The Knitting and Stitching Show

I was determined not to let too much time go by before I post again, but I really don’t know where the time goes to …

My friends Elaine and Jennifer and I really enjoyed our annual ‘jaunt’ to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Harrogate. It’s turned into a ‘mini-holiday’ and, although we didn’t spend anything like as much as last year – we all bought embellishers! – we still enjoy looking at the ‘spoils’ over a cup of tea in our room before we sally out to ‘Quantro’ for our evening meal. A glass of Baileys and ‘putting the world to rights’ before bed has become a ritual as well.

It was lovely to see our favourite tutor, Ruth Issett, surrounded by the zingiest of her fabrics. You could almost ‘breathe in’ the colour on her stand and the sheer emotion always – you’ve guessed it – makes me cry! What am I like?!

It was lovely to see Ruth - and Chas - looking so well and just enjoying the admiration instead of beavering away as usual. I’m sure that Kevin and Viv missed her demonstrations but I suppose the ‘finished product’ across the way was just as much an inspiration and selling aid?

The other stand I spent time at was the ‘Art 4 Cloth’. Lots of encouragement from inspired tutors who made their work sound ‘easy’ … it probably is for them after a lifetime dedicated to producing such detailed and elaborate surface decoration – Complex Cloth indeed.

As usual the Graduate Showcase attracted a great deal of attention. It’s great to see these young people who are just starting out in the textile world getting to show off their work to an appreciative audience. My particular favourites this year were Eleanor Feddon, Sara Baccucini Meadows and Linda Marie Young with her intricate, beautiful boxes. I was entranced by Victoria Geary’s ‘wrapped rings’ – lovely fabrics, threads and tiny, tiny stitches. Gorgeous.

On the way home we had such a wonderful sunset coming over Beamsley Hill. It started off as pink and pale blue, through purple and orange to scarlet. Very Ruth.

Catching up

Well, here I am again – wondering how you pick up the pieces and start to blog again after such a long time! The Croatian holiday was such a disappointment that I threw myself into a whirlwind of activity – and the dust has only just settled. I haven’t even looked at my own blog, let alone anyone else’s!

I have made a fervent resolve to stay home this week and try to catch up on some of the things that haven’t been getting done whilst I have been ‘gadding about’ - as we say ‘oop north’. However - and I don't know why? - I can't get any of the photographs into my text so - for now - I'll have to remain 'undecorated'.

I’m going to rattle off a few of the things I’ve seen and done over the last few weeks – bearing in mind that hardly a day has gone by without some little diversion!

I went with my friend Julie to see the Matthew Williamson exhibition at Urbis – pretty much the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ as far as we were concerned. Yes, the colours were vibrant and the pattern striking but in terms of cutting and construction the garments left a lot to be desired. We resolved to go home and sew … and so we shall.

The Platform Gallery Open Exhibition was a treasure. The highlights for me were Joan Newall’s ‘retrospective book ‘At this moment’ – a real punch in the solar plexus! Gilly Cowan’s layered pieces were so colourful and beautifully stitched. Two of my all-time favourites were also exhibiting - Janet Browne’s ‘journeys’ and Jacqueline Smith’s collages are always a delight to behold and both had lovely pieces on show.

I’ve taken part in two concerts – and all the rehearsals leading up to them – ‘The Armed Man’ again and, last Sunday, ‘Fauré’s Requiem’ and four ‘Motets for Christmas’ by Poulenc. Very challenging but thoroughly enjoyable. It’s a relief to be doing Christmas carols once again - but it feels like it ought to be August still! Where did the year go?

I’ve been to the theatre twice to see Chekov’s ‘Three Sisters’ and my own very favourite play ‘Antigone’. This last was a stunning production and reduced me to tears by its intensity and passion. I’m a bit of a Greek tragedy ‘nut’, I have to confess. (My friend, Barbara, a true romantic, who was hoping for a happy ending, reduced me to giggles as she gasped with horror as the bodies piled up!)

