Yvonne Brown

panic mode

2012-01-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

the bristol tile project started so well with my early completion of the triptych piece
then it all went a bit pear shaped and now i'm in panic mode trying to get 3 quilts finished and posted to usa by the end of the month!!!!!!!!!!!

perhaps i work better with a bit of stress.

Electric Forest

2011-12-16T02:05:00.000-08:00

last night we went into thetford forest to see the light effects at high lodge, quite amazing and what inspiration for some magical pieces of work

another helmet and a house

2011-11-25T02:07:00.001-08:00

hoo's spirit II

well i enjoyed playing with the lutrador helmet so thought i'd have another go just for me as the commission will be going next week

the view from here

the second house is finished (just about) the drive and turf have been done and its all looking very smart, just need someone to fall in love with it now - any buyers out there?

mission accomplished

2011-11-22T03:58:00.001-08:00

at last i've got hoo's spirit finished, yes there is a lot of work in it but i keep getting waylaid by other projects-bit of a butterfly brain i think!

shelves

2011-11-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

my wonderful builders have performed their magic and built these fabulous shelves in the studio in an effort to tidy up all my 'stuff'. i'm going to spend the next few days having a sort out - i know i should be working but i don't feel very creative sitting in the middle of all my muddles!

shabby chic

2011-10-27T02:36:00.000-07:00

i've discovered annie sloan's chalk paint which is amazing stuff, it can be painted onto just about any surface without having to prepare at all and by layering colours you can then just rub it back to get that shabby chic look.

so i decided to have a go on my sewing desk in the studio

and this was the result!

then i got carried away and had a go on a dark wood side table that really didn't fit in with the new house - shabby chic chateau grey seems to be a big improvement. i'm off to buy some more paint!

a trip acrsoss the water

2011-10-21T01:27:00.000-07:00

amazing roman mosaics

a view of the needles

wonderful sunset

cliffs at alum bay

sunday morning flotilla

last weekend we were on the isle of wight visiting vectis quilters. had a great time all the girls were very welcoming and good fun and we had an extra two days exploring the island in perfect weather - whoever ordered that then thank you very much!

hoo's spirit

2011-10-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

a painted and distressed lutrador mask

the mask on its fabric background

i've been playing with more ideas for the mask project and at last have found what i have been looking for. painted and distressed lutrador knocked back with fuse fx, gives a lovely surface and is crying out for more dstressed metal and rust techniques. watch this space!

nearly there

2011-10-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

at long last the scaffolding is down and the site hut has gone - house number 2 is looking good.

its a bit pink

2011-09-28T01:26:00.000-07:00

a very 'girlie' cover for a photograph album made for the electrician's girlfriend - had to be pink with blue butterflies - don't ask!

Quilting in Spain

2011-09-23T00:02:00.000-07:00

the team at La Drova

had a great week in La Drova, the girls were very productive and enthusiastic and we were looked after extremely well by Sally and Billy. can't beat wall to wall sunshine, unlimited food and wine and stitching!
come and join me next september for a week of dyeing, printing and stitching.

domestic bliss

2011-09-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

inca and pippa

the dogs look quite content, pippa has settled in very well.
a domestic day today - cleaning and cooking preparing for visitors tomorrow.

new cushions

2011-09-01T03:59:00.000-07:00

well i have managed to get a bit of sewing done here is the result - new cushions to go on the recently re-covered sofa. using up some of the kimono fabric and purchases from eternal maker at the festival of quilts

out for a walk

2011-09-01T03:51:00.000-07:00

sunday afternoon walk in the sunshine

looks like autumn is on the way

some prefer to play in the water

bank holiday weekend

2011-09-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

pippa

esme

pippa and esme have come to stay with us for a while - not sure how long! so we have got to get into a whole new routine

three flatcoats in a row

its my birthday

2011-08-25T11:00:00.001-07:00

one of my most favourite places to eat is the fish place on the harbour at southwold, you have to take your own bread etc and wine so you can enjoy a glass or two..or three! but the seafood is amazing - so this was my choice for my birthday - colin had a day off work and we had an away day at the sea side, met up with richard and fiona and even the weather played ball. i've been looking forward to a family weekend to continue the celebrations but the army has scuppered that and christopher is off to italy tomorrow to fix a runway - vital i'm sure but not good for family stuff, so now ashleigh has to sort out the animals and get them to us - its going to be a bit of a zoo.

