This morning I visited the Pearoom Quilt Show, which is on over the weekend from 10am – 4pm, in Great Hale near Heckington. It was nice to see so many friends there and so many beautiful quilts. Here are just a few images from the show…..
Events
Woodhall Show Time!
Last weekend I was invited by my friend Helen from Pippinroo to display some of my work at the annual Woodhall Spa Country Show. Helen specialises in creating beautifully detailed needle felted animals and suggested I add another dimension to her trade stall with my wet felted work. It was a great day and we met some lovely ladies in the craft tent. Read Helens post for more info on the day.
What a gorgeous day!!! The sun came out and so did the crowds. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen it as busy as it was this year, and it seems everyone bought their dog out for a wander! One couple were even walking around with their parrakeets in a carrier for a day of social interaction!
The craft tent was packed and rather hot by lunch time. Little breeze and a strong sun had all the stall holders and visitors wilting. However our stall stood up to the temperatures and gained a lot of interest.
Having bitten off more than I can chew with extra hours in my day job, time was against me in getting stock ready, so I invited a couple of contributors to join me to offer as much as we could in collaboration.
The first was the lovely Karen Lane who was our expert in…
View original post 144 more words
The Past & The Future…..
Elegant Steampunk lady photographed in the Bailgate, Lincoln
This weekend, for the 7th year, Lincoln is hosting the annual Asylum Steampunk Festival. According to the Guardian this is “the largest and longest running event of its kind in the world”. Having read this quote, being a Steampunk fan and living only 20 miles from the Cathedral City, I find it hard to admit that I only heard of the Asylum Festival two months ago!
I visited the festival yesterday and had such a good time that I went back again this afternoon. The atmosphere is great with a timetable of events happening in the Cathedral quarter over the four days and the streets packed with friendly faces and fabulous costumes.
A lot of the costumes were as interesting from the back as they were from the front!
So what is Steampunk? Major Thadeus Tinker (aka John Naylor), Chair of the Victorian Steampunk Society says “Steampunks are generally polite, friendly, care about the environment, the past & the future and creativity & individuality.” In a recent exercise to “explain Steampunk in a sentence” a group from across the world came up with: “Steampunk is a creative social movement that draws inspiration from Victorian and pre-war history in an anachronistic mix of science fiction, modern values and a sense of fun.” – See more at: http://www.visitlincoln.com/blog/what-is-steampunk#sthash.V78sS4Eh.dpuf
The following photos are just a small selection of those I took in the Bailgate and Castle Square over the two days.
Stylish Steampunk couple photographed in Castle Square
Loving the parasol!
I also bumped into my nephew Jack and his friends in Castle Square
Explorers mixed with fairies outside the White Heart Hotel
“Pimp my ride” Steampunk style!
Mysterious woman lingering in the doorway.
Colonial gent poses in Castle Square
Castle Square visitors and trade stalls selling all sorts of Steampunk gear.
This lady had so much detail in her costume!
The Steampunk ethos really appeals to me, as does the Steampunk style, so next year I will be returning wearing my own Steampunk costume, which is already taking shape in my head!
Horncastle gets “Yarn Bombed”…..
My morning walk with Maddie today was made even more enjoyable than usual with the discovery that Horncastle had been Yarn Bombed by West Ashby Women’s Institute! What a fabulous start to the day seeing all these wonderful creations decorating the town. No doubt they were installed as part of the SO Festival which premiered in the town this evening and was a HUGE success. Crowds of folk turned out to see the Circus Heros, Sheesham & Lotus & Son, Thingamabob and the grand finale The FlameOz Fire Show. More about the festival to follow but for now here are just a few of the decorations that made me smile earlier today….. 
The horses on Jubilee way we’re given checkered blankets and a nose bag.
The trees were decorated with colourful wraps…….
The bollards along the Bull Ring were sporting hats and scarves…..
These “climbing” hedgehogs took me by surprise on North Street….. 
