Sari Silk

When you buy a bag or two of sari silk strips do you spend a whole day ironing them flat like I do???  Yes it has taken all day so far and I am not even half way through!

I know its been raining but look at my Clematis - this one Montana - isn't it lovely?

Another dress and the Brockenhurt Fiesta

So I was asked to make another of my cross over, reversible dresses - this time a fairy pattern for a four year old - so here it is, with matching pants....

 This morning I went to the Brockenhurst Fiesta  (See here) - it is a great experience - lovely exhibitor and great traders.  I go every year and don't usually buy anything but this year I could not resist the Clearance items from Simply Sequins/French Knot Studios - I came home with all this lot for just £24.50!!!

The sari silk was just £8 for this huge pile as many of the bags were buy one get one free and the bottom right is three skeins for £3!!!!

I got a bag of elastic - looks like there is a lot there, and three bags of various lace edgings each between 8 and 10 metres, two tubes of buttons (they were just £3 per tube so much better value than the 30p for each button!!) a small bag of mixed buttons and a pack of mixed fabrics - there are nine pieces - I think most of them are cotton fat quarters. 

A birthday present

I showed my Three Kings - Zentangle piece to some of my work colleagues - those who understand the odd creative textile things I do.  One said I should do other pieces - not seasonal.  She likes Poppies and her birthday is on Tuesday so today I have created this....



It is A5 in size and I a stretching it to a small canvas - hope she likes it.





Oh -  and this is the rainbow over my house on Friday..... sorry its at an odd angle but I was leaning out of the window ad if you look carefully you can see it is actually double - from the bottom right corner of the photo is the second layer

Beginning to feel better and Three Kings Update

So at long last I am beginning to feel better - am learning to breath through the stomach pain rather than taking meds and have adjusted the food I eat, therefore I think I am getting there.  Some days I wake up feeling horrid but there are the occasional days, like today, when I wake up feeling OK. On days like today I actually feel like being creative so moving on here is an update on the Three Kings - the first one is well in progress - free machine stitching is so relaxing and absorbing - like doing the zentangles I love so much.....

Today I also started planning and working on Three Kings 2 - it is much larger - as you can see from my trainers and the pen.  So far I have traced out the design onto Bondaweb and have a lovely stack of silk fabric - I was given this heap by a friend emptying her studio and the pieces have been sitting in my workroom for years waiting for just such a project.  I think it will just be bonded applique but am not sure what will happen next - How I will stitch it - Any suggestions would be welcomed.




Update:  Fabric pieces cut out...

Starting Yet Another Project

Whilst today is a good stomach day (fingers crossed it lasts) I have actually decided on yet another new project!!  This year I received some more rather lovely Christmas cards of The Three Wise Men  - I now have quite a collection - so -  I think they need to be translated - don't you ?!! -

OK so January is a bit of an odd time of year to start work on a Christmas Theme but at least I am 'doing' something!!

Catch up, Mad Hatter, Alice, Creative Morning and Scrapstore Haul

So it's about time for a proper catch up - what has been going on here?  Well I have been busy. This post is a bit photo heavy and is not necessarily in the correct order :-)
This morning a friend was meant to visit but as she was unable to come I spent a happy couple of hours making bread (not in the machine as that is broken, but by hand).  Here are the results from the right: two small rye loaves with caraway seed, cheese and chive soda bread.  Front left is the best loaf - multi grain and behind it is also multi grain but with olives and it sank a little!  However, they all taste lovely.

Last Saturday I gave a talk about the Mid Summer Night's Dream Fairy costumes to the Spinners, Weavers and Dyers Guild, Wiltshire branch - the fairies enjoyed their outing....

Then on Monday I went off to Kingcombe, to spend three great days with my textile friends. My daughter calls it 'Going to your made up Harry Potter place' - becuause of the name of the village we go through... Toller Pocorum - it is real, and although I have never read or seen any Harry Potter I do think it is a magical place :-)

 

Whilst there I visited the chickens (who are very friendly) and watched this magnificent pheasant, so close to the door.

I did a lot of creative work and have nearly finished the Mad Hatter's jacket - and continued work on Alice's skirt......

Today after lunch I fancied a trip out to the local Scrap store to see if they had anything new in.  This is my very wonderful haul..... - the lady only asked for a donation of just £8 !!! I have used my phone to give you an indication of the size of the fabric sample books.  They are Anna French fabrics - which are either obsolete or the shop selling them has closed and given the books to the scrap store. 

The designs are just lovely - here are are few examples....

I also picked up a whole heap of small samples from the scrap bins and a couple of small sample books

 and found the cutest tassel samples - so had to have a handful of those  -

 there were threads too

and a lovely, small book of wallpaper samples which are really pretty...

This is how the bag covered my dining room table - loads to sort out.

I feel some patchwork Kindle or IPad covers are itching to be created.  Having said that though - the large Anna French pieces would make lovely quilted wall hangings - lots of stitching and some wadding etc - Must get on with some ideas, - No - I must get back to the Mad Hatter and Alice first :-)