Looking Forward

No 'proper' post yesterday as I was traveling back home from Bath. I did make some lovely jewellery pieces last week but creative work mostly came second to getting ready for the weekend and seeing family.

I am though, looking forward to next Friday's lecture 'The Amish People: Their Way of Life, History and Quilts' by Jan Jefferson. These quilts are still a great inspiration to quilters today for their strong use of solid colour and simplicity of design. These are surely 'Modern Quilts'?

Textiles In Focus 2016

I always look forward to this weekend in February as the Textiles In Focus Exhibition takes place. This year it has moved away from Cottenham Village College to Cambourne Village College. Luckily the organiser had the roads well signposted as my newish Sat Nav wanted to take me to the middle of a ploughed field.  This exhibition is not huge but, for me, heralds the start of the new 'sewing season'. Ideas are formed, materials purchased, friends caught up with. 

I rarely attend any of the workshops but always have a good look around the exhibition and trade stands. I must admit that I felt the event lacked something in 'atmosphere'. There were not many visitors when I was there and therefore none of the usual 'buzz'. I searched out my friend Agnes Asselin from Cambridge Open Studios. Agnes creates wonderful pictures using African fabric.

Here is Agnes on her stall. 

And a close up shot of some of her framed pictures. Agnes also makes cards, and sells jewellery, either ready made up or in kit form.  

To find out more:Link to Agnes' page at Cambridge Open Studios

I also bumped into Jenny Langley. Jenny is a local textiles artists who champions using recycled materials. http://www.arttextiles.co.uk/

I have known Jenny for many years. She has many interests including machine embroidery, printing and her famous storytelling mats. It's well worth looking at her website for more information. This picture shows her amidst her canopy of textile art connected with her work with Sense. I couldn't begin to write everything about Jenny but do go to her website. 

Next, I found Annette Morgan....

 Annette was busy demonstrating with Mary Mackintosh. Annette is very well know in the UK and it's thanks to her that I first got involved in indigo dyeing, which led in turn to patchwork and quilting. Annette is an art quilter and often uses print as a basis of her designs. 

http://www.annettemorgan.co.uk/

After shopping around I finally found what I was looking for. I have in mind to make felted and embellished notebook covers in time for my July Open Studios. Although there are five months before the event, one can never get organised too early! 

I almost forgot to say that I was the guest speaker at Cambridge Quilters, Grantchester Village Hall, on Friday morning. The talk was entitled 'Passionate About Textiles'. I reflected on why I gave this as the title and decided it is simply because I am compelled/obsessed with textiles. Moreover, textiles is not only my hobby bit had been the basis of my entire career. I brought along some Ukrainian textiles as well as various embroideries, weaving and even macrame. My early forays into patchwork and quilting are somewhat embarrassing in hindsight but pleasing to see how much I have improved over time.  I was very pleased with all the positive feedback and a few ladies asked me if I might do a workshop based on my fibonacci quilt series.   I can't wait. 

Latest creation: pearl necklace

Inspired by restring the pearls for Mary, I thought I would make a new necklace.  I bought the pearls ages ago from Hong Kong thanks to another friend who often travels there. I have strung them with a Swarovski Elements clasp.  They are high quality pearls of about 8mm with a lovely creamy sheen. They are for sale for £80. Ideal for self-gifting.

Also available in electric blue with a sterling silver toggle clasp.

Finally, here are a pair of button studs I made this week, delicate pink in colour, as a personal gift from my friend Paula.

Making pearls more lovely

My friend Mary mentioned she had some pearls she was particularly fond of. A purchase from Saffron Walden market the string had broken. Could I re string them? Of course I could. Keen to practise my rekindled ability to knot pearls, I set to this task.

 Step one: Start with three pearls and work towards the clasp and return knotting as you go.

Step two: Create the knot and slide it into place. Tricky!

Step three: get all the pearls on the silk cord and knot as you go.

Step four: don't knot the final three pearls, attach the final spacer beads and loop then work back through the three pearls, knotting as you go.

Voila, the pearls are finished ready to wear!  You might ask why bother to knot pearls? The main reason is that knotted pearls simply drape much better than threaded straight on some silk thread. Also, the silk is protected by a fine wire near the clasp and it is less likely to wear. If by any chance the thread breaks, you don't have the pearls all over the place and possibly lose some.  These are freshwater pearls. They are cultivated in mussels and are quite affordable. Sometimes dyed different colours or left in their natural creamy white state, pearls seem to glow on the neckline and are really pretty. 

January 2016 reflections

If there are any followers/readers out there, well I must apologise for the serious lack of posts. It's been a busy post Christmas month. What with the dreaded Tax form, completed on time, phew! I have been fully occupied in the 'day' job of helping run Cambridge Open Studios.  465 members on the 'books' for 2016 and around 288 studios set to be in the summer guide.  The deadline to pay the fee to be in the guide was midnight on the 31st January so I hope I can relax a bit from this work. Only the AGM to get through on the 6th.! 

So, it has been a month of catching up and reflecting on the year that has just gone. I always spend some time writing letters to any friends who added a letter in their Christmas card to me.  On looking back to 2015 I saw just how busy I was. Five exhibitions including jewellery, various voluntary jobs, family, life and hobbies.  I did a tally, and I somehow managed to read 46 novels during the year-not a bad feat I think. I discovered the historical novels of C.J. Sansom set in Tudor times-loved everyone even though some ran to 800 pages. 

The photo I've included was one I found on Twitter posted by Jo Riches of Spirus Marketing. Jo kindly visited my studio last July and I accidently found the photo on Twitter. I really mean "accidently" found as I have come to think that Twitter is pointless as it is like finding a tiny needle in a trillion haystacks. 

After some thought I have decided to give a few things up and declutter my life.  Handed in my notice to the gym (no time to go and have taken up walking instead), decided not to go to the Thursday lacemaking group and stopped delivering newspapers for a (nameless) political party - not sure how I got into that!  There are a couple of other things I may give up later on, I'll see. 

You might ask, what about the creative work then Marion?  I attended Cambridge Quilters the other week and did a piece for the Chairman's Challenge for 2016. More of this later on. Did I mention I'm working with another member to re do their website?  I've also been working hard in preparing some samples ready for a Christmas table runner workshop in the autumn.  I do like to be organised ! I've also been perfecting how to restring pearls and made a few necklaces in preparation for July Open Studios. 

 Christmas table runner using fabric designed by my friend Jo Clark.