a week in pics...plus the odd word or 2...

 what a week...and it's still only thursday!

it all started with Ruby's Bat Mitzvah weekend which went brilliantly.

i had been very anxious about it for weeks partly due to how much work i have on at the mo and how on earth i was going to have time to prepare for the batty as well and partly due to not having dad with us. i have been very emotional about that for the weeks leading up to the batty and was worried i wouldn't be able to keep it together...

i did keep it together...

for most of the time...

well, some of the time.

we had a truly wonderful weekend and one thing it did teach me was, whilst it is beyond sad that dad is no longer here to share these occasions with us, it is so important to build new happy memories.

the work side of life has had to fit in alongside. it couldn't stop altogether due to the up coming xmas fairs and other deadlines.

the newly discovered silver brussels linen was made up into cushions and napkins. i can't tell you how much i love this fabric. it's so soft and smooth and of the most exquisite colour and i blame that for my little sideways distraction of piecing it together with some of my printed pieces. i haven't quite decided whether this is destined to become a quilt or wall art...time will tell.

then things got a bit more colourful...

selvedge needle books for the xmas fairs...

ruby's horse printed onto vintage fabric that is destined to become famous...

printed fabrics for a new exciting commission...

a play around with lotje's gorgeous pattern for this week's big city girl QAL...i couldn't resist...it's so cute!...and besides my new love kona fern had arrived and i just had to find something to sew with it...

and then finally, not made all this week, my screen printing table drop cloth... 

it could just be the colours but i'm thinking it would look great framed as a piece of art...or maybe not!

another mad week in my mad and hectic world and looking at the calendar it isn't due to get any less mad this side of 2014 so you may just see photo mosaics cropping up regularly just to keep you up to speed with what's going on around these parts!

grabbing it where i can...

 with all the work and family commitments i have going on at the mo (don't you find it all just comes at once?) i have to squeeze in extra things when i can.

hence at 9pm last night i went down to the cellar to get some printing done...

it was an idea that i had visited before a couple of years ago and was an idea i needed to take further in mind for another project i have going on at the mo.

do you like my overly stylised black and white photography?! what with my gorgeous lisa stickley dotty plate and rustic dying in the vase garden roses the black and white app on IG it seemed to be the way to go. besides it's so damn gloomy out today that there was no natural light to use.

so that's how my days are panning out at the mo. i have a feeling tonight may not be quite as productive...

well it is friday night and wine will be involved and no doubt a little graham norton...

a rewarding fat rascal...

it seems as if teaching is what i am supposed to do.

having not taught officially since my middle baby was just 1 (nearly 13 years ago now) it seems to be playing a big part of my life once again.

the screen printing workshops are really taking off and this year i have a series of sewing workshops lined up at the wonderful and inspiring RHS garden, Harlow Carr in Harrogate.

i am going to be teaching several workshops throughout the year, from pretty screen printed napkins to piped cushions and the first of which on sat 9 march where i will be teaching how to make a patchwork zippered pouch and tote bag.

so if you fancy coming along to this fantastic venue to learn some new skills or simply to have fun sewing in a wonderful environment  please do join me. all details are on the website - just click on the link here and then click on 2013 Guide under Courses and Workshop Guides on the right hand side. my courses start on page 30 (creative section) and then all booking details are down on page 38.

the course includes a stroll around the beautiful gardens all in the name of inspiration and i am sure there will even be time for you to nip to the on site Betty's afterwards for a well deserved tea and fat rascal!

far flung stockists...

 Being a supplier to other people's stores means my work travels around a fair bit.

Sometime's I am lucky enough to get to see some of it in situ and I love that, because every place presents it differently.

 Other times there isn't a hope in hell and have to rely on beautiful images to see what someone has turned my work into.

This is one of those times...

Jiyeon has, what I can only assume to be, a beautiful store in South Korea no less.

Jiyeon kindly sent me these stunning images of napkins she has made from my Scruffy Daisy fabrics.

It really is lovely to see where they get to and what they look like.

Seeing them has cheered me up no end today!

It's amazing how much one can get done in a very short space of time.

Now that the children have gone back to school, it was full speed ahead preparation for the Saltaire Maker's Fair.

I was in the screen printing studio on Tuesday and then it's been all systems go sewing for the past couple of days.

I'm really really looking forward to the Fair, more than any other that I have been part of.

I've visited Saltaire Art's Trail before (the Maker's Fair is a central part of the trail) but never been in a position to apply let alone be accepted.

I'm certainly not quite ready yet (it's fine...there are still 48 hours to go...at least) but I've been working damn hard these last few days to make sure there will be plenty on my table to peruse.

There will be lots of new stuff, lots of old faves and hopefully lots for everyone.

Look forward to seeing you there!

The sewing into napkins is now complete and what a lovely activity it turned out to be. To be honest I anticipated making them to be rather fiddly, but was more than pleasantly surprised to find this was not the case.

I'm not sure why I should have expected otherwise, as I have had this revelation with almost all, if not all, sewing activities I have done. I always envisage something to be more complicated and thus annoying than it turns out to be. I am self taught and consequently forget I am quite competent.

Because this was so enjoyable, I sewed away making quite a few sets of these...all of which are now sold and gone on to their new homes where I hope they will be enjoyed by their new owners. I desperately need to get into the workshop this week to print more.

I have put a couple of sets of the not quite perfects into my Etsy shop if anyone fancies a bargain set.

I love red. I love a red and aqua combo. Having redecorated the house in greys/teals/mustards red doesn't seem to fit in too well now.

However I do bring it into the kitchen. On last week's Ikea trip I picked up this fab piece of oilcloth. At first I had in mind that it was going to be a mucky activity protector, but having put it out yesterday for Noah's birthday tea I've decided it's far too nice for that.

With a few blooms picked from the garden and the most perfect napkins to accompany it, I am very happy to find a place where red works in my home.

Sad...but very happy

I've been to Ikea this week. It had my name written all over it - all that irresistible combination of blues and red.


The napkins refuse to turn around, so you'll have to twist your head to see them!

P.S. Jo - this post is just for you :-)