The other trip to the Royal Exchange was to hear Sheila Hancock talking about her book ‘Just Me’ – a sequel to ‘The Two of Us’ about her marriage to, and the death of, her husband, John Thaw. I feel a special affinity to Sheila and had the opportunity to tell her so afterwards. I could identify with her experiences of going abroad on your own without the presence of the loving companion with whom you have long shared your travels. You’ve just got to get in there and do it – or sit at home and go into a decline?

I enjoyed the ‘Fashion and Embroidery Show’ at Harrogate, though possibly not as much as in years gone by? I particularly liked Jessica Abraham’s work – it gets better all the time.

Preston Embroiderer’s Guild took part in the Arts Society exhibition in the Minster and my felt pieces were finished in time! Just! I've managed to bring these in through 'Picasa' but it doesn't work for all the others. Why? Anyway, these are 'The pool at the Jardin Majorelle' 1-4.

I've done several courses/workshops - one at Cedar Farm with Sheila Smith and Joanne Eddon, using painted silk to nuno on to felt and one with Sandra Coleridge using the embellisher, both very enjoyable.

Most of all I enjoy the felting group that I belong to. The members are so kind and generous and happy to share their expertise one with another. Our inspiration is Fiona whose wonderful work you can see on 'Fiat84'. She kindly came to give me a personal 'tute' on 'Paint Shop Pro' which is - at last - beginning to make sense. We are all indebted to her for sharing her techniques and tips and inspiring us with her sense of colour and stitch.

As well as Jackie keeping us 'in tucks' with her stories, we have CAKE - how could it help being my favourite way of spending a day?

Croatia by Coach

Well, here I am again - feeling very frustrated. My broadband connection keeps 'disappearing (thanks again 'talktalk'!) when I get - just - to the end of a post! I've been so busy since I got back from holiday that I thought I'd better do a quick travelogue!

So many people had said that Croatia was wonderful - and I’ve been dying to go to Dubrovnik for ages – that I have to say that I was rather disappointed. Long coach journeys aren’t for me unless there’s something really interesting to see and periods of enforced inactivity don’t do it for me either.

But - this was an interesting day at the Krka Valley National Park - lots of waterfalls. Croatian ia one of those languages where they miss out all the vowels!


Of all the places we went to I liked Split the best.



The Diocletian palace was my favourite historical site. Built in 305AD as a pagan stronghold it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Monument and houses sophisticated shops, cafes and restaurants. Complete with cheesy 'Romans' - although these were a bit 'tasty' as well ...



Over 3,000 people live within the walls – and, even if you live in a palace, you have to have somewhere to hang your washing!



On to Dubrovnik, where the main streets and piazzas were very crowded with tourists from the cruise ships.


The small side streets looked very inviting and I longed to explore these but didn’t have the chance.



Then the weather arrived – yes, the kind that had followed us all the way from England! Three months without rain and it all arrived at once!



So - back home, still with webbed feet, and will blog soon about my much more active life in – for the moment – sunny Lancashire!

A day to remember

September 7th is not a good day in our family. Seven years ago my beloved husband, Bill, lost his fight with cancer. Four days later came 9/11. The World Trade Center was a place that he loved, glorying in the views and the wonderful people we always seemed to meet there. It's almost as if my little tragedy is subsumed into the much larger US one and every year there are reminders in the media of this time in my life and I feel connected with many other people who lost their loved ones on that day. I suppose I wouldn't have it any other way - if there has to be a time I feel bad, I may as well share it with thousands of others! I visited 'Ground Zero' two years ago and that hole in the ground sums up the way I sometimes feel about my life. Roll on the infinity pool!

I usually try to be out of the country on this particular date but haven't quite managed it this year - and in a way I'm glad. My eldest grandson, Allan, has just got engaged to Kerry, a wonderful young lady, whom I am delighted to welcome into our family. So today has been a day of celebration - an emotional day in every way. God bless you both!

