Nobody noticed.

Shhh. Don't mention it. Ignore the 12 month plus gap. It's fine I'm back now. 

Do I do a recap of the last year?  Nah. If you're that bothered find me on Facebook. Forwards is the way to go. 

Oh ok. Just a little bit of backstory for context. 

I'm a sketchbook addict. Always have been. Always will be probably. There are loads of blank ones and half filled ones kicking around the "tearoom". Earlier this year I discovered Jennie Maizels. She inspired me to write/draw my holiday journal in Cornwall.

Then, when I got home I bought her 4 online sketchbook club modules. I love it so much!!  No rules like at uni. You can draw what you like!  For fun!  For pure pleasure. You can trace. You are 'allowed' to copy.  You can collage. You can use watercolours.  Literally anything goes. Yay! 

Of course I'm still stitching. Quilting and a bit of dress making are usually in evidence, as well as the odd bit of hooking. Just because the blogging stopped doesn't mean the creativity has. 

So...finally, we are getting to the point...  When my latest issue of Love Patchwork and Quilting mag fell on the mat with this....

 

...quilt in it - I had to add it to my 'to do' list. 

I have to say at this point that I have been warned....  

It's fiddly. 

It's a pain.  (As if I needed further encouragement...). 

I commented on the photo when it appeared on Facebook and the lovely Lynne Goldsworthy, who designed it, said then it was a pig (well not in those exact words but I got the gist).  I then had the pleasure of meeting her last weekend and again she said I was mad for tackling it.  Such encouragement. 😉

She has asked for a blow-by-blow account of how I get on. (Aah. The penny drops.). So I thought I would blog about my progress. 

I started yesterday as Farmers Market  = quiet day in the shop. I chose 11 colours for my main pencil colours. One more needed to make the set of 12. Then I picked a light and dark to go with each. In a shop full of fabric you'd think that would be a doddle but nope. Hence only having 11.  Time to raid my stash. 

The photo above shows the first four colours. They're the easy ones. Now it get more difficult as we have so many shades of blue and peachy-coral galore (yuck)!  I wanted to use gorgeous, glowing colours; not browns and greys and dull stuff. However, a real box of pencils would have them so maybe I should relent. 

Here they are all laid out ready for action. I'll have to ponder in proper daylight which colour to add. Work calls. 

It's good to be back. 

ttfn

Xx

Oh my goodness. Much is happening in the world of 'ethel and edna', hence the lack of blogs posts. Where do I begin..?

I know.

I've got a job!

Yes - a real live, bona fide, 'proper' job. And do you know just how perfect it is? I'm working in the needlework shop in Lichfield!! Are you jealous? :O) It has been through various incarnations over the years but is now called The Staffordshire Needlecraft Centre. Imagine - I get to spend all day surrounded by fabric and threads and haberdashery. Fab! SO if you're in the area on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays or alternate Saturdays, stick your head round the door and say hello. It's a proper shop where they believe in customer service and being friendly and passing the time of day with customers, rather than trying to rush you out of the door. :O)

***

So it's almost here. The Solstice Walk is tomorrow night. Here are my lovely wings from last year. Talk about planning... I still haven't sorted out the rest of my costume yet. I've bought several metres of net so tomorrow I'll whizz up the speediest fairy tutu ever.

I have been overwhelmed by people's generosity, especially considering the current economic climate. (In terms of sponsor money)I have beaten last year's total (£135) by at least £30. And there's still time to pledge some if you would like to. Just click on the Just Giving link on the right.

A mahoosive 'thank you' to everyone that has sponsored me, now matter how much or how little, it all adds up to providing more care and support when it is most needed.

***

In an effort to raise some funds for up-coming birthdays and other events, I have been having a bit of a de-stash on ebay. There are bags of these:

several pieces of fabric in a variety of sizes that have been sitting around for way too long waiting to be made up into something:

this scrumptious book by C June Barnes which I bought last year at Knitting and Stitching on a whim (for £18!!) and know I will never use (it's even signed!!):

and if you're one of the last remianing people on the plante who don't yet own a copy of Cath Kidston's 'make!' then here's your chance (starting at 99p!!).

I'm going to keep adding stuff over the next few daysm as and when it appears/I have time to photograph and list it. Oh and the all-important details - my seller name is sew_sioux_me_77. I don't know where it came from really - sew is quite obvious I suppose, sioux is as in Siouxsie and the Banshees who I love and the play on words was just 'cause I thought it was funny at the time. Sad but true.

***

On Wednesday kiddie and I travelled in Brum on the train to go and see 'ethel' (or is she 'edna'? we don't know ourselves!). Hallelujah!!! She - Ann - has finally finished her degree and is almost a free woman! We went to the private view of her final exhibition and her installation which included a tiny contribution from me. I shan't go into details ('cause apart from anything it's all a bit deep and over my head now I'm out of the Fine Art envirnoment), but did a teensy bit of machine lettering to go down the spine of a businessman's suit.

I'm so glad she's finished and so is Ann. She plans to buy a stack of wool and sit and knit just for pleasure. Not for any reason or deadline. It doesn't have to have a context or meaning. It's just making stuff for the sheer pleasure of it.

Amen to that. :O)

***

On Thursday I went on a medieval pilgrimage to Lichfield Cathedral! Yes I know I live there. It was with kiddie's school and i went along as an adult helper. It was a brilliant day.

We had a whistle-stop tour of 12 stations of the cathedral in the morning, incorporating the story of St Chad (to whom the cathedral is dedicated). Then after lunch we processed around the cathedral, stopping off in the choir for a mini lesson about and demonstraion of the organ. WOW! I love church organ music, when you can feel in through the soles of your feet. Then we were shown the skull of St Chad from the balcony of the Chapel of ST Chads Head. This is what the pilgrims of the Middle Ages journeyed to see. All my life I have lived no more than 7 miles from Lichfield yet I've never seen it before. We finished off with some of the children offering special coins and lighting candles at the altar of St Chad, while the incense burned and smelled amazing.

It was a really well orgnanised, if rather long and tiring day. I never grow tired of visiting the cathedral. There is always something new to see and learn. It is such an incrediby beautiful and historically fascinating place, regardless of your beliefs.

Right. I must go now and try to make a fairy outfit for myself. Doing 'The Walk in my tracksuit would be a bit of a disappointment. Tinsel and glitter and fluff and frills are required.

ttfn

xx