shall take notes & while the fabric is  'batching' we can work thru one of her books!

 Above was a bit of architecture right next to a bridge seen on the walk back to the car, love those windows.

 & above looking under the bridge at those lovely marks thru the car window...on a red light, honest!

Jenny gave me a wonderful gift of some bits & pieces from her shop, so generous! Can't wait to see what else she has when I get up there. Exactly my colors, which leads me on to my next pic.

Above is the start of the cloth I'm making to create a fascinator, an earring, a 'buttonhole',  a small bag, a wrist cuff & possibly 2 clipy things to brighten up my shoes for......The Wedding. Suddenly it's only 5 1/2 weeks away but if I don't manage to make these things in time I'm the only one who will loose out. You can see top left The Dress & top right The Jacket. I thought peacock feathers for the fascinator, it looks so well with the jade/turquoise color of the dress & I don't believe that something that beautiful could possibly be unlucky. Also, I have some peacock feathers ;) They'll go on the bag, too, along with some organza flowers, Fijian style, sort of. The wedding is a mix of Fijian tropical (where they met) Eastbourne seaside where they're marrying, Seaford seaside where my lovely dil to be is from & Skye seaside of course where the Eldest was brought up for the second decade of his life. He's 25 on Saturday, I can hardly believe it!

I was thinking delicious colors, soft wool tops, needlefelting & I love the fabric above so far but it's not the wedding glitzy I imagined, far too rustic for that. I'd been looking at my shiny, silky flower hangings for inspiration & wasn't feeling it on this fabric. If you can't be shiny & glitzy at a wedding, well, where can you be?!

Even tho rustic looking the back was lovely too.

Even so, I started a new piece, same lovely peacock colors with a little tropical pink

& added some organza & random gold  stitching. I'll add more glitz as I go along & we'll see what happens.

Thanks for sticking with me this far & welcome to some new followers - we kept loosing access to google & therefore the sign in facility here & facebook too for goodness sake, how did I manage?! Seems ok just now, we'll see ;)