As we come to the end of the Year..

With just two days to go to 2007 I have to admit defeat and confess that Module 3 will not be completed by the end of the month. Pity as I had had a brilliant run at the first half of the chapters. I have come to the conclusion that it is difficult to be creative with children at your feet, needing feeding, clean clothes and taxi rides to their various events and practices! How I wish for that gadget Hermione Granger had at Hogwarts to enable her to do all her extra lessons, I would use it to do all my creative stuff whilst Mum got on with being Mother.

So why am I here instead of my workroom getting on with it?

I am pondering the year - it's highlights mainly - whilst Sunday lunch bubbles and spits in the kitchen and making promises to myself for 2008.

Some of the moments of 2007 include:

February - Robert sings at St. Pauls with the Choirs of the Royal School of Choral Music

Robert standing on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral

March found us in Disney land Paris

We had a great 4 days being silly and having lots of fun

April - I celebrated my 40th birthday with a brilliant party at a local racecourse, where my husband's band serenaded us through the evening

Andrew and I boogie the rest of the night away

July and I finally completed Module Two after too much time

Me wearing the Inappropriate Cooking Apparel for Inedible Meals

July - Seeing Madness at Guilfest

It is them I promise!

This is the closest we will every get to going to a rock festival - we hate mud in our sleeping bags!

August - Our annual holiday found us back in the Lake District

Walking the hills, sailing the Lakes (usually on the Lake Cruisers!)

and visiting all our favourite haunts.

November - Emma and Robert paraded at the Remberance Service

Robert had the honour of carrying his Cub unit's flag

I was also lucky to see Take That at the O2 at the end of November which completed my birthday present experience.

December has been one of the best Christmases ever.

I was lucky to get a new camera

and have yet to sort out the software to download the photos

so watch this space!

Yes, there were a few lows, but life is too short to dwell on them!

So 2008...

What do I wish to do creatively with the new clean sheet

of a year ahead of me?

I have a number of UFO quilting projects to conclude

I intend to be near completion of Module 4 by this time next year!

I would like to begin a stitch library

- I have had some index style boxes in my work room

for sometime which I intend to fill with samples of stitches

And no doubt plenty more design ideas will pop in my head as I see packets of beads, fancy threads or interesting pictures in magazines

Well that's what it's all about - if you're alive and have an imagination you just have to create!

Bring on 2008...I'm ready!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all Distant Stitchers and bloggers everywhere

Best wishes to you all and a happy New Year!

Alison

Module 3 - Chapter 5

Cord Making

Cords attached to place mats which have been rolled up for storage

Machine Stitched Cords and Twisted Cords

Knotted and Plaited Cords

Japanese Kumhimo Disc Cords

Hand Braided Cords

Made using loops of threads

Module 3 - Chapter 4

Wonder of Wonders I have been able to upload these photos without any fuss! Unfortunately I must leave the descriptions until later as I need to be elsewhere, 'til later...

Hand Stitched Spiral Samples

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

Sample 5

Sample 6

Machine Stitched Spiral Samples

Sample 1

Sample 2

The things I do!

Friday evening saw me hacking at the Passion Flower that grows around my front door to get a vine or two with lots of spiral tendrils so I could wrap it with macrame!

What do you think?

Course Work Update

Although the blog updates have ceased I have been busy on the course work. Even quilting has taken a back seat, well I did wash through fabric bought for a couple of quilts to be made once time allows! I have been creating the hand stitched and machine samples, lots of cords and three tassels. Photograpghs will be downloaded soon, promise.

I have had a idea for the final piece and will be emailing Sian at some point to see if it is viable, it's fun and wearable! I have also booked my place on the Summer school so get the cat walk out as I hope to be able to sashay down runway whilst precariously balancing said object on my head!!!

By the way - 30 days to go on deadline and next weekend is too busy to contemplate with visit from In-Laws, Take That gig at O2 and children's activities taking up most of it - I wonder if I can fit in some stitching between them all? So why am I sat here typing when there's work to do...

Module 3 update

I have been making machine cords of various thicknesses. Beginning with 1 thread at the core and then adding more threads of different thicknesses and shade to add interest. I have bought a new bobin carriage as my other " second carriage" I use for thicker threads on bobins does not fit my new machine, (although the same make) so I will be able to add more interesting outer threads to cover the cores. Photographs to follow

I have a selection of discs to create the Japanese style cords which I will be attempting soon.

