Cushions and Colour

Here's the cushion I finished last week, I was using the wool (Drops) to crochet a blanket but got side tracked as I  do and ended up with this..........

At the end of July my nephew David is getting married, a Stag weekend was arranged in Benidorm YES! Benidorm. It's really not my husbands sort of thing but after a bit of coaxing from my brother and my son, Dave went along on the four day 'Beano', he did enjoy himself, but said he doesn't think he go on another!
Betsy and I had a nice four days, I stitched and stitched and stitched, I had a great time. I  finished a book that I started in City and Guilds class the week before. I was going to only use Khardi paper but decided to paint some paper with Brusho, I used up some handmade paper that I had in my stash,( I've had it for years) for the outer and inside cover. It's good to use bits and pieces from a stash, it makes room for other things.....

On Wednesday I visited the London Fashion and Textile Museum with Jacqueline and Diane, the exhibition was Kaffe Fassett 'A Life in Colour'. The use colour and design of the work is amazing,  I may be a bit controversial here, I was very disappointed in the execution of a lot of the work,  we are all entitled to our point of view. It is actually the first time I've seen his work in the flesh so to speak, if you've seen his work what did you think? Whilst we were in the area we popped into The London Glass Blowing, it's almost opposite the LFTM and well worth a visit if your in Bermondsy, I saw a couple of lovely pieces that would sit nicely in my house........
As always when we are out together drinking and eating is a must, so lunch was in a Gastro pub The Garrison also in Bermondsey Street. This is not a part of London I know very well we usually stay closer to the river. There are lots of little shops and restaurants so worth a re visit at some time!

A Wave

I found a post in my drafts that I started writing on 10th April, I got side tracked..... it's so out of date there's no point in putting it up.  I must show the chocolate cake and apple crumble  I made and took to James and Becky's at Easter, Rachel made cornflake cakes.

That's all so long ago now and since I blogged about my list it grew and grew and.....then lots got crossed off! Phew!

Most days Betsy and I walk with a group of dogs and their owners of course, occasionally we go and feed the geese, ducks and swans. One of the ladies we walk with is Mary, everyone calls her the 'dog whisperer', the dogs all love her, maybe because she has a huge bag of treats with her every day!!! It's a lovely place to walk especially now the weather has improved and the ground isn't like a bog.

There were nine dogs walking this day!

During the Bank holiday Dave and I sorted out our wardrobes and have six bags of clothes waiting to go to the charity shop. I'm not sure if we were both hoarding or we were just being lazy, I had three black tailored suits leftovers from when I worked in a Ladies Clothes shop and smart was the order of the day. Had I been harbouring thoughts of returning to that sort of work, NO! But one thing I did decide to part with is this Aran Jumper, I knitted it about 30 years ago, I haven't worn it for years but have kept it because I still love it. Rachel is going to give it a new home, it's really baggy on her but I sold it to her as  RETRO it will be cosy on those winter nights when she wants to snuggle up. SOLD! And I have lots of space to fill with new clothes....... And I have an irresistible urge to knit something now.

Finally all my work for the Seeking Artemis Exhibition is finished and on Tuesday these will be -

Just a snippet

Another Snippet

hanging here or -

here.......

and there will be some of these. It is a really interesting space, there will be more images once the Exhibition is hung.

Meanwhile I've been working like a mad woman to catch up on my City and Guild work, lots of samples finished and two design folders almost completed. I'm using this photo as my inspiration for my first project, I took this photo a few years ago on the beach at Bamburgh, Northumberland. I've decided to do a table runner and I may even do some place mats to go with it later if I have enough fabric (and time) I need to get some samples ready to show when I go to class next Wednesday, Janice was happy with the design I've come up with, a relief.

At the weekend it seemed as though summer had arrived sitting in the garden eating dinner having BBQ's but today it's all changed. Hope it's Summer where ever you are.

Breakdown

The snow drops I planted a few weeks ago have become well established in the front garden and look as though they have been there for ever, with any luck next year they will have spread a bit.

 

Snow Drops

The cardigan I knitted for Rachel as I suspected didn't fit it was more like a size 12 than a size 8, luckily it fitted Becky, she'd already said she liked it, I asked her to take a photo of her wearing it but.......
Last Friday my sister in law, Michelle and I went to Textile in Focus at Cottenham, we had a lovely time. I bought threads and bits and pieces I need for the projects I'm working on at the moment. Michelle has decided she'd like to have a go at felting after watching a demonstration, so she bought some wool tops.

