East Anglian Fabric Trail

Last Saturday I met up with Charlotte from Lincolnshire and Frances from Essex.  It was the perfect day ... brilliant sunshine and fabric.  We managed to pack in a lot!  Too much really - we were a bit over ambitious and only managed to get an hour in Cambridge.  The rest of the time was spent at King's Lynn and Downham Market but there was more than enough there.  The story is best told in pictures ...

Frances and Charlotte

Frances and me!

Here we all are meeting outside the Fent Shop, King's Lynn....an hour or so here and then on to Downham Market...

At the SewInn, Downham Market

Maureen runs the Sew Inn and  is a mine of information about anything and everything sewing!  She is a wonderful resource.  Needless to say, we stocked up here!

Time for a bit of posing outdoors!  We wore either red, white and blue or a royally inspired outfit - too hot for jackets though...

End of the day and tired but happy!....

I'M IN SEW MAGAZINE!!!!!

On the reader's page, in the June Jubilee edition.  I'm so excited about it, as they've printed my blog address and two photographs as well as a little written up piece about fabric recycling (and I've won a tenner ... which will get spent when I'm in Manchester next).  They've printed my Duvet Dress and Tablecloth Dress.  It's a good value magazine as there's also a free Lisette pattern with it.

How exciting is that!!!!!

City and Guilds Module 3

This is the module where the sampling begins and seems to be what City & Guilds is mainly about.  In addition to the below examples, there are also exercises in increases – mass and for edges – decreases, also chevrons, embroidery on knitting, edgings – specifically a bell edging and also simple intarsia and the joining in of yarns.  It all involves a lot of work and the presentation has to be spot on too with everything blocked and all the loose ends darned in.  but I'm enjoying stretching my skills and finding out about things I'd never usually think about.  I'm studying with Knit Design Online, http://www.knitdesignonline.com/. 

Design work includes manipulating line, lines in design – including knitted lines.  There is an exercise on landscape and selecting inspiration for design from landscape images.  Printing exercises.  This all serves as an introduction to the design for craft element of the course which runs alongside the knitting aspect.  Design for craft is included in all City & Guilds creative craft courses. I'm really looking forward to all of the design elements later on in the course.  

My colour inspiration for the below was an image of one of these chameleons - I found this picture on the web but don't know the source ......

Knitting round corners ....

Sideways knitting ...

Tulip Land

I wasn't lucky enough to sell my Beach Huts picture at Grimston this time, but look what I saw on the way back home!  Inspiration for another painting ...  For those who I've been promising a photograph of the miles and miles of land around here, this is what it can be like ...

 

Lucky Me!

To add to the selection of goodies I've received this past couple of weeks, I've just won this pattern and cute felt pompom ring from Magpie Mimi!  I never win giveaways but I've just been proved wrong.  Thanks so much Mimi.  I already have just the fabric for it stashed away.  Watch this space ...

Treats from Tina!

Lovely Tina Crossgrove over at The Sew Weekly, who also blogs at Down the Retro Rabbithole, sent me these things in the recent pattern swap.  The pattern is definitely 'me' and I love how I can make up my own design from it.  Some of the buttons are from her grandmothers collection, so truly vintage.  Thanks Tina, I'm honoured!

Fenland Sunset

I just had to share this ...

Celebration of Art 2012 - Grimston

Over this Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, there is an exhibition in Grimston, just outside King's Lynn, near the Sandringham Estate.  It's in the parish church there.  Over 100 East Anglian artists are exhibiting and I have my beach hut picture there.  I hung it last weekend and had a sneaky preview of some of the other exhibits...

The orange squares contain a little biography of each artist



Mouthwatering limes...



Good enough to eat...

Very impressive watercolour

Juicy!

I think my work leans more towards 'decorative' rather than realistic...anyway, it's a bit of fun and I'm looking forward to going to see it this weekend in the actual exhibition.  There's usually some live music there and tea and cake too, so all in all, a good day out.  Just a few images of the church...