Finnegan's of Dalkey.  I had a brilliant time staying with my cousin Emer in Blackrock, Dublin. She was a very generous hostess and we had great fun together.  My first evening was spent in Finnegan's in Dalkey. A very beautiful pub - VERY high Victoriana. It was a fabulous evening, just watching everyone enjoying themselves. We visited several of the local sights - my favourite being Powerscourt House and Gardens. www.powerscourt.ie I couldn't walk all that far as my knee is rather uncomfortable after my twisting incident at the Rugby club in Redditch a couple of weekends ago. I saw enough to know I want to go back - what a remarkable place. Powerscourt House. The statues, pots and stairs on the main terrace are very beautiful . . . .   There are several stunning water features, along with all manner of Japanese gardens, walled gardens, woodland walks and all the usual attractions you would expect from a top visitors...

The is 'Bet Noire' by Mary - just fabulous. This post is about the homework from the constructed textiles weekend of my Experimental Textiles course. The idea was to use either, knit, weave or felt to construct a three dimensional sample. I was so pleased with what they produced I thought the work deserved it's own post. Lovely felt bowls made in the washing machine around balls. Mary really enjoyed stitching into the felt . . .  . . .  and more of Mary's beautiful stitch . . .  Kat had fun working into her paper collage from the previous weekend. Barbara made the fabulous vessel - she has part felted it, then she will be stitching into it and felting it again. Val created some exquisite textures with stitch on this divine little bowl . .     . . . and more on this faerie like sample . .    This is one of Babara's woven samples . .   . . and some of her stunning felted kn...

Transfer printed polyester satin. The weekend saw me teaching the 6th weekend of Experimental Textiles at The Old Needleworks in Redditch. The weekend was a colour fest. On the Saturday we used procion dyes to colour natural fabrics and on Sunday we used disperse dyes (transfer paints) to colour synthetic fabric. The whole point of the course is to develop the students confidence in themselves and all the basic skills so they can work independently.  As a textile artist it is very important to know how to colour your own fabrics, be they natural or synthetic. This is one very important way to help your work look different to everyone elses. The group already know how to create original designs and make printing blocks of their own designs. The girls dying natural fabrics in plastic bags.      Bags of colourful opportunity.  I will be able to show you what the girls produced from their fabrics after the next session in mid Nove...

 The lovely Laura Strutt polishing off 2 puddings - no not really - we shared.  I have found a fellow dessert lover!!! Whoopppee! The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace was amazing, very busy indeed. I have a new job - promoting Vilene products at various shows around the country. As you can imagine, it is a great hardship - not!!! I have been working with these fabulous products for many years as many of you will know. Laura Strutt and I will be doing all the Twisted Thread shows for the next few years and one or two others .Laura is a very clever girl and is into all manner of crafts as well as working on magazines and is the author of the Haynes Sewing Manual. We get on SOOOOO well together. Whilst the shows are hard work - great fun can also be had.  Laura showing how to use the Quickscreen Triangle by Vilene. The whole point of us having a stand at the shows is to help you all identify which Vilene products you may need for your area of...