4S piece

Here is a picture of the piece we started on Monday at 4S.
First of all we ironed a transfer onto lutrador, then painted it with watercolours (from a child's paintbox). When I got home I stitched round the outlines with black thread. This evening I have been filling in the coloured parts with stitch, ordinary free motion embroidery and cable stitch. I'm really quite chuffed with it, no idea what to do with it now, or how to finish it off!!

We also had a kit given to us, with a photo printed on calico, and lots of pieces of lutrador to colour, which I have done, in preparation for stitching and burning with a soldering iron next Monday. Pics to follow, next week...

Weekend away in October

Had a lovely weekend away, went to sunny Bromsgrove, the well-known must go to holiday destination this year (not). Still, the Travelodge was fairly new, therefore quite clean and with new decor, Kidderminster had good shops, more than I expected as well, and we went to a craft centre on Sunday before coming home. We also went to Hanbury Hall, completely forgetting we had been there once before...

We had the guided tour this time, don't think we did before, therefore getting all the goss on the previous occupants, ooh they were naughty.

Then sunday lunch in a pub somewhere on the way home, which was delicious, pity I can't remember the pubs name, nor where it was!
We also went to the Severn Railway Steam Museum, and Bill went to an Aircraft museum.

Quilters Guild Regional Day

Had a lovely day out at the Quilters Guild Regional Day, at Gt Blakenham. We had two very good speakers, Gail Lawther in the morning, showing her lovely New Zealand quilts, have seen these at lease twice before, (also have the book) but still a treat, and Sheila Cetti in the afternoon. Both ladies gave humorous talks, which is always nice. Took Carol, I think she enjoyed it. Ended up shopping in Stowmarket, at last got the trousers I have been trying to get for several months, in fact bought two pairs!

Ally Pally

Had a really lovely day out yesterday at Ally Pally. Took two other ladies, one a first-timer and they both enjoyed themselves also. Bought lots of lovely threads, a Rowandean kit, some fabric, some felt, necklace findings, knitting wool for Alice snr for Christmas, but not the Anchor threads I was particularly looking for! Still, ordered them online last night, Paypal up and running beautifully. The weather was the warmest ever for that weekend, maybe I will start to believe in 'Global Warming'. My new route worked a treat, didn't get lost once! Saw several people I knew, so was doing quite a bit of chatting...
No photos - lots of signs up saying 'No Photography' which seems a shame, but never mind.
Particularly liked the Small Chat and Wessex Embroiderers' Exhibitions, lots of inspiration there. Was it my imagination but did it seem more crowded than last year? Hope so, it would be a shame to lose these shows.

Harvey's first drink from a cup

Alice, Harvey and I have had a lovely day out. I'm now totally exhausted, and my back aches from pushing an extremely heavy and weighed down buggy. We had afternoon tea in Costa and Harvey was thirsty, but Alice hadn't packed a sipper cup, so she gave him some milk from a paper cup - most of it ended up down his face and cover cloth!!

He was a very good boy all day, he obviously likes shopping - at the moment anyway!

Maldon and Braintree Exhibitions

Bill and I have had a lovely day out, we first of all went to Maldon, what a lovely little town. The weather was good this morning so we went for a stroll in a park, had an ice cream and wandered down to the river to see the old Thames sailing barges, by 'eck the mud is deep there!! I wouldn't fancy falling into that...
We then went to a lovely textile art exhibition staged by Fen Edge Textile group - here are photos of some of the best:

After lunch we went on to Braintree Museum where there was another textile exhibition, this one was by EAST. Here are some of my favourites:

The last two in particular were very interesting, I had seen them before they were finished, the lady who had made them, Margaret Talbot, had given us a wonderful talk at Material Girls last year, I think, and she had brought lots of her work with her, and these two were WIP's.

'nother finished project

Here is a piccy of the landscape started at Material Girls last week, it has turned out well.

I have also been working on the stumpwork brooch, the beads arrived at last! Must get round to opening my own Paypal account. Alice says it's easy! Have got stuck again, the lady who was helping me is on holiday for another week, and she has the making up instructions!

Have also been painting some more of the Lutrador and Lace project.

I'm hoping to go to the Fen Edge exhibition, at Maldon, tomorrow, looking forward to that. Bill is coming with me.

Have been getting my shopping list ready for Ally Pally, that seems to have come round quick. Perhaps because I didn't get to FOC at Birmingham this year.