What Katie Did

the best thing I have seen this year - any year!

don't know how to make it fit the screen, but many thanks to Annie

Woolfest 2009

Its that time of year again! Time to visit the wool and fibre phenomenon in the UK calender.
WOOLFEST!
This was the best year ever... of course we started with breakfast at the Village Bakery
followed by a drive through some of the most magnificent scenery in the UK to ... WOOLFEST!
I keep saying that don't I?

hmmmm - start with the furry things that provide the fibre
and many more of these this year
looking so soft and sweet with their long necks and big eyes...just sheared hence the attractive ribbing.
And now I find that I didn't take enough pictures of the wool! though there were plenty of lovely things to see and inspire

like this stall of lovely rug hooked pictures ...
 
and this green wool that I resisted - I have so much wool already!

but I did bring this home to play with
this is Feza and the nice people at Pavi Yarns sell it and I have in mind another pair of these
I know someone who is going to a wedding fairly soon - how about a pair of these Gloria?
Another day of Woolfest tomorrow if you are anywhere near the north Lakes. Poor you if you aren't.

Art Tour 2009 the first weekend!

It's that time of year again, the open studio event in Northumberland. I have been making and tidying for quite a while now and getting myself geared up for visitors. Because my shed is so little, I really do need to have decent weather, and it really couldn't have been more perfect. The new garden seat was a big hit with everyone - it is so comfortable!

The inside of the shed is the tidiest it has ever been with some of my recycled goodness on show and for sale

Here you see some glittery shooting stars, Mexican inspired display boxes, letter writing kits and envelopes and some patchy baggy things.

jars full of tiddly bits and pieces for the magpie minded
 
and here is the cover of one of my notebooks - a few of which are still in the Folksy shop (up there on the right) This one is the anatomy of the hand from an amazing book from the 1800's!

I sold this one and got a hasty picture before it left, hanging on my shed wall!
These were fun to make. I stuck them on a thin plastic knitting needle. (I can't remember where I first saw these? if you recognise yourself let me know and I'll acknowledge you)
Geoff was open at his workshop too and after a full weekend of talking, came home and did this

ahhh......

we are both open for the next three Sundays. if you are anywhere near and you fancy a sit in my bath or a chat about my work you would be very welcome. The lovely Gloria is holding the whole show together and keeping me from falling off my perch - and as a mark of my great affection and respect for her I will not post the picture of her wearing a fairy skirt (even though it is magnificent) but I will leave you with this picture of a satisfied customer with his new apron

and put the picture of Gloria on Flickr for friends only for the next 24 hours)

ha!

Here is my new garden seat

When I got Ruth to make the willow bower I had a wild idea about what I wanted to put in it. It has taken me a while to get the right person to tackle it, but John from Fairley Forge in Northumberland was the man for the job!
Here is the old bath that used to belong to Robert and Caroline, sitting in my garden back in March

I had no idea whether my plan would work
neither did John - here he is tentatively trying his angle grinder on the grubby bath
so far so good, next I needed some feet and I thought that cobblers lasts might do the job

welding next and the legs are made of scrap metal, so everything about this seat is 100% recycled

after a good clean, here it is - though there is talk of a few further refinements - we'll put some taps on maybe and Geoff thinks we should stand it on a bit of lino, with a bath mat perhaps? I will make some seat cushions for it - its a bit cold on the old bum.
This visitor is a bit fed up though - I have moved his dinner to a new location - I draw the line at washing the bird poo off my lovely new seat!
John is taking orders if you're interested!!

When you need a bit of bunting nothing else will do

Martha inspired me to make round bunting! She is moving house today and this might be a bit of a welcome
Holly is moving today as well
so here is some more and hows this for getting arty with the tulips?
Have a wonderful weekend everyone

Wear Your Curtains

At the weekend I ran a workshop called Wear Your Curtains where a bunch of us got together with a whole load of old curtains and duvet covers and made aprons, trousers and bags. Fun. This book was very useful and so was this one. Two sewing machines and an overlocker, an iron and board, lots of scissors, pins, thread, needles, patterns, coffee, biscuits and a mighty fine lunch on the opening day of this cafe ... well - what better way is there to spend a day?

I can't think of one?
the best thing about having curtains and old jumble sale finds to work with is the pressure is off to create something amazing so you can just concentrate on having fun instead of worrying about spoiling expensive fabric.
And being in a large space like the Village Hall means that you can s-p-r-e-a-d o-u-t and have acres of room. I didn't get enough photos of the things everyone made, but there were some great aprons, bags and a wonderful pair of jammie bottoms for Joe who is two.
Result.

Camera getting repaired

The camera is away getting repaired so here is a chance to browse through a whole lot of old photos that no-one ever sees
this was a charity shop find last year, in need of repair, sensational fabrics all lovingly sewn together
faded and worn - I think I might use it in the treehouse?
Now that Art Tour Open Studios is fast approaching I am thinking of making some of these -
this was Cala's birthday present - I know she looks a little wild, but I had such fun making her and all her kit. she has silk knickers too, and chocolate in her bag! Geoff says she looks like she's sucking on a large sweet - I say .. wonky is good.
But so time consuming! (do you love her leopard skin leggins!?)
I may have to concentrate on finishing some of the half made things I have lying around
this felt is destined to be the cover of a journal or maybe not?

other things I can think of

• felt necklaces are waiting for their final stages
• There is a stack of fabric waiting to be turned into shopping bags when I am in the mood
• last year the paper packets were fun so more of those to make
• more envelopes

this was rather fun to make, but impossible to have in stock! Orders?

Also, I am loving my paper projects at present
there are some Magpie Jars waiting to be filled, some kits for small people to put together and all those other things that are sitting in piles waiting for attention.
AND AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH
the garden is growing like crazy and we haven't even got our potatoes in yet!
SO what am I doing sitting here at the computer?
see you later
 

 

All Change

I have a new fence! Jody made this one for me though it is not quite finished - there is a bit of decoration to come it seems. But the old fence - eyesore - has come down and Poppy is confused.
from the other side - yes - that is an upturned bath in the middle of the grass - hopefully all will be revealed in the fullness of time.
Art Tour starts in June, 13th to be precise, so I am getting my shed and bit of garden looking welcoming and making more of the strange things I like so much. We are supposed to be having a warm dry summer or so I've heard - oh I really hope so!
Hoping its not to late to plant a couple of trees, as this all looks a bit bare!

just a quick one

this made me laugh today

Liberty prints

My Mum collects fabric and so do I. Sometimes we swap a bit, but I mostly come off best! The latest carrier bag was full of scraps of Liberty print fabrics, too thin for Mum to incorporate into her quilts, but mouthwateringly wonderful for me to experiment with.
Lovely colours. I had a think about them for a while and then these emerged

a mis-matched riot of colour
 Don't worry about the wonky stitching - I'm not - I could say that I did it like that on purpose, and I suppose I did
and I have some fabric left. Who knows what I may do next?

Thanks Mum!

And here is something else under construction - more soon