Linda Miller

A Seaside Hideaway

2012-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

My Seaside Hideaway is hot off the machine, accompanied by the pouring rain outside, not a drop of sunshine to be seen!
My heart has been lifted though as I watched from the studio window the little robins feeding along with a tiny little wren hopping about beneath the bird feeder oblivious to the cold and just busy being about their everyday business. Oh, lovely little garden birds.

2012-01-19T04:51:00.000-08:00

My idea of making a couple more pieces in lovely spring and summer themes about the sea for the forthcoming exhibition at The Ropewalk Gallery has gone right out of the window since this onset of very cold weather, my people by the sea are well wrapped up in "A rainy walk by the sea" I am now going to try very hard and make a lady and her cat lying on a rug but the waters edge, Owwh, I can just feel the icy waves nibbling at my toes, oh, roll on summer!

Girl in a Yellow Swimsuit

2012-01-14T03:15:00.000-08:00

2011-12-10T00:01:00.001-08:00

Toasty Tummy Time

2011-11-30T03:32:00.001-08:00

I can't believe we are almost into December, I really feel as though my feet have hit the ground running every day for almost a month!

I have been everywhere with my work, North and South, the fairs have all been different, and all been a joy to be at exhibiting my Machine Embroideries at and meeting the good folk from all over this glorious island. My last one is this Saturday www.theworkshopsale.co.uk I shall have all my end of lines, seconds, and pieces I have hung onto for far too long-that I really must be brave and let go! there will be bargains to be snapped up!

Remember my lovely Lady Fox? I knew I couldn't be selfish and hold onto her for too long so I set her free at The Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair, and off she scampered with a mischievous skip!

2011-11-08T00:07:00.001-08:00

I'm back from Lustre at Nottingham which was wonderful and now I'm off to The Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair in Islington London! All my new embroideries will be with me, and my little fabric and stitch accessories, come and have a look and say hello.

2011-11-03T06:39:00.001-07:00

2011-11-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your kind comments about my appearance on Kirsty's Handmade Britain. It was great fun to do and I am thrilled that my Machine Embroideriers had an airing on the TV.

I'm exhibiting my Machine Embroideries at Lusture in Nottingham www.lakesidearts.org.uk if your passing come by and say hello.

Happy stitching everyone!

2011-11-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

Here I am and I'm going to be on the Telly!!
Kirsty's Handmade Britain Wednesday 2nd November 8pm channel 4.
I'm in the same episode as Jo Colwill from Cowslip Workshops. www.cowslipworkshops.co.uk
It was great fun, and I hope that you enjoy it.
happy Stitching!

2011-10-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who has left such kind comments about the Lady Fox, she is still with me, and is currently running around my studio space having the time of her life, she's not bored yet and neither am I!

Rain!

2011-10-18T07:30:00.001-07:00

2011-10-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm off with all my new work to the Great Northern Craft Fair. www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd October I hope you may be able to come by and say hello. It's a wonderful event, beautifully run and full of fantastic crafts. See you there!

2011-10-14T13:01:00.001-07:00

I'm all ready for the Festival of Crafts! Everything is finished and boxed and ready to go! A wonderful feeling. I am very pleased with the pieces I am taking. I hope you can come by and say hello.I now can concentrate on finishing off a few things in preparation for the great Northern Craft Fair - Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd October www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk I'm in a dilemma, as happens every so often I've made a piece of work which I am really really pleased with and I selfishly I want to keep it for myself. Work when finished is assessed by me, quality control if you like. No piece is put with into the collection if it is below par, I then put such pieces to one side (an ice cream tub) and they - the cat with too big ears, a dog with a squint, a seagull with a lump on his head -etc are then taken to the Dulwich Workshop Sale which happens early in December and sold as seconds, given a second chance to find a happy home, which happily they usually do. But this new piece, my fascination with blocks of bright white snow and a shock of green trees and light blue sky, this lovely little fox in the snow, A lady Fox as I've called her, oh, what to do. I have pulled her out of the collection and put her to one side for the time being, I so want to keep her, but I need to let her go too, to be free and to find her own way. Oh, what to do!

A Lady Fox

2011-10-12T00:38:00.000-07:00

2011-10-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.farnhammaltings.com/news/festivals/622/447/145/festival_of_crafts.aspx

Here's the link to The Festival of Crafts!