Rachel photographing the sheep at Unravel

Saturday Rachel and I went to 'Unravel' at Farnham, thanks to Yarn to Knit's  generous prize. It was quite a day, Dave offered to drive us, then meet up and have lunch, I'm so glad he did! After spending and hour or so there and buying more yarn than I planned, sock wool for Rachel and me, and for Becky yarn for a scarf, we met Dave for a lovely lunch.
The weather was awful with a hail storm as we left Farmham, we were travelling on the M25 an alarm went of in the car, a light started flashing, engine malfunction. After standing on the hard shoulder for an hour, waiting for the AA(it was freezing, Rachel wore Dave's gloves to try and keep warm). We were towed off to a service station, the car was checked, it was safe to to drive home!  No kicking down or accelerating  hard, (my style of driving) good then that Dave drove. I took the car  to the garage yesterday, it has the all clear, it was a connection to the throttle? Means nothing to me, things were easier when you drove the car until smoke came out of the engine, or the car stopped, all these alarms and lights flashing make life so complicated.

I have been doing a lot of work in my sketch books over the last few weeks so nothing to show at the moment. If I'm not stitching I knit, I've made a pair of fingerless gloves (pattern from Jacqueline) for next winter. I've started knitting another pair using some of the wool from Saturday, a girl can never have enough fingerless gloves!

Yipeee!!!! I'm a Winner

A week or so ago I entered a competition to win two tickets to 'Unravel' through the Yarn to Knit blog, it's  a site that I've been following for some time, I'm really pleased I won. Rachel and I are off to spend a day browsing and buying lots of lovely wool. So a big thank you to Yarn to Knit.

http://theyarntoknitblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/win-pair-of-tickets-to-unravel-2011-in.html

Sunshine, Daffodil's and Snowdrops

When I opened the curtains in the dinning room this morning, the sun was shinning and the daffodils looked lovely, it made me feel bright and cheerful. The feeling has carried on all day!

After breakfast it was off to Lady Bugs, Diane had made a couscous and lemon cake delicious, she also made a scan bran cake, that one I'm not 100% sold on, an acquired taste I think, but thanks Diane for the low sin cakes. On the way back from the group I drive past a garden center, I dropped in to see if they had a plant for the window sill where the vase of daffodils are at the moment. As a consequence I now have snowdrops in the front garden, 20 potatoes chitin on the kitchen window sill, two scented candles and a plant for the dinning room! Next time I should drive past, but I wont, I think this will we a regular drop off. I met another of the group inside she was buying potatoes too! In the car park I met Pat from the group she was going in for a coffee, she suggests that we all go for lunch there in a few weeks time after class, it's obviously a regular haunt since we moved the meeting hall.

When I got home I blocked the cardigan/jacket, the colours don't really come out well in the photograph, it needs a kilt pin to fasten it. I'm not sure that it will fit Rachel it looks too big, but she's coming home on Sunday for Vince's birthday lunch, (that's Dave's dad) he'll be 88. So she can try it on then, or maybe Dave can take it to work with him to pass on (they work for the same company). Rachel gave me some brilliant news yesterday, they have moved offices from St. James's Park to the South Bank near to the Tate Modern, on a lunch time walk she discovered I KNIT LONDON, not such great news for Dave, I think I might send him along occasionally to pick up the odd ball of yarn for me!

A few things crossed off the list in the last few days. Two pieces of work were delivered this morning to Material Girls so it can be sent off with the rest to Jersey. Take a look at the Material Girls Blog or Website to see all the work that will be in the 'Primarily Colour' exhibition. 

I have also finished Rachel's cardigan that I mentioned in the previous post, just needs to be blocked or whatever the word is? Before I can take a photo and post here!
My mood is improving I think it's because I have actually managed to spend sometime outside in the garden. It really does need whipping into shape, it was let go last year and needs a lot of attention. We have big plans to make a proper vegetable come flower garden, at this stage they are only plans. But you never know, our garden isn't large by any stretch of the imagination but we are happy with it. At one point I longed for a larger plot, then remembering the garden we had when I was growing up and how much hard work that was, I'm happy with my lot, or should that be plot? It's great to spend a few hours in the garden working then sitting back and enjoying it!

It's on the Bed!

Thank you for the comments on the last post, it's nice to know that there are people out there who actually read this!