As I approached the river on my way to Tesco it was evident that the intrepid WI ladies had also been this way……. 
There are lots more installations around the town which I have been told of but haven’t yet seen. I just hope that the ladies of West Ashby WI visit us again with their wonderful creations!
Quilts in the Wolds….
This weekend saw the third “Quilts in the Wolds” show at Ludford Village Hall organised and hosted by the Lindsey Patchworkers and attended by around 300 visitors.
The two day event was a great success with a steady footfall throughout Saturday and Sunday. The four pounds entry included tea/coffee and a choice of delicious home made cakes which proved particularly popular with the male contingency……so much so anyone would have thought they didn’t get cake at home!
The two trade stands appeared to be doing good business.
There was also a sales table brimming over with lovely items made by the group.
The “Inspirations” tombola was very popular – every prize consisted of a small bag containing colour coordinated fabric and notions, perfect for inspiring your next small project.
Throughout both days members also hosted talks, demonstrations and workshops on the stage at the rear of the hall. Pat Cave can be seen here demonstrating various methods of applying lettering to fabric.
The Lindsey Patchworkers exhibits included an interesting mix of traditional, contemporary, miniature, and art quilts, some were machine stitched while others were completely done by hand.
All in all it was a wonderful weekend and lovely to see so many people enjoying the show. The following photos show a selection of the quilts that were on display.
Why not join us…..
The Lindsey Patchworkers 3rd Exhibition in the Lincolnshire Wolds will be held on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st June 2015 at Ludford Village Hall, Playingfield Lane, Ludford, Lincs LN8 6AJ
For textile enthusiasts the weekend will provide lots of inspiration, the chance to meet and chat with like minded crafters and the opportunity for some retail therapy! We will have traders such as Cotton Dreams and White Cottage Country as well as Crafts, Demonstrations, and the now famous “Inspirations Tombola” which could form the start of your next little project!
photo credit: Closet stash via photopin (license)
These are just a few examples of the work on display at a previous Ludford event.
Group member Pat Cave with her award winning quilt.
Seascape by Sandra Goldsbrough
Stonehaven Harbour by Pat Cave
Group quilt
David Hockney In Stitches…..
Yesterday afternoon saw the 3rd meeting of LINQS, the Lincolnshire Quilters group, which was formed last year with the aim of creating “inspired” quilts to form the basis of a travelling exhibition. Our first “inspirational” theme is the work of David Hockney. The brief is to take influence from his work however you want to do it, whether that be colour, shape, subject matter, etc. it’s up to the individual. Gill set herself the task of reproducing, as accurately as possible, a specific Hockney painting using textiles, threads, beads and found materials. The finished quilt is shown below with a photo of Hockney’s 18th VN painting. Isn’t it beautiful?
Click here for more photos and info about LINQS.
Second LINQS Meeting…..
Last weekend saw the second meeting of the LINQS group at The Coach and Horses in Billinghay. It was a very good turn out with 25 ladies attending the meeting, most of whom arrived early to take advantage of the delicious lunch time menu.
Sheila chaired the meeting and it was great to hear that, as well as now having 39 members, we also have a number of venues showing an interest in exhibiting our DH quilts when they go on the road next year.
Several of the ladies brought along the quilts they have started, while others were keen to show which of the DH paintings they are intending to use for inspiration for their work.
Jean’s quilt is inspired by Hockney’s Woldgate Woods.
Jean took her inspiration from Hockney’s paintings of “Woldgate Woods”. This beautiful, hand sewn quilt has been created using a jelly roll for the background and appliqué for the foreground.
Karin’s quilt inspired by Hockney’s painting of Garrowby Hill.
The shapes and colours in Karin’s quilt have been influenced by Hockney’s landscape painting “Garrowby Hill” with its winding road and patchwork fields.
Rosie shows the fabrics she will use for her quilt.
Rosie is also taking Garrowby Hill as her starting point. It’s all in her head at the moment but her fabrics have been selected and are ready for the cutting mat!
