Layers of various weights of Vilene Spunbond zapped with a heat gun to create lovely lacy edges. Gold embossing powder was added for extra texture and flash! I am very lucky to be able to lecture and deliver workshops on the processes and products I love. I know I get tired dashing about the country, but there are many worse ways to pay your mortgage .   On Friday night I managed to find the hall where I was due to deliver my lecture having left all the paperwork, contact numbers and directions on top of the car and then driving off - aarrggHH!!! Luckily I had tapped the postcode into my Tomtom the day before just to check on the time it would take for me to get there . Phew! It was VERY lucky or I would have been in a pickle!! Two layers of polyester organza that have been backed with Bondaweb, cut with a soldering iron and then ironed one on top of the other.  Simple and beautiful. The Windsor and Maidenhead group were very welcoming and my car was unloaded i

Painted Bondaweb ironed onto a cream background fabric and decorated with gilding flake, sequins and foil. My first job back in this lovely green and very wet country was an afternoon lecture and workshop hosted by the Winchester Branch of the Embroiderers Guild . What an organised and helpful branch they are. There was definitely the buzz of a vibrant and focused group, they made me feel very energised. Does that make sense? My lecture went well - it was my first time talking about my 'Textile Travels' and it seemed to be well received. I stayed that night with Susan Chapman, www.susanchapman.com Susan lives close to where I would be teaching the next day so it all worked out very well. We had a great evening catching up with most of what we had been up to since we had seen other last at Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch at the NEC in March. We both had so much to talk about - the main source of conversation was Susan's new house - FABULOUS. I'm only a little

 Layers of Vilene Spunbond CS 500 and 800 zapped and layered with polyester organza and mounted on hessian.  Phew! what a week - it was very full on what with staying in Katoomba and teaching in Springwood but we coped admirably with lovely students providing lifts. I was staying in a little house with my wonderful friend Mary Hettmansperger who was also teaching and who makes the most beautiful metal jewellery.  www.maryhetts.com All the classes for the Contextart Forum were held at Springwood High School or Korowai School . I had 14 students in my class which overlooked the school playing field. Everyone got on very well and all were happy to work on samples rather than make anything considered 'finished'. The group worked well together and we all soon gelled. You can almost hear the cogs turning with concentration.   Sulpher Crested Cockatoos wrecking a tree out side our window.  I'm afraid I was bit naughty now and then when I

 The ever popular newspaper faux chenille wrapped into a dinky little vessel. This is going to be rather a long post, I haven't been able to get internet access for a while so I am still catching up. Tomorrow is the last day of teaching in The Blue Mountains and I haven't finished raving about last week yet . . . . The course at Ballarat was 3d based, we used several different types of interfacing, both sew-in and iron-on. The classic pelmet Vilene sew-in interfacing was used as a support for the newspaper faux chenille. It helps stop you cutting right through the final layer.    This lovely sample of newspaper faux chenille just used black, white, red and silver and looked stunning    This rather fab piece of newspaper faux chenille was mounted on an old rusty dustbin lid that was found lurking around . . .  This was originally one piece of faux chenille that was cut into six and then turned to create the above    Catching the 'furrows'