Music to my Ears....

....... "There's an interesting craft stall with lots of 'fibre stuff'!

And yes - so there was 'Fire and Fibre'. I began by purchasing a 'Lucet'. Something I had been meaning to try for many years ( actually very many years - since I first saw one demonstrated at an NEC stitching show). There were two sizes available and I queried the effect of the size on the finished cord. Silly question I now know but I was a little sleep deprived! The larger one would produce a fine cord as well as the smaller one did, but it had the benefit of being suitable for much thicker yarns and threads and could produce much thicker cord. I bought the large one. Back at our pitch my daughter was watching me, asked to have a go and pronounced it to be useful for her corded bracelets which almost entirely cover her fore arms (on non-school days). In self defense, I retraced my steps and bought her a small one. Watching her use it, I did wonder if I would find it quicker than my larger one - no I couldn't use it - it's 'MINE'. Back I went and bought another. At each visit I enjoyed the opportunity to look at the display of finished items and work-in-progress produced on flower looms and peg looms - both of which I have. I am familiar with knitting looms - producing cylindrical items knitted 'in the round'. Fire and Fibre offer knitting frames - consisting of two rows of pegs (nails), one on each side of a central slit through which the knitting emerges in a single width. I was very tempted but, having found the company is based near to my home, decided to leave it for a while.

Trying to be good and not spend more money on craft materials, I resisted the temptation to re-visit the craft village for more than one whole day!! However, whilst waiting for the ukelele band, formed from the workshop sessions, to set up on the VILLAGE STAGE - 'quite by chance' I found myself back at Fire and Fibre and bought a set of weaving sticks. I had some very makeshift ones, but, inspired by the items displayed on the stall, thought I would invest in a 'proper' set.

The reference to a 'ukelele band' may have given you a clue to our location this week end. We spent a lovely, if tiring four days at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival. I enjoy many types of folk music, but I am not knowledgeable enough to know which artists I will prefer - consequently, I discovered all sorts of new sounds. My husband visits our local folk club regularly and we camped next to his brother and family who have visited the festival several times. Our daughter and her cousin, enjoyed the ceilidhs, took part in workshops - our daughter traipsing round the site 'turtle-like' with her guitar on her back (and wellies on her feet!). Even our son surprised himself by enjoying several of the concerts and very enthusiastically joined in the ceilidh on the last night. Staffed by an army of volunteers, the site and its facilities were kept neat and clean - despite sometimes challenging weather and we all had a great week-end. Thank you Shrewsbury!

A Tour of Norfolk -

- The Wash, Sandringham. the north Norfolk coast, the Broads, Norwich and then a few days at Cambridge and Ely. A lovely and relaxing trip, beautiful scenery, historic sites, craft inspiration in abundance, sunshine ......

Neither of us had visited Norfolk before. It had been on our to-do list for some time. Our recent trip began from a false premiss  that we needed an 11 day holiday which would start and finish by driving past East Midlands airport (our kids were travelling to and from Croatia, via Venice, with Scouts). It wasn't really feasible to travel back down to a ferry terminal and head for France - the 11 days were too limiting. Looking at a map the solution seemed obvious. An alternative solution was provided months after our holiday was booked, by arranging for the Scouts to travel to and from the airport by coach - allowing us the opportunity to start and finish our break from home in North Wales - however, our plans were already made. Having had such a lovely time we're grateful for the initial nudge in the Norfolk direction.

We began our tour at Sandringham, then travelled around the coastline, stopping over night on a cliff-top campsite at West Runton. Then on, via Cromer, to Norwich for a few days. We visited the broads, including the Museum of the Broads, before heading on to Cambridge (soooo many wonderful photos from the botanic gardens - a life-time of stitching possibilities!!). The stained glass museum at Ely Cathedral was another rich source of inspiration.

Beautiful coastlines, inland waterways, windmills, flowers in abundance, local markets, a great craft fair, historic architecture, lovely weather..... I couldn't have wanted a more relaxing and inspirational trip. Fortunately, my husband enjoyed it too. Our stay at Norwich was timed to coincide with the one-day/week opening of a printing museum which he had been wanting to visit for some while!

Over the next week or so I shall share some (I promise only a modest number) of our photos with you.

Here are a couple to give you a 'flavour' of the coastline:

Patchwork Inspiration

I have been struggling to find time for designing and stitching for weeks now. The time I have found has enabled to make and list one or two items, but other on-line activities have been temporarily on hold - including blogging, unfortunately.

I have recently been involved in a team challenge on Esty, in which participants submitted items for consideration, voted to choose one 'inspirational item', and then spent a few weeks producing and listing items of their own, based on the chosen design.

This lovely ipad cover, from Etsy shop WhimsyWooDesigns, was chosen as our first item:

I decided to felt and embroider a bookmark. I love the result and will enjoy using it myself, but I have decided not to list it since too many of the design elements are taken directly from the original item. Here it is anyway:

I enjoyed the process of making this bookmark, and, in the somewhat convoluted way in which my craft work tends to evolve, I decided to make a small embroidered hanging using the same techniques:

I have always enjoyed patchwork. Part of the thrill for me is the re-use of precious fabrics, combination of different materials and introduction of embellishments - I love crazy patchwork in particular. These mellow colours really appealed to me so I searched my craft room (ransacked it and, like a child with too many birthday gifts, left a trail behind me), as I assembled this combination of knitting samples and yarns, together with a sketched design for a larger piece - based on this small one:

I find myself fired with enthusiasm and I am knitting one of the elements whilst waiting for photos to load here etc. I fear this may be another day on which the house remains untidy and tea is late!

