One of the lovely models showing off my gecko t. shirts. Craft, Hobby and Stitch International is a trade show. As I work with Vilene as a consultant, I work at this show and run their retailer workshops. This is a very sedate style of show compared to the consumer shows that I do.  Vilene have decided to bring Hot Spots into their main retailer range - as you may know, I have been selling Hot Spots on  www.nid-noi.com for several years. I sell them by the metre, Vilene will be selling them in pack of 5 x A4 sheets. Hot Spots are a bit like a spotty Bondaweb but with a heavier backing paper. Because the backing paper is heavier, the Hot Spots can be cut with hole punches, die cutting machines and laser cutters . .  as well as scissors! I was asked to decorate T.shirts for everyone on the trade stand this year, so I asked my friend Claire from lasercutsussex.co.uk to help. Claire's knowledge of laser cutting is amazing. You may remember that she cuts my j...

   The new book from D4Daisy www.d4daisy.com  Most of you will have seen that Maggie Grey has a new book out from D4Daisy and some of you will already have it. It is a fabulous book, full of exciting ideas. Every page had something brilliant on it - using one cutting tool or another on it - from hole punches to laser cutters. It is a very good read. The book features several of the Vilene interfacings - or 'pelmet Vilene'. I though this might be a good time to explain the differences between the 'pelmet' or 'craft' Vilenes as most of you know them. There is no such thing as 'pelmet' or 'craft' Vilene. It is a term that has been adopted to describe a firm sew-in interfacing. The correct name, or in fact, number for it is - S80 . Not very exciting - but if you don't know the number you will have trouble finding it. I sell all the medium to heavy weight iron-on and sew-in interfacings on www.nid-noi.com. I have h...

 Chunks of rocky road, tiny meringues and a cake on a stick!!! First to the naughtiness. There I was happily working away last night in Brenda's office at IDC inkberrowdesigncentre.co.uk , The Old Needle Works  when she comes back from a W.I. meeting with lots of swag. Beautiful candles and lots of little tasty bits. Cakes on sticks, rocky road and lots of tiny little meringues. For those of you who don't know - IDC is where I teach my Experimental Textiles course. experimentaltextiles.com I have come up to Redditch a day early because I have decided not to travel on a Friday if I can help it, it is just a nightmare. I am teaching for the Genesis Textile Group tomorrow. We are indulging in 'A new starting point'. More newspaper. It definitely seems to be the most popular workshop at the moment. The workshop is in Solihul, 30 minutes from Redditch so I thought I would stay with Brenda and help out in the office while she is te...