more experiments

2011-08-21T04:29:00.001-07:00

here's the result of my first trial print just got to decide how i'm going to use it

sutton hoo samples

2011-08-21T04:16:00.001-07:00

i'm playing with this transfer solution to get my photocopied images on to fabric, i'm not sure how permanent it will be - does anyone out there have any experience of using the stuff? i've manipulated my image of the helmet on photoshop elements to get a ghostly effect - well that's the idea lets see if it works

a new project

2011-08-21T03:21:00.001-07:00

this is the starting point for my new project, its a commission for the lady who purchased another of my Sutton Hoo pieces (the very orange piece on my web site gallery) so i've been doing some samples and experiments

and just a little bit more

2011-08-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

and i just had to have this piece of kimono fabric from susan briscoe, just love the subtle colours and abstract design, its really fine wool, feels yummy.

just a bit of fabric

2011-08-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

i did say that i wasn't going to buy any more fabric but in a moment of weakness i just had to have these they are from Eternal Maker www.eternalmaker.com they have the most amazing fabrics just have a look.

new stuff and a disappointment

2011-08-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

our new oak furniture arrived today, 2 lamp tables and a book/display cupboard. very excited to unwrap everything but disappointed to find that one of the tables is damaged! phone call and email later and they promise to replace it on friday.

kitchen blind

2011-08-17T02:19:00.001-07:00

just back from the festival of quilts at nec birmingham, lovely to see so many folks, lots of people to talk to, thankyou to all of you who came by to say hello. really tired now so spending this week quietly at home, catching up and trying to be creative. here you can see my completed kitchen blind. just love the fabric!

more stuff for the show

2011-08-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

i've made lots of yummy book covers for my stand at the show so if you want one get in quick there may not be any left by sunday - i hope! don't forget to come and say hello i'm on a different stand this year QIA 13 hope you can find me.

getting ready for the show

2011-08-08T05:32:00.001-07:00

just getting ready for the festival of quilts, looks as though i'm moving house! i try to be organised but always end up like a headless chicken with too many things to do at the last minute and worried that i will leave something vital behind.

walking with pippa

2011-08-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

a lovely weekend with chris and ash at old dalby. here i am in charge of pippa on a country walk - she's growing so quickly!

flint inspiration

2011-07-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

some random flint in the barn wall

another one

2011-07-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

more inspiration

old walls

2011-07-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

lots of these in our village

wall

2011-07-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

another long, thin piece in the making. i don't know why but i really like this format.

inspired by the old walls that surround us here - chalk, flint and old brickwork with lichen and foliage.

fossils are finished

2011-07-27T01:42:00.000-07:00

the fossil piece is finished. i just wondered whether i have been influenced by the book i've been reading - remarkable creatures by tracy chevalier, the story of mary anning famous fossil huner

and here is pippa

2011-07-26T05:21:00.001-07:00

this is pippa the baby flatcoat that goes to work with the army

introducing amber

2011-07-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

hello - this is amber the springador. a labrador/springer spaniel cross, not sure what she's going to look like when fully grown but at the moment she looks very much like a lab - she's very good - most of the time!

and then there were four

2011-07-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

here's our two girls with the new additions amber the springador and pippa the baby flatcoat - ashleigh in control with her dog training skills!

new project

2011-07-13T03:07:00.001-07:00

here's a new project almost done. i've been using my technique with the cut and melted kunin felt but instead of tiles i'm working on fossils.

get a copy of my book 'tex-tiles and other treasures' to show you how to do it.

i'm going to make some linking pieces to complete the project - watch this space!

