Royal Wedding

Today is the Royal Wedding and something to celebrate, the romantic in us!

Good Luck, to Kate and William.

I liked this idea of a concertina photo album.

It was a wonderful wedding and steeped in tradition which was so lovely to see.

History in the making!

Judy another textile artist sent me this link about The Wedding and West Minster Abbey.

Click HERE

More Cottage Flower Quilts

In between gardening today, I finished cutting and piecing

this next quilt today. It is made from the fabric scraps from of the

first Cottage Flower Quilt.

I used the similar brick path strip pattern but smaller,

than the first quilt.

(3 and a quarter" by 5").

The borders are yet to go on. I will hopefully

get round that tomorrow in between

more gardening and quilting.

The garden takes first priority when I am holiday from

work, so it is easy care the rest of the Summer.

More tomatoes, pumpkins and courgettes were

planted out today.

The runner beans need transplanting tomorrow,

if the weather is good.

We are picking Asparagus most days now.

Delicious!

See more of my quilts and garden on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Cottage Quilt

With all the gardening over the weekend I needed

to get back to quilting and here is a

quillow sized quilt inspired by cottage flowers.

It is made with 'brick' shaped blocks, each

5" by 10" and placed in strips. It is now ready for quilting.

See more of my quilts on my

website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Tree House Transformation

Jennifer's treehouse was built 15 years ago and this week

she was 20!

Underneath it, we have always used it as a wood store

for the fire and log burner.

Stewart and I decided that it was finally time to transform

the area. It was difficult as the tree house has

been part of many happy memories and has been a key

shade spot in the garden.

We wanted to re-cycle the wooden frame to form

a wood store. as you can see we managed it

and now it has planting round it so it looks

like it has been there for a long time!

It took two days over the Easter weekend to do.

We are now happy that we no longer have to duck so

low to get at the wood!

Stewart has put a wicker fencing in front now

and it looks like we could put a Reindeer in it!!!

See more of our garden by clicking

HERE

My Fair Lady

On evening of the 20th of April,

The Coven Quilters were invited as guests,

to see the opening night of "My Fair Lady".

The production was put on by 'KLODS',

Kings Lynn Operatic and Dramatic Society and

Directed by Amanda Arterton.

It was a wonderful production everyone was amazing but

the lead roles, Eliza Dolittle performed by LaurenHoskins

and Professor Higgins by Kevin Shippey were

outstanding. The quilt we had made for fundraising

was in the foyer and the raffle tickets were selling well,

it is going to be drawn in May.

We had such a special evening together,

I felt very special!

Thank you to CLODs and the organisers.

Card Making with Bleach Technique

On Wednesday, I went to card making @ The Gallery with Kim.

There was lots of show and tell with the things we had made over the

last two weeks and a look at a box of stampers goodies,

someone had brought on the Internet.

Kim was continuing to teach us different ways of creating

backgrounds on papers.

This week she knew I would be excited because we used

bleach!

She gave us a demonstration and it was a fantastic, she had put

the bleach into a 'Misty Bottle', so we could spray it

directly onto the rubber stamps and onto our card stock.

Its like a reverse or negative image and then you stamp on top

with colour.

I made lots of different prints and also did some on

fabric as I had used bleach as a 'discharge' before,

(it removes the colour from the fabric).

I will show you what I do with this fabric later.

Thank you Kim, for a lovely morning it was really inspiring.

I carried on at home putting my card together and

adding the bead wiring and embossed element to it.

I have now researched the bleach technique a little more and

here is a video that shows the technique really well.

Gallery Day 20th of April 2011

On Tuesday, it was my daughter' 20th Birthday, I can't believe where

time has gone! She's down in Cornwall with her boyfriend and his family

having a wonderful time. Lots of sun, surf and fish!

Well, it was also Gallery day @ The Gallery Dereham

and as usual there was so much going on as projects

were being finished, like Stella's wall hanging above and new

ones being started like Barbara's English Patchwork

which she can take away in the caravan with her.

you can see more of projects by clicking on the labels below each post.

There are also how to videos in 'The to View', Vodpod box

on the right. You can enlarge the screen by clicking the triangles

in the corner.

Due to the Easter Holidays and The Royal Wedding

The Gallery is going to be shut for two weeks and re- opens

on the 3rd of May 2011.

Card Making with Concertina Folds

On Friday I went to Laina Crafts and Wool Shop in Downham Market

for a card making class with Elaine.

