Quiet Times??????

In the last few weeks of October it seemed as though my feet didn't touch the ground, Michelle who works for my husband got married. She is also a friend of our daughter so she was invited too, it was the most amazing wedding. It was held in at the Buckingham Railway Centre, Quainton, they were married on the platform and there was a steam engine running along a track for the guests to ride on after the photographs were taken. I don't think I've ever been to a wedding were everyone laughed from the start to the end, everything was fun even the singing of 'I'm a believer'  after the signing of the register,  had us all jigging about. I'm sure if their wedding was anything to go by they will have a very happy marriage! Oh! I should say that the Railway theme was very apt as Dave and Michelle work for a Rail Engineering Consultancy.

Two weeks later and we were in Michelle and Nicks company again for the company dinner and dance, at a hotel in the Forest of Arden. I managed to wangle a trip to the Cotton Patch while in the area, well you have to take advantage while you can, don't you? I bought the fabric for a baby quilt, I'm going to be a 'Great Aunt', we also managed to fit in a quick visit to Kenilworth Castle.

I completed this crochet blanket a while ago, it was just a matter of sewing in the ends. It did take me over a year to finish. I enjoyed doing it but it did drag on, as I seem to have so many projects on the go.

Last week saw the opening of the third exhibition of Bridging Waters, after this exhibition finished we were expecting the work to be returned. But an exciting thing  happened, the work is going to be shown at another gallery.  The work will be staying in Canada for a few more months, watch this space…….

Last Saturday was the exhibition of the City and Guilds classes, I had two pieces of work to show, the table runner and a bag which I didn't finish until the night before.

This isn't a good photograph I will do a better set for the next post, I have to say I'm pleased with it, at last I've made something I know I'll use myself. The exhibition had lots of visitors, and the work exhibited by the students who have finished their Certificate and those that have finished their Diploma was amazing.

I'm looking forward to a quieter time……...

Bridging Waters Opens @ Tulista

The Material Girls / Articulation  'Bridging Waters Exhibition' has opened at it's next gallery. For more details and images take a look at  Articulation member Lesley Turner's blog or The Material Girls blog

Laugh, it's OK!

I'm not, well not just yet anyway...... readers of my blog will know that The Material Girls have an event coming up at Horndon on the Hill. Just to digress for a minute everything seems to be going well for that, even publicity in Essex Life (fame at last).  Back to the theme of this post, I need to have things to sell in the shop, I'm not the greatest at producing lots of small pieces for sale. So far my collection includes  a selection of bowls  and two knitted felt bags, the second one I knitted came out a bit small after the washing process. So I decided to try another one this time I made it bigger used larger needles but the same yarn,  I washed it in the machine with a pair of jeans at 30C it came out no smaller infact it came out exactly the way it went in but wet!  Without another thought I washed it again at 60C with a hand towel and two bath sheets, when it finished the cycle I took the bag out of the machine I was over joyed, it had felted to a perfect size........ Oh, I thought I should let it dry over some sort of former...... But next.... Oh (excuse my language here) Bug**r the bag had felted it's self together so I can't open the bag...... Any ideas what I can do with a nice size lump of knitted felt? It's OK I have ideas. When Dave got home from work and I showed him he said 'Oh, Bug**r, you spent a lot of evenings knitting that'. Then he laughed, no I didn't damage him in anyway as I think it's funny too, I've knitted and felted quite a few times before and never had this happen, any ideas why it happened this time? Photo evidence I was so prepared I even used a plum to show the scale of the shrinkage, after the  DISASTER I ate the plum very nice too! I feel disappointed I had great plans of how to dye the bag and decorate it, never mind. As I said I have plans for the felt, and no not the bin, watch this space or better still come to the event. Pop over to here and see the list and times of the demonstrations.

Before

After

Saturday I was at the ERTF conference at Girton College, Cambridge, Chris gave a talk about the Bridging Waters Exhibition. She did a really good job, mind you she had great material, but then I'm biased.

Chris Spencer

Betsy is up to her usual tricks, she never stops, it's like living in a whirl wind most of the time. Today she's discovered a root that she had taken a fancy too, I have a dreadful feeling that by the end of the week the Camellia bush is going to fall down! Bless her..... I get a rest tomorrow I'm off to the British Museum,  research for the next Material Girls body of work and maybe a chance to have another visit to the Crypt Gallery and lunch, of course there's always lunch!

Betsy

I have a plan in the near future to make a page of photographs of the Quilts I've made over the years, I cant believe I made quilts and gave them away as gifts and never kept a photographic record? It's a project to get photos taken, Rachel jumped at the suggestion as she said the quilts she has at her house could do with a wash!!!!!! The joys of being a Mum.

