ALAW - N-R - Place

Places around the British Isles.
Apologies for the photos. I am finding the coating on the map pages make it difficult for my camera to focus.

N-Newbury

O-Oxford

P-Porthmadog

in Wales

Q-Queen's Bower

I could find very few Q places in the British Isles and those were little villages. Which surprised me.

Quite interesting to find that to be the case in a place where 2 Queens have reigned over 120 years between them in the last 177 years!

(I muddled up the attempt to give the place name a green box like the other letters have. But it isn't so bad if you aren't doing a close up photo!)

R-Reading

Ramshackled Houses

Another one of the nearly finished items completed last week was another in the Ramshackle series.

Ramshackled Houses

This is 12inx12in and will be sent off as a donation for the SAQA online auction later in the year.

I will just post the finished image for now. Nearer the time, the SAQA Europe and Middle East Region is going to have a sort of blog hop where you can go around and see the pieces sent in by members of our region and find a little more about the work.

However, if you want to see a large number of small pieces which were sent by members around the world for the SAQA 25th Anniversary Trunk show, you can go here.

You may recall that this is the piece I sent. you can read the story behind it on this post. It is in the collection on the SAQA site on Page A. Links to the different collections are below the text.

They had enough work sent in to do 8 collections of around 50 pieces which will travel to various regions. I understand that one of the Trunk collections will be coming to our region. I hope to get to see them somewhere.

March Journal Quilt - United Britain?

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I had started the March Journal Quilt. It was all hand stitching, so it was still in progress when I did the April Journal Quilt.

Well, in my bout of finishing last week, I stitched for a whole day and got the rest finished. Each of the coloured sections has a different type of stitch to fill in the shape...like chain stitch, running stitch, couched thread and so on.

Then I layered and quilted it on the machine. (Thank the Lord for Sewing Machines!) A bit of steam and pressing, along with the machine stitch through the flag layers and the wadding and backing helped to get the flag to have less pucker, but it still has that hand-stitched charm.
Well, that is what I am calling it.

and then I bound it. So, that is done and they both will have been uploaded to the group site and the pressure will be off for a bit.

I will try to do May in May, I promise. Emphasis on try. But the deadline for the next four is the end of August. So, a bit of postponing will be permitted if need be for the time being.

Oh yes! Story!
So, as you can see it is a squared version of the Union Jack/British flag.
As you may, or may not know, the Union Jack is a combination of the Cross of St George for England. The Cross of St Patrick for Northern Ireland. And the Cross of St. Andrew for Scotland.

In light of the fact there is a lot of talk (and perhaps action to follow?)of Scotland becoming independent, what will happen with the Union Jack? Okay, it has only been around since near the beginning of the 1800's, but still. So, the blue stitching on some of the triangles wasn't as solid visually as some of the rest of the stitching, so it is sort of a commentary on the idea that the blue (from the St. Andrew flag) fading away. (I made that commentary bit up because I didn't want to fill it all in... or something!)

Furthermore, one thing that has always bothered me is that Wales is not represented on the British Flag. So, I had a look to see if St. David had a flag. And he does. And since I was running out of that red embroidery thread wasn't sure what stitch to use for the red in the middle, I decided to give Wales and St David their moment of glory.

I hope a Certain Young Man who will ultimately receive this will get the story part.

"And the Bead Goes On and on..." 20-26 April

2014 - Week 17 Daily Beads

no.110


no.111


no.112


no.113


no.114


no.115


no.116

Head down and getting to work

This week I began to feel like all the things I have committed to were getting out of control. Partially because of all the extra adventures and running around and then the Easter Holidays.
So, I just got my head down and worked. I knew there were several things 'nearly done' but because they weren't completely done, they were still on the List. If I could cross off one or two of them, I could get perspective again. So apologies for abandoning you.

One thing I needed to do before the worry of it began to overwhelm was to actually get a start on the Garment for Fashion Sans Frontieres (FSF). Not sure if I mentioned, but when I was at the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show, I spoke to the organiser of FSF and found out I was supposed to have already been invited to participate! I had thought perhaps they didn't want the same ones 2 years running. So, getting the right idea and getting a start had to be quite close together. Normally the bit about getting the right idea is a lengthy time which also involves working out construction ideas and possible issues before I begin.

