a section of one of the amazing borders at Great Dixter While we are staying in Winchelsea it seemed sensible to visit Great Dixter - the garden of Christopher Lloyd which is only 20 minutes away - it was fantastic- the planting is quite remarkable - so many layers of colour. www.greatdixter.co.uk    We only stayed for an hour as Mum couldn't cope with the steps and was a bit doddery but I saw enough to know I want go back - the gardens really are wonderful. Apart from the flower borders there is a sunken garden, exotic garden, topiary - you name it, it is there. Plus an part Lutyens house . . . .  x I have been meaning to post this all day but have been slightly distracted - by emails from a certain structural engineer - unfortunately he is working in Dubai for another month - sigh!!! That will make you smile Jill and Tallulah . . . .  x x x off to Dungeness tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to it.

the desired result  AARRGGHHHH!!!! I have a degree in 3D, excellent hand to eye co-ordination, I can assemble a flat pack chest of drawers in under an hour - but could I work out how to fold my new packaging for my books????? Oh it was SO frustrating - the packaging came with instructions and I couldn't make anything work - I had to ring the supplier in the end and the lovely man at the end of the phone explained it was quite normal, either you got it the first time or you didn't. Once he had talked me through the VERY simple folding process I was fine . . . . . if a little embarrassed. All you have to do is go from this -  to this -  to this!!! It was a salutary reminder that we all need different kinds of instruction depending on the kind of learner we are.  Visual learners learn through seeing Auditory learners learn through listening Tactile/Kinesthetic learners learn through doing, moving and touching I wonder which learning style is most common to those of you re

Hurrah! and lashings of ginger beer . . !  The books have just arrived - too late for today's post though .  All orders will be dispatched tomorrow, I have so many parcels to post I will have to make 3 trips to the Post Office, or there will be a riot!   AAHHH!!!! that is a sigh of relief! It is great to have all the boxes of books stacked safely by my front door ready to go to The Festival of Quilts next week.  I shall now go and continue packing up and labelling parcels - Yeehhaaaa!!!!!!! X

 my charcoal drawing of a section of the still life Drawing is the backbone of all creative work - and something I do very rarely unless I am made to. I never find the time to do something that is so important and should really be practiced weekly if not daily!!!!! I am very ashamed to say I only draw once a year - at the Textile Study Group summer school. textilestudygroup.co.uk I always promise my self I will do more, I have all the kit I could ever need, I just don't make the time. Projects like The Sketchbook Challenge (see link on the left of this blog) are very helpful in addressing this. Do any of you get together to make yourselves draw? There were three tutors teaching on the five day summer school. Rosemary Campbell, Alison King and Bobby Britnell. I was on Alison King's course. The title of our course was Meaningful Territory. Alison had set up a stunning black and white still life down the room and our first exercise was to take a section and draw it in char

Shoreham Gallery, 27 Brunswick Road, Shoreham - by - Sea gallery website   I am now part of a co-operative! oooeerrr!!!! There are 20 or so artists in the group and we all take turns in manning the gallery and taking on extra jobs to help things run smoothly. The gallery is just by Shoreham railway station so we are busy all day with passing trade and regulars popping in for a chat. The area is full of lovely small independent shops, it has a small village feel - quite intimate. I love being in the gallery, it makes such a wonderful change to dashing all over the country. The gallery was previously a few streets away from it's present location and we moved 3 weeks ago to these lovely new premises. There is a small garden at the back and a room upstairs I will able to use for workshops - Yeehaa!!! Somewhere to teach near me. The room is on the small side so I think it would take 8 students, that's enough to have some fun! The re launch party was from 4 pm - 7pm, all the arti

 Extreme Surfaces for Stitch - Denman College  7th - 9th December layers of Vilene Spunbond, Tyvek and polyester organza  machine stitched to pelmet Vilene and zapped with a heat gun I have finally had word that my new book, Layered Textiles, will be delivered the first week of August. Much later than it was promised but at least I have a date. AARRGHHHH!!!! I do so hope it is worth the wait - I am still a bit concerned about what they have done with the cover. The anticipation is killing me  . . . .  * There have been a few changes with my Denman College www.denmancollege.org.uk workshops. Firstly the July workshop next year , Hot Textiles part 2, has been brought forward to January 9th - 11th. I have also added an extra workshop for Denman this year - December 7th - 9th Extreme Surfaces for Stitch. My courses are always fully booked at Denman with waiting lists - me teaching at the W.I. who would have thought??? It is a great place to teach and wonderfully relaxed place to be a s

AARRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!!! I STILL haven't heard when my book is arriving from the printers in the Far East. It was due to be delivered last week!!! I am so SO fed up - and I am sure those of you who have pre-ordered from me are also getting a bit peeved. Needless to say as soon as the delivery arrives I will send the orders out along with their special Hot & Sticky packs.  I am off to attend the Textile Study Group Summer School textilestudygroup.co.uk on Sunday so I am praying the books arrive before then. If not, I will have to try to get some of the books delivered to the Summer School and post them from there. They shouldn't be MUCH longer . . . . . . .   x