I lied........then there's this clever lass!

http://taniasneesby.blogspot.co.uk/

Now you know how hooked I am on textile illustrations, well this lass makes such wonderful nursery rhyme pictures, you must take a look.
I've seen her at Harrogate before and just adore her Red Riding Hood piccy most of all.
It's scary in the nicest possible way lol

I have lifted this cheekily off her blog so please do go and have a browse, her work is delightful.
She has had cards made of her textile work, so I bought afew of those this time though I was sorely tempted again, to buy a print of this picture.

Oh yes, there's more Harrogate goodies....lol

Richard Box is a magnificent collage and machine stitcher....
this hare was nothing short of stunning.
Sadly you cant see the subtle sparkly effects he achieved here with his mix of threads, fabrics and stitching.
there is something iconic about hares..........

Quite an interesting You Tube link here by him that you might care to watch somewhen ..........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=8JWRtsyoLhQ

Above, Samantha Wilson who is from the Hull School of Art & Design, upcycled these stools had been inspired by the hungry caterpillar story.

Above were only some of the LOTS of stitched postcards, representing countries from the 2012 Olympics!
Lifted this below from online....link below..

"To welcome the athletes from around the world the Embroiderers' Guild has produced a spectacular tribute in stitch by creating nearly three thousand embroidered postcard sized images depicting the life and times of over two hundred sporting nations - all members of the Olympic movement.
The project started In April 2010 when members of the Embroiderers' Guild were invited to take part. As some of the sporting nations are rather unfamiliar the fairest way of allocating the countries to the branches was by drawing them at random. Also working on the project was a group of individual members, who do not belong to any branch, and members of Young Embroiderers' Groups.
Each country is represented by a series of textile images opening out like a concertina book of postcards. From the national flag at the top there is a cascade of embroidered images such as national costume, customs, currency, fauna, flora, food, and landmarks. The skills and creativity of the Embroiderers' Guild members shine through with the wide variety of materials and techniques used to develop their design ideas. 
 http://www.embroiderersguild.com/whatson/welcomingathletes/index.php

I picked afew out here.....

 

 

 

cant recall for sure where this above was from, it might have been Portugal.

 

 

 

there are more on this blog too if you want some close ups

http://textilesnippets.blogspot.co.uk/2012_08_01_archive.html

 

I reckon I should make one of these below, to sit beside my armchair, so I could put all the materials Im working with, in!!

 

 

It was tightly rolled up flour, seed and rice bags far as I could see!

But Im appalled to say the pic of the artists name hasnt come out........so I cant credit her.

I believe she may also have made this tea bag container too.

It reminded me very much of sand bags and an ( upside down!)

air raid shelter!

 

This was a clever wall hanging of hers as well.

 

 

And finally..........I loved the hap-hazard effect of this piece

 

 

Again Im unable to give credit to the artist here. There were several photos that spoilt for some reason in the transfer from camera to pc.

So my aplogies and if you do recognise the work,

please let me know who it is will you?

YEAHHHHH!

It was Maragaret Brown!!! Just found the name on here!!

http://mixedmedia-jem.blogspot.co.uk/

Plus way more info on the UFO display too...........go and take a look!!

and then there were these........

There was a striking exhibit of work entitled Jabberwock by Ann Small and Sue Walton.
This was a wonderful interpretation of the tea party that Alice was invited to lol
They are members of the Small Chat group but here they were a two woman exhibit, which was was both fun and innovative.
Just loved the use of felt and cutlery and
you just got to ~ lurve these crowns - fabulous !

 

 

 

 

Here are some great pics here on Face Book I notice so take a peek!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.360792607343463.88080.181932295229496&type=1

and then pop on to Bredas own work which is also fascinating to see!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.360792607343463.88080.181932295229496&type=1#!/photo.php?fbid=241555909267134&set=a.241555885933803.54766.181932295229496&type=
1&theater

And then there was this blissfully beautiful bed quilt..........by Deborah Kemball, the winner of the Traditional Quilts. Euphoria. An apt title for so much glorious applique and hand quilting.

 

and how about cross stitch? lol

see this link for info on the work of this Lithuanian artist
 severija-incirauskaite-kriauneviciene

http://www.mrxstitch.com/knitting-stitching-show-2012/artist-profile-severija-incirauskaite-kriauneviciene/

I gave in lol and the Harrogate Show !

 

 

Okay........Ive paid for an upgrade afterall and it seems to have worked cos can now post pics!
I picked up some skew whiff shaped seconds, powder puffs at Scrapstore and so, naturally made dangly snowmen in beanie hats..............as you do.........

The mouths are dried grape 'branches' and the carrot noses are just fun foam. One or two have white felt glued on the back to cover the stitched on eyes.......but on most I simply stitched the beanie lower down at the back to cover the stitches and used invisible thread for the mouth twigs.

The by product of my cutting hexis is this container of fabric corners which has given me an idea or two but I cant start into them yet........I need to finish a couple of other things first.....lol

It was our EYES club, coach trip to the Harrogate Knitting & Stitching show yesterday and it was as usual, well worth going to.
Though I bought much less than previous years.
Mostly cos Ive still not used what Ive bought from the past few years yet - go figure!
It was worth going if only to see up close the mining exhibit pieces that were featured in the Workbox magazine. Stunning some of them.