She had made several designs like the one above all

using different decoration techniques but all

using the concertina fold technique.

It was a lively class.

A really lovely group of ladies.

I didn't quite finish mine, so I did that last night.

I am really pleased with the finished card,

although it is not "really me!".

I really enjoyed learning all the different techniques

and I can see me using the separate techniques with

other medias.

Thank you, so much Elaine for a great

card making morning.

See more paper techniques on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Silk Painting Video

I have taken photographs of my silk painting yesterday and today

as I produced the piece of work. It is quite hard

to keep remembering to take photographs at each step.

I have then edited it and made it into a video for You tube,

my third now!!!

I used the Mandalas card as a starting point.

Enlarging the pattern and using silk painting techniques.

I will then make a quilted and embellished wall hanging with it.

Hope you like the results so far?

Printed Sketchbook Video

I have made a sketchbook cover with the printed and embossed papers

I made a week ago.

I combined them with textiles, lace,stitch and some embellishments.

This sketchbook is for sale and can be purchased

by clicking HERE

What do you think of my first Photograph video?

Jeanette's Notebook

Jeanette had been on a workshop recently to make backgrounds

and the flowers.

She wanted to incorporate them in the

embellishment of notebook covers.

She had brought several little notebooks and wants to cover them for gifts.

By adding some gold threads

( which she had to go and buy from The bead Shop in Dereham)

and some extra quilting it gave this cover a real lift.

The cover was then finished off by making a lining which

slips off if necessary.

I have used many different methods of finishing sketchbooks

but this one called for some jewel coloured lining

to give it the added luxury.

Click on the photograph to enlarge and appreciate the Embroidery.

Sylvia making Paper and Stitch Flowers

Sylvia wanted a break from quilting and so for the last few weeks

has been getting to grips with machine embroidery and

mixed media combinations.

Here she is stitching her Paper and Stitch Flower together.

Mine is in front of her as a guide.

When I got the bead box out everyone had a rummage

through and found beads that were yummy!

See my post on Embellished Flowers by

clicking the label below or by the post.

See more of my mixed media art

on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Annes Quillow

Anne has been away on holiday for what seems months and she has

had a wonderful time.

She came back to The Gallery to finish off her

Quillow.

I just love these colours!

Anne is now going to put another border around the edge and

finish off with quilting and a cushion on the back.

See more of my quillows by clicking the

blue and green one on the right of this post.

Gallery Day 12th April 2011

Jeanette has finished 'Bolliwood Turrets', it now needs the

considered background and the box frame!

Click the label Bolliwood at the bottom of this post to see it's

development and changes.

See more Indian Inspiration on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Enjoy watching the Henna Mehndi Designs on this video.

The designs could be used for many medias.

Kate's Baking

Kate is a real star, she not only lets us meet up in her home

she bakes amazing cakes which we all look forward to.

This month there were no birthdays but you would have

thought so by this amazing swiss roll,

filled with lashings of fresh cream and raspberries.

It was a no flour sponge and so, so light!!

There was flapjacks and Cherry loaf cake too!

Her Victorian style conservatory is so lovely to retreat to for tea

over looking the garden, although by the time we leave it,

we can't see the garden through the night.

We all commented this month on Kate's Pansy's and

Spring flowers looked so beautiful.

Joan's Quillo

Joan had been on Quilting Retreat at Belstead House, near Ipswich,

this weekend and made this quillow for a friend who is going back to Australia

while she was there.

Joan went on a weekend where you enjoy the surroundings and company

of quilters but do your own thing.

What a lovely gift and because there are some of the Cathedrals and Churches

her friend had visited on the quillow, a memory quilt too!

Well done Joan, I love making Quillows.

If you want to see more quillows click

my blue and green picture of a quillow on the right of this post.

Kate's Candy Square Quilt

Monday night it was Coven Quilters.

Now Coven is a 7.30pm start and I just make it home

before Cinderella!!!!

I only have to drive 20 minute drive so you can see we get a lot

in our once a month evening!

( I feel so lucky to be doing Quilt related work and play all day!).

Kate makes stunning quilts and this is one that she has been working on

for a few years. It uses 1930's inspired fabrics and I just love the candy

colour hue of it. The back is wonderful too!

with it's "Strippy Quilt", feel.

Well done Kate!

See more Strippy Quilts and Quilting history

click

The York Museum

Quilts for Chernobyl

Joan showed us another two quilts she had made with Anne's

material to make up these lap quilts.

