Working with Wire Workshop

 A bunch of  our WI ladies went on a 'Working with Wire' workshop on the 'extra' day at the end of February.  Carolyn had already been there with her daughter.  The course was run by Kate Westcott at her home.  Seeing  Kate at the Snowdrop Festival at Shepton, and having admired some of her creations there, I became even more excited about attending this afternoon workshop .  As I like form and shadow I was looking forward to trying my hand and coming home with my own creation.

At the start of the afternoon Kate here sitting on the right side in white shirt, went through with us the tools, materials and some of the techniques.

During the first half of the session we got to grips with the tool and wire, and with some of Kate's examples on the table, with laughter and chatter and sheer will to forge forward, we each came up with different pieces of wire flowers or foliage. After a short break with great home made cake and drinks, we then went on to plan out the grouping on the blocks of wood, and Kate had the task of drilling in the small holes.  

My first Wire Work creation

Everyone came away with their unique creation.  Carolyn added to her previous creation and was inspired to create with heavier wire to create a charming snowdrop group.  

Using a heavier wire gave its a different character to those with a lighter wire.

The arrangements look great against a wall, and the finer wire gives the flowers movement.  

We thoroughly enjoyed the day, so many thanks to Carolyn who first spotted that this would be an interesting activity for some of the Crafting group, and to Anne in whose car five of us were conveyed. Anne was particularly fast, and had a couple of brilliant creations, none of which are featured here.  I am sure we shall be carrying on Wire work and sharing this with others during our fun evenings.

Kate Westcott Designs

Black iron wire in gauges of 24, 21, 18 from Wires.co.uk

Cutters and pliers from Cooksongold

In A Vase on Monday - Advantages of Snow

It didn't snow where Cathy lives, and her vase this week is also one that makes the most of some of her Winter Garden Beauties, so do check out what us gardeners have come up with by clicking on this portal.

So it snowed here, and we decided to stay put.  Various rendez-vous were postponed, and except for a walk down a very slippery road and pavement to Town on Saturday, to pick up essentials, I took full advantage of the quiet time.

Now the snow has melted, some of the crocus tommasinianus 'Barr's Purple' are starting to open.   They are joined by galanthus nivalis, and cyclamen coum which although flattened by the snow, have bounced back in time for IAVOM today.  Overnight temperature rose from -4C to 11C, and with a light rain, almost all the snow has melted by this lunch time.  Now the sun has come out, and the birds too are rejoicing.

The earliest crocus which has been cheering up the gloomy days is Crocus sieberi Firefly,  and looking out for bulbs coming up draws me into the garden.  This is a pale violet crocus with a yellow throat, and was in flower mid January, even piercing the snow. In between the harsh weather, we have bumblebees visiting the blooms.

Instead of being limited to the house, we do have a little splash out on heat for the Conservatory for breakfast, and if it is sunny, then for the rest of the day is warm and bright there.  As we linger after breakfast and then chat, lingering over coffee/tea, I love to have something in my hands.  In the past week, I have steadily worked across the chart that Kay sent with the kit she made up for me to try out Chicken Scratch Embroidery.

I also love cosying up with a book when the weather prevents me from being outside.  I started reading a novel, which Mandy had very generously passed on to me when we met up at a very sad time for me when we went up to say our final goodbyes to my friend Penny.  I'm pleased I kept it for such an occasion as a 'snowin', I just could not put it down.  No spoilers or reviews, but if you have yet to read it, I would highly recommend it.  It may well be the book of 2019 for me.  If I come across a better one this year, I shall be indeed fortunate.  I love it when friends comment on the books they have read, or indeed give me their views of any of the books I mention.

Swallowtail Shawl

It was particularly hot on Friday, and in the small amount of shade by the house, we were sitting having our lunch.  Answering the door,  Mr S returned to the garden with a parcel.  I was intrigued..nothing had been ordered or was outstanding.  On opening the jiffy bag this is what I found.

A note with the one word 'ENJOY' and two skeins of hand dyed lace weight Pure Kid Mohair yarn in the most delicate mixture of lime green and blue.

As I continued my painting of skirting boards and door architraves during the afternoon, with peace and quiet I mused on several aspects concerning this parcel.  There was no postage stamp or cancellation mark to indicate where the parcel was posted...the printed postage paid label issued by the Post Office gave no clue. There were only neat capital letters on the envelope and a one word entry on illustrated notepaper.

