Our Stand at Craft4Crafters
We had a super show at Westpoint, Exeter. The nice thing about a show like this is meeting people, both customers and other traders. Fran very kindly helped me run the stand, she is a super embroiderer and I enjoyed her company enormously. Thanks Fran, I really couldn’t have managed without you.
Just a quick post after the first day at Craft 4 Crafters Show – westpoint – Exeter
It was so nice meeting new customers who have only known us so far from this website.
Katy has been busy getting ready for the
Craft4Crafters Show at Westpoint Exeter 2nd -4th February 2012, 10am – 5pm
Posted by Mike (The Boss!)
For some time it has bothered me that the books I have made as an embroiderer, although beautiful, are fragile – so when the opportunity came up to attend a workshop run by Tom O’Reilly at the Old School Bindery in St Germans I jumped at it. His skill and knowledge are incredible, we saw wonderful books he had written, illustrated and bound. Books bound in plain cloth, books with beautiful illustrated labels, books bound in leather, edged and decorated with gold. Perhaps my favourite of all, displayed alone was bound in green leather with a 3 dimensional green man staring out. After a day of hard work and wonderful clear and patient instruction, all 10 of us attending the class went home with a book we could be really proud of – and it won’t fall apart either!
This time last week I was at Liskeard WCE Annual Exhibition at Stuart House. This has to be one of my favourite shows of the year, small and friendly with a party feel and some really excellent embroidery to see. They do a really good raffle – I won a lovely hamper on the first day, so I am rather biased!
I shared a room with Alison and Sylvia of Beads for Beauty, their selection of beads just keeps growing. I found that they stock Bob EEZ – I was introduced to these by Shirley Berlin at her Cord and Braid making class, they are flexible plastic bobbins for winding long lengths of thread or yarn when working, they are quick and easy to use and really do stop threads from running and tangling.
West Country Embroiderers AGM was at a new venue this year. The Ariel Centre in Totnes has a bright and airy foyer were there were six of us traders and a good big lecture theatre for the AGM in the morning and a talk on ‘Embroidery Connections’ by Sian Martin in the afternoon. We arrived in good time, the roads were clear and we had a really good run through. Set up our stall and Mike left to drive home – then I discovered that I had forgotten my cash bag and float – all the money I had with me was a small handful of loose change! I was rescued by Marilyn of Torbay Textiles who very kindly calmed me down and lent me a float – Thank you Marilyn – I know I would not have managed without your help.
Yesterday I went to a class on braid and cord making given by Shirley Berlin at Tavistock Embroiderers’ Guild – it was such fun! Shirley supplied everyone with all the equipment and materials we needed and wonderful clear instruction sheets. I lost count of the number of cords and braids we tried out during the day, but it included a really neat cord twisting technique that gives really great control, lucet cords, fancy plaits, kuminimo and my favourite – the laramie braid. Thanks Shirley – it was a brilliant day!
I have been playing with Mola technique for the last couple of weeks – I am stitching one with a design of Jonah and the whale, just finding my way through cutting back and stitching the multiple layers of fabric is like a particularly tortuous visual puzzle – and extremely addictive. I will put a picture up when it is worth looking at!
I have put a page up on Mola work in our How to and Stitch Methods section – do have a look, I have included some gorgeous pictures and useful links.
I visited Sound Stitchers in Plymouth yesterday evening. The group has only been running for about a year – but it is buzzing with enthusiasm and energy. This super group of quilters were cheerful and interested despite the fact that their usual meeting room was unavailable at the last minute so all 14 of them – plus me and all my dyeing kit – were crammed into an extemely small room (or maybe it was a large cupboard!). They are planning a coffee morning/exhibition on 14 April next year at the Tothill Centre in Plymouth – I think it will be well worth a visit.
I attended a three corner day for the first time yesterday run by South West Quilters. For anyone who, like me, has never attended one of these – I really recommend it. It was friendly and lively and really good fun. The ‘corners’ were three different demonstrations of ‘makes’ for Christmas, all with instruction sheets and plenty of detail.
After lunch (which was delicious) Elaine Buckley gave a talk on her quilting. She had brought a hugh stack of quilts with her – each more breathtaking than the last – my favourite was entirely in shades of green – and oh, just so beautiful.
