Velvet Magazine - June Edition features me.

With July Cambridge Open Studios cancelled, we decided to hold an alternative event  instead. More on this another time. Publicity got underway for what we called  ‘Open Windows’ 2020 and Velvet Magazine were very keen to offer Cambridge Open Studios at least one article in their publication.  You can imagine how pleased I was to be one of the artists they chose to feature in June. Mine is the kaleidoscope piece. I made two versions of this design and both are for sale. I also have printed cards available. 

Friend Agnes Asselin relaunches her website & is raising money for Ugandan children

I once had the good fortune to spend two glorious weeks in Brazzaville, Congo. My friends will already know how much I love African fabric. My husband was born and brought up in Khartoum in Sudan, so the affinity with the African continent is long indeed.

A few years ago I met a lovely lady on Cambridge market who created amazing pictures using colourful African fabrics.  The pictures are very unusual, individual pieces of carefully chosen fabrics are inserted into a special foam base giving the images a 3D effect. Often there are pieces of jewellery included.

Agnes Asselin joined Cambridge Open Studios, and became more widely known; we even once exhibited together one Christmas. For my husband’s 70th birthday in 2018, I commissioned Agnes to create a map of Africa. We still love everything about it.

For various reasons, Agnes decided to leave Cambridge to move to London. She gave up the ‘day job’ hoping to make a living  from her art.  In normal times you can find her on Greenwich  market.

I just had to take the opportunity to promote Agnes’ new website www.agnescreations.co.uk   Like me, Agnes feels close to Africa so to mark her new website she is raising money to support a charity for children in Uganda. Please go to www.uphilltrust.org to find out more about their work.

Visit https://agnescreations.co.uk/charity-event/ where Agnes has listed pieces of her artwork and fabulous jewellery with a 50% donation to the Uphill Trust. You can also find Agnes' work on Etsy (AfricAgnes)

Images of African ladies, butterflies, cats and more.

Making Something New From Old, again

Last February or so I was approached to make a special gift by a local music teacher. Could I use the fabric to make a single bedspread?  I soon realised that there was not enough fabric to do this. ideas were exchanged by email, and we finally agreed on a cushion using as many fabrics as possible.

The little girl’s baby dresses were in very good condition but working with knitted jersey is not ideal for a  patchworker.  I stabilised the fabrics and cut out 5” squares to assemble together.  I arranged the blocks with light grey fabric in between which is known as ‘sashing’.  Luckily I bought the fabric and wadding about one hour before the shop closed for lockdown.

Here is the cushion laid flat and below is a slight better view, side on. I decided to quilt with a pebble design in the grey sashing which made to dress fabric more prominent. 

Finally, the cushion in its final home. 

Hopefully the item can be used for cuddling from now until the young lady leaves for university. 

At the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, I didn’t feel much inclined to do anything creative but the cushion certainly got my creativity going. So, I had fabric left over....had just enough to make a doll’s bedspread.  Here it is being tried out for size....

The cushion was meant to be a gift for a baptism in April and I hope it will take place very soon.