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Textile Therapy

My Indigo Sister, Blandina, posted today about her stitching and included a link to the work of Wendy Golden-Levitt on textiles as children's therapy.  I was so moved by and impressed with the article I am sharing it here:

textile therapy

http://handeyemagazine.com/content/hope-arrived-yesterday

Have a good weekend, we are with Daddy to mark his 80th birthday, I won't say "celebrate" as he really isn't in a place to have a happy birthday but 80 years on this earth needs more than a passing mention.

WIPs

I've been quietly working on two pieces of stitching, both of which stem from my trip to Japan last year (how long ago that seems now).  The boro cloth is made up of lots of sample pieces of the various techniques we learned with Bryan and the silk panel was dyed using material found at Fuji-san and is embroidered with threads given to me by my friends in Japan.  They are both pieces full of memories and I am enjoying creating them.  There is no rush, just a few stitches at a time.  Today I hope to have the plaster cast removed from my foot and, if healing is progressing well, I shall be more mobile.  The healing is like the stitching, a project, patience is required and I cannot be in a rush.

Julie Fukuda

Julie Fukuda who blogs at http://myquiltdiary.blogspot.co.uk and who I had the joy of spending a day with when I was in Japan last year has given me permission to share this wonderful video of some of her work and thoughts with you.

Julie is an incredible lady who achieves more in a single day than most of us have time for in a week (or even a month).  Enjoy the video and do visit Julie on her blog and see the amazing things (not just quilting-related) that she does.

LEMON AID from michio nagata on Vimeo.

Shopping

Here are some of the goodies I brought home from the Springfields Quilt Show

 This Liberty lawn and furry fabric are going to be a summer case for my MacBook Air

 This piece of London map printed 80% linen was an impulse buy....

it may become a cushion

 These five FQs were a "special" and will probably become a bag

 I went somewhat crazy at the Images of Egypt stand, lots of potential here

And, of course, I had to buy a basket to hold all my goodies.

Finished!

I have finished the little landscape I started in the workshop with Linda Turner at the Springfields Quilt Show on Friday and am sharing it as I promised.  Markel Paintsticks on cotton, simple hand stitching and the words are from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem, "The Lady of Shalott".

Springfields Quilt Show 2013

Ros did sterling work yesterday as driver in charge of my wheelchair and we hardly crashed into anything.  We both thoroughly enjoyed the Spring Quilt Show at Springfields in Spalding, the first show organised by Grosvenor at this venue.  I hope it become a regular fixture in their calendar.  A date has been published for next year:  30 - 31 May 2014.  It wasn't a massive show but it was big enough, we were there all day and saw everything, shopped and did a great workshop with Linda Turner.  Just right I thought.  The catering was varied and good value, the lighting was fine and there was plenty of room to enjoy the quilts on display.  I spoke to a couple of traders who were a bit disappointed with sales yesterday so I hope they have a better day today and are willing to come back to Spalding next year.  If I had a criticism it would be that the quilts weren't hung as professionally as I would expect, some were very crowded together (for example in the first picture below) and some were "ruched" up.  I thought you'd like to share the day, so here goes:

Linda Turner had an exhibition of some of her wonderful quilts, mainly landscapes.  Apologies for the angle of some of my photographs and, as ever, if you appear in one of my pictures but would prefer not to be on my blog, please email me and I'll remove the photograph.

This quilt, "Reflections" uses the technique we learned in our one hour workshop with Linda, using Markel Paintsticks on fabric to create landscapes.

 Brushing the oil paint onto the fabric using a torn edge of paper as a stencil line.

 An example of Linda's work - I'll share mine when I've finished the stitching.

I was impressed with the work of two other quilters in particular, the incredible appliqué and quilting of Liz Jones and the beautifully textured, embellished work of Sally Holman:

 Sally Holman and Janet Cook, "Streak of Lightning"

 Liz Jones, "Shadowland"

 Liz Jones, "Feathered to the Nines"

 Liz Jones, "Tudor Rose"

 Some of Sally Holman's lovely work inspired by the coastline of Norfolk:

To finish my report from the Springfields Quilt Show, this lovely homage to Jane Austen, made by Bee Barford for the South West Quilters' Chairman's Challenge 2013, "As the saying goes..."  

The quilt is titled, "It is a Truth Universally Acknowledged, That a Single Man in Possession of a Good Fortune, Must Be in Want of a Wife", inspired by Austen's coverlet at her home in Chawton, Hampshire.  The central swans were made by Bee, who has only been quilting for two years, in Russian tape lace.

Today I'm having a quiet day, watching the webcam of the Peregrine falcon chicks on the spire of Norwich Cathedral, one of four left to fledge:  http://upp.hawkandowl.org/norwich-peregrines/live-peregrine-web-cam-2013/

No Words Required

A Fortnight in Photographs

We had a few days away in Norfolk.  

Grandad and Sam enjoyed the sunshine.

Sam tried out my crutch.

We went on a boat trip on the Broads.

And didn't let Sam escape overboard.

We had fish and chips for lunch.

And fed the ducks.

We went to the Apple Store in Norwich.

And enjoyed the playground in Gold Park.

We had yummy ice cream.

And tried out the exercise machines in the village.

A sea fret came in and blocked out the sun on the coast.

We went to the lighthouse at Happisburgh.

The countryside is green and alive.

Nature is claiming back this building.

Maybe a quilt design?

I'm still resting my foot, it is in its plaster cast and my appointment to see the surgeon has been put back until 17th June - my foot is getting very itchy!

This weekend I am planning to go to the quilt show at Springfields in Spalding, it's a new show in the Grosvenor calendar.  A dear friend has agreed to both drive me to Spalding and push me around in a wheelchair - I think I will owe her lunch at least.  Watch out for another photo-heavy post about the show.

Mr and Mrs Paul, my DS and DDiL, are coming for lunch on Sunday, it'll be the first time I've seen them since their wedding so I'm pretty excited!

Summer seems to have arrived in England, hooray, hooray.  I shall take my laptop out into the garden tomorrow and catch up on emails and blogs (no broadband at our bach in Norfolk), apologies if you have felt ignored while I've been away.

I have been doing some stitching, especially on my Fuji-san piece, I'll share soon.