Braintree Exhibitions

I've had SUCH a lovely day today. I decided to drive over to Braintree to see "EAST 13" the latest exhibition of work by East Anglia Stitched Textiles at Braintree District Museum, and "A Walk On The Wild Side" by O2 Textiles at the Town Hall.

Libby Smith was stewarding at the Museum, and kindly said that I could include photographs of her beautiful work on my blog - thanks Libby! She is working with recycled vintage fabrics and haberdashery to produce wonderful works of art, inspired by the idea that fabrics and notions absorb memories from the past. This is a close up of one of the dresses -

and two pretty pairs of dainty shoes - I love the suspenders at the front!

We had to leave the exhibition in a hurry as unfortunately the fire alarm went off, but we were standing in the sunshine, and then the firemen arrived - so every cloud ......

Anyway, it was a false alarm thankfully, so after a cup of coffee I went back in and took photographs.

I then made my way across the road to the Town Hall and visited the O2 exhibition. More inspirational and lovely work. These two pieces were made by Wendy Greene who was stewarding today. I love the combination of Fuchsia and Lime.

I've come back full of ideas for my C& G pieces - must get my sketchbook out! Having both exhibitions on at the same time made for a great day out (they both finish on Saturday 11th, so you'll have to be quick if you haven't been yet). On the way home I called in to Blake End Craft Centre to get some "essentials" from the patchwork shop - well, you have to, don't you? The sun continued to shine on the way home so had the roof down and sunglasses on and sang all the way back with Brucie (Springsteen, not Forsyth - I do have SOME standards!)

I must have an early night for a change, in preparation for a couple of very busy days - I am on the Art Van Go stand at Alexandra Palace tomorrow and Saturday - wish me luck - and don't forget to say 'hello' if you're passing.

STOP PRESS - more cooking!

I completely forgot - I've been cooking again! This is becoming a nasty habit. I made some Tomato, Apple and Celery Soup from a Delia recipe. (Well, I didn't do all the messing about with greaseproof paper that the recipe demanded, I just chopped the stuff up and chucked it in a big pan with vegetable stock - you can take all this cooking nonsense TOO seriously you know) Anyway, it's really lovely - definitely tastes like soup. Probably made all the tastier by the fact that the apples I used were from the Queen's garden at Sandringham. My parents brought them down last weekend - the apples that is, not the Royals.

Mum and Dad live quite close to Sandringham, and - much as we've tried - we've never been able to stop my Dad from going scrumping. And he looks so innocent.....

The Week in Brief

Oh dear - a week has gone by with no update. It's been a busy seven days - working at AVG on Monday and Tuesday, then the second session of my City and Guilds course on Wednesday. We had another lovely day - this time we took our sewing machines and did some free machining. The samples I've done so far aren't particularly photogenic, but when I have done my homework (mustn't lag behind - teacher might be reading this!) I will post some if I think they deserve it!

On Thursday I was a bit of a visiting tutor myself, helping a lovely 80 year old lady called Edie with some patchwork. She is partially sighted but that hasn't stopped her buying a super new machine and trying free machine embroidery, and now stained glass patchwork. She is really lively and is a great inspiration. Hope I still have her love of life and enthusiasm when I'm 80! Oh, and she'd like to meet a man - so if you know of any lively 80 year old men .....

Friday was Pilates, which really seems to be helping my back - I recommend it if you suffer with yours - then in the evening I went to help my friend Rosie (coincidentally also my Pilates teacher, and the singer in Sweet Sister, the band I "manage") to recover her sofa.

(That is, we were making a new cover for it, not rescuing it from kidnappers or anything)

Yesterday I was working at Leyton Orient - they drew 2-2 with Scunthorpe. I think the result could have been slightly disastrous, had they not been assisted by the fact that Scunthorpe's goalie was sent off in the second half. Then made a mad dash back home, (obviously observing all speed limits) to get ready for the County Hall Cricket Club Dinner and Dance. I didn't get in until 6.15pm, and was showered, dressed and ready to go out by 6.45. How's that - from Match Day Loggist to Babe in 30 minutes. Not bad for an old bird.