So, anyway, the Pattern Review forum is having a contest about embellishing a tank top or 'shell'/ basic sleeveless bodice. I thought I could use that stimulus for motivation for the FSF garment. If I have a basic bodice already embellished, I would have got a start and the rest would begin to come together.

So, I pulled out some fabrics and ideas, spent a day drafting and cutting out and now the pressure of starting has eased.

Then I got my head down and finished some of the 'nearly done' things which I will show you over a few days while I get back to concentrating on the bodice. The Challenge contest runs to the end of April. I think I will have done enough for the contest by then, and can carry on further if it needs it when it comes to the rest of the Garment.

Or that's the theory.

Oh, and this will be worn by a model. So, that pressure on me won't be added. This year they have asked for details by the end of June. Which is wise of them so they can plan the Fashion show and so we won't be working to the last days before the show.

"And the Bead Goes On and on..." 13-19 April

2014 - Week 16 Daily Beads

no.103


no.104


no.105


no.106


no.107


no.108


no.109

more in East Yorkshire

While we were on holiday we stopped in one of the little towns near the sea*. Someplace my husband's mother had been and was asking about. So, I sat in the car (having used up all the energy on the beach) while my husband and the dog checked it out for her. Apparently something they remember existing at some point in the past is no longer there. So, reporting and discussion ensued.

Ahead of me was one of the beacons.

I love the history and cleverness of having a basket shape on a pole so warnings could be passed quickly from one place to the other. Especially as in this case for coastal defence.

I love the shape, too. Perhaps I will print one of these out to blue tac to one of the cupboards in my studio until it finds its way into another work.

 

Also whilst out and about, there were sightings of several mysterious cream phone boxes.

This one was in Beverley.

My husband says the red ones are owned by BT (British Telecom). In this area they are owned by the Kingston Communication area from its base in Hull and this is England's only independent telephone service.

You may recall I posted photos of yellow phone boxes on Guernsey when we had gone there for our 25th wedding anniversary.

This gadget was also sighted in Beverley.

I think I may have seen one of these before, but I really haven't a clue what it is. Any ideas?


******************

*I am sorry I have forgotten the name of the town. One of the hardest things to cope with for this fibromyalgia is that when you have used up your energy, you generally have a terribly muddled memory. I hate it, but if people are willing to wait for me to rummage round in my head for the word - it is in there, just takes a while to find it. But in cases like this, I am not willing to use up more energy to try to find it. This week energy is needed for other things.
Yes I could look on the map, but oh well, it was a little town by the sea. No big deal.
Perhaps the best plan would just be to go to bed now, wouldn't it? And so I shall.

April Journal Quilt - QE II

March's journal quilt is being hand stitched in front of cooking shows in the evening...nearly done.

But here is April's Journal quilt. I am still doing pieces with a British theme. Eventually they will go to my son where ever he decides to settle.

So for this I took photos of a stamp and a £5 note. Then enlarged the image, printed it out and traced it onto fabric using the light box.

The next step was to sketch in the shading and so on with a pencil on the fabric. And then sketch further with thread on the machine.

I chose a few built in patterns on my machine to add elements to the quilt which made reference to the money.

She looks a bit older than on the £5 note. It was a bit difficult to do the shading without it looking like a 5 o'clock shadow! On the money, there is crosshatching in an arc across the whole face, but I didn't want to do that.

But my husband says it looks like her...which is what counts if it will eventually be hung on a wall somewhere.

a bit of fun at the seaside

Whilst I am working on a couple things...

more seaside photos to give you a smile.

Digging for crab legs.

'Yum! If you follow this scent, you discover something to munch.'

I am sure she must have had at least a whole crab's worth of the little legs she found. She did find a big claw, but by that time was being more easily persuaded not to eat them.

Holly discovers the sea.

'Oops! It's coming after me!'

She had never been to the sea, but loves to run through water when my husband takes her on long walks. This was unexpected, that the water would attack.