They are "Tied Quilted".

(knotted with threads to hold the layers together).

Above are 28 finished quilts so far from several different groups

and there are more promised.

I had the delight of photographing everyone and then as

a group so they will be able to go on a website and in a booklet.

The lorry is taking the quilts and clothing out in September.

Visit by clicking

Life Line 4 Chernobyl

for more information.

Show and Tell Applique

Folded Cathedral Window

Folded Catedral Window Patchwork and Quilting is always nice to

see as you respect the amount of folding and precision involved.

Jenny and Marion gave us a Demo of how to do it.

They made it look easy!

Here is a video that shows you how to do

Cathedral window on the sewing machine.

Clever once you have worked it out.

Show and Tell Bags

Weeting Quilt Group

On the first Monday of most months Weeting Quilt Group meet at Weeting Village Hall from 11.30am until 3.30pm. It's a really friendly group and lots of quilting, chatting and sharing of skills goes on.
Here is one half of the group listening to Chris give out the notices and start the 'Show and Tell'.

Quilters Cottage Garden

The last two weekends Stewart and I have been in the garden

working hard. We tend to start at the top of our, three quarters of

an acre garden away from the house! and work towards it.

The walk gets shorter but we still have to water some plants/seeds

at the end of the day.

We have started replacing some of the raised beds which

have made dividing the garden into manageable areas

and maintaining vegetable growing easier.

The raised beds need replacing every now and then.

As you can see, these ones we have just put

in The Secret Garden

are quite solid ones this time.

At 2" thick and 8" high.

All painted with plant friendly paint.

We have replanted strawberries, lettuces, herbs and leeks.

Planted seeds and sets of,

Peas,

Runner Beans,

two different types of....

Beetroot,

Lettuce,

Raddish,

Spring Onions,

Potatoes

and

three different types of Onion Sets.

Why the different varities?

We like them not only for flavour but they crop

at different times.

We will plant seeds again in a couple of weeks time in pots,

so we get a continual supply.

We are surrounded by fields and live opposite a Fen land so

everthing in the garden has to be protected from wild animals!

such as Roe and Munc Jack Deer, rabbits, hares, several

different types of birds and of course the usual bugs!

We try natural persuasion with netting,

complimentary bedding plants and perseverance,

so we all get to share nature!

We just love going into the garden and picking

our own food.

The main flower garden which we renovated last year got a

weeding and a mulching of two tons of wood chip,

yes! all man handled by Stewart and myself around all the

flowers and bushes. It saves time in the long run, I don't have

to weed so much!!!

We also delivered a ton of wood chip to Mum's Garden and

did her flower beds too!

We now ache!!!!

See more of of our garden on

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Embellished Flowers

In the afternoon I got to play with the papers

I had made in the morning.

I cut two lots of the postcard sized ones into 1cm

strips and then stuck them onto a piece of lace.

Then, it was lots of free motion machining.

I gathered it all up and then beaded!

I had a wonderful time!

I think it was also because it was a lovely

sunny afternoon and I was able to sit and stitch!

It also reminded me of being a child and

making paper flowers, sticking and stitching

anything together

for presents for my Mum.

I have made varying paper flowers over the years

using similar techniques.

More inspiration can be found with

work by a textile artist, Jill Flower,

You can visit her website at

www.jillflower.co.uk

You may also like these flowers with buttons as centres.

You can also do this technique with any colour paper and

ink stamp the edges, make a hole in the middle and put a

brad through it to hold the petals in place.

Scrunch and arrange as before.

Stamping Background Papers

On Wednesday I went along to the Gallery as a student

for the Cardmaking class with Kim.

This week, we were learning how to make background papers

for our cards and other projects.

Above, you can see just a small selection of the inks, chalks and stamps

we had to choose from.

Kim is such a good tutor, she showed us postcard sized

backgrounds of her own and told us how they were made.

We then were let loose with our blank postcards

and you can see the backgrounds I came up with.

I knew I would be using the papers in the afternoon

so chose a similar colour palette

except for two!

See more cardmaking and collage on my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Stained Glass Patchwork

Just look at the colours in Carol's

Stained Glass Window Patchwork Wall Hanging!

WOW!

Carol has had real patience with this piece.

We've all given her encouragement at different times.

The binding between is less than a quarter of an inch wide

and is sewn either side of it to keep the pieces in place,

almost like applied applique.

Here, we were seeing what colour border to put on and

how many black strip borders to add.