 

Above 'Life Line' by Heather Waring

 

 

Above 'Not forgotten' Jill Patterson

 

 

 

The above by Victoria Macleod was amazing up close. A golden seam.

and over a coffee I looked up at the roof of the theatre that nestles in the centre of the show halls...

 

At the end of the day I saw this....and thought what a great idea it would be ...... just as soon as I got home!!

Still Life by Audrey Walker...............yeahhhhh !
Bring on the Bombay Gin!

Queery!!

Well I was going to post a piccy of my dangly snowmen but Blogger tells me I have run out of piccy space and must upgrade.........
have any of you had this happen at all?

In fact are any of you paying monthly for your blog to continue with piccies as well as text?

Maybe Ive been naive but I hadn't known that I would have to pay -although I guess it does seem fair that I pay for my little wave band in the cybery levels!

And $2.39 a month doesnt exactly break the bank does it......so why am I untrusting of giving Google my credit  card details????
Advice please folks!!

: ) Lyn

Forgot to show you this..... and advice needed

This old pattern booklet was amongst free stuff at our club meet last saturday, that they wanted rid of. 
I took a picture of the cover, though didn't bring the patterns home with me lol .......I just thought the cover was so charming.
Hope the subtle colours come up if you enlarge it.

Before the club meet, I reckon a good half of the members trawl through Cottinghams several charity shops and I was lucky enough to pick up this stash of cotton pillow cases, for 20p each....

Oddly enough I was short of plain cottons for the hexi stash so these single colours will be ideal additions -

And I had a NEED for carbohydrates I think....took a fancy for a crumble....

so bought tasty plums and huge cooking apples at market....

Yes, it tastes great lol and went well with a cold, fresh, fruity white wine

but am on salads now to make up for it lol

Now I could do with hexi advice please.....

Should I iron the hexis before I stitch them together or after?

If I iron them, might they be less easy to EASE in place,

 if I haven't got them exactly right on the corners?

So if they are not ironed, may they be more forgiving 

at the stitching stage?

I haven't stitched hexis seriously like this for years and years....

but maybe it makes not a jot of difference lol

Any ideas or experiences welcome please!

EYES meet

I could almost live with a huddle of hexis like this, nestled in a basket lol or am I just putting off the stitching bit!! 

Loved these made by Paula Bell at our EYES meeting.....adorable and fun lol and I have to show you the delish little beaded Father Christmas below too, made by Susan Mower. He was wonderful and only about 1 and a quarter ins in length!

Clever stitching on velvet here by Brenda Stapleton, giving it a wonderful textural effect.

These fascinated me......exquisite little gems....beautifully stitched!

see what I mean? ! 

The King goes fishing....

So young man was wittering on about wanting to go fishing with a rod and line, like for the last week! His Mum had told him she'd take him.....One Day.

"Nannie will you build me a King crown pleeeze?"
( pelmet vilene....)

Then he says to me....."Nannie build me a fishing rod please?"
 said with sweet smile and googly eyes.............. lol

Thinking on my feet..............a natty wooden gadget I've been thinking to use to hang a textile thingy off, but havent used after 5 years - plus string and a weeny wire hook tied to the end.

"Nannie build me some fish...........I LOVE fish nannie"
 said with sweet smile and googly eyes.............he's smart this boy.

So I cut fish from painted cardstock from way back when. Snipped out eyes so he can 'catch' them.

"Nannie build me some jelly fish please? A mummy. A granma and a boy nannie pleeeze?

Suckered.......lol

So now he's on a roll and so am I ............. when he says

" I need starfish Nannie, like in the Miki's story ......build me some starfish Nannie?"

I read Miki to him last thing before he goes to bed at mine.........its a cute story.
Little Miki wants twinkly lights on a branch she finds ( its a bit christmassy) and ends up with  a silvery starfish on it.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miki-Stephen-Mackey/dp/034095065X

I love having him stay ............. he comes up with fun things for me to 'build' lol ..........
its very 'boy' that 'build' word, despite me telling him I 'make' things!

He left with his dad the next day, chuffed to monkeys, with his bucket full of the jelly and star and other fish, with fishing rod in hand and a smile a a mile wide. 
Who needs ToysRus!!
Though his parting shot was... " I need a whale Nannie"
LOL

My hexi stash is growing and they are so addictive, I had no idea!

 I was spurred on after seeing the layout of colours in this ...STUNning hexi quilt top Michele made, which you must go look at, please....

http://www.michelemademe.com/2012/10/hexagon-quilt-top-check.html
I wont copy the layout so will alter the colour banding widths.......if I can fathom it ~  with what fabrics I use.

Now I reckon Michele is truly gifted. She comes up with such innovative recycling ideas, interspersed with wonderful work like this quilt and look at her sons TinTin costume too! Priceless!!
 http://www.michelemademe.com/2012/10/blistering-barnacles-is-it-really-them.html