Is it a bird? is it a plane?...

photo - teamconfetti.nl

Black dog treasury...

all items from etsy - storm clouds - AnaPontesPhotography / hand - LupenGrainne / girls face - carydrexl / window - next2hector / shadowed girl - unknown / blurred girl - jenipenni / water - GordanaPhoto / man - RetrogradeAmnesia / girl - EmmainWonderland / pills - TKDART / hand - TheBrightHeart / phone - SeaLilyStudio  / pendant - lyricallady / figure - 1000crows / sunrise - observingnature / doll in hand - MonkEyGstudio

Sashiko stitch...

Sashiko... meaning literally little stabs, is a Japanese form of simple decorative stitching traditionally used to repair cloth, but often used for purely decorative purposes in quilting and embroidery.

photo - from Mai on Flickr.com

I close my eyes and I can fly treasury...

all items from etsy - clouds - AnaPontesPhotography / flying birds - HelensJournal / rain - BreeMadden / sea - FrancesPhotography / grey clouds - dorataya / head - Fairiegoodmother/ umbrella - StaticMovement/ painting - AndrejaHojnikGallery / eyes - Indounik / shawl - Shovava / birds - LaMiaCasa / swallow bird - artsdesirable / diver - Fairiegoodmother / leaping figure - hopeimages / feather - moonlightphotography / landscape - SeeWorldThruMyEyes

quiet...

and

all

at

once,

summer

collapsed

into

autumn

The knitting and stitching show 2014...

A bit of a late post on the knitting and stitching show at Alexandra Palace

Last Friday I went to the knitting and stitching show with a friend. This is the third or fourth time we've been, and there's so much to see we always split up to look round at things that personally interest us, then meet up for lunch to show each other anything we've bought.

We both like the exhibition hall which this year seemed to have fewer exhibits on show and more sellers, but some of the displays were absolutely stunning.

Jo Beattie's 'Precious Memories Exhibition' was so beautiful I bought one of her smaller works, although I won't be getting hold of it until November as it's off to a show in Dublin. 

'Memories are those precious moments that tell our story'

Her work is a reflection on memories of people we love and how we associate them with what they wear. Their patterns and colours are embedded into our memory and become inseparable from our image of them. Our patterns and colours determine not only our character and how we want to be perceived by others but define us in a time, place and culture.

Her most recent work uses shadow to reflect the image of our patterns and identity. She is interested in the way her artworks enhance the idea of a memory by having a shadow of the image reflected onto a plain background a distance away from the actual work. This enables the shadow to become larger and more defined. The work is produced in anyway that best creates the atmosphere she is trying to evoke, predominantly using machine stitch with see through backgrounds such as wire mesh to allow shadows to become an integral part of the work.

 'The Playground'

'Separation' is a homage to soldiers and their wives separated from each other by war. 

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Some beautiful Julie Arkell figures...

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Body Knowing... 'Heads' - Jean Bennett

'Contained' - Jean Bennett

'Scapegoat' - Jean Bennett

'Shame' - Jean Bennett

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'Eynsham Morris' - Sue Latimer

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Digital imprisonment: 'Life on the inside' - Molly Williams

A woven, layered and felted textile.

Time for tea 1939...

A bed maker enjoys a cup of tea at Cambridge University

photograph - Gerti Deutsch  

R.E.M...

Solitude...

Inspiration comes to us slowly and quietly … prime it with a little solitude - Brenda Ueland

painting - Nella Marchesini

Breakfast in Britain 1976...

The inimitable Morecambe and Wise breakfast sketch 1976

Este MacLeod...

Have you seen my donkey?

Midsummer

Melting snow

Mother goose

I've just come across these wonderful paintings by Este MacLeod

and would be very happy with any of them! 

We British have always had the ability to laugh at ourselves...

The inimitable Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett in the 'sailor gals' sketch 1971 - 1987

Our new flag ?

Sweets for my sweet...

OK I don't remember some of these, they must have been before my time,

and as I used to live in a sweet shop I have to own up to having helped myself to several of them,

but the ones whose packaging I recognise from then are;

Rowntrees fruit gums boxes - Rolo - Fry's 5 centre - Black Magic - Cadbury's Dairy Milk Flat Twenty box - Bassett's Jelly Babies - Picnic - Mars bar - Spangles - Cadbury's Fruit & Nut bar - polo - Maltesers box - Rowntree's Fruit Gums tube - Caramac - Fry's Pepermint bar - Cadbury's Milk Tray block (I loved the green barrel, a small box of Milk Tray cost I think 2/6d)  - Fry's Chocolate Creams box - Toblerone - Cadbury's Roses Chocolates box - Opal fruits - Smarties box.

