A little more Knitting & Stitching

Well, quite a few more photos from the show! I won't say much, promise, my eyes are already falling out from sorting out the rest of the holiday pics ;) But first a little about my travels. First stop, the Eldest & my dil to be's new home in Chippenham, near Bath. Well, I've completely fallen in love with Bath!

 While wandering around I came upon a fabulous exhibition in Walcot Street,  held in a tiny chapel, completely empty but for these wonderful mixed media paintings by Jan Jeffcoate, no website. Very tactile pieces, lovely.

 Surrounded by a sea of gravestones, not surpriingly. Did I take a pic? No. Too busy experiencing it. The above 2 are from her card. Had an interesting chat with my brother later- 'did it not happen then, just because you didn't record it?' Well, no, just that it would have been totally appropriate to share here!

 All things lead from the Abbey

 Also in Walcot St where I was hoping to find Walcot Reclamation yard, gone, but there was this amazing shop with a million items of clothing in it.  blurry sorry. There was another vintage type shop, the kind of place I feel a home in.

 Dyeing for a cuppa as there are so many hills here (you'd think I was used to it!)I stopped here, Bea's Cafe I think it was called, just like having tea with my grandmother!

curly railings on the way to Bath's Fashion Museum - thanks to Serendipity for the heads up ;)

Stunning 17th c costumes

wonderful gauntlets - I bought a top once from a charity shop of course, which had lovely bits of added 'lace' on the sleeve ends &  I thought, hmm, good idea to make for the studio (it's still on my list!) & here they were doing it for gloves all those years ago ;)

60's shoes & bags

So glad I made the effort to climb all the way up Bath! Walking back down there are so many fabulous 'indy' shops - you'd need a fortune to live here!

A view from the Eldest's bathroom window, 3 floors up, a beautifully renovated old forge they're renting.

one or 2 things from Bath market - I want to find 'spools' to wrap spare wool onto - this will inspire me, as will the dinky little tags found in a 'new vintage' shop. Then in a the new stuff market those earring findings you can't do without & a bit of paint.

Off to Oxford & in the open Thursday market I found a lovely bit of lace & I doily - my first! that I hope to print with.

I've got to show you what the lovely 'Heloise' generously gave me - bundles of jewel colored snippets along with organza, thread & a bit of painted bondaweb peeping out at the top there. She's being very supportive,  following my efforts with the  purses & brooches I've been making. Good to have a blog buddy near Oxford & it was great to catch up.

So to the second half of my Knitting & Stitching visit! Thanks to Linda I found out who these wonderfully eccentric artists were, above &  below is Sue Walton

& below is Ann Small
good to meet someone else who uses bones! Amazing work.

Above is the delicious Louise Baldwin, part of the 62 group (see Louise link)  50 yrs together.

Elaine Megahey

Jae Maries, both also of the 62 group. Such wonderful work.

Lizzie Houghton above asked could I take a general shot - that coat on the right & the wrap you can just see on the left were stunning!

 Dale's  beautiful buttons above & herself below - I hope she likes the pic, I think it's great!

 Last but not least! The 4 pics below are my new hero, Val Holmes.

Wonderful, what I'd give to go to one of her workshops in France!

The next best thing is her book, along with Frances Pickering's some Lizzie Houghton wool tops & sari ribbon from

Stef Frances  I was very restrained ;)

Well I've given you one or 2 links to be going on with!

A taste of the Knitting & Stitching Show

I'm home! Had a fabulous break, tired from traveling, but refreshed - I needed it.
I'd normally talk about things in Chronological Order saving the best til last but this time I'll start with the highlight of my time away; the last day (not counting friends & family visits, of course!)

I've been waiting for months to get to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally - I realized that I could just catch the first day of the show on the last day of my holiday & spurred on by the possibility of seeing the work of          Cas Holmes in real life, I made it happen.

 I asked permission of course for taking photos, introduced myself as a follower of her work, book & blog.

She was very busy along with her friend & collaborator Anne Kelly

but still made time for all the young students around - I include myself in that lot ;)

Being a follower of Cas' work I was quite amazed at how much I hadn't seen before,

 I mean I think every piece was new;  absolutely stunning & magical in real life!

 I took some pics of them on their cameras & just managed one on mine

 I desperately wanted to touch her work, very carefully of course, & on a technical aspect

 see how the work was hung - very tight to the top of the work, a thin quilting sleeve

 & hers are softer to the touch than I manage, I probably use too much pva or acrylic wax to attach & seal the work

 she was inviting people to join her in making little squares, above - I like a good square - then they'd get strung up & taken to each of her shows. I sat down & made one, didn't photograph it ;(  & I can honestly say that 10 minutes was the one serene & calming few moments of the day! It was desperately hot & airless.