I have been working

2011-07-13T02:56:00.001-07:00

inspired by an article by jeanelle mccall in april/may 2011 quilting arts i've made these bright new cushions for the sofa in our new house

got a toy boy

2011-07-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

don't worry just my son at tom and lou's wedding - i think copious amounts of wine were involved!

a new friend

2011-06-10T01:42:00.000-07:00

still in palmerston north and here i am with erilyn our hostess who is also a very talented quilter. we were made most welcome in her lovely home. here is one of erilyn's sheep and a piece of her work.

a great time at palmerston north

2011-06-09T07:45:00.001-07:00

here are some of the ladies at tote and gloat in palmerston north - they were very kind to me when rain literally stopped play, if you haven't heard rain on a tin roof before you will have to try it - you can't even hear yourself think!

its all gone green

2011-06-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

i haven't been able to upload photos to the blog for a while just had a frustrating glitch with my pictures but now i'm back and its so exciting to have a green garden - just got to keep it watered now.

2011-05-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

some of the overseas tutors out for dinner.

here I am with paula golding from the us what a talented lady and so much fun! I hope your husband is better now paula after contractin pneumonia in queenstown.

Queenstown

2011-05-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

well although I am home again I am going to take you through some of my new zealand highlights - queenstown in the autumn is fab!

travelling there on my own turned out ok and i have met up with some amazing and creative people.

exciting announcement

2011-04-01T01:33:00.001-07:00

here's an image from my new book (first book!) soooooooooo exciting to get it in print at long last. you can purchase the book through my website -lots of lovely pics to inspire

moving day

2011-03-29T04:13:00.001-07:00

moving day went quite well thanks to all our helpers we managed to all the big stuff moved over the weekend although it has taken a couple of weeks to completely clear the old house - why have we got so much stuff!!!!

back on line

2011-03-29T04:02:00.001-07:00

after 20 days we are at last back on line so i can catch up with the house developements- the green roof went on just before moving day, ithasn't rained since so its getting very dry!

the digger is back

2011-02-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

well tony and the digger are back on site to sort our the groundworks around our house and to start the foundations on plot 2

bristol triptych

2011-02-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

just to show you that i have been working! here is the first completed piece for the 'Bristol' project.

being creative

2011-02-02T11:50:00.001-08:00

well despite being preoccupied with the build, teaching commitments and preparing teaching packs to send to new zealand for the symposium i have been trying to be creative. here are some samples and the beginnings of my first piece for the bristol tiles project, screen printing, transfer printing and other stuff!!

a floor and the woodburner

2011-02-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

the house is coming along a treat, the wood burner is in and the floor tiles are going down

even more progress

2011-01-19T05:40:00.001-08:00

the roof light is in, logs are cut and the granite worktops and hearth for the log burner are all installed. the pellet boiler is in and fired up heating the floor and drying the house. plasterers will finish tomorrow and then the decorator will move in!

progress on the kitchen

2011-01-12T03:31:00.001-08:00

plastering is almost finished and now the kitchen is coming together, suddenly the house is looking smaller!

a toast to the house

2011-01-07T03:13:00.001-08:00

here we are in the house on christmas morning cracking a bottle of pink champagne!

a new project

2011-01-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

this is the starting point for my new project - the beautiful marble tiled floor of bristol cathedral. so far i have printed up some synthetic satin using transfer paints to make it look like the marble and i have had some thermofax screens made showing all the cracks and marking across the marble surface and used these to print some silk and overprint on some pale batiks - lovely effects. now having a go at using these treasures for my pieces.