2011-10-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's been another glorious sunny day and I've been in the studio sorting out and getting ready for the Festival of Crafts at Farnham Maltings which starts a week on Saturday. Amongst the pieces I plan to take (whether I can fit them all in my booth) is Girl and Seal. The image is a detail taken from the piece, and what with all this sun and the thought of the beach it has made me long for the sea even more! I am very pleased to say however, that, October is here and I am still wearing sandals!

Girl and Seal (detail)

2011-10-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

2011-09-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

Not really the current weather for being wrapped up in big coats but very autumnal amongst this glorious sunshine!

Autumn people

2011-09-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

Small ones and sunshine

2011-09-24T02:03:00.001-07:00

Only one week of making left, then all the finishing off begins, a dash to the framers and I'm ready for Festival of Crafts at Farnham Maltings! Saturday and Sunday October 15th and 16th.
I've been spending my week making smaller pieces again, and I am thrilled with how the new pieces have come out, only one cat with a bit of a squint, so not bad going all in all.
This week has been filled with glorious Sunshine too, making the decent into winter slightly more bearable, I'm still sandal clad, if the sun carry's on I'll be bared toed well into October!

Dog and Gull

2011-09-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

2011-09-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a wonderful workshop visit to the members of the Wolverhampton Embroiderers Guild. We had a fantastic productive day. It always amazes me how the time just fly's by, but everybody used their time wisely and made beautiful pieces, all different in size, theme and use of colour, what a lovely group of creative stitichers, I am so lucky to spend time with so many creative and inspiring folk!
Happy stitching everybody!!

2011-09-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

2011-09-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some little faces to celebrate the busy making days that I've had so far for my first fair of the autumn bunch! Festival of Crafts at Farnham Maltings, Bridge Square Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7QR www.farnhammaltings.com 01252 745444 which is the weekend of 15th and 16th October.

All smiles

2011-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

2011-08-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

It seems as though autumn is really on its way, there is truly a nip in the early morning air and the trees are starting to look tired in green and are turning to the palest russets and ochres.
I have spied freshly fallen conkers, and was excited to break open one of the spiky husks and hold the lovely new reddy brown nut in my palm. But, I'm not ready to let go of summer just yet, I haven't had enough sunshine, I want to stay bare legged and sandaled for a bit longer, and I'm going to try my hardest to do so!

Runing in the Leaves

2011-08-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

2011-08-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe what another whistle stop tour I've just had. Firstly (which now seems an age ago)to The festival of Quilts which was just wonderful. A true visual feast of pure loveliness, I so enjoyed myself epically in the shops, my cache of sequins a very big highlight in the visit, then camping with my sister and family in Dorset, wonderful until the torrential rain fell on the day we were packing up, I however did chuckle as on arriving home to open up my boot where I found a waterfall cascading from my tent as I pulled it out, and then back into the car and off to East Kent where I spent a very lovely day with some members from the East Kent Embroiderers Guild, and an extremely lovely day (in sunshine) was had by all as we merrily embroidered the day away.
Crammed also into this time I spent an afternoon sewing knitted corsages together at home in the sunshine accompanied of course by Maurice, Bigone had taken himself down the garden in disgust of such a girlie activity.
Now I'm back in the studio and catching my breath, getting ready to continue to embroiderer a collection of pieces for the Autumn and Christmas sales and exhibitions which are hurdling themselves towards me at a rate of knots. Oh, but I can't wait!

East Kent Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild

2011-08-22T00:57:00.000-07:00

A Bed of Roses

2011-08-22T00:45:00.000-07:00

2011-08-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

This piece is hot off my sewing machine, initially I'm very pleased with it. It always takes a little time for me to get used to the new pieces even though I have made them myself. I am very pleased with the colours, I love that lavender blue colour. We have very fragrant lavender in the garden at the studio, the heady scent is wonderful, and the bees go mad for it.
I'm now working on a couple by the seaside, with terns flying about and one tern in her arms, again another piece in blue. I am just indulging myself at present, and loving it!

Lavender Blue

2011-08-09T07:25:00.001-07:00

2011-08-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

On the last day of our four day Pictorial Machine Embroidery course at Oxford Summer School I asked everyone to hold up what that had made, and here is the wealth of all that hard work!
A big thank you to everyone who came and made the course so enjoyable. It truly was a delight and a treat to be amongst such a wonderful group of fantastic stitchers and fantastic women.

Oxford Summer School 2011

2011-08-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

2011-07-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Although it's summer, and I could be making pieces about swimming and the sea side, I've had foxes in my head again, and so out they came, and of course in the snow, and with bunnies too.