Bridging Waters

This is what I've been working on for over a year, not only this,  there have been a couple of baby quilts, knitted items and various other things, but these three  have been occupying my mind. So that's over and now my mind is occupied with the next project, that's how I seem to work. I've enjoyed working on this exhibition, I think that the extra bonus of the wall hangings travelling to Canada to be exhibited with Articulation has made it extra special.

All the Material Girls made a 3 D piece inspired by water. The Mariners Rhyme started to run through my mind.

Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink.

So that was it, my 3 D inspiration! It just left the problem of how to put it into practice, never one to avoid a problem I set about constructing a jug and glass from threads and a soluble medium. It has turned out not to be  the easiest thing to photograph.   In the gallery it is suspended from the ceiling, the jug is  see through without a backing it disappears into the room. I'm pleased with the overall effect of it  and I'll get a better image of it at some point! (thanks to Chrissythreads for this image)

It was also decided that as our inspiration for the Bridging Waters Exhibition was the River Thames we would each make a Thames Barge, we each picked a name from a hat, all are genuine Thames Barge names. I thought mine was very apt 'London Belle' and decided that it should be a party boat. When I worked in London I did go to plenty of office parties held on 'Party Boats' sadly never a Thames Barge.

The exhibition is centred around  the wall hangings, Articulation took their inspiration from the Bay of Fundy on the East coast of Canada and The Material Girls took inspiration  from the River Thames.  I took  inspiration from the locks on the Thames, I didn't use any particular Lock just an overall impression with a lot of artistic licence.

This stage of the tour ends on Friday. Then the complete body of work will be shown in May at a textile event and in September in Maldon. Then the hangings will be packed up and couriered to Canada and will be exhibited in various locations, I believe that it will be travelling for two years. Who knows I may even get to visit one of these shows???

Water, Water

London Belle - London Sky Line

Machine Embroidered Sail  Top Hat Dancer

London Belle Thames Barge

Lock

In the meantime life carries on,  this morning I took a deep breath, took the plunge and changed hairdressers. With everything crossed I went in for a haircut and a colour (I'm not brave enough yet to let the grey show through) I always find changing hairdressers traumatic, I've had a few disasters in the past. And, yes I know it will grow again but who wants to be forced to wear a hat for six weeks until it grows again. Anyway  I'm really pleased and I've found a great hairdresser just 5 minutes away from home and a good price too. My previous hairdresser was a very well known chain and very costly!

Out for Lunch!

It's been a really busy week lots of stitching trying to get the second baby quilt finished, photos when both are completed. Thursday evening I met Dave and Rachel in London and we went to Chris Spencer's Graduation show at a gallery in Shoreditch, a 'trendy' part of East London. The gallery was packed it was so hot, I didn't worry too much about looking at the work, I knew I'd be back the following day! The three of us then went to S&M (Spitalfield's) for dinner, it was lovely to see Rachel as I've not had a chance to catch up with her since Dave and I came back from our holiday.

By Christine Spencer

Friday it was back on the train to London, (I don't know how I did that every day) I met with the rest of the Material Girls and had a good look at all of  the work. Chris's work is lovely, but the light in the gallery didn't do it justice 'in my opinion'. As for the rest of the work, some I loved some, some I liked and one ? But that's what 'ART' is all about isn't it? Then it was out for lunch, back again to Spitalfield's with the Material Girls, Janette Bright, Lesley Turner (there are images of the show on Lesley's blog), Ingrid Lincoln the later two are from Articulation and two of Chris's co-graduates. We had a long and leisurely lunch, nice food and lots of chat. It was really lovely to meet Lesley as I've read her blog but it's nice to meet in person. Ingrid and Lesley will be graduating next year so I'm looking forward to visiting their show. The Material Girls and Articulation are joining together for an Exhibition 'Bridging Waters' in 2012 in London, the work will be traveling to Canada in 2013, really exciting!

Jill Material Girl-Janette, Lesley

Yesterday I attended a workshop in Chelmsford run by Lynda Monk, it's the second workshop of Lynda's I've attended. If I get a chance I'd attend a third, fourth........ 

Images of my work above, I have a book that's in the process of being finished too!
For more images see Sharne's blog . 

Did I get a chance to put my feet up today no! Out shopping, well a girl can never have enough shoes, lets hope these don't cause blisters!!!!!! I hope they don't I've two trips into London planned for this week!
 Oh yes! My back is so much better, going back for another session tomorrow. And the work still hasn't appeared and no reply. Thank you for your comments on that, it does help. I'll wait for the Karma!