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T07:31:00.001-08:00

happy new year to everyone!
december (and christmas!) has been and gone, it must have been very busy as i haven't had time to update my blog - or anything else for that matter. although we have been very slow and lazy over the holiday but perhaps that's what we needed.
as you can see the underfloor heating has gone it, its all been covered with the screed now and the plasterers have been busy getting the wall finished - everyone back tomorrow so i hope things will push on quickly.

the house is happy

2010-11-23T12:43:00.001-08:00

the house is happy - that is the colour of the render - but how amazing it is to see the house without the scaffolding at long last - what an amazing place!

alex has a new girlfriend

2010-11-23T12:37:00.001-08:00

o dear alex is bowled over by esther's charms - watch out lynette!

a devon wedding

2010-11-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Clayton!

now we've got a roof

2010-11-05T05:13:00.001-07:00

the house has got its first coat of render on so at long last we have got rid of the sheets keeping the hemp dry and now the solar panels are up on the south facing roof and the tiles are going on, looking very smart! off to belfast this afternoon to meet the ladies at the northern ireland patchwork group not sure what easy jet will make of six soldering irons in my suitcase!!

Important announcement

2010-10-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

Torc Arts presents a mixed media and textile exhibition with

Annette Morgan and Yvonne Brown

at the Edmund Gallery at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds

from 29th October to 3rd November open 10am to 4.30pm -

Look forward to seeing you all there!

crazy quilts

2010-10-19T02:53:00.001-07:00

not my usual style, this quilt was made for a quilt challenge at alveva quilters and will be on show at the alveva quilters exhibition

"an english country garden"
23rd and 24th october at porters barn, grange farm, feltwell - 10am to 4pm - free admission.
enquiries 01760 337181

come along to see all our work and enjoy our fantastic refreshments!

windows and doors

2010-10-19T02:32:00.000-07:00

all the windows and doors are in. we have to have a key to get in instead of climbing in through holes in the walls. looks fabulous especially when the sun streams in! now the plasterers have moved in to do the first coat for the render and the roofers are here doing the waterproof roof ready for the sedum blanket.

and the windows arrived

2010-10-13T10:23:00.001-07:00

the flint man came

2010-10-03T04:15:00.000-07:00

the 'flint man' came this week and built the panel at the front of the house. the flints had come originally from the pits in brandon. it will provide a link with the old walls and the other flint properties nearby.

although the hemp walls are up and finished they are still very wet and now we seem to have the weather against us, it rains just about everyday and the mornings are now quite misty and damp even on dry days - will the walls ever dry out????

more wedding pics

2010-09-24T01:59:00.001-07:00

hurrah - hemp walls finished

2010-09-21T12:24:00.001-07:00

hemp walls have been finished today, the weather has taken a turn for the better so the sheeting has come off to allow it all to dry. looks quite amazing with real rooms at last. here is my studio where all the creativity is going to happen - i hope!!!!!!!!!!!!

another lovely day

2010-09-20T03:15:00.000-07:00

well i think we scrub up quite well!!

it was a lovely day, the sun shone, the ceremony was just right, everyone looked beautiful and i think a good time was had by all. ashleigh and christopher looked so happy it was a joy to see i hope they have an amazing time in paris.

wedding week again

2010-09-13T09:48:00.001-07:00

well here we are again - wedding week- we'll be off to poulton le fylde on thursday ready for the nuptials on friday - lets hope the weather cheers up a bit, its cold and wet today. ihope i haven't put on any weight since buying my dress - disaster dharling if it doesn't fit, i won't go into the dress saga here suffice to say its been extremely traumatic. lots of titivating to be done this week - hair, nails etc!

had an interesting day yesterday with secret photographer getting loads of pics of my work and techniques.that's why these images are on show just to remind you of stuff that i produce. watch this space for more news!
lots of activity on the building site, we're hoping the hemp walls will be finished this week - will we get a roof then?

we've got walls

2010-09-10T09:33:00.001-07:00

the hemp walls are going up well now these pics show the construction with all the electrics enclosed in the wall

hemp walls at last

2010-08-28T05:28:00.001-07:00

construction of the hemp walls has started. in these pics you can see the hemp and lime being mixed, it looks like paper mache and is a much drier mix than i imagined, once the hemp mix is put in the shuttering it has to be tamped down to compress it - that's what i am doing! it seems to hold together quite quckly which has meant that the shuttering can be moved quite soon although it will take about 4 weeks to dry enough to apply the render so in the meantime the whole house will be wrapped in plastic sheeting.