Before the advent of emails, easy phone calls etc, keeping in touch with friends by post meant  recognising handwriting, pens and ink, as well as the telltale cancellation mark on the stamp showing the origin of posting areas, time, date etc.  All these would let you know which friend had written to you.  Indeed when I first wrote letters, it was customary to write one's own name and address on the back of the envelope.  Times have certainly changed.

Following on from this, I started to think of who would understand me and my passion for knitting, and my love of fine yarns.  Who might guess that a thoughful present may just be the thing to light a little spark of enthusiasm.  It suddenly came to me....and the handwriting then seemed familiar.  When Kay gave us instructions and directions at our WI craft meetings, or would slip some note through my front door, the short and to the point details were in this script.

A phone call during the evening confirmed my thoughts, and had I checked my emails I would have known, but also I would not have spent such a lovely few hours painting and thinking about the sender.

This is the gist of what Kay had written to me:

Our speaker last night talked about wool, spinning and knitting.  It was a real fun evening.  Lots of noise and laughter as we all tried different methods of spinning. Ancient and modern.  Lots of information and knowledge about different types of sheep wool and lots of samples to touch and feel.  The speaker  takes the wool from fleece to garment all natural processes and materials including the dyes.  After the talk I was looking at her samples and she had some beautiful little triangular scarves, not as beautiful or intricate as yours, but how they reminded me of you.  I am sending you a little gift, as I could not resist it, to knit yourself a little bit of spring.

The Kenilworth WI was a lifeline for me when I moved to that area and particularly the craft group, where over the years I learnt many new skills.  As a parting present Kay made me this beautiful sampler which is now hanging on the wall.

Following our phone conversation I mused on what I would knit.  I looked through my Ravelry wishlists, through my lace knitting books, and notes.  I dug deep, and still could not decided, so slept on it.  It came to me in the middle of the night.....It would be The Swallowtail Lace Shawl

I lost my shawl many years ago...and I miss it. I used to call it my tucker.  And each time I wear it, another opportunity to think of my dear friend.

Out with the old and in with the New

Just as they have been pointing out in the news, I have been aware for a long time that there are mountains and oceans of plastics and lots of non recyclables to contend with.  I still like to have a paper diary, and go for the cheapest as they usually have card covers. 

Back in 2011 I made my first cloth diary cover using some of the techniques which we were being guided through each week by our WI president and craft queen bee Kay.  Ever since I did my first bit of quilting, and that is something for me who had until then just sewed on the odd button or mended a hem that had come undone: First Quilting

The Last Diary Cover was made in 2011, so it has lasted seven years...and will go into the recycling bin.




When I came to change over my diary on the first of January, at first I thought it would just need a good wash as it had a couple of years ago, but then looking at the spine, I noticed that it was starting to fray.

My current handbag...and those who have known me for some time wont be surprised, is still bright and jolly, a sort of mango or pumpkin colour.  So for a new cover I decided to use bits and pieces which I already had in my stash.  Rummaging through I found just the right combination, together with threads, silks, and cotton batting.  In the end I just used a thick cotton quilting thread, in black and also mango.

I found that quilting on the black showed up the dragon fly motifs perfectly.

Here is the finished diary on one of my project bags.  The dragon fly fabric was first used when we were working on a  Cathedral Patch work trial.  I was pleased to make up a bag with it:  Cathedral Patchwork Bag.  This is another project I completed at the Kenilworth WI craft afternoon. When I have a small project on the go, whether sewing or knitting, I gather all the essentials into one of my project bags.

Here is my very cheap diary, for which I paid less than £1...the front cover fits into the sleeve, which can also accommodate all those notes, club membership cards and annual passes etc....

For the inside back sleeve, a little dragon fly motif finishes this off nicely.  This is where I keep all those vouchers....

I've spent a few hours when it was wet and windy outside, completely at ease, in peace, with only needle and scissors, using all the lovely techniques I was shown.  As I sipped on my lemon verbena tea this afternoon...the last stitches were put in place.

I wonder how long this one will last?  Maybe I should make a reserve one?

Needle Crafts

A project which I finished just before Easter at our regular WI craft groups is this 'sewing box'.  There was much cutting, gluing, and sewing with a curved needle.  For the top, I made a dorset button inspired handle, and have started to gather a few things to put in it.

When you take the lid off, the box opens up to reveal little areas to slip in tools, and threads, and a little pin cushion in the middle.

