Cute and Creepy

I just crocheted Nosferatu from my new book. What do you reckon?!

on the doorstep

You know how easy it is to make a special journey to see something and then of course, when something equally interesting is happening on the doorstep it somehow gets overlooked? Well, today was a fine example of that.

I was working in Gloucester, somewhere I go regularly and where I park in the WI office, down the road from the City Museum and Library. I knew there was a textile exhibit on there sometime soon, because I had been asked if I planned a visit. But of course, I had forgotten. Not only that, but I must have walked past that museum entrance several times in the last couple of weeks without even noticing it was on.

Until today.

My meeting had finished earlier than anticipated. I was walking back to my car when I spotted the poster for Quilt Art 22, so I headed inside and through the dusty. dreary museum and upstairs to the "temporary exhibitions" gallery.

Oh my, this is not exactly an inviting venue, but nevertheless, how pleased I was to have the exhibition to myself, not a soul in sight. not only that, but I had the time to stand and look as long as I wanted.

I thought the exhibits themselves interesting in that there was colour! Lots of it. Plenty of stitch too. Some exhibits were, in my opinion, rather overdone or a little heavyhanded in places, but others really thrilled me with the attention to detail and fine stitching. I love Sandra Meech's work, not only for the painterly design but for the small, inventive areas - the little red outlines on black and white, the coloured areas which contrast so well with the monochrome background. Amazing.

I was also delighted to see Linda Colsh on the list of contributors as I went up the stairs to the gallery. I "knew" Linda from those good ol' Compuserve days and have swapped samples and done challenges with her from time to time. We shared a class at the European Meeting Point for Quilters at Rolduc a few years back, when it was clear she was in another league from many of us working in that same room. So, when I glanced around the room, spotted a piece of work which immediately grabbed my attention and went over to look more closely at it, I jumped up and down when I spotted it was Linda's!

I gladly bought a copy of the small but fascinating book which accompanies the exhibition and devoured a fair bit of it whilst a few Eastern European chaps cleaned and polished my car on the way home! (the book had far more visual appeal, believe me!) I especially enjoyed reading of how these pieces of work had come about, learning more of each artists design process and method of working and of course, having a good record of who had done what.

Finally, the piece which hung quietly and beautifully by the entrance to the exhibition was by the late Rita Humphry, whose classes for Stroud Embroiderers were always full (Rita's Whirlies) and whose exquisite work is testament to a generous and talented lady. I used her quilt as my picture of the day, today.

Out and about

Well, I know that some were dying to know about last night - so here is an unusual photograph of the Nippy. I say unusual because of course, one of the benefits of taking photographs is that one is seldom seen...

But, thanks to Marion, who took this one, you can glimpse yours truly in all her glory. As for the nails - well, that manicure was too expensive to dismiss for one evening, so this was one Nippy who got her wrists slapped!

It was a fun party and in true 1930s style, following the example set at one of their earlier parties, each guest was given a piece of cake and a potato to take home. The potato came in a paper bag, complete with black plastic sack and instructions of what to do next. Great idea...and since I've never, ever grown a potato before, something fun to do.

Today, we were in Bath for a while. We enjoyed browsing shops but most of all, being in one of our favourite cities, probably for the last time before the tourists all go home again. It's not a place to go in Summer due to the large groups of youngsters there on language courses and the like. Today they were very much in evidence but not overwhelming, thank goodness.

We ate our delicious picnic lunch sitting on the lawn with a fine view, even if we were on the wrong side of the haha.

But it wasn't really quite so deserted, for just behind us, on parle Francais.

This afternoon we made our way to Tyntesfield. Our first visit - though we've been meaning to go for ages.

As I saw this little place in the grounds, I thought it would feature well in one of those TV property programmes - anyone fancy it?

Oh, and on the way to Tyntesfield, we stopped at Get Knitted for me to buy some cotton yarn. I found a book in Bath and though I can't really crochet, I have intentions of making several projects from it.

Well, you know what I'm like from my profile!

Revealed

Can I take your order now?

Getting ruffled

I've been invited to a party tomorrow, to celebrate a 75th birthday. The invitation suggests that guests wear clothes of the 1930's era. For reasons best known to myself, I've decided that I will be a Nippy for the evening, so this afternoon I grabbed an old cotton sheet and began to sew.

The apron was easy. Half an hour and it was done. A quick spray of starch and it looks quite good. But then I had the cap to tackle. All of those ruffles! I muttered to Mark that I felt sure I had a ruffler foot for my trusty Bernina 1630 somewhere, if only I could remember how to use it.

Thanks to Sue, of Sue's Sewing Palace, Helena, MT, I have a set of Bernina "Footsteps" worksheets, each detailing exactly how to fit and use the fancy feet. Oh boy, did I need that sheet, because fitting the thing wasn't exactly straightforward.

But just five minutes later, there I was, happily ruffling away with not a care in the world! Wow - once again, Bernina wins through. How I love my machine!

And, since I'm working on the use of a little digital camera to record short videos to upload to a website right now, I strapped my little gorillapod to dangle off the top of my sewing machine and here we are, complete with (loud) sound effects.


As for the complete Nippy outfit, it may be unveiled tomorrow. Watch this space.