I can't believe that this is the last week of Silver Pebbles Splash of Colour take a look there are some lovely cheery photos on here to brighten up these dull days. It would be great if Emma does this again next year, but I can imagine it's been quite a lot of work, it has been appreciated, so thanks Emma. I popped into the garden this morning to find something to put on the Site not a lot there apart from weeds. There is more colour indoors with the house plants.

Hellebore

 Phalaenopsis (moth orchid)

 Phalaenopsis (moth orchid)

 Phalaenopsis (moth orchid)

 Phalaenopsis (moth orchid)

Not a lot of creative work going on here at the moment, I'm trying to get a few things finished before I start on anything else. The quilt I started way back when...... ( I've looked back in the blog, Oh dear, I started this quilt in June 2009, I don't believe in rushing things, hahah!), is at last on our bed, I'm really pleased with it. Now I'm knitting like a thing possessed to get a cardigan finished for Rachel, then the way will be clear to get the other projects underway. I need to prioritise, everything has deadlines at the moment, baby due dates and exhibition deadlines,  I need to plan, plan, plan!!!!

The scrap quilt still needs to be hand quilted, I'll work on that when I go to classes, see the planning has started.

Where has the time gone?

I cant believe that it's been so long since my last blog. During this time I visited the 02 exhibition at Hyde Hall another three times (I'm not a stalker honest), it was just a really good exhibition in a great venue and a good place to meet up with friends for lunch!

My Mum's house has sold and so I've been busy sorting out the final pieces of furniture trying to get them a good home. James and Becky have sold their house and are moving in the next month, Rachel moved into a new rental house with a friend of James' so everything is changing here!

My weight loss seems to have stopped the last two weeks I've stayed the same, not good, I need a bit of a kick. I'm still going to the gym three times a week, and today I enrolled on a Yoga course. This should be interesting............watch this space.

We have also had a few family get togethers, I met up with my cousins for a really nice evening. Then the next day Jacqueline's Mum and Dad celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary,it was a lovely day the weather was kind so we could sit in the garden. My Dad had been Uncle Alf's best man. They received a special delivery of a card from the Queen and the local paper sent a photographer to take pictures. It's good to have something nice happen.This weekend started with an ERTF Tea and Textile this was an Essex event at Julie's in a lovely setting for more information see ERTF blog and Craft Arena. Lorraine and Janette are having a good time! Saturday I went to a fabulous workshop held by Chelmsford EG, it was one of the best I've ever been to Lynda Monk was so generous with her information and instead of taking lots of bits with us Lynda provided a goody bag with everything we needed, right down to labels so we could identify our work and remember what we had used in our samples. Everyone came away with a vessel started. Really I wish we'd had a weekend with her, a really big thank you Lynda . I'm a new member of Chelmsford Guild and they make me feel very welcome. Sharne and Lynda with a few of Lynda's samples that she provided for us to look at.

Well that's about it, except this week I'm going back to the Quilting group that I had to leave when I started doing my City and Guilds because they clashed. It will be nice to meet up with them again after a three year break. My friend Kath that goes to the group is about to become a Grandmother for the first time so I've knitted a little jumper for her new addition, just need to sew on the buttons!

I DONT WANT YOUR SYMPATHY JUST STOP SENDING THE LETTERS

Whats been going on since my last post? Quite a lot, several lunches out with lovely friends, a weekend away in Devon to visit RHS Rosemoor gardens see pictures.


Speeding past Stonehenge on the way to Devon

Rosemoor Garden



Really could have done with a sit down but not on this bench!

The Hot Garden
A very friendly Robin.

The two photographs below are of a knitting project Above and Below The Waves, it was a pleasant surprise to find this exhibition at Rosemoor, for more information on this see this article, or google knitted gingerbread house. This project is the 3rd one that the group have done the first was a massive Christmas tree



Crawling past Stonehenge on the way home!

Oh yes Rachel has moved home! As James said when he phoned me on my mobile the day after she moved in 'can I speak to the lady of the house'. Actually we have been getting on very well, and once we get the boxes out of the living room it will be even better. We have had to rent a storage unit as we couldn't fit everything in!

Mum's house has gone on the market and we have had a few very stupid offers, we aren't in a particular rush to sell. I'm sure the estate agent who is supposed to be working for us ISN'T, she probably just wants a quick sale to get her commission so she can spend it on another fake tan!