A few years ago, at the same group, led by Kay the leader of our branch of the WI, and amongst other things a wonderful needle woman, who has been known to haunt many a Goldwork course at Denman College,  I made the large 'house wife roll', and needle case.  Luckily I had quite a large amount of the fabric in my stash.

Our very latest project is just starting off, and I am coming to grips, with not letting my threads twist.  So if anyone can give me any tips, I shall be pleased to hear from you.

Sock Knitting and other seasonal crafts.

Sometimes you just have to thread a project onto a slip of wool and start another one.  Its not often that I do this, but when Kay asked if I would knit up some yarn she had, I was more than pleased and wanted to make sure she would have some cosy socks as soon as possible.  Kay had learnt to knit with long needles which she tucks under her arms, so she is a very competent knitter, but just could not get on with short needles.  Kay is the leading light of our WI and runs our craft group..so I deemed it an honour in deed.  Here they are made to measure...standing on the tissue paper to draw around and measuring with a tape measure at our sewing group got us giggling.  So here they are, finished in less than 2 weeks.

And here are the socks which were temporarily put on hold, but again finished a couple of days ago from another ball from West Yorkshire Spinners.  They give a needle size for 3.25mm.  For socks one uses 2.5mm, so that there is a firm fabric, which is comfortable to wear.    There is usually a problem with the colours after you have turned the heel, such that you almost get a strap effect...and I suddenly got inspired to remove some of the yarn so that the colours continue down the front of the foot in the same sequence, the bands are a little narrower at first since the rounds are longer at the instep, but I am much happier with this.

Sadly our WI is getting smaller and smaller, so are we going to have a big recruitment drive after Christmas.  This didn't stop the committee coming up with some great ideas for our December get together.  Instead of giving each other Christmas Cards, and also have the old Bran tub £1 present, this year we had a lovely range of hand made Christmas Decorations worked on by some members, and we put in a donation which is going to a local Charity. Pat also read a cherry Christmas Poem which had been read at the group meeting.

As well as news of our members who have moved away, or were absent, we sat in groups and had fun time making a hand made Christmas Decoration.  The Room which we share with many other groups is just the right size now after we were in the much larger hall.  We had bunting up marking our 100th Anniversary.  

Our craft group had embroidered pennants with each year date, and each decade was a different colour.  It had decorated the Christmas Tree which our WI group had entered into the Christmas Tree Competition at St Nicholas Church in Kenilworth.  Kay who came up with the inspired theme, and led us in our efforts and Irene had set up the tree.

Just how much glitter and which colours to use...one of our member is driving down all the way to her French Home for the Christmas Break, with one hanging from her car mirror!

Some of us who had remembered to bring our Autumn Craft group projects, set up our Christmas Trees.  We had painstakingly made up the Christmas Tree boxes under Kay's direction...all starting with  shapes of card which we cut from cereal boxes, then with fabric, glue and curved needles covered the boxes and added some embellishments.

The two little miniature nativity scenes are so sweet.  Mine is the green one covered with mistletoe inside.  I had decided to use only material and bits I already had, and did a little ribbon work and sewed on some sequins.  To think that before I had joined this group...I had hardly done any sewing crafts!

December 2013

There was so much going on, that I just did not get round to downloading photographs or felt like writing up about some of my activities in December.  It seems that nowadays Christmas starts some time towards the end of November, then stops on Boxing Day.  The twelve days of Christmas which started on 25th December seem to be a thing of the past. 

An early Christmas Activity was making a fairy for our WI Decorated Christmas Tree for the St Nicholas Tree Competition. 

As usual Kaye our crafter, sewer, and gold work embroiderer extraordinaire came up with something even the least handy person could attempt.  With everything ready we all met for laughter and conversation, and with Kaye's patience really tested, we ended with a nice collection.  I even spun a tale when Mr S and I went to view the trees on the evening of the High Street Christmas Light Switch on, when every one was in a very good mood, to some people who were stood by our tree puzzled by the decorations.  This had everyone laughing and getting the message.  I explained that as our WI group had had a few people ill with the big C recently, we had decided to have angles with the little pink crossed ribbon symbol, most had lost their hair, hence the little black bow, and one even had a wing amputated, and they were all wearing their pink hospital gowns!

Their numbers were completed the following week by some of us, so that each of our members had a fairy to hang on the tree.  What is nice is that each member was given back their fairy at our December meeting.

This year the season has been a little sad for me too.  I have been thinking of a friend who is facing this Christmas with a big hole in her family, and another one whose husband was sinking fast...I received the news on Boxing Day that he passed away on Christmas Day.

