My birthday present

My fabulous parents-in-law always give me cash for my birthday, I suppose because I have asked for some quite strange gifts in the past - soldering iron, heat gun, bench drill :) 
I have had my eye on this book for ages, but it was expensive and I have too many books, but I succumbed and spent this years birthday money on Amazon.

My heart beat faster when I opened the book.  It is wonderful, the colours are fantastic, the work is amazing and beautifully photographed.  It has been a long time since I was so inspired by anything.  THANK YOU Jan Messent.


If I have wetted your interest, you can have a look inside the book at Amazon

Quilts for London Olympics

I like the idea of this, make a small quilt, have it displayed and then given to an athlete.  I wonder how many athletes are coming?  I may have to make more than one....

Take That and having a stonking good time

Wembley 4th July.  It started with a whimper. The TT4 came on and sang songs from the in-between years, and they were good, shine especially, but they didn't set the audience on fire, although a few near the stage may have gotten singed :)

Then Robbie smashed through the screen and woke us all up. We all leapt onto our feet, arms in the air, whistled, yelled and sang our heads off.  Then the boys were back. The songs from 'Progress' were brilliant - I wanted more.  I wasn't too enthusiastic about the early stuff, they seemed awkward and ill at ease through that segment.  Why try to go back?  Come on boys, what's done is done!

The set was interesting,  I loved the dance off between Howard and Jason, with the chess pieces.  The Robot Man clearly wasn't working but that didn't matter.  Those boys don't need fancy gimmicks to entertain us, they are good enough just on their own. 


We were a long way from the stage, but right at the front of our block so had a wonderful view of everything going on. 


We had a fanstastic journey back, walked to the tube station along with 85000 others, but it was a moving crowd and it only took about 15 minutes to get on a tube. It was an impressive sight watching the huge number of people swarming towards one staircase, but it was perfectly organised.  We switched trains at Liverpool street and walked straight onto the tube to Newbury Park, our chauffeur drove up as we walked out of the station.  Home by 3am. 
 

I still adore Marc, he struts his stuff and sings his heart out.  Robbie can hold 85000 people in thrall all by himself.  Families had gone to be entertained by Take That, but the women had gone to see Robbie.     

We had glittery stickers, Sue chose the pink one so you can't see it too well.  We were a pair of old dears having a good time. We weren't half tired on Tuesday :)

Book bag and Momoyama holdall

I bought a mans pure wool overcoat in a charity shop recently.  I really enjoyed taking it apart and have a nice pile of black wool and some buttons for next to nothing.  I used some to make this book bag.  It has long handles so it can be thrown over the shoulder and a magnetic closure.  It is a present for someone.

A friend recommended this book.  She loves Japanese fabrics whilst I am forever on the search for a good bag pattern.  I made the Hoko bag a while ago, this time I had a go at the Momoyama holdall. 

Making the pieced panel took ages, (mostly because I couldn't make up my mind which fabrics to use).  But the instructions are easy to follow and the bag works.  I will make more of these because I can see they will be useful. 

Hepworth Wakefield

This block of concrete is the new Barbara Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.  Inside is definately better than outside!  Finding the museum is easy, finding the entrance to the car park is a major expedition as all the brown road signs lead anywhere but towards it.  The bridge across to the museum is long and it moves - if you have a nervous disposition don't go over on a windy day.  However there are interesting things to see from up there ..

Like this sunken boat amongst other more upright ones.



No photography allowed inside the Gallery but lots of exhibits, from Barbara Hepworth of course, but also Henry Moore, and more modern artists.  Also work by Ben Nicholson, Mondrian and works by other modern artists.  Well worth the time to visit, entrance is free. 

If you are going to Wakefield then be sure to pop to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (just off Junction 38 M1) where there are more Henry Moore sculptures to see, lots of other exhibits set in a lovely country park with sheep.  Free entry too. And all surrounded by the wonderful Yorkshire countryside.  I am not biased.  Much.

Creatively wise, I have been making bags.  Some more successful than others.  None totally original - Group photo to follow.  On a happy little note, one of lifes little mishaps meant that I missed my Take That concert in Manchester and I mourned.  Happily I have now secured two more tickets and will be off to Wembley with an equally wrinkly friend soon.  Our birthday present to ourselves. 

Taster class

I went to the Wool Day at unique cottage studios and embarked on a taster session with David at strawberryglass
I chose 5 pieces of glass offcuts and arranged them.  Then we smoothed the edges, applied copper foil and soldler.  As easy as that!  Hahaha.  With some repair help from David, I managed the piece opposite.  The design faults are mine.  I need lots of practice but I do like soldering so will make sure I get plenty.

Sempringham

St Gilbert of Sempringham  founded an Abbey.     Princess Gwenllian daughter of  Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last ruling Price of Wales before the English conquest (also known as Llywelyn the last) was taken to the Abbey when she was 18 months old and kept there until she died aged 54.

Until recently she didn't even have a memorial.  
















The church is all that is left of the Abbey complex now, even the original village has disappeared.  It is a strange looking church, with two definate halves, and evidence of major alterations in the stonework.

This is one of the gargoyles high on the tower

This Mutant Ninja Turtle was on another corner of the tower.

I searched around the ancient grave yard and found lots of poignant images including this treasure, a winking sun bathing angel.

I was playing with my new camera.