ON THE (Right) ROAD AGAIN!

Ooh dear, been a while again hasn't it?  I hope you haven't all gone away to be friends with someone more  prolific and reliable.  

Had a lovely day out with Gina yesterday at the Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch Show at the NEC.  (Look, don't say anything to Gina, but a quick word of advice -  if she ever offers to navigate for you, just get yourself a SatNav)  I'm just joking really - we only went very slightly wrong, and it was definitely a team effort.

Besides, her job of navigator was really just a secondary role.  Her primary task for the day was to act as 'Purse Police' so that I didn't spend too much, as is usually the case.  And it worked- I was very restrained by my standards and I only bought this little selection

Four little bits of gorgeous silk fabric from here, three bags of sequins, a roll of batik-y type fabric, some cobwebby synthetic stuff (not sure what I wanted that for but it was only 1.50 a metre, so it'll be cheap to experiment with/forget-about&lose) and a Vintage Vogue pattern (although that came free with a trial subscription for two issues of a magazine, so was a bargain)  There was one other thing but that's going to be a present so I'm not telling you about that, although I'll try to remember to show you when it's made some time in the future.  

My sister says she's very impressed and Gina is obviously a very good influence on me.

We spent quite a lot of time looking at the exhibititors' work - we had a long chat to Lynda Monk who was demonstrating some brilliant techniques on her stand - really want to do another workshop with her soon, and also to Laura and Linda Kemshall - I wish my sketchbooks looked like theirs.

We were both taken with this outfit which was made by a fashion student.  

I'd love to tell you her name and which college she was from but I'm afraid she wasn't on the stand and I don't know.  Anyway, we spoke to her tutor (I think it was Warwickshire College but I'm not certain) and the outfit was apparently made from a pair of old curtains - the coat was cream coloured jacquard fabric that had been machine couched with pink thread, and was lined with the curtain lining. The neckline of the dress was edged with free machine lace.  Really lovely - and certainly doesn't look like upcycled curtains.  

A really lovely show - although not sure how the NEC can justify £1.80p for a cup of tea, without milk or sugar.  Maybe I should take my own teabags next time.

And what else have I been doing?  Well I made a couple of these

one of which I gave to my friend Val for her birthday, and I made this (poorly photographed) bracelet at our post-C&G embroidery group, using Aquabond, machine-made braids and free machining.

The Embroidery Group With No Name now DOES have a name - we are going to be called SPECTRUM (See, this is why I don't get anything done, I'm too busy 'colouring in' on here) Some time ago we had initially come up with 'Tension' for want of any other inspiration,  but none of us liked that, and in fact some of us positively hated it - I couldn't bring myself to write 'Tension Group' in my diary for fear that anyone seeing it would think I belonged to a self-help group for stressed women of a certain age.  Anyway, we're SPECTRUM now.  Sorted.

On The Road Again - Canned Heat