Although I know some of the others... Kit Kat - Aero - Crunchie - Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts - Fry's Turkish Delight, I don't recognise their packaging, there are also quite a few things missing from this picture.

If I could bagsy one now...

think it would be...

the fry's 5 centre as I don't think they make it any more.

OK, you've got one bagsy, when it's gone it's gone, so what would you choose?

  

Poetry in motion treasury...

All items from etsy - book pages photo - seeingstars / papercut initial - FolkArtPapercuts / scarf - / girl in veil - SpokeninRed / clay necklace - eried / pleated ribbon - ShyMyrtle / bubbles photo - ViviFrances / photo of sculpture - smdesignsjewelry / wood roots photo - SimplyLodge / copper earrings - JooniJewelry/ Degas print - RenfieldsGarden / silver brooch - KSkilesjewelry 

What the hell is that treasury...

All items from etsy - ring - ZLeslieJewelry / silk yarn blend - Wollarium / broccoli - cubits / black onion basket - JustaBunchofBaskets / topaz beads - BirdSongStudio / bracelet - treeleafjewellery / vintage tile - BoudreauCollection / pierced brass tray - queenofsienna / frost - ski22 / pencil drawing -  artsdesirable / silk velvet scarf - heavenonearth11c / abstract painting - mmedley / goose feathers - KIMONOSFeathers / food photo - SophieGoldsworthy/ crystal earrings - TLALA / silk yarn - DyeForYou

Dorset...

                                               

NO apologies for post gaps, hell it's hot out there!

and we've all got better things to do than sit in front of a computer - plenty of time for that come Autumn.

                         Even mr dog is enjoying himself on the beach, and swimming most days has dusted me with colour                                        so I no longer have to fear anyone phoning for the Japanese whaling ships when they think they've spotted Moby Dick! 

If you read my blog you'll know I'm quite private, not many photos of our house or us, except mr dog,

although being nosy myself I love to see bloggers' homes and especially their workrooms,

oh and what work rooms you all seem to have - full to bursting with fabrics, wool, pictures, vintage finds and colour!
so I thought I'd take a leaf from one of my favourite bloggers The Custards and post a few more photos than usual...

You may remember we moved from London to Dorset four months ago, and one of the perks for me was a workroom, (I've had workrooms before but not in the last house) and working on the kitchen table was not ideal...

     Anyway... having a workroom again was a chance to surround myself with inspiring things, like you I've plenty of fabric, wool, and vintage finds - but they're tidied away in wardrobes or the garage and that's the problem, they didn't seem to be making their way to my room...

you can almost hear tumble weed blowing across the empty space...

 

oh dear...

 'snowy' painting - still waiting to be hung on the wall

nice distracting views of my neighbour from the windows

 

The problem has been a slight touch of...

Not really!
(although people have walked into our kitchen and thought they'd wandered into an operating theatre by mistake) 

It's just I seem to have taken the saying
'A place for everything and everything in it's place'
a bit too much to heart, but things are gradually starting to appear...

ha ha my collection of deck chairs is coming along nicely

comfy cushions to lean back on while working and listening to radio 4 extra - the pink one came from hen

Meanwhile... I've been out exploring
and apart from the ever changing sea about a 100 yards from where we live... (spot mr dog)

 

calm or rough

  

a walk along hengistbury head

  

there are lots of different chines
to walk through which are lovely and cool if it's too hot to walk mr dog along the beach

 

 

this one has what at first glance looks like an abandoned bus shelter hidden away in its depths but was probably just somewhere to sit and enjoy the view

  

amongst the carved initials something has been written but it's almost impossible to read no matter which way I photographed it...

  

I can just make out... 

AND THE ? EMPTIED THE TERRACED HOUSES
WITH COMPULSORY PURCHASE
REASONING THAT THEY'D MAKE MORE
FROM THE GROUND WITH THE PEOPLE
? GONE
?

Another chine has a mausoleum at the top of it

  

So the three of us often set off looking for new things...

there are plenty of interesting places...

and we ususly stop somewhere for a bite to eat...

The difference between my initial depressed reaction at leaving London and how I feel now
reminds me of the very funny novelty song by Alan Sherman called 'hello muddah hello fadda' based on letters he received from his son complaining about the Summer camp his parents had sent him to... xxx