more wedding pics

2010-08-24T09:00:00.001-07:00

thought you might like to see these.

all quiet on the building site

2010-08-23T05:00:00.001-07:00

last week was a quiet week on the site with folks on holiday. the electrics are now in - wires everywhere - it looks like a cats cradle. while i've been away the hemp has been delivered ready to start the walls but i think everyone has gone on a 'training' day today - perhaps tomorrow the hemp build will begin? watch this space.

home again

2010-08-23T03:54:00.001-07:00

well i'm home again after the festival of quilts which had an amazing array of really high quality work. i'm basking in the reflected glory of the success of my friends who all gained awards, lucie summers and jenny spencer won the group quilt category with their porthole quilt, annette morgan won the art quilt category and kathy colledge had a judges choice commendation - well done girls! well they say you have to be in it to win it so perhaps next year.......................

a brilliant day despite the rain

2010-08-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

we had a really great day even though it rained while we were in church it didn't seem to matter and everyone seemed to have a good time. here they are out on the turf field. all done and dusted now. the happy couple have gone of to kenya and we have to get back to normal - until the next one!

just feeling a little 'flat' now hope to feel better soon.

back to the build and problem solving and getting ready for the festival of quilts.

wedding week already

2010-08-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

well beginning of week 9 and still lots more timber arriving! we've got a roof on the studio and you can see where the roof lights are going, there is a floor upstairs and the the roof timbers are now going up. we can really see how the spaces are coming together. lots of discussion now to sort out the sprinkler system, much talk about the hemp and then there's the heating and solar system - all seems too complicated for words.

yes its wedding week - all seems to be on track but i expect i will be in panic mode later in the week. lots of food to buy and prepare for all the folks that will be in and out of the house. lists everywhere but its all very exciting! hope i won't be too exhausted to enjoy it all - please pray for good weather at the weekend :)

lots more timber

2010-07-17T01:42:00.001-07:00

well here we are at the end of week 6 and the roof timber is going up, the whole house is now being surrounded with scaffolding (not so pretty) but it really seems to be happening now.

blooming marvellous

2010-07-17T01:36:00.000-07:00

thought i would just share this with you, my window box is looking beautiful, i hope it will stay that way for at least the next 3 weeks - yes! its only 3 weeks to the wedding. wedding dress is finished but not the bridesmaids - guess what i will be doing next week?

lots of timber and an inspection visit

2010-07-07T00:22:00.000-07:00

the computer has been down and i've been bereft without it, its back now but still slow - i think it might have to go eventually. anyway lots has happened here - i seem to have a daily meeting with david our builder making decisions that i truly hope are right. suddenly the timber walls have grown and we can walk through the rooms of the house. it now seems enormous. our very own chartered surveyor (ret'd) came to inspect and commented that it looked like a village hall!

wow we've got a floor

2010-06-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

well an enormous crane arrived early this morning and two large lorries with blocks and beams followed by a floor-laying gang-loads of activity! the crane was so big the children at the primary school could see it - great excitement. by 2pm it was all done and dusted so everyone could run off to watch the football - lets hope england win today.

the floor plan now looks much larger!

progress on the building site

2010-06-18T08:19:00.001-07:00

its been dry all week so work on the site has progressed well, the blockwork has just about been done on the foundations, some work has been done on the drainage for the drive and the water pipe has been put in (but no water yet) apparently the floor will be done next week. at the moment the dimensions of the rooms look small i hope this will change as the build progresses otherwise we will be down-sizing!!

a bit of creativity

2010-06-18T07:51:00.001-07:00

its been quite a busy week with workshop days here's a sample of what was produced by the girls at loose threads - velvets, foils and sweet papers make great backgrounds for stitchery. well done girls!

a bit of rusty inspiration

2010-06-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

before we went to the wedding colin took inca for her gundog training session so while i was waiting i found some old sheds that were crying out to be photographed - lots of rust and peeling paint - inspiration for some new work when i've finished the bridesmaids dresses.

