Friday 29th January

 Was sat watching TV last night when I suddenly realised  it was Thursday and I hadn't done the blog, so here it is one day late.

Another week with two wet days and not being able to get out much, which makes me resort to making ginger biscuits and I then have to eat them. It was lovely to go to the Farmer's Market this morning and meet two couples to talk to, all of whom have had the call for their vaccination. Who would have thought that a phone call from the doctor's surgery could get you so excited.

I haven't had any photographs this week so you will have to put up with mine.  I am doing a short series of workshops with Mary Sleigh on colour and this is my piece using a primary and a complimentary colour.

The fabric is a lovely purple colour but I couldn't get the camera to photograph it right.

This next piece is something I am working on for my African stitch book. Unfortunately I have found that my eyes start to sting after working on it for a while.  I think this may be because it has been dyed with Kola nut dye and I may be allergic to it.  I am not giving up after having got all the threads pulled out, so I will be doing the stitching a bit at a time.

My daughter bought a lovely little make up bag in China when we went there a few years ago.  Unfortunately the lining started to disintegrate but she didn't want to just throw it away, so she asked me if I could make something like an artists trading card with it.  I removed the central panel, put two layers of pelmet vilene in the middle, folded it over and then stitched round the outside. I added the tassel that was attached to the zip and so now she has something to keep to remind her of our trip.

That's all for this week.

Thursday 21st January

 What dreadful weather!  Have been stuck in for more than 2 days now and already I am getting fed up with it, I just need some fresh air.  I have been busy and made some marmalade - ten jars of it! It tastes lovely and seems to have set ok.  Have just about completed an online workshop with Mary Sleigh on Colour.  That is keeping me busy too.  The second workshop has just come through so I will be starting that soon.  A few more of you have been busy too.

Christina has done this lovely piece based on the techniques we learned a few years ago with Kathleen Laurel Sage.

Lis found this kit among her stash that was designed by Anna Francis and it has worked up really well.  She has called it the Madagascan Red House.

This is a piece of bark cloth which I have printed and stitched in the style used by the tribal peoples of Uganda. This will be a page in my African stitch book.

Lesley has done this road map of her street.  The background fabric was painted with a roller and the road and trees are painted bondaweb and gauze. Maps work well in embroidery, I have a friend who is working on a piece from her daily walk with all the trees and shrubs.

Keep the work coming, I and everyone else love to see it all.

Thursday 14th January

 Almost half way through January already.  I haven't been into Scarborough for some weeks now except as far as Sainsbury's so I don't know how busy it is but the number of Covid cases seems to be going down.

I am doing a re-run of kitchin cupboard cleaning and other household jobs to keep busy and keep warm.  I have been out walking when the weather is fine, don't believe in setting off in the rain but don't mind too much if I get caught in it.

Many of you are working away at your sewing and this is a picture of the piece Cath has been doing.

This was the piece of felt Cath got from Barbara's stash and the suffolk puffs are made from fabric she purchased from Barbara in a 'bit bag' sale.

I have now got two pages of my Africa stitch book done, just stitching them together.

Top picture is the cover and a double page showing Hausa styles from Norther Nigeria and the cut pile of the Shoowa tribe from the Congo.

The lower picture shows the inside of the book cover and the page of applique and reverse applique used by the Ngeende tribe also from the Congo.

Keep the pictures coming ladies, everyone loves to see what you have been doing.

Thursday 7th January

 Happy New Year to everyone even though it hasn't got off to a very good start with the new lockdown.  I have started on a new round of cupboard cleaning and tidying up along with finishing a jigsaw that was started over the Christmas holidays.  I had a significant birthday at New Year and my sister bought me a fitbit so I am going over all the walks I have been doing to see how many steps they are and if my guess at the mileage was correct.  I am pleased to say that so far I did guess correctly but I still don't seem to be burning off more calories than I am eating. Fortunately the Christmas cheese, cake and chocolates are just about finished or put away until Easter so that should help.

Some of you have been busy sewing and sent me some lovely pictures.  Diane sent these of the lovely Christmas presents she made for her grand children.

This teddy was for her grandson and the quilts for her two granddaughters. 

Lesley sent this lovely photograph of the sea

and this is her interpretation of it using the new weaving loom she got for Christmas.

Roma finished off this lovely robin, not in time for this Christmas but ready for the next.

 

Lindsay and I had a painting session using some paints she bought me last Christmas.  I hadn't used them until recently when I decided to have a proper look at them and found out that they have to be used on a hard surface. A friend gave me some tiles, I bought another pack of paints in the range and we made these coasters. The paints are Pebeo moon, vitriol, prism and ceramic.  You pore them onto the tile and move them around and they sort of push each other away rather than blend.  They are very interesting to work with.