A hungry Fox

2011-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Four Bunnies

2011-07-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

2011-07-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Clever stitchers at the end of a creative journey with their beautiful pieces, thank you ladies for making it such a great day!

Chelmsford Embroiderers Guild

2011-07-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

2011-06-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

I have been west, east and in the middle of the country in the last week, meeting so many wonderful and inspiring stitching enthusiasts, Cowslip Workshops in Cornwall, Chelmsford Embroiderers' Guild and Lutterworth Embroiderers' Guild, all of which made me so welcome, and it's just been so fantastic to see the wealth of creativity amongst those clever people.

I love it, I love the travelling, I love the union of meeting people with a common interest, I love the soaking up of the stitching atmosphere, and then when, as all good things have to come to an end, I love the coming home.

Happy Stitchers at Cowslip Worshops

2011-06-26T04:05:00.000-07:00

2011-06-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

2011-06-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Jo Colwill http://www.cowslipworkshops.co.uk/ kindly put my name forward to show Kirstie Allsopp how to machine embroider onto soluble fabric for Kirstie's new programme to be shown on Channel 4 later on in the autumn. The filming took place in Nottinghill in London a couple of weeks ago.
The whole experience was daunting, terrifying and exciting all at the same time, and now its all over I loved every bit of it! We were taken to London in a silver Range Rover driven by Paul, who was just lovely and very calming. Kirstie Allsopp was very nice indeed and very professional, she and the team made us very welcome, as did Ellie who phoned me everyday leading up to the filming with different schedules, locations and times, so much so that my head spun. I was very glad to go with Jo, we encouraged each other and I hope kept each other calm too. You just never know what's around the corner, each time the telephone rings!

now back with a bump and reality once more, I'm knee deep in making pieces for the orders I took at The British Craft Trade Fair back in April, and I can't believe it's already June!!

2011-05-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled to say that I am in this months edition of Embroidery Magazine. With lots of pictures of my work and a really well written article by Caroline Rees, it's a good read and an inspiring magazine.

2011-05-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

2011-05-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Clever members of the Leamington Spa Embroiderers Guild, thank you for a lovely workshop!

2011-05-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

2011-05-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of making my Folksy shop! all I have to do now is fill it full of things!

2011-05-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

2011-05-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

2011-05-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful happy stitching day we have all had today.
A wonderfully talented and lively group of stitchers, thank you for a lovely day!

2011-05-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

2011-04-18T00:09:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to the members of the Lincoln Embroiderers' Guild for making me so welcome when I went to visit them last weekend, just look at the beautiful pieces that where made. A very clever group of stitchers and a lovely and productive time was had by all. What can be nicer than all stitching and making together?

Lincoln Embroiderers' Guild

2011-04-18T00:06:00.000-07:00

2011-03-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

I'm getting my collection of new pieces ready for the Harrogate Trade Fair. It has been lovely making and creating new pieces. All are now made and now the framing begins. I can't wait to see what they look like in their frames.

Shoreline Birds

2011-03-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Wokingham Embroiderers Guid

2011-03-19T03:25:00.000-07:00

Marlborough embroiderers Guild

2011-03-19T02:58:00.000-07:00

Drawing with the sewing machine

2011-03-19T02:55:00.000-07:00

Stitching here and stitching there and stitching everywhere

2011-03-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

Stitching here and stitching there and stitching everywhere has been me in the last couple of weeks and I wouldn't change a thing or ask for a different occupation. I've been to The Wokingham branch of the embroiderers guild, The Marlborough branch of the embroiderers guild and The Salisbury branch of the embroiderers guild and the same questions and observations pop up in conversation "you are so lucky to stitch all the time" and I know I am. I have always taken it for granted, and then it suddenly dawned on me! I am so lucky!!

The photographs attached are very clever stitchers from The Wokingham branch and The Marlborough branch all with their finished and almost finished beautiful embroideries. Let us celebrate the stitch and congratulate ourselves on us making it all by ourselves, well done everybody who made work and a big thank you to all of you for making me so welcome at your guilds.
Happy stitching and carry on the good work!

2011-02-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

A lovely clever group of stitchers from the Milton Keynes Embroiderers' Guild made me very welcome last Saturday when we all spent the day together stitching and making beautiful brooches and pictures.

Clever stitchers!

2011-02-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

ummh, lovely threads

2011-02-27T12:33:00.001-08:00

Studio in motion

2011-02-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

2011-02-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

From L to R:

Kay, Jane, Vicky, Catrina, Sue, Chris, Di with Tilly, Linda and Kate.