the v&a and a wedding

2010-06-18T07:26:00.001-07:00

i'm really behind with my news so here goes - ready for some new posts?

we went to yet another wedding, my nephew nick and his lovely bride kathryn, here they are with my brother and sister in law. a lovely sunny day at old hunstanton.

i forgot to tell you all that i've also been to the quilt show at the v&a which i did enjoy, lots to see, took ages to get round. however it has sooooooooo many omissions, no mention of the guild, the museum at york, beamish or amy emms and so much more! i don't know what anyone else thinks????? by the way thank you girls for your company on the trip it was a good day out.

and the cement came

2010-06-09T12:41:00.001-07:00

well its been quite an exciting day, despite my misgivings about the weather they decided to go ahead today with the cement deliveries, i went out for a short time this morning and by the time i had returned some of the trenches were already filled. then later on today another lorry arrived with the workers cabin which was amazingly hoisted off the back of the lorry and into the garden - not really aesthetically pleasing but obviously a necessity. all this was done before the heavens opened and another monsoon descended on us.

and then it rained

2010-06-08T11:33:00.001-07:00

well work has gone very well on the site the footings are all dug out, it looks like some medieval earth works. today was to be cement pouring day but it rained all night, just like a monsoon, and although there was plastic sheeting all down the drive the plot is like a skating rink so no access for lorries. looking at the weather forecast i doubt whether they'll be here at all this week. so frustrating!!!

lots of holes and a soil mountain

2010-06-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

work seems to progressing quite quickly so far, some trenches dug to reveal the chalk, lots of top soil removed and saved ready to go back eventually and the drive all dug out ready for hard core. building inspector has to come next and then i think concrete will be arriving on tuesday. been awake early thinking about all the things we've got to organise to keep up with the builder!

bridesmaids dresses coming along slowly. no time for creative stuff at the moment. just off to kettering for a wedding at least we'll have a really nice day weather is gorgeous.

news

2010-06-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

we are very excited and pleased to hear that christopher has been promoted to sergeant today. its long overdue. he has been celebrating since early morning so it might be messy by now!

well we've made a start

2010-06-03T12:17:00.001-07:00

well the builders have turned up and so has the equipment, goodness knows what the neighbours think to all the activity. thank goodness the weather is good, if we have rain now it will be like a mud bath, the amazing digger has already carved out the drive and is busy levelling the site for our house.

breakthrough

2010-05-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

well we have spent our bank holiday weekend working on the plot. I now know that we are not really destined to do physical work - everything aches - but we have made a hole in the flint and clunch wall and managed to salvage some of the stone for more wall building later. we have taken out some of the front hedge and a bit of the brick wall - it looks an awful long way from front to back where the drive is going to be, we have managed to save some of my precious plants and heeled them in a trench for safe keeping and hopefully eventual replanting, and we have spent some time today clearing the remains of an old fence, complete with wriggly tin and wire wrapped up in ivy and brambles - yuk! thank goodness we have vehicles and dumping space at our disposal.

some images from the loch lomond show

2010-05-28T04:48:00.001-07:00

an adventure north of the border and other things

2010-05-28T04:19:00.000-07:00

can't believe that its almost a week since i returned from the loch lomond show, where does the time go and whatever have i been doing all week? it was a very long journey north of the border 1020 miles in all but i had a really good time and met up with some great people. i stopped off at lytham on the way to visit my cousin glynis and met up with christopher and ashleigh and was able to visit the wedding venue for september - all very lovely. i thought lytham was in the north but it is still quite a long way south of glasgow! my flying visit to dumbarton and loch lomond was very productive, i saw lots of lovely quilts - especially those of six structured, christine porter's tiles quilts (not at all like mine) linzi upton's yurt (amazing) and the lovely work of anne tuck and hanne asbey. sadly i didn't get around all the venues but i take my hat off to the organisers for pulling the show off each year. well done ruth, isabel and patricia - i hope patricia is well again now. the return journey was via lytham and then dronfield to visit auntie doreen in respite care - what a hot day that was to be in the car all day.
since getting home i seem to have been in a panic about the wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses so i have been working on them all week - i do hope they are going to look alright on the day. wedding dress just about done now but 2 bridesmaids dresses still to do and time running away - help!!!!!!!!!!! i have given up on making my outfits and have passed the fabric on to angel to make up for me - quite a relief .