Well done Carol!

Alpaca Inspiration

Nikki's family owns an Alpaca Farm and has many quilts

her Mum made from the woven alpaca wool.

She is making a waistcoat out of the wonderful fabric.

To visit the farm and find out about Alpaca's and their

history visit

www.azsualpacas.co.uk

or visit the Barn Shop

www.alpacabarn.co.uk

Crazy Patchwork Cushion

Brenda enjoys Tuesday afternoon creating work that

she doesn't normally have time to do.

She's making herself some crazywork patchwork cushions.

Here is the top being stitched with embroidery and beading.

See more cushions and crazywork patchwork on

my website

www.art2inspire.co.uk

Mixed Media Trees

Pat is adding the texture to the background fabric, so her trees

become 'grounded',

(see earlier posts by clicking label below, textile trees).

She is sewing on threads and snippets in a circular motion

so there is movement in the piece.

The trees have just been pinned on at this point.

To see where to go next and how much depth

Pat needed to add, I got her to masking tape

the wall hanging to the wall and

then stand at the other end of the room.

Pat, could see, it needed deeper colour stitching, more

circles and where they needed to go.

As you walk nearer the piece you can pick up the details

and richness already there.

Pat worked on it all morning, many more hours to add

but this piece is becoming an outstanding one!

Well done Pat!

I will grab it for it's finish photo soon!!!

See more of what happens @ The Gallery

www.thegallerydereham.co.uk

Gallery Tuesday 5th April 2011

As you probably know by now Gallery Tuesdays

@The Gallery Dereham is always busy and creative.

There are many different projects in process.

Barbara has nearly finished her Cherry Wall Hanging.

This week it was machine quilting and making bias binding.

Now it's sewing the bias on the back, some

hand quilting round the cherries and the leaves,

label and hanging sleeve.

I think it is a really lovely wallhanging.

I say it again " made out of scraps!".

Well done Barbara!

See more Cherry quilts and quilting on my website

by clicking the Cherry image on the right.

Diana's Dresses

Mrs Peggy Umpelby had lots of samples but the ones which were

the most intricate were those on Diana's dresses.

Peggy often made up several samples for the designers and Diana

for them to chose their favourite.

The top sample is from one of her famous State Occasion dresses,

the sample was magnificent, no wonder this became one of

Diana's favourites.

These lower samples were from the 'Elvis' dress as it was called

because of it's raised 'Elvis' type collar.

designed by Catherine Walker and beaded by Peggy

and her team at S.Lock Ltd.

The dress was beaded with thousands of varying sized pearl beads.

The right hand sample is beaded in a quilting/embroidery pattern called

'vermicelli'.

The border which was the hem of the dress has three lines of

bugle beads which is then wrapped stitched with crystal beads.

A lovely way to finish a piece, a technique I think I

would like to use in the future.

See the fantastic You tube video of Diana's dresses.

Wedding Dresses

Peggy still works for Fashion Houses,

beading from her own home in Norfolk,

although she told us she had really retired!

It was very apt with Prince William and Kate's wedding this month

Peggy showed us some wedding dress samples and pictures.

This is a section sample of a recent wedding dress.

the layering of the beads to form flowers are beautiful.

Peggy's Husband sources all her beads and motifs for her from

around the world. Often taking days to find the right ones.

click

Creative Beads for a supplier they use.

Peggy beaded Princess Diana's wedding veil

using over 10,000 3mm pearl sequins.

See this really good article about the dress which mentions Peggy here

www.trindadad.com

View this amazing video to see how some tambour beading is done.

Queen's Dressmaker

Mrs Peggy Umpelby has been beading The Queen's dresses

for over forty years. Mrs Peggy explained that the dresses

come in pieces or lenghts of fabric which then have to

be beaded. It is Peggy's skill at where to bead the beaded design

so that the shape and form of the body and design will look their best.

Tambour Beading is always worked on the reverse of the fabric.

The beader doesn't see the front as they work

often feeling the design as they go.

Peggy explained that it is easier on the sheer fabrics to see! the design

and that a 'pounced' pattern is often put on the

heavier fabric such as taffeta

so it can be followedThe sleeve section above and includes cutwork.

It is one of a pair which replace ones on one of

The Queen's favourite dresses.

See Hardy Amies Royal Exhibition

(use the scroll button on the right of the wedding dress photo on Amies

site to read the information)

and then watch the video which includes some of

Mrs Peggy's work

click

www.hardyamies.com