Saturday, July 28, 2012

Still Alive!

Yes, I am posting and I know it's been a long, long time since I did, but I'm hopefully going to keep posting more regularly now.  I think the blog will be different and just be about all the things I do, not just fibre stuff, but my other interests too.

Last year was a rough year for me and my family in many ways, but I promised myself that the New Year would herald a new start, and so far, things are definitely on the up!

As usual, I've been dabbling in various crafts, trying new ones, just in case I didn't have enough to play with!  I've started a quilt, in a Grandmas Flower Garden style, using recycled clothes from the family, which make it a memory quilt too. I've made all the 'flowers', but now I have the 'pathway' to add, to join all the flowers into a quilt.


Some of the 150 quilt 'flowers'
 I was inspired to try quilting after visiting Beamish museum when the Quilting Guild had an exhibition.  It showed old quilts and a modern interpretation of each one. It was amazing and the quilts were so beautiful, some of the older ones looked so modern and fresh.
 So thats what sparked my foray into quilting!

Part of an old quilt showing applique
I also went to an exhibition in Bishop Auckland town hall, by the Embroidery Guild called Mining A Golden Seam.  This exhibition absolutely blew me away. Id always thought of embroidery as an old fashioned method, used to decorate tablecloths and the like!  After seeing this exhibition, I realised just how ignorant I had been with this beautiful form of decoration.
 There was a huge difference in the interpretation of the title, it was wonderful to see the diversity and fantastic skill displayed there, and 'encouraged' by a friend, Lynn, I decided to do my City and Guilds in hand embroidery!  I'm currently 2/3rds of my way thro this course.

One of the embroideries in exhibition
One of my ongoing hobbies is art journalling. I love this genre, and have found it hugely beneficial in the dark days of last year and the brighter ones of 2012.  I find it such a release, I can offload, then paint over it and decorate the pages.  I also think art as a therapy is wonderful.




A page from my art journal
 Well I think I've waffled enough for today.  I've loads of pics to share, so hopefully won't leave it as long this time!
 I'll leave you with a photo of a slug!  Well I liked it!

Slug posing and smiling!
Hope to be back soon! xx