April is here and we may even get some sun and warmth!

Well another roundup here - as time seems to whizz by me and I try very hard to catch up with it.
I'm off work today having tripped and clattered splat, on a patio yesterday, reajusting my nose and upper lip abit and jolting my neck and shoulders, so am not at my best today.
I will refrain from any selfie since its not a pretty sight at the best of times, but with swollen nose and lips its far worse and I'd like you to pop back now and then!

I had a lovely Easter break, hope you all did too.
I went with my daughter, SIL and 2 kids and her in-laws to Cabo Roig in Spain where Tylah and Rich have an apartment.
The in-laws rented an apartment alongside and had their other son and daughter staying with them too.
So it was real family holiday.
It was lovely weather 21-24 degrees,  really welcome after a long grey and soggy winter here.
I enjoyed spending time with the grandchildren and when they went to the beach in the afternoons, I was able to sit and stitch in peace either at the apartment or in the Irish bar round the corner lol 
Not for me the sandy toes on the walk back to the apartment no,
rather the cocktails or beer, with an audio book and stitching for me and an occasional chat with other customers : )

Anyway some work bits Ive made 

A Storysack for Commotion in the Ocean 

                                 had some fun crocheting the barnacles

The tactile story books I make up has a large font print version of the story itself.
I use the original illustrations ( photocopied so the hard copy book isn't harmed) simplified and laid beneath the laminated pages, so the illustrator too, gets their work shown to anyone with sight that sees the book.
In this case I brailled the text and laid that over the print text too.
Then the tactile illustration elements are laid alongside the original illustrations and is always relevant to what is in the story on that page. 

The back board enables the tactile pieces to be added or taken off either the pages or the Velcro accepting fabric board itself.
Old wallpaper books are perfect for making these back boards, nice and strong enough to stand up safely.
Great fun to make these.

Also made this fastening cushion for a young lad with motor skills difficulties too.

We had Catherine Lawes speak at club last Saturday and she brought loads of her work to show us, some of which was wonderful.

http://catherinelawestextiles.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CatherineLawesTextiles

and samples of her work are on

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=catherine+lawes+textile+artist&qpvt=catherine+lawes+textile+artist&FORM=IGRE

She stayed overnight and we had a workshop with her on the Sunday using layered strips of voiles and other fabrics to form a landscape.
Here's a couple in process of being made, neither of which are mine LOL cant find my camera at the moment!

Oh found it ... but its not finished and now I look at it,
I'm not sure I like it after all lol
Its supposed to be the Aurora but isn't bright enough, so will let it settle until I sort out my own voiles and silks.
I dont much like the moon either but again I didn't have a suitable moon fabric with me, so that will have to change too.

We used whatever Catherine had brought for us to use and I fancied making an Aurora picky to remind me of the times I had seen it for real, whilst sat on the jump seat on the flight deck, way back when I was an Air Load Master.
But its hard to recreate that utterly magical effect in textiles so needs abit of rethinking in fabric choices.

I have been making up some three quarter inch hexis, for something to do whilst sitting on the settee, with or without a cat and dog laid on or next to me.

I took some with me to Spain and managed 4 blue diamonds whilst there.
Evie took it upon herself to be the 'puller out of snipped basting stitches' and 'remover of papers' - since she said, she has smaller fingers LOL

I have been told that she will do all the rest for me as I make more diamonds too, so it seems she has given herself a role in the making of this quilt to be.

Of course I have no plan to it as such although I have joined together 3 of the blue diamonds so far and those with eagle eyes might have spotted my mistake?

I have stitched them staggered rather than alongside each other and I haven't noticed any stitched like this on Pinterest - so I'm guessing there must be a reason why others have not used this design ...!
But I'm not taking them apart now so have to see how it looks as it grows. 

I quite like the blue colourways so might just make more blues and keep the browns and purple aside for another cover. But its another way to use up scraps of course so an ongoing 'pick up and put down' activity.

Someone on FB told me about a book, which I have managed to pick up for £1.74 on Amazon!
The postage was £2.95 lol
It's called The Careless Quilter by Kristin Millar
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Careless-Quilter-Needlework-Quilting/dp/155853296X

It's actually an interesting book, explaining a manner of making a quilt from the centre out, allowing the quilt to form itself rather than set out with a precise pattern in mind.
It is an old book but choc full of advice and interesting information and how to's, so a very useful book to have. 


I have always said how resistant I am to strictly following patterns and this almost gives you permission to explore 'add ons' and spontaneously including corners and strips here and there.
It doesn't encourage sloppy stitching though, just creative exploration so an interesting book to read through.
Okay had best top up the pain relief, I thought I was healing nicely but actually I was just fully dosed up on pain relief I realise now!
My daughter was in the shower when she heard the splat sound and when she came downstairs, I was giving my grandson his lunch with a very red and swollen nose and lips - but he didn't seem to be scarred by the event at all! Phew lol
Well there was little point making a fuss when an 18 month old needed his lunch after all.
But as she came in and after explaining, I set off to the A&E, where I sat amongst some of lifes extremes of humanity - less said about that really!
Fortunately the Max facial Dr said I didn't need stitches although theres a really good sized split inside my upper lip and no, the nose wasn't broken, so it could have been far worse.
But the sort of whiplash my neck got is blummin painful still so codeine and paracetomol here I come : ) 
I will try and post again before May! Take care all : )