Module 3 update

Dyeing Fabrics

I have completed the dyeing of fabric and now have a wonderful stash to play with later on in the module

I took photos of the pieces drying

Monoprinting Papers and Fabrics

Coloured Papers with Monoprinting

Using the hand coloured papers I monoprinted using acrylic paint and a selection of spiral impliments - card, a wire egg cup, a wire whisk and a variety of printing pads with spiral designs.

Fabrics with Monoprinting

Taking a selection of the fabrics I had dyed earlier I used acrylic paint mixed with a stabilzer to allow the paint to stick to the fabric and be washed if necessary. Iused the impliment mentioned above to create patterns on the fabric. I also used fabric pens to doodle on some of the fabrics.

51 Days to Deadline

Renaming the Countdown!

For Daniela's sake and for others who find that Christmas is looming ever nearer with decorations in garden centres and mince pies in Tescos without my countdown to remind them I shall rename the Countdown - Completion of Module Three. The fact that Sian has picked Christmas for a suitable deadline means that crackers and Christmas cards in Boots reminds me to leave Boots promptly and get back to the work room!!!!!!! Preferably leaving after paying for my goodies!

By the way there are 79 days to go to the Completion of Module Three

How Long 'til Christmas?

81 Days to go!

Distant Stitch Course Work - Module 3 Chapters 1, 2 & 3

Chapter One - Research

Research for Man-made Spirals

Reference that has been gathered from publications and from my own photographs

Photographs of gates in the villages of Urchfont and Fritwell, Medieval Church carvings, Bishop's Crooks and crosses from my reference books and pixel pictures from internet sites are some of the reference shown.

Simple Drawings of Spiral Shapes

Simple drawings to find the spiral in complex images

Research for Accessory Ideas

Ideas of how spirals can be used in accessories


Chapter Two - Design Work

Colour

I was drawn to the apple green and pastel rose on seeing alot of children's and some adult clothing during the Summer of 2006. Althought I tried to stay away from "Red and Green are seldom seen unless upon a Fool!" I couldn't help myself! If a red rose can grow on a green bush it was good enough for me. I had also been with Black and White for so long that I had to rebel!

Papers

During my holiday in the Lake District, my family kindly gave me a day to myself to spend painting paper! Fortunate the North West of England was having a glorious August and I was able to hang the papers on the washing line to dry, unfortunately Hubbie had taken the camera so I can't show you evidence of it! But I can show you the papers I coloured...

To add interest to the papers I swirled crayon in a darker, or contrasting, colour so it would resist the paint and show through. I also used rubbing boards similar to the ones we used at Summer school to give a more regular pattern.

Simple Three Dimensional Shapes

Swirls and Twists using corrugated card

Computer Drawn Spirals

Chapter Three - Fabrics and Threads

Colour Scheme

Whilst enduring the Black and White of a never ending Module Two, (which was my own fault for taking so long!), I had been squirrelling away threads, fabrics, sequins and other delights of various kinds and various shades of my chosen colours.

I have added white to the mix, no not because I can't keep away from it! I thought it would add a bit of depth to the cords and help the other two colours to stand out

Threads

Hopefully there should be enough threads of various hues and types to make endless cords!

Christmas Countdown

148 days to go...

I must have something to show for each day, even if it's just a doodle of an idea in my note book!

Do I sound desparate?

It's the End of July

Yes, the end of July is here and what have I got to show for it?
I have been gathering reference for module 3, lots of spirals in
many forms. I have a head full of ideas of what I want to do
but I also have the school holidays to contend with. I hope to
start painting papers tomorrow so 10 yr old son may be interested
in joining me as it could get messy! Surely it beats PSP - PS2 games
any day??????

Thameside Quilters' Quilts and Roses Show - 23-24 June 2007

As promised, Sara, here is a selection of the quilts shown at this years quilt show, for more quilts try the link to Thameside Quilters, hopefully this years show has been uploaded. Otherwise browse the previous years shows.

Each of these chickens had names begining with H!

This quilt won the Visitor's Choice vote

This one is mine that I made for my son. I fell in love with the horse fabric, ended up buying complimantary fabrics and the black for dramatic contrast. I sewed the blocks together whilst on holiday - hence the title- and the black blocks are quilted with images from the area and the things we did whilst there. Try clicking on the quilt for a more detailed image.

I really not sure how to arrange these photos as they are uploaded

but atleast they are here!

Hope you enjoyed them, we had better start making new ones for next year!