A great weekend!

Creative Cornwall

2011-02-17T00:16:00.000-08:00

I have returned from Cowslip Worshops and I am full up with delight. http://www.cowslipworkshops.co.uk/ it is a wonderful place full of joy, inspiration, creativity, happiness and delicious foods! My workshop group were the most lovely hardworking and creative group, they were a joy to be amongst!

I would really recommend a visit there. There is also a shop, packed with sumptuous fabrics, Bernina sewing machines, threads, buttons, and everything a stitching lover could want, and the setting of the farm in a beautiful Cornish landscape completes the whole fabulous package of Cowslip Workshops.

Whilst also in Cornwall I visited The Bakery Studios in the glorious city of Truro, full of artists and craftspeople all working hard away and full of more creativity. (My whole journey was full of creativity and inspiration!) My lovely friend Rebecca has a studio space there, her window looks outs upon the tidal river and she can watch the wading birds coming and going. I love my own studio space, but was I was a bit jealous of hers. www.manycuriousthings.co.uk

Now I'm back in my studio and am surrounded by what feels like a million things that need to be done, always the way when one goes away.

First things first, finish off those little faces!!

Thanks for your kind comments about my book, I'm so glad you are enjoying it. Happy stitching!

2011-02-06T00:25:00.000-08:00

I'm in the middle of making a nice sized collection of jewellery pieces! I've been true to my words and have been stitching away! All those little faces smiling, there is nothing one can do but smile back. I've also starting making some small pieces for small frames.
It's such a pleasing size to be working with, little pictorial snippets of events, happy cats and dogs, of course at the same time I'm thinking about bigger pieces, more taxing, but for the moment I'm really enjoying myself with miniatures.

Beach Snack

2011-02-05T04:30:00.000-08:00

Beach Chase

2011-02-05T04:29:00.000-08:00

2011-01-30T00:53:00.000-08:00

2011-01-30T00:35:00.000-08:00

SMILE the touring exhibition that I have pieces in is going to Blackswan Arts in Frome in February. www.blackswan.org.uk They have a collection of my smaller pieces their too and some new jewellery pieces, which I made especially for them. I haven't made jewellery pieces for a very long time, people have always requested them and I'd make the occasional one.
The collection I have just finished for Blackswan has made me want to make more and more of them. All those little faces smiling.

2011-01-30T00:32:00.000-08:00

2010-12-19T01:07:00.001-08:00

All the rearranging was done in time of the opening at 10am and The Dulwich Workshop Christmas Sale, it was a great success! I came home very tired but very happy.
That was my last fair of the year, all my commissions that I had promised for Christmas have been made, framed, wrapped and dispatched with couriers and Royal Mail, I am now on my Christmas holidays!
I am looking forward very much to spending some time at home, larking around with Michael, Maurice and Big One and just 'pottering about' in general, of course I have oodles that I want to do, and crocheting hexagons and playing with fabric in my work room are just two of them!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy new year. xx

The final rearranging

2010-12-19T01:01:00.000-08:00

Boxes

2010-12-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

2010-12-05T00:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged for over a month, but I haven't stopped! I know I say that all the time, but it's always true, my little feet have hardly touched the ground. In the last couple of weeks I've been exhibiting at The Country living magazine Christmas Fair, The Brighton Craft Fair - MADE, A house sale in Bosham, Making Merry Open Studios and then this Saturday I'm at The Workshop Sale in Dulwich Lordship Lane! http://www.theworkshopsale.co.uk/ Busy, busy, busy, but I've loved it. (if you want to grab yourself a real bargain come along to the Dulwich Workshop Sale, it's full of end of lines, seconds, old work etc. a genuine affordable feast of delights )

Thank you for all your kind comments and stories, it is always very lovely to hear from you and I am delighted to learn that my work is enjoyed - a true pleasure and you are very welcome.

I love what I do, there are many different sides that make up the whole busy business of my work, some sides it has to be said are much more attractive than others, but you really can't have one without the other.
Some times I have to get away from my work, I can't always see where I'm going and I have to do something else to "rest" whilst new thoughts and directions can then come quite naturally. What I have had great pleasure in making in the evenings over the last week with Big One and Maurice taking it in turns to scorch themselves alive in front of the fire is a Curious Things Patchwork Kit. It was really easy to do and I loved it! our sofa now sports a new cushion made by me in a medium I have never dabbled in before.
Go to my curious things link and have a look at all the different patchwork patterns you can get.

