Back home.

Well I'm back, with what seems like an awful long list of jobs to work through over the next weeks, I must tell you that this involves making, sorry practising making, mini cakes for a wedding, so you can feel sorry for me. Now I have made a list I must say things seem more in perspective. For a potential project I needed to seek out some stitch samples and they were in a sad state of neglect, but starting with good intentions of doing things the right way, I decided to stretch them and I must say this has been a good move.

 If you have never done this I used a piece of polystyrene packing material, paper towels and my improvised spray bottle(hair dye bottle with old cleaner spray top) and pins. Wet the paper towels, pin and stretch out the material on top and leave to dry.

 For those of you like me who know all about this but seldom get round to it, you really should, it gives such a satisfying result.

If you would like to give ‘ long and link stitch binding’ a go, I have recently found a pd f from Sarah Bryant. She sells it via her Etsy Shop. Here is the link to her entertaining blog.
The July theme of 'Into the Woods' is in its last week over on the Sketchbook Challenge blog, so don't forget to take a look and join in.

A postcard from .....

                                    This blog is on holiday.
                                     'Wish you were here'.
                                      Jackie 

What on the table?

This is a sort of what’s on my work table post; really my mind is on my holiday which happens shortly. I saw this post about weaving patches, lovely colours and a fun little project. I had one go at weaving on a full size loom on my course, but I knew it would never have been for me, despite the fact that I enjoyed the process I would never have been patient enough to thread up the loom.

 I really like some of the experimental off the loom images which I have seen on Flickr and the weaving experiments of Alice Fox. I wondered how small patches of weaving might work with embellishing; that is an idea to come back to. I also saw some examples of felt with what I took to be screen printed images at the weekend and this reminded me of some small pieces I made using print and paint on felt. 

I no longer have any of these pieces but managed to find some photos of them.

 People in one of my groups were keen to try a flat piece of felt last week and I used the little sample I made in the session to print on with one of my thermo fax screens. Might make brooches?

 What else, as if that isn't enough for someone who is supposed to be making packing lists?

 Well if you live near Basingstoke, Hampshire we are planning a workshop on September 24^th in Cliddesden Village Hall. It will be ‘Mark Making with Stitch’. Send me an email if you would like more details.