The wonder of Woolfest

Today I've been to Woolfest, at Cockermouth.  I've been looking forward to it all week, and it didn't disappoint. I chatted to Jackie Cardy, whose stall, with her felted brooches and panels, was scrumptious.  I was given great advice from the ladies on the My Fine Weaving Yarn stall.  I bought some lovely acrylic yarn to try on my weaving loom ( still very much a novice, by the way!)

My Fine Weaving Yarn ladies and some of their stock

The staff on the Colour Craft stall were the next to be bombarded with questions such as " what happens if I mix this stuff with that stuff?"
"What would I use this for?" and so on.  Well, if you don;t ask, you never learn!  They're so patient and helpful.  I bought two pots of pearl powder pigment, a clear binding compound and some puff paint...watch this space!

The Colour Craft stall - sorry for the awful photo!

I love going to shows like the Woolfest - they're full of inspiration, and cute animals:

A baby alpaca - sweet!  

Blacknose sheep - shame you couldn't  cuddle them!

It's always interesting to talk to stallholders, but I'm forever asking people what they're going to do with things they've bought.  Call me nosy if you like, but I've found some amazing techniques that way, and had some really good chats with talented people.

I made a purse this week.  I found the frame in a drawer while I was looking for something else, as you do!  I was going to post photos as a mini tutorial, but I got a bit carried away and it was finished before I realised!  So, here's the finished article:

I think there are going to be a few made for Christmas presents, as they're really quick and easy to do.  I'll do the mini tutorial next time - promise!

I've also finished gessoing the shoe box that's going to be turned into a storage box for my Sizzix dies.  It's pretty boring as yet, as the gesso is white, but the photo shows just how big it is compared to my not-very-dainty hands!

I have a few ideas for the decoration, but nothing definite yet.  I'm thinking probably turquoise, greens and blues, but who knows?

Of course, I've also been weeding like mad in my raised vegetable bed.  Look how much everything's grown! I'm sure some evil gnome comes at night and plants yet more weeds in the garden! 

See you soon,

Love Gill x 

RUBBISH WEATHER FORCES CRAFTING!

So much for summer.  It's been perishing cold up here on the Solway coast for the last two days! So instead of gardening so much, I've turned my attention to a cardboard box.  Yes, you heard that correctly!  My son got a new pair of boots, and since he's a size 12, the box was pretty big.  So, it's going to be turned into a storage box for my Sizzix dies.  No point in having a boring old box when you can pretty it up!

So far,I've painted the inside with gesso and then will do the same with the outside.  After the second coats, I'll add texture with die cut shapes and stencils, then I'll spray or brush colour on.  A big boot boring box will become a splendid sizzix storage system!  I'll post pictures as I do the stages.  I've made journals the same way - here are some pics:

Talking of die cutting, here are some photos of some baltimore-style panels we've been doing at class.

Barbara's Baltimore

Dilys's purple Baltimore

Barbara's jazzed up bag

  
I love Baltimore quilts, but they take so much time, and as I'm always in a rush to get things done, I decided to have a go at a different method.  I backed some fabric with Bondaweb, then cut flowers, leaves and butterflies with my Sizzix Big Shot.  If you don't have a die cutting machine, you could just free cut the appropriate shapes.  They're then arranged on your background fabric in the design you want.  Next comes the fiddly bit - free machine stitching.  I like to call this style "sketchy stitching", or you could even say Skitching (sorry)!  You basically stitch round the inside of the shape with a fine black thread so that it looks like you've sketched it.

My circle of flowers

Oops - left a thread!

Die cut Autumn leaves in a wreath

The leaf on the left is two layers of organza bonded together then die cut when cool.

The organza leaves add a bit more sparkle

 Simple really!  They look lovely. 

While I was walking Daisy the other day, I noticed some ash trees along the cycle path.  They have clumps of seeds, (I think called keys,like sycamores) that looked really striking. I took some photos: they will somehow be turned into a design (not sure how yet).
See what you think

pompoms of ash keys

They look like cloud pruned trees

 I love the colour

and the way they're arranged like overlapping scales.

Imagine a cream background with felt in this limey - green colour, cut into circles with felt tongue / scale shapes appliquéd on with darker green skitching....
That will keep me busy  for a while!

Looking forward to next weekend as it's WOOLFEST. This is one of the highlights of my year.  It's a 2 day show celebrating everything to do with wool (no, really!).  It's at Mitchell's Auction Mart at Cockermouth 26th & 27th June.  If you have the chance, do visit!  Maybe I'll buy the dye to have a go a the ash pompoms!

See you soon,
Love Gill x

Here goes!

Hi there, I'm pleased to meet you! This is my first attempt at blogging, so please bear with me while I try to get to grips with the technology.

Let me introduce myself.  My name is Gill and I'm addicted to anything to do with fabric, thread, or any textile.  I teach patchwork to 2 lovely groups of ladies who are fast becoming as mad about it as I am.  As well as teaching (from my own business - yes, you guessed it - the stitch class!), I also embroider, make felt, handbags, dolls, and various mixed media "bits".  I'm also a keen gardener and baker. I'm married with 2 grown up sons and have a gorgeous dog called Daisy.  If all else fails, I will sometimes resort to doing housework, though I really try not to.

So, what have I been doing this week?  Well, I've been making handbags:

The top two are described as "Bridesmaid Clutches" although one of my friends reckon they're cosmetic bags.  I think I prefer  clutches.  They measure 10 1/2" by 6 1/2" and are quite easy to make.  There's a tutorial for them on the Martha Stewart Show website.

The lower 2 photos are clamshell clutches.  You buy the frame with two separate hard 

"shells".  They're a little fiddly, but good fun to make.  I've just ordered some more and will have great fun choosing fabric for them.  You can find similar ones on the wonderful Lisa Lam website: www.u-handbag.com 

I've also been tending my newly built raised vegetable beds - the rocket is indeed rocketing, and the carrots, beetroot, kale, pak choi, leeks, lettuce, fennel, cauliflowers, strawberries, onions and shallots are coming along very nicely, thank you!  The courgettes and squash are sulking a bit, but a very kind fellow dog walker has brought me a rather sturdier looking plant today, which I will plant out tomorrow.  I think I will be vegetarian for a while when it's all ready!

 Pak choi

Well, we've survived the first blog together.  I think that deserves a cuppa.  

See you soon,

Gill  x