 I got a pic of Anne by her 2 pieces of work before she left. While Cas was rearranging a sign just outside her stand, leaving me in charge.....ME! some of Anne's students came in & said 'look, it's Miss's work' Imagine having a 'Miss' like that to teach you at school!

Some more beautiful smaller pieces of work including books, oh so lovely.

I can't really do justice to the excitement I felt seeing this work in person & having a chance to talk to Cas; I'm sure I could have asked so many more questions but it can get quite overwhelming, from both sides, I imagine & I just enjoyed absorbing it all. Completely inspiring & so great to meet them both, thank you!  I'm so looking forward to the book coming out next year ;)

Well, again, the best first, not last. Tho certainly there was so much more amazing work there.

You first saw on walking in the Embroiderers guild North east Region work - above & below

 called 'Mining a gold seam' I hope you can read the names on the cards.

Then I decided to walk round half of the suppliers hall - I love the bottom right particularly

 I should have gone straight to the exhibition bit as it's exhausting in the crowds, Stef, above.

Oliver Twists, my fave bit top right (can't find a direct link)

Then look at this a nettle knitted short jacket! lovely. I asked everybody first could I take a pic & blog about them. 

 Oh, I'm inspired to put more flowers in my work by this wonderful piece by Jill Denton I'd honestly never seen her foxgloves before!

& fun & happy mixed media pieces by Sue Dove (I saw sue but can't be sure the google links are her, anybody knows, please tell me ;) ! - theirs was the first stand as you entered the exhibition bit.

 I met Frances Pickering, too busy looking to take a pic & Lynda Monk's work, above, demonstrating on Art van Go's stand.

 Jean Littlejohn & Jan Beaney very busy people being greatly encouraged to go off for their break by their tireless DH's, just caught them.

but I'd never seen the work of Judy Merchant, just wonderful

Can't resist a circle, can I? If you go to the show tomorrow, the last day, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I've more, but this is enough for one day, I think. Here I am, home to my very own pot of gold.......
ok so I was fiddling with the camera & missed the most amazing rainbow.....! darnit!

Giveaway results & a few bits & pieces

The winner of my 200 plus posts giveaway is.......

Su from Living on the Edge !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you enjoy what you make ;)

I forgot I made these brooches last week & stitched the backs on while talking to the Rellies - the fabric was from last year, the same as the previous earrings; nothing wasted (which is part of my problem ;)

 On the same note, I dropped some tiny pieces of fabric & threads from one of my many bits bowls/jars onto a piece of stabiliser, ironed down & stitched around. It was only small so I cut it into 4 & made 3 brooches, the 4th piece might be a button one day.

 The 4 earrings on the left were prepared for last weeks chat time but I was too busy talking.....
The earring on the right was from the corner of the coin purse below (about postcard size)

 I had it in mind to make many purses but made just one. It'll just have to do!

Making a large piece of new fabric with many bits & pieces is great, you can really get into the 'zone' but it's also a little neck breaking to do too much at once & daunting when time is short so to avoid failing completely, I made this purse sized piece, even allowing for a little shrinkage for when you add the first few stitches.

So I sprinkled about, oh, 1/16th of one bowl (there are many more purses, brooches, earrings, hair clips, pendants & hanging hearts to come!) added turquoise organza (I have to buy the organza & gold thread - rarely find those in a charity shop!) Stitched some straight lines in both directions then filled in with some free machining.

The 'button' is from the opposite 'corner' to the earring & the loop is a bit of seam twisted & zigzagged. I must fins my cording foot as my cords/loops are always pretty flat! They 'round up' with a bit of manipulation ;)

 This will probably find it's way into my Etsy shop before too long.

Bought this from my friend, Yoga mentor, knitter extrordinare Toni who has a little shop with Theo on the old pier in Broadford, 20 mins down the road. I usually buy these hanks just to have/stroke/be inspired by as I'm no knitter, but I have used some in my work, honest! This one is neon Nylon ribbon/tape, can you believe it? Delicious.

Anyone heard of  Lauren Shanley? I'm trying to find just an inch of space in the studio so I'm going thru some mags & ripping bits out - I know, sacrilege especially as this was in Embroidery magazine...Aug 07, see what I mean? When I saw this piece I was enthralled, then when I got over the fright from the image of the head/face I realised I'd read (& kept) an article on her before. Nice to be consistent.  Her coats are to die for. If I start on one now I may have one to wear for my 50th wedding anniversary! Along the same lines is this wonderful artist, Paulina,  who I found on Etsy, very dreamy, have a look!

I discovered that my little point & shoot camera does get upset if you turn it to take a portrait pic. Who knew? Landscape from now on, easy ;) No more cricked necks!

I'm away on holiday next week so I won't be about for a bit. See you soon, tho! x