The Good and the Bad

 

 

The good things first - at last my four day late summer workshop with Bobby Britnell at Artvango has come round. For the first time I have actually booked a b&b for the duration rather than drive all that way twice a day, that way I'm sure I will have the energy to do the course justice. I'm a teensy bit excited. My requirements list is all ticked off - my case is packed and I'll start out at about 7.30 tomorrow morning.

Today was another good event - a meeting of the Trident group I'm part of. It was my turn to host the day and choose what we would be doing. I was inspired by the appliqued quilt I've been working on and based the day on producing a small version of the design on the big quilt. We each choose our own preferences for colour and will each stitch in our own style. It will be interesting to compare the end result as we each work in a different way.

 

We choose from a palette of fresh colours and really enjoyed handling the fabrics and auditioning dozens of combinations. Of course copious amounts of coffee and biscuits helped the process along and we all three declared that there was nothing we would rather be doing!

 

 

The sun shone into the workroom and made the colours so vibrant, It made us quite elated (on the other hand it could have been all the coffee we guzzled) 

 

 





  

This piece of applique that Jean did is so typical of the elegance that she brings to all her work - I loved the way she altered some of the shapes to make the work less stylised.

 

 

Jackie's piece was the bravest, going for a lovely selection of silk fabrics that are going to be a joy to embroider.

 

My piece is a little more chunky looking because I want to add a lot of handstitch to it. We have agreed to be finished by Christmas on this project so I must find a bit more time to devote to it.

 So - Bobby for the next four days, then a few days to myself (most of which I've commited to one thing or another) and then the Embroiders Guild Exhibition and then Scotland. What a lovely Summer I've had!

 

I did say there was a bad bit as well - my son finally leaves for China on Thursday, I'm glad I have the distraction of Bobby's class to take my mind off it. These things have to be endured with a cheerful smile and the realisation that he will be home again in a year, unlike some mother's sons that we read about on an almost daily basis that never return. I count my blessings.