There are some incredible textures along the cliffs in County Clare - so much to photograph and to draw.  So . . .  the Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally has come and gone - it was very busy and had some very beautiful exhibitions, some of which will be coming to the show in Dublin this week.  The day after the show in London my best mate Claudia and I caught the ferry over to Rosslare. It was a long drive, but worth it. We stayed over night in Waterford and traveled over to West Clare the next day. I wanted Claudia to see the house I am buying in Kilbaha before we exchanged contracts. Claudia agrees the house is wonderful, though a bit remote. But that is part of it's charm. I will have to get used to allowing extra time for travel. We had a few days to have a wander around the area. I love the weather here - you really do have 4 seasons in one day. I just love the light, and there are 30 minutes more daylight every day here on the West Coast. I ...

Viv and Kevin. Starting our time in Dublin with a full Irish breakfast. Apologies for the delay in writing this post life has been a tad - hectic! I had a lovely time in Ireland. Laura and I shared a house in Donnybrook with Viv and Kevin from Art Van Go. We were there to do The Knitting and Stitching Show in Dublin. This is the second time that Vilene have a stand at this show, and after having such a good time last year we knew what we were in for . . .   Laura on the stand, halfway through setting up the stand.   It is great fun working with Laura at the shows - we do have a laugh together, we work hard too, of course!!! The Dublin show is not as busy as the other two in the UK, but it has a fabulous atmosphere and great charm. Some of the stand holders are the same but there are many more from Ireland. There was lots to see and many friends to catch up with. I always enjoy looking at the graduates showcase. There is always interesting and intriguing...

You may remember the beginnings of this lovely stitched pieced from the last post about the Malmsbury Embroiderers Guild workshop.  This is it stitched, finished and mounted.  Chris Taylor and Laura Strutt on the Vilene stand.  Boy did we have a good time. The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace was, as usual, stunning. it was also very long - FIVE days, with a late night opening on Thursday. It was fabulous to see so many friends - new and old. We had a very busy time on the Freudenberg Vilene stand. There are still people out there in Textileland that dont know you can paint Bondaweb - so my work here is not yet done! The exhibits at the show were fantastic. I have two series of work I would like to share with you. The first is by Mary Flynn - The Shore Archive. Her work celebrates the beauty of the sea and shore and communicates her feelings about our responsibility for the environment Over a period of years Mary Flynn's work has i...