The weather has been wet and dreary, and shopping is not quite the thing for us this year.  We have thought of going a little further afield to a gallery or museum, but the weather is too bad, and we venture forth for local walks between the showers.  

I did have a fancy for a new cooker, for one with a double oven, with windows and  lights, with timers: all bells and whistles and got quite excited about this.   After Christmas I went into a well known store, and after comparing all the wonderful gas cookers available, came away perfectly content with mine! 

Just before Christmas, a spring went in our settee...we pondered this, too late to do anything about this until the shops reopened.  We went to look at suites, sat in them, compared them with what we have, considered what they would look like in our sitting room.  We even got out the receipt for the current furniture, was amazed by how long we had had it. We considered having it reupholstered , tracked down the original manufactures and outlets, it had just been discontinued!  We love the cheerful yellow, it fits us both, we are comfortable on it, we like our furniture so much that if we could have replaced like with like, we would have had no hesitation.  In the end a good clean, and a new spring...I did the cleaning, and Mr S found out how to do the repair, ordered the spring, and today fitted it, and now contentment reigns again in the household.  We know Izzi will still want to climb and look out of the window, so a new precious settee would limit this.

On the other hand, we had our little Izzi to bring us cheer.  She came to stay on her own for 4 days, 3 nights the weekend before Christmas...and Mr S and I spent Christmas day down with which our loved ones which of course includes Izzi...

One of the big themes of this stay was a visit to the local Panto: Humpty Dumpty at the Talisman Theatre.

Izzi had on her pretty party dress and pink cardigan knitted by Grandma, she joined in with  much shouting and singing and there was not stopping her when volunteers were called for to come and sing a song onstage.

There were other activities that weekend: covering our cake with Royal Icing:

Making tangerines studded with cloves to fill rooms with Christmas smells...whether or not they last to add to drawers, I am not sure, since the fruit were very juicy and they were speared rather deeply.

Decorating the tree with Grampy

And thanks to a bagful of felt and templates from Kaye, a joint effort with glue and a little sewing from Grandma when the sticky stuff did not work, a little collection of Christmas decorations:

And lots of splashing in puddles.....my camera battery needed recharging at this point...

With one day to go to Christmas, and one of our bought mince pies tasted, it only took me a second to decided that what we needed is some home baked ones with some of my pear mincemeat I had already made a couple of months ago...Veronica and Izzi also had some great tasting almond pastry mince pies for Christmas day some tiny ones with a tiny star on top...and hey I now have a tiny star from one of Izzi's cookie cutting sets, so next year there will two sizes to choose from.

And finally I posted this picture which I had made up onto Facebook to send friends and family Christmas Greeting, started during my calligraphy lessons, using gold leaf, gouache, and gothic script.

Baking Buttons

During the Summer several artists' galleries were open, and I visited a number of them in Kenilworth.  I was impressed by the variety and skill of the artists, and planned to go to some workshops.  I've been to a felting workshop, and then last week I went on a button making workshop.

Above the beading shop in Kenilworth I visited 'Gallery 25' in the summer, and there met Helen Clues.  I love buttons and a couple of weeks ago signed on to a Friday workshop. 

I was introduced to Fimo, and some of the techniques.....I loved it, what a range of colours to choose from, and under patient guidance, I found I was enjoying just watching what came from different twists and turns.

During the morning of  mixing, twisting, and rolling I devised or rather the  patterns emerged, and I made little ou and ah noises and loved the black and white mix looking like marble

With tools and cutters, I have a nice range of buttons to bake...for The Great Kenilworth Button Bakeoff......

Sally Clues was also at the class and I enjoyed listening to her chatter, and to spend the morning with a girl who knows where she is going

....taking after her charming Grand Father, who is musical, she is going to study music and wants to be a top musician.  Sally I meant to say that I was sitting as close as I was to you, to another great musician at the start of his career:  Jamie Cullum, when he was singing at an intimate venue seating about 12 couples on a Valentine Nights Dinner at The Papillon Restaurant in Swindon.  He was just starting off and still at College.  His singing made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I went to chat to him and said that he would go far...

There are lots more techniques, and here is a little taste of buttons made by Helen.  The studio is light and airy, comfortable and warm, and there was a lovely selection of music playing in the background, with lots of pretty artifacts around to inspire.

When I got back home, I played with my left overs, and had a go and made more buttons including some toggles....