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!

Christmas Countdown

167 days to go!!

Kantha Sample of Six Feet Deep

Okay, well the vacuum cleaner didn't quite shout loud enough! Thought you would like the photo downloading instead, hope you can make it out. Four guitars, a drum kit and a key board. Will keep you posted as I go along showing it at different stages of completion. It's a great "waiting for .........................to end"(fill in the gap here!) activity. Usually "Son's trumpet lesson" in my case!

Six Feet Deep, Argus Filtch and the Mystery of My Untidy Work Room

David Bradley aka Argus Filtch with two Muggles

Well it's not really a mystery I am half way through reorganising my workroom, clearing out the black and white and installing all the new threads and stuff I have been squirrelling away during module 2! Even so I still found time for a visit to my local garden centre, which has a craft shop and wool shop - which are in the process of closing down due to rebuild of garden centre later in year , it's sad to see them go and its the only reason I go to this centre as is the reason alot of ladies I see there so that's the garden centre's business scuppered once they reopen!!!!! Anyway it was a business meeting of sorts as I met up with two friends I run a toddler group with and one friend has decided, after time off due to breast cancer,( now recovering well), that she will not be returning. It was rather sad but I understand, inevitable due to many reasons, some being church politics but I won't go there! My friend has been running the club with me for 12 years so it's the end of an era. So we had a coffee or two , gossiped, laughed and then went our merry ways - me going to craft and wool shops for more goodies for module 3. After parcels arriving from Rainbow Silks - markel sticks, solvy paper and markel embossing plates - you know the ones , large black groovy boards that Maggie used last week and from Fred Aldous - corrugated card you would think I had enough! So why did I need 3 balls of wool, 2 stamps with spirals, some Pinfair polystyrene forms - that could be used for tassel forms once I have drilled the centres out - and a book on tassel and cord making? Can't answer that one...



Last week end my husband's band "Six Feet Deep",( not a suggestion as to where they should be but a misunderstanding of how deep the Mississippi is! It's a long story!), had their annual "Pop in the Paddock", everyone else had Live Earth , but we had a celebrity attend in the form of Mr Filtch of Harry Potter fame - he even sang with the band! Whilst all this merriment was going on I produced a sketch in stitch for a Kantha sample I wanted to do. Started at 4.30 and completed the outlines by 9.30pm! Lots of guitars and a drum kit and outlines of the band member's heads, now filling in the gaps with coloured threads.

Will post a picture soon but I've got to get back to the workroom as the vacuum cleaner is calling...

Thought for Today!

"Remember that the whole point of housework is to keep the place functioning efficiently as a cheerful background for living - SO LIVE! Decide on something positive, or simply pleasurable, to do for yourself with the time you save. Otherwise life...just...slithers...a-w-a-y..."

Shirley Conrad, Superwoman, 1975