Renewed Enthusiasm

Feeling low as I have been recently - it was a lovely surprise to receive this ATC from Claire from the Unlimited Textiles group swap. It is so delicate. Thanks. I think today I have renewed my enthusiasm for textile art!! In order to cheer myself up my daughter suggested I went out for the day. So I drove for just over two hours to Birmingham. Why? To go to the rag market - I used to go when I lived in Bourton on the Water . It does seem a bit odd for non textile artists to understand that it is good to drive so far just to buy £14.50 worth of fabric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today I found these lovely bargains. I needed Calico so was delighted when I found some that was three meters wide for £3.50 a metre. I only needed to buy one metre (on the right of this photo). Then I came across a stall selling crystal organza (twinkle nylon) for £1 a metre!! I purchased the one on the left of this pic - which as you can see is 'shot' pink and rusty gold. Also these two colours with a metallic surface - difficult to take pics of as the flash reflects. One is a shot bright green/gold and the other is shot peach and gold. Then I just had to buy some of each of these.... Two shot golds (one old gold and bronze) and the purple and red (seen in the middle). The chap also suggested that I could have one metre of this rather awful black and gold net - we had a chat about embroidery and burning at the time - so he understood that it would look good once I had attacked it. The best bargain - also £1 a meter - was this stuff........ I think it is like a very fine Lutradur - the chap had no idea what it is but said it is like a fine vilene. In four colours, purple (the pic looks blue but it is a deep purple), burgundy, black and cream. It is really gossamer fine and difficult for him to cut accurately. His first attempt at a metre of the purple was crooked so he cut 1.5 metres to make up for it and then threw in the crooked piece as a gift as I had travelled so far!!! What a gem of a person! I am not sure what I will use this 'stuff' for but I just could not resist!!!! In order to complete what was an enjoyable shopping session I decided to drive home via Redditch. The reason for the detour was to go and see the Charles Henry Foyle 07 Competition - Out of the Blue - Winners Exhibition. I was given permission by the ladies in charge to take photos - as they know me from many visits to the courses they used to do. I only took pics for my own interest and those below are finalists and in the catalogue. Very well done to all who took part (Especially Karin and Di!!)Karin Millson's piece Alvin and the Worms is this years winner and I am proud to say that Karin is a very talented friend of mine!! Here are two pics of the piece..... I also know Di Goodison whose jacket looked so cosy!
Below are other pieces in the exhibition. All of which were absolutely stunning.