One thing that has kept me occupied is making phone calls to a call center to try and get through to LESS THAN oops sorry MORE THAN, one minute they are sending letters to Mum's executor then sending letters to Mum.
The story goes like this two days after Mum died my brother opened a letter saying her car insurance was expiring he phoned to explain, they couldn't speak to him they wanted to speak to her???? Three times he told them she had died. I stopped all payments to them from the bank, as with a direct debit the payments are automatically raised. Two weeks ago I opened a letter to the executors so they had taken on board the information, but it said that we had phoned on a day we hadn't. Then another letter arrived addressed to Mum telling her it was an offense to drive without insurance, I made a phone call to a lady who said that although they new she was deceased they thought that maybe someone else maybe using her car? They are the new registered owner!!!!! She said she was very sympathetic and would look into it. I must admit at this point I did loose it 'I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO, JUST DON'T SEND ANY MORE BL**DY LETTERS' .
You've guessed it, yesterday another letter addressed to Mum URRRRGH! I phoned again.
' Can I help?'
'NO, I WANT TO SPEAK TO A MANAGER'
I went through all the story to a gentleman after asking first "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING' he did. Again he was sympathetic, not what I need, he explained that the letters are sent out automatically!!! I sort of realised that. I then very patiently explained that I feel I am being harassed and that if these letters do not stop I'm going to take the matter further, I said that I do understand it's not his fault it's the system, 'IT DOES NOT WORK' He assures me that the letters will stop, I wont hold my breathe. Thankfully we don't have any insurances with LESS THAN. The sad thing is I don't think this problem is particular to us or just to this company, if it was we wouldn't have programmes on TV made about similar situations.
End of rant.

A Promising Start

I woke up this morning the sun was shining and I was looking forward to a lovely day. Dave put the coffee pot on and as I'd done the house work yesterday we could have a relaxing morning. I finished a scarf that I have been knitting with wool I purchased when I was on my Jersey break. This one is Manos Silk Blend, yesterday I remembered a set of handmade buttons that I bought about 10 years ago and came across recently, they would look lovely with the colours in the scarf, I went into my work room and opened draws, looked in boxes and bags, can I find the buttons? No I cant! Any way I'd already decided that I wanted to put button holes on the scarf and I did buy a pack of buttons on Jersey and I think they look OK, so now this is my 'Jersey Button Scarf'.





After lunch I went to Romford Embroiderers Guild today Gina Ferrari gave a talk about her work, everyone enjoyed it and not one fell asleep and I have to be honest that is rare, so well done Gina!!!

Dave came to pick me up so we could pop in to see Mum, she was asleep when we arrived. This often happens, I hate to wake her but don't want to leave without her knowing that we've been. I did wake her and we had a chat, her neighbour's visited this morning with their children. She is so amazed that people come to visit!

After such a promising start things then went downhill Dave said he had a head ache and had already taken some pills. We were due to go out for dinner this evening, instead poor Dave is tucked up in bed with a migraine, the table cancelled and I had cheese on toast for dinner. And no his migraine isn't caused because he's married to me..........

Carrying on

Life is still not easy, I'm taking everyday as it comes. My Mum is doing well, as well as can be expected. She has finished taking the first course of Chemo tablets,in a couple of weeks she'll have a scan to see how things are going and then the doctors will decide if she should have another course. Today she is having Radio therapy, she is only having one treatment, this should help with her pain. Non of this is a cure but it is making her feel as though she is fighting! Today or tomorrow Mum is being moved to a Care Home, the home is really nice and isn't far from where I live. At first I was upset when she made the decision to go into a home but I can understand why she's made this choice. The home specialises in palliative care, and no matter how much I wanted to look after her I know I wouldn't be capable of doing it! Mum is making all these decisions herself and they are the right decisions for her.

In the meantime life is carrying on, I'm doing my best to keep things normal. I'm trying hard to finish the quilt that has been going on for ever, every evening I do manage to get a few stitches done! I've knitted a couple of scarves one from red Alpaca wool that I bought in Jersey, it's lovely and if this weather carries on I'll be wearing it soon! This scarf I'm keeping, I gave the previous one to Rachel as she said she liked it and I have knitted quite a few.



I'll have to start on the socks again, although I do have a glove pattern, maybe I'll have a look at. I've also done a bit of work on my Aqua project, I've finished a lino print block and hopefully over the Easter holidays there will be time to play, printing on paper and fabrics.