Later she got to run through the water like she wanted with this bit of sea that was separated by a sandbar.

There were several WWII bunker ruins.

'Catch me if you can!'

This ruin could be entered at one side and was like a maze where you came out in a totally different place. She loved it. My husband was trying to get her to come, which she is usually good at. She kept going in the one door, through the bit we couldn't get into and out the other side. Then she would race round under this bit and do it all over again!

So fun to have a dog to enjoy your holiday with again.

And I think after last week, I am now on her list of people who count. Today she came and sat by my chair in here because someone was drilling and hammering in next door's garden and she wasn't quite sure about it. (Up til now, she has mostly ignored me during the day...and tolerated me patting her as I went past doing things.)

I should have some work to show tomorrow!

Last week at the seaside - inspiration

East Yorkshire

Galloping horse and pony

after about 2 of these runs back and forth, Holly thought it must be something she should do as well... she wouldn't be chasing them, would she? So we had to put her on the lead til they were done.

natural squiggles

toast-look rock

or perhaps a brick from the erosion in the storm surges here in early December. It was a bit too big for me to lug up and down the beach in my rucksack.

The whole width of the paved road/track which travelled along the land above the beach and some ground between it and the edge it was lost. They have had to make a new track with gravel to give access for some of the things further along. A good deal of the car park was gone, too. I didn't think to get photos, but they wouldn't have really made sense unless you had a before photo.

"And the Bead Goes On and on..." 6-12 April

2014 - Week 15 Daily Beads

no.96


no.97


no.98


no.99


no.100


no.101


no.102


Blue being my favourite colour, I have been able to come up with 30 different blue-ish edge beads for the month...as well as the constants which make up the 'stacks and bridges'.

Yes...good thing beads don't take as much space as fabric?

Something on Saturday

Most of this last week we have been in Yorkshire. Visiting family and having a little break.

Holly is quite well behaved (unless she sees a cat - then she forgets every thing she has learned). So, we took her in to see my husband's mother who is in a home. We had our lunch in Mum's room instead of the dining room like usual, as we weren't sure how Holly would do. It took her a little while to get used to various bells and decorators with ladders painting the ceiling in the hall (!) But soon, she ignored it all as if it weren't there. (Sort of like she does me when my husband is at work! LOL)

This was just before we left.

Okay - looking at 'dad' to be sure this was alright.

On the way out, one of the ladies in the lounge room spotted her, so I took her in to say hello. She was sooo tender in getting next to the fragile ladies so as not to scare them. It was quite precious. But the lady who was more vibrant got the wiggle-delight response to her greeting which in turn delighted the lady. Even one 'new' lady who seems (from Mum's point of view) to be finding the change too much (understatement), got a little lick on her arm which she was quite pleased about.


These origami towel dogs greeted us when we got to the self-catering cottage. A great place to stay in Beeford. Very welcoming to dogs and so many little extras - including a home made loaf of bread, cheese thin biscuits for the dog, some cake and then more cake and biscuits when we left!

We were their third customers as they have just opened this season. So, if you want a place to go - nearish the sea and not too far from York where they love dogs. Get on the list quick before everyone else finds out about them. Ashlea Studio

Contemporary Quilt Journal Quilts 2013

The main reason I was at the ExCel last week was to help steward the Contemporary Quilt 2013 Journal Quilt Exhibition. It is a wonderful way to encourage people to get interested and have a go with textiles.

One of the letters I had sent in for making new banners has been used on this new horizontal banner.

They are still in the process of making a vertical one and doing a few other things. So, perhaps some of the others may show up.

Here is my 'Y'.

And I think this is all of the quilts. I may have got the order mixed. People were invited to send 2 out of their 2013 journals. I did offer, but somehow the email got lost. No worries though because 2 of them got an outing somewhere (Exeter?) last year.
Again apologies for photo quality. I think I still had it on burst and the quilts had very strong lights directed on them. I better check my camera is back to normal!

---And AH HA! I think I have worked out a trick to get photos to sit next to one another by messing about in the html!