Lakeside landscape - Inspired by Teabreaks

Not an exact copy - but my interpretation. It is possible to blend colours when felting, and the hand-dyed fibres which I use, have an inherent gradation of colour. Even so, it is a little hard to duplicate exact colours. Mine has come out a little more 'yellowish' than the original. Having decided to stitch entirely in wools, and having only a limited palette of fine crewel wools, much of the embroidery has been in tapestry wools and this has resulted in a 'chunkier' effect than I intended. I hope Brenda won't mind the liberties which I have taken with her lovely design!

Stage 2 was this:

and my finished version (now listed at Esty):

and to remind you of Teabreaks lovely original (available at Etsy) :

'Stage 2' - Inspired by Teabreaks

I reached this stage yesterday, and hope to get some of the yarn snippets felted to the background later today. At present this looks a little like the first washes applied to a water colour work ( not that I know much about painting!) . The colours will intensify as the detail builds. I'm looking forward to the embroidery stage!

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This is the latest hanging to be listed at Folksy - I hope you like it!

An interpretation .....

..... of this beautiful little painting ( from Etsy Shop Teabreaks) will be the subject of a number of 'Work in Progress' blog posts. It was very difficult to choose one piece of work from a shop in which I find I like so many. I chose this one, because of the pretty colours and beautiful detail. I love walking beside water and the feeling of tranquility really emerges from this painting. Like many of the others from Gweddus Art, I can imagine myself within the fairytale landscape it portrays.

I have, of course, obtained the artist's permission, to produce a piece of embroidery based on this design and to feature the process on this blog.

I initially thought I would stitch a brooch, however, some of the pretty detail would have been lost in the 'miniaturisation' so, instead, I have decided upon a small wall hanging. The intention is to combine felting and embroidery. Here are the assembled materials - more will be added if necessary (this selection looks a little lacking in 'greens'):

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In complete contrast:

This embroidered hanging (now listed at Folksy) has been adapted from a design in my daughter's sketchbook (again - I do have her permission!!!)

Heralding Fathers' Day

We have had rather a strange, and somewhat difficult week. My 18 year old son should have been taking 'A' level exams but has managed to catch chicken pox, and, since he has been pronounced to be infectious throughout his period of exams, is not able to sit his papers. His sister is working through her first year of GCSE's, has had chicken pox, as had her brother, and is hoping not to catch it again!

Having first seen the tell-tale rash beginning last Saturday, visited the doctor, and then trying to return to some sort of normality - whilst feeling a little disoriented, my daughter and I went shopping. Seeing all the Fathers' Day displays - but not observing the associated date, we panicked at the thought we were unprepared, bought a card ( and one on behalf of her quarantined brother), and some nice items for a special tea and felt pleased with ourselves that we had not overlooked the occasion. Not having time to listen to the radio, or TV, on Sunday, we went ahead and celebrated Fathers' Day. On Monday, I was a little surprised to see TV adverts for 'M--n--g.com' cards still being televised. Realising our mistake, I phoned my husband and just managed to get in, before he asked, with "no - you-re not having another one next week'. I thought I had shared the joke with both kids, but it seems my daughter only found out yesterday, when listening to local radio, on her way to help at cub camp. How she can blame me entirely, when she had remained unaware I'm not sure!

At the beginning of half term, my husband and I had decided to have a stroll along the canal at Llangollen. Only about 25 minutes away, it's a favourite destination for a gentle walk - more strenuous options are also definitely available! The purpose this time was to get my annual 'duckling fix'. I am a lover of most wildlife (including wildflowers!) and I'm not sure why ducklings (and goslings) hold such a complete fascination for me. They are just such little characters, and I love the way they communicate with mum and she with them. We saw three families. One with ten tiny babies, nervous and unwilling to leave the far bank of the canal. Another with eight small babies - a little more confident but there were too many dogs about, and they were too small to bob under confidently for the corn which I offered them ( which always sinks swiftly!). The third family was on the River Dee near the center of town, at a popular family spot, where the river flows quickly on the far side, and easily morphs into a torrent - which provides the white water sought by kayakers. Two of the ducklings were mottled brown - typical of malards. The other two were a lovely fluffy yellow, Jemima Puddleduck style, more like Aylesburys. They were about twice the size of the others we had seen but still small for such fierce water. Chased by two unsympathetic children, I hardly dared watch as they set off for the peace and quiet on the opposite bank. They did drift downstream quite a way but all made it safely!

At his time of year, 'Daddy' ducks tend to group with their male friends and often have nothing to do with their offspring. Fathers' Day isn't much fun for them I fear. I found this little group on the banks of the Dee at the Horseshoe Falls. Starting to moult but still very beautiful - I hadn't really looked at what I thought were the matt grey feathers on their backs before. They are no more a single drab gray colour, than the back of a barn owl is a boring beige (if you've seen the beauty of a barn owl close to you'll know what I mean). They also appreciated my corn. For some reason I am always nervous of being 'bitten' by ducks - daft since all they can to is pinch fairly firmly with blunt beaks!

I have shown you their beautiful home at the Horseshoe Falls before, but, just in case you missed it:

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Two of my latest meadow embroideries to be listed at Folksy. The first, featuring cornflowers, is now sold!