Had a great night dancing to a load of old records (obviously an 'age-appropriate' disco). Although if my gig mates ever find out that I was dancing to Take That - I will never live it down!

Tonight I'm off to a Green Onions evening - Ska and Reggae - in Hertford. Diverse musical tastes or what?

Nigella - eat your heart out

Just a very quick post to say I just made white chocolate and raspberry muffins. Perhaps not a MASSIVE deal in the grand scheme of things, but those of you who know me will realise quite what an achievement it is. They look like cakes and everything!

In fact, I seem to be having a very good week. I heard a couple of days ago that our local Post Office has been saved, after they had threatened to close it, and then on Wednesday night Tesco's planning application to extend, and thereby destroy the centre of our town, was turned down. I'm so pleased, it just goes to show what a few grumpy old men and women can do when we put our minds to it. Power to the people!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

I bet you thought I'd given up already, didn't you?

I've been visiting my cousin Annie in Bournemouth for a few days - and weren't we lucky with the weather. Had a great time, went on a boat trip around Poole Harbour yesterday. According to the chap doing the commentary - and I have no reason to doubt him - Poole is the second largest natural harbour in the world, beaten only by Sydney in Australia. We circled Brownsea Island, which is where Baden-Powell founded the Scout movement. The island was also a favourite of Enid Blyton, and is referred to as Whispering Island in the Famous Five and Secret Seven books. What a mine of useless information I'm turning out to be.

Just to prove that the sun was shining down on us on the boat, here's a shot of Brownsea island from the boat:-

After lunch, we went for a wander around Sandbanks, home of many a millionaire, and I was hoping to buy a big property when I won 100 million quid on the Euro Lottery, but unfortunately my numbers didn't come up. I was so sure as well - I'd even lashed out on TWO tickets.
Today we had a walk into Boscombe and strolled along the pier, then walked back along the beach. As you can see, it was lovely today too, although I'm not convinced it would have been warm enough for me to go swimming in the sea.

I think I probably picked two of the best days this summer to go to the seaside, or maybe it's true what they say about the sun shining on the righteous.

Annie has spent the weekend trying to persuade me to go to Glastonbury again next year - but I don't think my memory of the mud/constant rain/toilets at Glasto' 2007 has sufficiently faded for me to agree to it just yet. Maybe in another ten, fifteen years.

Had a very slow drive home, due to accidents on the M25 - I left at 3pm and didn't get home until 8pm - stopping only briefly at Sainsbury's to buy provisions as my Mum and Dad are coming to lunch tomorrow. I may even make cakes !!!!

Beads, beads and more beads

Had a great day on Sunday - I went to the Bead Fair at Hatfield House on Sunday with my friend Pam http://textilegroupie.blogspot.com/ Had a really lovely day wandering round, and buying the odd bead or two (thousand). Haven't done anything with them yet but have lots of ideas. Especially pleased with a kit I bought from Beadsisters http://www.beadsisters.co.uk/ - a Byzantine chain maille kit for a bracelet with silver, black and pink jump rings. Also bought some black rubber jump rings for another chain maille bracelet. I have tried a bit of chain maille jewellery before, but these kits are really unusual - like nothing else I've seen - and they were such lovely helpful people too. I think this will have to be my next project. Will post a photo when it's finished. Watch this space!

After leaving Hatfield, I just had time to visit one of the Herts Open Studios at Long Barn Workshop in Benington, an exhibition of Textiles, Paintings and Mixed Media by seven local artists. Really worth seeing and I recommend a visit there if you are not too far away. The Open Studios continues until 5th October.

Today was a working day at Art Van Go - and while I was there I treated myself to a tube of Reduran hand cleaner - so will no longer have to walk about with Brusho stained hands! But thanks for the other helpful suggestions.

Not work on a Saturday!

Oh dear, I really didn't want to get up early and and go to work this morning. Ears still ringing from last night, but then that's a sign of a good gig. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures that I took (nice arms, by the way)

And then, just to prove that I did get to work -
Unfortunately Orient lost 3-1 to Leicester, but I don't really think I can be blamed for that. I am intending to go to the Bead Fair at Hatfield House tomorrow so let's hope the weather stays good!

Can I go to sleep now please?