Yearly visitors

The robins are nesting outside the kitchen window again but my decent camera is acting up so this is a photo of one of last years parents.

Textile Heritage - on a beer bottle

We shop late on Friday nights when the supermarket is quiet. Last night I found this bottle of beer amongst the packets and tins when I unpacked the bags. Ian had picked it up out of curiosity, opened it and pronounced it good then drew my attention to the label details.
The beer is called Flying Shuttle and the info in the back label states:
This premium ale was brewed as a tribute to the Lancashire Cotton industry. The invention of the" Flying Shuttle" enabled workers to weave faster and transformed textile making into an industry.

Take it further challenge (April)

Still playing with changing size and technique, this time doing a little stash busting by making a rag rug style wall hanging 15x11 inch. As usual my camera refuses to capture reds accurately but you get the general idea.
Hooked rug method: hessian, assorted dyed fabrics including net.

Ruddington Frame Knitters Museum

This post was prompted by a post by Elke Boesewinkel

Until last summer I was working in a village called Ruddington just outside Nottingham. One Saturday I took a walk round the village my camera and the next few posts will be photos from my trip as I am laid up with a virus at the moment and not really able to do much other than cough quite spectacularly.


The main attraction in the village is the Ruddington Frameknitters Museum (more photos later) which also houses a collection of circular sock knitting machines which you can try for yourself.

Ruddington Frame Knitters Museum, workers cottage

You are also able to visit the workers cottage

Take it further challenge (April)

stash busting nicely :)

Take it further challenge (April)

Next project for Wednesday night stitched up meeting, computer design and copied using makeshift light box ( window)

Take it further challenge (April)

print and paint

Take it further challenge (April)

still playing with change using the same motif, I went to Stitched up last night and stitched the wholecloth version. The idea is to dye it but at the moment I quite like it as it is.


Anyway, I'm going to grab a cup of tea as both Patchwork and Quilting and Quilting Arts magazines came through the door this morning.

Take it further challenge (April)

atc size waiting for stitch

if you elongate the image it reminds me of a fuchsia

Take it further challenge (April)

not a lot of time tonight but managed to make two new stamps and try one out on Angelina fibres.. interesting....

Take it further challenge (April)

Next game was to make a stamp from the image and try it on some dyed cotton..oops forgot to mirror the image.....never mind:)





The shadow in the corner is the camera as I didn't want to use the flash as it tends to drain all the colour. May add some rubbings of the stamp once the paint has dried.

Take it further challenge (April)

Slowly starting to develop Positive/Negative/Change themes.

design marked out ready to hand quilt on Wednesday night

Next stage will probably be looking at stamps and paint.

Take it further challenge (April)

I have made the choice of using Negative/Positive change as a starting point and at the moment intend to explore changes is texture/size/colour whilst using the same motif. I'm not really looking to make an item or even a finished piece of work as such, more a case of setting time aside this month to play.

doodles made whilst waiting for April challenge to be announced

decided to start with this little design

Painted in so I can play with positive/negative images

first sample started, black satin?fabric from stash being fused onto white cotton sheeting background.

The Pink Artist Doll

Do you remember the squares stitched for the Pink Artist Project? Well, here is the finished doll

Her name is "Love Squared."

She wears 180 two inch art squares.
182 artists total created her.

She is just under 40" tall

and weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces.

She smiles because already she knows love
and is able to give love unconditionally.

To many, she is a symbol of hope.

She stands for COURAGE and was built

by a community of givers.

Please drop by Girl Gone Thread Wild to view the process of making and finishing the doll to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research as I think she is absolutely fantastic.

These are my two stitched squares for the project