Brooches

2010-11-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

2010-11-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am nearly packed up and nearly ready to go.
I leave for the Country Living Magazine Fair on Monday, I have two days to set up my booth and then the Fair opens on Wednesday. As always I am so excited about seeing all my hard work set up and ready for the fair to begin.
I have just finished making some little brooches using Machine Embroidery and then decorated with little glass beads around the edges, I haven't made anything like this for ages and it has been like revisiting old Friends. They really are like little jewels of delight. Owwh, I hope they enjoy themselves at the Fair and make new friends too.

A Fishy Snack

2010-11-06T06:47:00.001-07:00

2010-10-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the Great Northern Craft fair in Manchester, which was a very positive experience. My work was received very well, I met some wonderful people, had sales, commissions, ate at Carluccio's and I really enjoyed spending time with Sarah Tyssen and her beautiful work, what more could I ask for? My next event is The Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair which is held at The Business Design Centre in Islington London. November 10th - 14th www.countrylivingfair.com
Now I'm back to my studio and I can't stop making tiny pieces for tiny frames! My space which I share with Jill www.blobglass.co.uk is so cluttered with all our stuff spilling out everywhere in an organized untidy tidy manor that I wonder if psychologically feel so hemmed in and so therefore can only make small things in my small space, or maybe I should stop navel gazing and pull out that poor big Fox piece that I started weeks ago and just pull up my socks and carry on!

Beach Chase

2010-10-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

Shall I?

2010-10-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

New Fair and Old Friends

2010-10-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

I have neglected my blog terribly in the last few weeks, I truly don't mean to, but I just haven't been able to keep all the balls up in the air at once! Too much on all at the same time, and as I have fallen victim to some hum- dingers of migraine's, (I wouldn't wish them upon anyone) I am currently very reluctant to work at full pelt all the time. Something had to give and it was temporarily my blogging.
On Wednesday Sarah Tyssen www.sarahtyssen.co.uk and I drive together to Manchester to The Great Northern Craft Fair where we are both exhibiting our work. www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk at spinningfields, M3 3AQ It's a fair that neither of us have exhibited at before and we are looking forward to the experience very much. (note the royal we) So hence, all my time and energy has been put into making new pieces for the event, and I have just loved making all the new little pieces.
Some of them are unframed pieces, mounted onto pale cream card and some of them are also mounted onto card and then framed in a pale natural wood frame, and Oh my, am I pleased with them, thrilled in fact. As described by the lovely Michael "A little bit of joy in a frame"
I wonder what beautiful delights Sarah will have with her, ooh, I can't wait.

Happy Cat

2010-10-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

2010-10-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

I have spent the week with 220 other crafts people at Origin - the London Craft Fair in Spitalfields Market in East London, the show looked fantastic and I had a great week. I stayed with my friend Janet www.janetbolton.com and we spent the evenings talking textiles and everything to do with making textiles, fantastic! Now I am back in my studio sorting out and putting all the components to my exhibition booth back again (including the blue tack) and starting to sew again, which is just delightful.
It may be a little early to be making pieces about a Robin in the snow, but I couldn't help myself. The piece I started making about a Fox in the Snow, is a very big piece and I've put it on hold, hence the little Robin! My head is also full of all the autumn leaves that are falling from the big horse chestnut tree outside the studio, and I want to make some more autumn leave pieces too and wind swept beaches, ooh, how the changing seasons change my work.

2010-10-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

2010-09-15T00:07:00.000-07:00

I have found my way through the trees of panic and have come upon a peaceful glade.
All my work for Origin is made and in it's respective frames, waiting to be bubble wrapped. The unframed pieces are all mounted and cellophane wrapped, priced and waiting in a new cardboard box, my greetings cards are all shiny and new and are in their cardboard box also waiting alongside to be placed in my car on Wednesday when we drive to Spitlafeilds Market. All is in order and I feel calm.
I am very excited to see how all the pieces look when we hang them on Wednesday, in my head my booth is all worked out, but I know the hanging plan will change when I actually see the space. I must remember not to cram them all up.
Today I compile the massive list of all the things I need to remember to take with me to make my collection of work hang and my booth work, therefore lots of foraging around the studio and trying to remember where I put my blue tack! Where did I put my blue tack?