Sandra’s choice is Hockney’s “Three Green Waves with Orange Sand”.
Sandra’s choice is a little known image entitled “Three Green Waves with Orange Sand” which features in the book “Hockney’s Pictures: The Definitive Retrospective”.
Molly and her quilt.
Molly designed her quilt after seeing the Hockney collection on a visit to Salts Mill Gallery.
The red background for Carole’s quilt.
Carole has created a background for her quilt using curved strips of fabric in various shades of red. The foreground will feature a wine glass with a reflection of Hockney’s face. Carole told me she is experimenting with a new technique for creating the wine glass. Once it’s finished we will show a photograph and get Carole to explain in her own words how she created it.
The next meeting was scheduled for March.
Fly UK…raising money for children with cancer
Its all go in our house this week with my partner Mark busy planning for the annual Fly-UK Round Britain charity event which starts on the 19th June. Every year since 2004, a group of microlight pilots has set off to fly around Britain, taking in Land’s End and John O’Groats as a minimum. Over the years, more and more aircraft have joined the Rally, and more corners of the British Isles have been visited including The Scilly Isles, the West Coast of Ireland, The Outer Hebrides, and even Unst – the northernmost of the Shetland Islands. The efforts of these intrepid pilots has so far raised over £28,000 for CHILDREN WITH CANCER UK and I know that Mark feels very privileged to be one of them. Last year Mark’s Gyro was the only one in the event but this year he is hoping there will be a second Gyro taking to the sky’s.
Mark doing a fly-by in his RotorSport Gyrocopter
The entire cost of the trip i.e. aircraft fuel, landing fees, food, admin etc is all funded by the participants so the charity benefit from the full amount of donations received. If anyone is reading this post and would like to donate, no matter how large or small an amount, it couldn’t be easier. Simply go to the official fund raising site at UK.virginmoneygiving.com or click here.
Easter Craft Event Update…
Mini decorated eggs
The weather wasn’t particularly kind to us at yesterdays Joseph Banks Easter Craft Fair….the chilly wind being the major problem! However we did get a fair amount of customers through the shop door and the majority were keen to get out into the garden to see the wonderful handcrafted goods on sale and chat to the people who had made them. As well as my felted items we had water-colour paintings by local artist Peter Skipworth. Peter has written and beautifully illustrated a book on local walks titled ‘Step into the Lincolnshire Wolds’ which is on sale at the shop….those lucky enough to purchase yesterday benefited from a personal signing by the artist himself!
Peter Skipworths illustrated book ‘Step into the Lincolnshire Wolds’
Other items on sale included unique cards, jewellery and more from Handmade by Esme and colourful handmade necklaces and bracelets from Debbie of DD Jewellery and Vicki and Judith from Snowdrop Gifts For the home and garden there were wonderful handmade gifts created from recycled wood by Palletology including the fabulous ‘Insect Hotels’ while Stephanie from Stuff with Style displayed funky wooden gifts in the form of bunting, bird houses and much more.
Handmade by Esme at the Joseph Banks Easter Craft Fair.
Handmade necklaces and bracelets from DD Jewellery
Insect Hotels by Palletology made from recycled pallet wood.
Funky wooden bird house from ‘Stuff with Style’.
I was fortunate to find a space indoors (only marginally warmer!!) where I sat and demonstrated needle felting to the ladies (and the occasional gent) who were curious to see how it was done. Thanks again to all of you who stopped by and I hope to see some of you at future workshops. Also keeping warm was Debs from Debs Makes, busy upstairs having fun with her Saturday afternoon sewing group.
One of Debs cute little brooches made on the embellisher.
Last, but not least, many thanks to Helena from Spare Time by Helena who kept all the crafters supplied with tea and coffee all day and Kate and Richard who manned the shop!
The next Craft Event at Joseph Banks is planned for May 31st.
One of the many fabulous cushions created by Spare Time by Helena.
I couldn’t resist making a few needle felted Easter bunnies!
Lincs In Stitches 