West Country Embroiderers again . . .

Beppy Berlin, a very popular embroidery tutor locally, took the workshop, bringing designs we could work to make a square pincushion. We all worked with silk fabric and stranded threads in a variety of colour combinations. It was quite careful work, you needed to be as accurate as possible, difficult for me! The simplest pattern was probably this one, but Beppy gave us so many tips and ideas for extra bits of stitches and beads, and good threads to use that every one finished will be original!
This one is different, the hearts are the other way round.
Some nice centres.

Most people chose the heart-like design with the circle in the centre.
There is a good range of coloured silks and varied choices of thread colours

We were shown an alternative way of attaching a shisha mirror then beading around it to make a nice cluster.
Some interesting colour effects with variations in blue and green and some graded thread, and 2 further designs.
Watch this space for some finished ones, hopefully! See a pic of the finished item here.

Sometimes it looks as if you haven't done much in a whole day. A lot of chat goes on at these days, but people do work with quite a degree of application. This project needed quite painstaking effort and was not a fast project, except for the speedy, less careful stitchers like me, who is always having people saying to me, 'Haven't you done a lot!'

This is mine after continuing to work on it during the evening, and with the luxury of being able to line it up at home for a better shot.

Journal quilts again - April

This year's JQs are 12" x 12", bigger than last year's A4 size, and I'm finding it a nice shape to design for. I'm having to combine my jq's this year so far with work for other things, and this one serves 3 purposes. Another exhibition at our church is on currently, Stones and the Sea, and this fits the bill. The local Contemporary Quilt Group manifestation, Infinity, is doing a jq bimonthly, and this is Beachcombing. (I started thinking about hair combs and the lines in your hair as the comb passes through it!). And of course the national CQ challenge of one 12x12 jq a month, for which this is April's entry.The shells are attached by hand-stitching a small piece of net over them. Practically all the rest is machined, the 'combing' lines with twin needles.

... and more wildlife - the damselfly on the lower leaf with the limey green leaf behind it. It's easier to see bigger, sorry! There's a shadow of it on the darker leaf below it.

Can't resist the flowers . . . .

. . . and the wildlife.
Cplours, colours, colours. I've lways wanted one of these blue flower bushes in the garden and now we have one - ceanothus, I think it's called.
And a rhododendron - nice deep pink

and this one has a lovely scent - sorry blogs don't do smellies.
And these look promising . . . strawberries and gooseberries.

More houses . . .

Our cottage again ... that stepped gable edge is used a lot . . . Going down to the harbour at Crail . .

Some interesting houses, must get themselves into a quilt some time.

Our cottage. . . two made into one I think.
. . .and the lighthouse at Elie.

Art in the cottage . . .

The self-catering cottage we had in Earlsferry is an old fisherman's cottage, decorated and furnished in a lovely bright way. A large felt hanging . . . . . . paintings . . .

. . . embroidery . . .

. . . and a couple of bright IKEA rugs (the other was stripes).

Scotland - the southern coast of Fife

We've been on holiday in Scotland again, this time by the sea. Windswept beaches, tiny picturesque harbours from which the herring boats once set sail. St Monans has these waterfront houses, just begging the tourist, digital camera in hand, 'Please take my picture'.
Some locals were a bit suspicious.
There was no one about, it was cold and rain threatened. But the shapes and colours of the houses are lovely.

Funny how the tide is nearly always out when we go places. The fishing boats look like toys.
An ancient church in St Monans, looks like a pile of children's bricks.
It's all crab and lobster fishing here now.

Our last evening, had to catch the sunset.
Over the Forth road bridge . . . . . . with the rail bridge alongside.