news on the building front - we have now done a bit of a redesign of the house so we don't have to divert the sewage pipe, it seemed silly throwing a large amount of cash down a hole, rather sad to have to change the house but sometimes you just have to compromise. we have told the builder to make a start so he should be here next week and says its a 26 week job - will we be in for christmas? probably far too optomistic. this weekend instead of usual bank holiday jaunts we will be dismantling the old wall and taking down the front wall and hedge to make a gap for the drive to go through - watch this space. anyway it will take my mind off thinking about the boys in devon for alex's stag weekend - will everyone please look out for a group of 'super heroes' on the devon beaches. christopher is going dressed as bat woman!

so now its back to the bridesmaids dresses.

just exhausted

2010-05-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

no pictures today just an update on life in general.

we spent the bank holiday weekend moving alex and lynette from bury st edmunds to sawston. with the help of lynette's parents we even got 3 rooms painted and most of the stuff moved and unpacked. in the middle of all this activity ashleigh finally arrived back from afghanistan which meant we were all able to go out for a well earned meal together on sunday evening in cambridge. in amongst all this chaos we managed to get 2 of the bridesmaids to sawston for dress fittings!

the saga of the building site continues. much frustration last week over the sewage pipe which has become a huge stumbling block. i can't bear to think that we have to throw so much money down a hole to have the pipe diverted so now we are going down the track of a revision to the house plans - i think it might work. just a little disappointing not to go with the original design that we really love but perhaps the revision has its own advantages. we really must get building soon.

i had a little diversion yesterday when i visited amwell quilters near hoddesdon lovely to see some familiar faces, met gladys who was with me in spain last autumn complete with one of her pieces. it seems like a really friendly group.

atw quilts have been sent off to loch lomond for the big show, i'm looking forward to seeing them when i get there. have sent off my entry form for festival of quilts but still got one quilt to start - let alone finish - when do they have to be ready??????????

better get back to work..........................

some images from belstead

2010-04-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

just a few images from the belstead weekend lovely work well done girls

a weekend at belstead house

2010-04-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

i had a very good weekend at belstead house with girls from romford and essex embroiderers guild it was really nice ot meet you all. lots of creative work and everyone had some fun - i hope!

i also enjoyed meeting ruth smith from southampton and was fascinated by her folded books i am going to have a go at making myself one when i get time.

talking about time i have made 2 peg bags today - yes you did read that correctly - why? well i suppose the answer is because i can - also i hope they are going to be useful at their intended destinations. is it avoidance tactics though? i seem to have so many things i need to be doing and end up doing something silly.

i'm down at quilters haven tomorrow doing a bit more 'melting and burning' and then friday we should be starting to help alex and lynette move to sawston. i've made a pot of chilli and a chocolate cake so we've got supplies! all being well ashleigh should be on her way home from afghanistan on friday as well so we may get to see her in a few days. a busy weekend ahead.

tulips and other stuff

2010-04-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

another little experiment using sheers to make a link or insertion. i've got ideas to make a larger piece with the tulip motif so watch this space, as they say. just need a lot more time and energy.

had a good meeting today about sending our atw quilts to the loch lomond show in may, some older pieces and some lovely new ones, hope some of you will be able to get to see them. our ely quilts are in america with fiber transformed - going on tour no less.

i'm off to market harborough this week to meet some quilters and belstead house at the weekend to meet some embroiderers from essex, i hope they are ready to be creative.