Tomorrow I'm off to Croatia with my friend Barbara. We spend three days in Omis and then off to Dubrovnik. Oh, the thought of some sunshine and escaping from the downpours of the past few weeks - I feel as if I have webbed feet!


So - I'll be off the blogisphere for a while, soaking up the sun and recharging my batteries. See you when I get back!

Trying again

This is just to prove that I am actually doing something creative. Here is one of the 'pre-felts' that I have made towards the four pieces for the exhibition in October. I decided that sitting and looking at the work I have done wouldn't (as my Mother used to say) 'buy the baby a new bonnet' - but that's another story! Anyone heard that expression?

I think that 'procrastination' ought to be my middle name. Why do I find it so scary to actually embark on a creative project when I can quite cheerfully - well, no, quite miserably in fact, spend long hours in the middle of the night - thinking about it? Is there anyone else out there like this? If so, please tell me!

Anyway - here we go - I have tried twice to post and pass on the award that Jackie passed on to me and have been determined to do it properly this time. But 'Blogger' doesn't like it. Tough.

So here goes - which of your blogs keep me going, make me smile and generally inspire me? Well, Mary from 'White Clover Stitches' seems to spend time 'agonising' over her work, too - and she loves hydrangeas as well! Leave 'Jump Rope Girl' alone, Mary, she's lovely as she is ...

Carol of 'Textile Tales' is so generous with her tutorials and her support for a 'new girl' and 'Ellie MacPhee' is a girl after my own heart with her displacement activities. Linda from 'Blue-eyed Girl' makes me so want to get into soul journalling - but I mustn't until I've dealt with a few more UFOs. But I will - and until then I shall continue to drool over Linda's work.

'Kayla Coo' paints lovely pictures and posted pictures of Nice, which is one of my very favourite places. Sharon B of 'In a Minute Ago' is so generous with her stitches and tutorials. And I've just discovered the most mouth-watering pictures on a new (to me) blog - 'Sea Angels'. I think that's more than enough but let me just sneak in an extra 'new girl on the block' - 'Picallily and Blossom'. We new girls have to stick together and she deserves it for the whacky name alone!

When I wasn't feeling very creative myself it was lovely to lurk around your blogs, girls. Thank you for keeping me going.

Now, all I have to do is to write up the minutes of the Preston EG committee meeting (a job I hate!) and then I can start to think about packing for my hols - more of that in my next post?

More 'round and round the garden'

Just a sample of the things in the garden ... statues ...



... woodland walks ...



...an amazing hot tub ...

... a house covered in thatch ...

... a glass water feature ...

... "Tired, love?"

My friend Barbara said this looked like her when she was doing her back exercises - but I couldn't persuade her to show me ...

Well worth a visit!

Round and round the garden - and Blogger!

Aaargh! This is the fifth time I have tried to do a post with more than one picture and each time the gremlins sabotage what I've done. So I'll blog about the pictures I've got and try again tomorrow. There's only so much a girl can take!

This is a view of the Ribble Valley from a house and garden that I've wanted to visit for a long time. It's the 'Old Zoo Garden' at Brockall Village, near Whalley. The site was once a vast 'mental asylum' with 3,500 patients and the garden is built on the 'petting zoo' of the hospital, hence the name. It's an amazing place, full of sculptures and wonderful planting which matches the scale of the site. It wasn't the best of days but the views were amazing. Wish I could show you more! Thanks to the National Gardens Scheme we were able to sneak a peek today.



This is a picture of my friends David and Kathy whose 'love story' makes me go weak at the knees. One day I'll write the script for the Hollywood movie! They now live in a delightful little house which overlooks the canal and they can look out at boats and ducks and lots of other delightful 'traffic'. So romantic.

Perhaps I'll try to pop some more pictures into a new post - if Blogger will let me?