It used to be an apple for the teacher . . . . So - we have had the fourth session of Experimental Textiles already - time is flying. I save the still life until the fourth session as by then as the groups are feeling more comfortable with each other and friendships are starting to form. The girls are all starting to support each other. Drawing and painting in front of other people is always uncomfortable. Few of us are naturally talented, but the exercise of looking and recording what you see is very valuable. I find that asking the groups to draw and paint a large scale still life is a bit less scary for them than a smaller scale one. The weekend group concentrating hard on their drawings. We spent the whole of the first day of the two day sessions making various drawings and paintings, using a range of media. Several of the drawings/paintings will be torn up the next day to create a collage. Telling the students that their work may well be torn up makes them place l

 A close up one of the newspaper faux chenille samples. I have just returned from a very busy and fun weekend with the East Kent Embroiderers Guild - Wow!!! what a fabulous group of ladies. I delivered a lecture on Saturday afternoon to a full hall. I was made very welcome and it was great to see some old friends from when I taught a longer workshop for the Wye ladies a few years ago. It is always good to catch up with people you have had fun with.  This is a large Guild, very organised and I said, great fun - they are so friendly. If you live in the Kent area and are tempted to join - this is their website. Do have a look - www.eastkentembroiderers.org.uk you don't need to be an experienced embroiderer - just have an interest in stitch and textiles in general - you will be made very welcome. I taught a one day version of A New Starting Point. (I am no longer taking bookings for one day workshops, all that driving, loading and unloading for just one day wears me out,

  A scrumptious sample of textured and foiled Tyvek. I am finally catching up with myself, have been in rather a headless chicken mode for the past few weeks - things are bit calmer now. I have a few days in between each teaching session now right up to when the shows start next month. As long as I keep moving I will be fine. So . . . I have a new teaching venue in Brighton, just 10 minutes up the road from me, I can't believe how close it is - such a treat. I have booked some more workshops for next summer and once I have decided what I will be teaching, I will let you all know the dates and workshop information. The Bridge Community Education Centre is light and airy place with plenty of well equipped rooms and a fabulous cafe with scrummy food. There is a huge car park and the Centre is close to Falmer station and is also on many bus routes. www.thebridgebrighton.com   We had a group of seven fabulous girls. This is the Art Room. I was teaching a weeke