weddings seems to dominate our time at the moment and house moves - alex and lynette should soon complete on their new house in sawston - just need someone to buy the house in bury now! it looks as though the havoc caused by the volcano is going to delay ashleigh coming back from afghanistan all she wants to do is come home and enjoy planning her wedding. the wedding dress for lynette just needs a little 'fine tuning' and the first bridesmaids dress is ready for a fitting. i'm playing with some other lengths of yummy fabric thinking of making my own outfits for the weddings.

what else is going on here? well just the building project that frustratingly hasn't started, we are still trying to overcome the obstacle of the sewage pipe - it looks as though we are going to have to divert it after all - a lot of money to throw down a hole. so all in all quite a few things to occupy my mind.

is it playschool

2010-04-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

last saturday was spent with members of bury st edmunds embroiderer's guild up to our elbows in paint dyes and glue - and a lot of tissue paper and cotton wool - the results were far more sophisticated than it sounds and i can't wait to see what the girls come up with when they use their new found treasures for stitching projects.

now i'm really busy here at home with a million and one things to do. i've made some papers today so they are nicely drying. just completed my latest addition for the alveva crazy patchwork round robin and spent several hours preparing all the info for the workshops i am going to teach at the remarkable symposium in queenstown, nz, this time next year - yes i know its far off but things have to be so far in advance. next job - well i've got to get the bridesmaid's dress ready for a fitting, and i want to sort out some pattern pieces for a dress for myself as a trial run for something to wear for one of the 5 weddings we have coming up, but first i am going out into the greenhouse to set some seeds for tomatoes and aubergines.

I know its just squares

2010-04-12T06:29:00.001-07:00

this is another piece for the from the east collection to go to Loch Lomond next month - yes i know its just squares but each square has a fragment of an image from castle acre priory. i've really got into markal sticks now that i've rediscovered them so that's whats going on with the border, a cutout in freezer paper provides the stencil. its just about finished now the whole lot densely quilted with motifs from the stonework.

an away weekend

2010-04-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

i was one of 12 feltwell and hockwold girls who managed to escape to the peak district recently

it was a trip with a little bit of drama but all ended well! here are some of the group well up on kinder scout in a little bit of snow. it was quite a challenging walk for us girls from the fens and we were really pleased to see the car park (and cars!) at the end of 7 hours but it was fun and there was a great sense of achievement felt by all.

fun at wroxham barns

2010-03-30T03:26:00.000-07:00

we had a lot of fun last week with a dyeing day at wroxham barns everyone went away with good results and a range of interesting fabrics for a new project. i hope it dispelled a lot of the myths about fabric dyeing and that you will all go away and play and experiment. so sorry to hear that sylvia was in hospital but hope she is well on the way to recovery now.

way out west

2010-03-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

well we had a lovely time in cornwall - a long drive but the weather was good and we even got to visit polperro and walked on the coastal path in the sun!

here are some of the ladies working at roseland mews studio - they worked very hard and produced some really nice pieces - well done girls. i hope you all enjoyed yourselves.

many thanks to jane and anne and to kath sobey for her warm hospitality at her lovely farmhouse b&b

a little experiment and some news

2010-03-04T01:59:00.001-08:00

i've been playing with this technique to suspend textile pieces in a transparent frame or putting in transparent insertions to separate pieces - has lots of possibilities so i need to develop my ideas when i get time. have almost finished quilting my rust piece then it will need a bit of hand work to complete the textured look - will show you soon. must get going on the second piece because these two are destined for the loch lomond quilt show in may.

weddings apparently are like buses you don't get one for ages and then two come along together. my eldest son chris has just announced that he is getting married on 17th september-just 6 weeks after his brother! don't know yet whether i'll be asked to produce another wedding dress but working on the first one to get it just about finished apart from hems and final adjustment to side seams. still got 3 bridesmaids dresses to do - help!

off to meet the ladies at marsh quilters in leytonstone this evening and then next week down to cornwall to teach at roseland mews near liskeard thankfully colin is coming with me so don't have to do all the driving this time