A4 size pieces for Cricklade exhibition in April

These are all A4 size pieces. The fritilleries were manipulated on the computer them printed onto fabric. the techniques used include trapunto Quilting, hand quilting and the butterflies are made from silk.

The landscape felt piece was done using the embellishing machine then hand and machine embroidered.

Isle of Wight and beetles!

Having taught my beetles in California I am now off to the Isle of Wight in July to teach the embroiderers there how to make them. All because one of their members came to see the GWE show last year at Lydiard and liked the beetles. They are springing up all over the place. I have just made my first Fabric doll and even she is holding one. I aim to make a doll now and cover her with beetles. Why this facination I have for them ? I think that it is the beautiful colours and irridescence.

Ruby Wedding anniversary.

Here Geoff and I are cutting our 'cake' at our surprise Ruby wedding anniversary party aranged by daughter Sarah. We thought that she was cooking us a meal but when we arrived she had got our friends waiting for us. It was a lovely surprise, really unexpected. Fraser greated us in the hall way clutching two balloons. It was a wonder that he gave them up to us. Nanny had to have the heart shaped one. Geoff bought me a gorgeous Ruby and Diamond eternity ring.

Since then I have been on a roll with embroidery. I have really got into quilting printed pictures which I have been doing on the computer. I have also had a piece printed by Spoonflower.com which I can not wait to get started on but have one or two other pieces to finish first.

Houston, California and Christmas

Once again I have neglected my blog but am now catching up. The three photos show me talking to Barbara Trombley whilst I was demonstrating on the Quilting Arts Stand at the International Festival of Quilts in Houston. The set of beetles made at one of my workshops in California and lastly Fraser enjoying the snow at the weekend.

Geoff and I had a brilliant time in the States. We went to the Quilt festival on the preview night and then for two whole days but it still wasn't enough time to take everything in. We managed to get in a visit to Nasa before flying on to California and staying at San Clemente. I taught two beetles workshops so now my bugs are springing up all over California. The weather was excellent, not too warm although we did spend a couple of days on the beach. We spent an interesting day in San Diego on the Midway.

We arrived home to the cold and wet UK and now have the snow hence the photo of Fraser on his sledge. It looks as though we will have a white Christmas. Happy Christmas to all my followers and I will try to keep this up more in the new Year

Houston Quilt festival

I shall be demonstrating on the Quilting Arts Open Studios stand at the Houston Quilt Festival on Thursday 4th NOvember from 12.40-2.40pm and friday 5th from 3-5pm.
The rest of the time I shall be shopping!!!!
I seem to have been to a lot of theatre shows lately, Joe Brown, Wicked, Salade Days and last night, Beauty and the Beast. One more to go to before our holiday and that is Princess Ida at Cirencester.

Here are some of the beautiful Venetian purses made by my students at the EG workshop at Leamington Spa on Saturday. They are layered organza fabrics over a glitzy layer which have been machine embroidered then some of the layers cut back. Having given three talks and two workshops int the last couple of weeks I have found it exhausting especially as the talks were all different. I think that I shlall have to space them out a bit better in future.

holiday in Austria

Here we are enjoying lunch on top of the Mountain in Fugen Austria where we went for our holiday . Yes I really did go up there in a cable car having overcome my fear of them. However I still won't go in a chair lift. We went to see the Oberammagau Passion play which was brilliant. also visited Mayerhofen where I had been skiing as a teenager and Innsbruck using the train than ran though the village. Since coming home I have been to Windsor and Maidenhead EG to give a talk and then Bristol for a talk and an embroidered bowls workshop.