Brooch workshop at The Wool Croft

If you ever go to Abergavenny...

...and haven't already found "The Wool Croft" (now in Nevill Street)...

...then it should be on your "To Do" list!!

It is a little haven of Hygge...

...with loads of lovely yarns, threads, fabrics and other bits...

...and they do workshops...

...one of which was mine...yesterday. :-)

We had a wonderful time...

...and some lovely stitching was done...

...by three people who declared that they were not stitchers!!

Ha! I loooooove a challenge!!

Well done everyone.

Hope to see you in January for Sashiko stitching.

Have a great week peeps...

x C

Time for a change.....

I've been thinking...

...long and hard...

...and have now decided that I won't be taking any more workshop bookings after the ones I already have in place for 2019.

I may consider still doing Summer Schools etc...

...but branch/group workshops...no.

It's not been an easy one, as I have really loved being with people and seeing lovely places....

...but...needs be.

We have no hard-and-fast plans yet, but I want a clear slate so that if plans come to be...

...then we can act on anything without worrying about letting anyone down.

I'll still be stitching...

...and planning projects etc...

...but I will have more of an "online" presence with kits and bits.

This will all be available through my ETSY shop...

...and I'll post as and when things become available. (Not this year.)

I'm looking forward to seeing you all this summer and next...

...and, maybe at a show here and there...

x C

Final little bits...

...of holiday stitching.

Small pieces that may become brooches...

...or may be included in small books.

Je ne sais pas...

I haven't managed to unpack everything yet...

...don't know where it's all going to go if I'm honest!!

I think I need a trip down to the scrap store - to get rid of stuff...

...can't work if I'm too piled-up with clutter!

So many ideas swimming around in the old head at the minute...

...so...

...today and tomorrow will be a couple of days on the sewing machine...

...I think really well while watching the needle go up and down.

Pland for the future need to be put into place...

...slowly and carefully...

...and I'm not certain what will be happening...

...but I think it's safe to say that I (probably) won't be doing any more workshops in the UK after next year.

As I said...

...nothing is certain...

...stay or go...

...but there will be plenty of "other" things going on even though I might not be travelling so much :-)

x C

New "Colourful Couching" workshop samples

Here are the new "Colourful Couching" workshop samples for 2018...

...based on a piece of Claude Monet "Giverny" fabric...

...and Japanese themed stencils.

I'm taking these beauties to the NEC with me...

...and the lovely ladies of the Cotswold Branch of the Embroiderers Guild...

...will be working them in July this year.

A few piccies to tempt you...

Hope to see you at the show...

I'm on stand N15 in Fashion & Embroidery.

x C

Colouricious Medieval Blocks...and MY stitching...

...on Hochanda tomorrow...

Tuesday 19th December at 7 am, 10 am and 1 pm.

Jamie of Colouricious will be selling these lovely Medieval Tile blocks...

...that I have used in these stitched pieces.

Workshops will be available for these lovely projects in 2018!!

x C

New Japanese-themed workshop samples for 2018

Yes. I know it's still 2017...

...and Christmas isn't here yet...

...but 2018 is just around the corner...

...and I need to get a move-on with some samples for my new Japanese-themed workshops!

These pieces will be composite...

...using stencils with Markal Paintstiks...

...some Sashiko stitching...

...and some Hexagon patchwork in delicious indigo fabrics!

I might even use some glittery bits....

....it's all getting "interesting" at the minute...

(and I needed a break from stitching on beads!!!!)

Sayonara...

x C

Exeter Workshops.....now back on!!

I'd originally been scheduled to do talk and workshops at the ICHF show at Exeter...

...but then things changed with workshop space and it was down to talk only.

As of this morning...

...workshops are back ON.

They will be on my stand G32, and will be hand stitching Medieval Tile panels to use as needle-cases or notebook covers.

Just mosey-up to my stand and (except when I'm away doing my talk) you can sit awhile and enjoy some stitching with me! :-)

It's all free-of-charge - including materials/kit ...

...so NO EXCUSES!!

See you there.

x C

Beakheads!! ....lining up for Bristol

While I was away "up North"...

...I did manage to get a bit more work done in my "Medieval Inspirations" sketchbook.

I'd taken photos of the doorway at St. Ebbes in Oxford last year...

...and had been trying ever-so-hard to get the drawings done.

Well...

....after a couple of days around the caravan...

(the caravan that is now the Rosa-Van NOT the Gladdyvan as our lovely little Gwladys, aged 32, was just a bitty too leaky and we had to say "Goodbye" to her :-(   )

...all twelve Beakheads were done!! YEY!

I've enlarged the sketchbook pages...

...and enlarged again....and again...

...so that I can put the designs onto fabric for some Trapunto quilting.

the stitching WILL NOT be done...

...but the designs will be up on my stand at the West Country Quilt & Textile Show in Bristol from Friday to Sunday this weekend....

...where I will be doing some workshops.

The full guide to all classes etc is here.

I'm on Stand G83 - do come along and say "Hello" if you're visiting!!

x C

FINISHED!!! (Lots of piccies)

My new "Medieval Tile" workshop sample book has been finished...

...in plenty of time for my stint at Wooler with the NE Region of the Embroiderer's Guild.

All panels have been attached to heavy watercolour pages...

...and the reverse of each page has been covered in printed tissue and stamped tile prints.

I've decorated around the edges with little pennants and sparkly bits...

....which gives it a rich finished look.

I am very happy with it!

I stitched an extra one for the cover...

...and put the others on each of the six inside pages...

...with nice "back-sides"!! :-)

This is how it looks from the top.

I like these books done using binding rings...

...but the next one will be a folded one again!

Can't have life getting TOO repetitive can we?! :-D

In case you don't already know...

...all my lovely print blocks come from Jamie at Colouricious...

...and my metallic threads, cotton and felt fabrics from my "family" at Empress Mills

(I really can't imagine what my life would be like without these lovely people around!)

x C

Hobbling around and doing a bit....

It's sore!

...and I'm hobbling around like I-don't-know-what...

...but, after a couple of days of feeling really groggy...

...I've managed to get my head into some sort of gear and get some bits done.

I've been offered gallery space at this year's West Country Quilt & Textile Show...

...so I'll be doing workshops too.

Here are a couple of my samples.....

...this can be either a needlecase or a notebook.

A medieval tile design printed onto hand-dyed cotton...

...stitched and beaded.

Postie brought me an Ebay win this morning...

...a delightful old book on butterflies that has the most beautiful colour plates!

These will be just the thing for some collage pieces...

...after they've been scanned, printed and cut out. :-)

And...

....in addition to all of this...

...my reading material for the next few days before our picnic visit to St. Mary's Church, Kempley, Glos.

(Have a look at these links - English Heritage; BritainExpress; 360 virtual tour.

Apart from a gammy knee...

...life is quite good!

x C