2010-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

2010-09-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

I am working on new pieces for Origin, at the moment it all seems up in the air with no order and I can't seem to find my way and make sense of it all. I think therefore I am in panic mode. There is so much to do and of course as always, so little time in which to do it all in.
I must just try to keep calm and carry on, and to add to all this - I am so excited to!

Origin Craft Fair 23rd - 29th September 2010 presented at Old Spitalfields Market London E1
http://www.originuk.org/

2010-09-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

I was so wonderfully looked after whilst I was on my visit to the embroiderers Guild of Market Harborough. We had a splendid day all stitching away to create machine embroiderers in various themes and sizes, and my, did the day just fly! but, I am very happy to say everyone involved used the day to its full potential and beautiful pictures, brooches and pieces were created and worn home!

2010-09-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

2010-09-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

My little quilt sample

2010-08-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

Guess where I have been?

2010-08-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

I have had just the most wonderful time at The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. It was my first ever visit, and I loved every moment of it. I went with my friend Rebecca Ball who herself is a very talented quilt maker and maker of the curious. curious things (see lovely links list) It was her who encouraged me to go. She is a very passionate maker, her work is just divine.
At the show, I loved it all. I loved the atmosphere, the buzz of excitement, makers quilts, the shops. Everything!
I saw so many people that I know, the cross over from embroidery to quilting can be such a fine stitch line, after all it's all still sewing, just in different ways.
It was a very fantastic positive experience. I enjoyed very much being a visitor and soaking it all up, with time to look, observe and react, and I am already looking forward to going next year, I think I would really like to be a student at one of the many workshops that run there. Just a taster for an hour or so.
It's something that I have never done-make a quilt, I have never had the confidence to make one, thinking of all the mathematical calculations that one has to do first, but as Rebecca pointed out "you can just make a strip quilt, it doesn't have to be by hand you can make it on your machine, with scraps of fabric" and I felt a light go on in my head and it all made perfect sense.
So here it is my first ever little quilt, as the professionals say "I have just pieced together the top"

2010-08-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

I have called the piece about a lady and her blackbird, "My blackbird friend" a simple, gentle piece, which I enjoyed making very much.
I so love the blackbirds song, wherever I am and whatever I am doing I never tire of hearing the beautiful tune.

There is now, just today I feel, an autumnal feel to the air. I'm not ready for August to stop and September to begin, a few weeks ahead yet I know, but I don't want the summer to end. I love being in sandals with bare legs and it being warm indoors and out.
I think knowing that the seasons are about to change has made me skip ahead a season or two and begin a piece which is quite big and about the snow, crisp and white with little splashes of bright colour and a fox in the background. There are two figures in the foreground and the lady has a rabbit in her pocket and I think I may put another little creature in her arms. I think I may also mull this piece over a bit, and dip in and out of it, taking my time with the making of it.

Barking Mad

2010-08-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

Our two weeks of children's summer workshops have finished.
The studios Light box in the garden was full of children all busy making, excited chatter would escape from the building every so often and then a crackle of silent concentration could be felt as tricky cutting, sticking and the final negotiating of stitching was achieved to create wonderful, individual and unique creations.
I made sock dogs with a group of very talented little stitchers.

My blackbird friend

2010-08-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

Sock Dogs

2010-08-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

Beginings and Endings

2010-08-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your kind wishes about Maurice. I am very pleased to say he has settled back into his home very well, his gashes are healing and he is putting on weight.
Big One has finally come around to the homecoming lad and has stopped his hissing, spitting and growling. Poor Big One, sharing is very hard.
I have finished two commission pieces and am currently awaiting my framer, who is awaiting his supplier. I can't wait to see the pieces in their respective frames. Looking clean and crisp and new. All ready to send to the clients who have commissioned them and have been very patient in waiting for their pieces - very exciting.
It is a funny feeling when pieces have been made. Once the work is in its frame it becomes whole and complete and I can detach myself from it. (to a certain extent) They have then become themselves I can can let the work go.

My first piece for Origin 23rd - 20th September which is being held at Old Spitalfields Market London E1 has been made, I have called it "An Afternoon Away".
The first piece of a new collection for a show is I think, the hardest to be made, the first step.
I haven't made a piece about a girl lying on a blanket for ages.
I now want to make a piece about a girl and a blackbird, I've been mulling this theme over for a few months now, like I did with the girl on her blanket. With each new piece the same feelings come over me, every time, excitement and nervousness and hoping and hoping that the piece will work and eventually become its own.

An Afternoon Away

2010-08-04T11:57:00.000-07:00