Monday 17 March 2014

Moving House does NOT mean a Holiday Tina!!!!


Well the rounds of Spring Craft and Stitch shows are drawing to a close but not before one last hoorah at the NEC.  Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch is on from Thursday 20th until Sunday 23rd March - yep that's right this week!  Stands to look out for are Juko Designs who are weavers after my own heart as they like to use as much waste wool as possible in their designs, take a look at their craft bags which are functional as well as beautiful. Another stand which always provides me with inspiration is The Nutmeg Company I love how they use cross stitch in a 3-d way and their kits are really easy to follow, I am no cross stitcher but I was very proud of my Ginger Bread House I stitched for a friend a few years back.  Whilst I do not have a stand at the show I am going to be there as a demonstrator - yes get me!  I will be running a daily workshop using products from Freudenberg Vilene called "The Start of Something" which will use that bubble wrap you cannot ever bear to throw away and tapestry canvas scraps (ditto on the throwing away front!)to create a layered surface which can be stitched into or be the start of a piece where you add your own fabric and more layers. The above piece uses bondaweb and not much else and I am using it as the start of a new tapestry design.  I am very pleased to be doing this workshop and would like to thank Kim Thittichai for giving me the chance to run it at the show! 

So enough of the future I need to mention how great the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show was at Olympia, this show is close to my heart as it was the first large show I had ever done.  Getting ready for BCTF 2014  has meant that I could not commit to stand this time but it was great to visit the show as a regular punter! I was so pleased to see Gilda Baron, she is a fantastic person and this time she had an exhibition space so it was possible to see a lot more of her large scale work. Check out her website, she has so many happy students that if you ever get the chance then do try and enrol in a class or two. My good friend Suraya of Mahliqa was there with her knitted wire jewellery and kits, she has some great new work and I am looking forward to spending some relaxing time with her at BCTF. I watched a great quilt demonstration by Elizabeth Betts of Quilty Pleasures I now know how to finish off a quilt correctly rather than just using my own "method".  Finally Silk Felts, what can I say - a great exhibition based on the mermaids tale.  Provocative, thoughful and downright fun in turns this exhibtion showed just how versatile felt can be - you will be able to catch this exhibition again at Ally Pally and Harrogate later in the year, oh yes and at Dublin too!

I am off now to buy paint and bits for the NEC on Thursday, maybe I will see you there!

Happy Stitching!
Tina

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