bowl mark 2

I learned things which I really already knew.  Quite important, if you want good satin stitch, use a good quality fine embroidery thread!  This bowl had a vilene product as it's base, it looks like pelmet vilene but is soft, more like felt.   Tina calls it fat vilene, I will try to find out what it really is called.  In the meantime everyone at Stitchcraft is buying 'fat vilene'.    The bowl was a bit floppy even with two layers of bondaweb, so I also added medium weight iron on interfacing.  It is nice and tactile but has body.  I will be teaching how to make this bowl on 13th September if you are in the area :)

Today I made a huge purchase.  I bought ..... 3 half yards of GREEN cotton fabric.  I feel quite ill but if I am going to be making flower bowls I do need it.  I also got a reel of the same colour aurifil thread.  I will be having nightmares tonight.  Murphy got new squeaky balls, I am getting a headache already and I have only been in for 10 minutes :)

bowling along

I isn't a good bowl, there are 1000 mistakes and bad stitching here, but as a trial I am happy.

I have a copy of Linda Johansen's book fast, fun and easy irresist-a-bowls and adapted one of her patterns to make mine.  Lindas instructions are clear and easy to follow, sadly most of the bowls pictured aren't included.  Happily I rarely follow instructions so went along in my own way.  Hence the bad stitching ;)  The next one will be loads better, I now know which bits to sew first, which to bond and most importantly, which thread to use for the satin stitching.  Lessons learned.  I did learn that I need green fabric. sigh!

been dyeing

in two ways.

Kizzie saw a cat, Kizzie chased the cat, I held the lead.  Sigh.  I got away with bruised ribs and skinned knees with a full compliment of embarrassment as I sat in a puddle in the rain.    Confined to the house for a few days whilst I winced and moaned I did some playing with fabric and dye.

I bunged the fabric into a small pot (lined with plastic bag).  poured dye over.  waited 10 minutes and then added soda.  Left for 24 hours.  ok ok, I used old dye that had been sitting mixed with water for a few months.  So most of the colour washed out, but I did get these lovely pastels and I love love love them.  I can see that I need one or two more pinks and I have to use up that old dye so why not.  I may need a green too

When I wake up
and I see bright blue sky
it is a happy day

When I wake up
and I see flat grey sky
it is a happy day

'Cos I woke up.......

Sit and Stitch

Every Wednesday a group of ladies of a certain age turn up at Stitchcraft Studios in Grantham and enjoy a day sewing, embroidering, chatting etc, just doing our own thing.  We have lunch in the attached eatery and tea and coffee on tap.  I have made new friends since joining and now I can't imagine not being able to go (well I can, but there would be stroppery).
It costs £5 for the day (drinks free but lunch is extra), no pre-booking needed, just turn up and enjoy.  Everyone is welcome no matter how young you are, we are friendly and we don't bite :) 

The only drawback to the day is the proximity to the shop and the fab stuff inside.  It takes extreme willpower to resist..

sad day

Over 8 years ago my friend Rachel and I opened up a new group on Yahoo. 

ClothPaperStudio came about because there wasn't a group doing what we wanted to do.  We collected over 800 members and for a time were very active with our swaps and challenges and information sharing.

Then life happened.  With the owners, and our amazing moderator Sue unable to devote the time needed to keep the group buzzing, we decided to allow the group to go.
It has been a wonderful few years, I flew to America to meet Rachel and Diane (twice) and they in turn came to England.  We have become best friends and I predict more flying across the Atlantic in our futures. 

Bye bye ClothPaperStudio.  I will miss you