January Meeting

Thanks to Pat's hospitality, we were able to enjoy a lovely day of felt-making with Marilyn. It was very brave to accommodate so many of us, working. We seemed to take over quite a lot of the house.

Marilyn, as always, gave us plenty of clever ideas for jewellery and small items, both wet-felted, and needle-felted, and with ideas for beading and embroidery to finish the pieces. I am posting some pictures, mostly of Marilyn's work, but hope to include some examples from other members soon.

Some advance dates.....

Northwest Region Area 1  are holding a  members' workshop in Sedbergh on March 20th 2010. It will focus on hand embroidery.The tutor is Liliane Taylor, (who has a website http://www.lilianetaylor.com/ ) and the cost is £16, which covers tuition, materials, and tea and coffee. For further details, and to book, contact Kathryn Thompson.  kathrynlthompson30@hotmail.com or 01253 882121.

The Regional day , 17th April, Manchester Conference Centre.
Rosebowl Competition, title "Buildings and Architecture"

N.E.C. Fashion and Embroidery   (25th-28th March 2010)
Message from Fibrefusion;

"Fibrefusion have once again been invited to exhibit a new and extensive body of work representing their individual creative  response to the theme of 'Affinity'. We invite you to come and view our work and to meet the artists.Additionally you will be encouraged to 'look,touch and feel' identified work that has been created specifically for this purpose in our bright and zingy 'touchy/feely' display."


And a reminder from Val about the Sampler!

                                   

Not the weather this time!

Tomorrow's felt-making workshop will go ahead as planned, but the venue has had to be changed because of an unavoidable hitch with Threlkeld Village Hall. It will take place at Pat's house, in Threlkeld. You will still need to bring your lunch!
See you there!

January meeting

Well, fingers crossed that we'll all be able to get to Threlkeld Village Hall on Thursday for Marilyn's felt-making workshop. It does seem an age since we all met up. Take a look back at previous posts if you need a reminder of what we'll be doing, and what you need to bring. Don't forget your lunch!
 I'm hoping to be able to post lots of pictures of industrious embroiderers and their work after the meeting.For now, a picture of the view from my sewing room window of the last (hopefully) flurry of snow this year in St Bees. Not much, compared to some!

Weather again!

Well, the weather managed to rule out our informal at Pat's yesterday! With so many of us scattered all over Cumbria, it was inevitable, I suppose.  St Bees,  today, is beautiful , bright and sunny, and we are one of those little pockets where there has been relatively little snow, just a sprinkling. However, the roads have been icy and treacherous, and it is bitterly cold, as elsewhere. We don't have to go very far before we see the snow everyone else has had.

 Not the weather for venturing far , but for staying in and catching up with some sewing!( I have discovered more unfinished bits than I would like to admit.) And for wandering through the links to other textile blogs.

Let's hope the weather will allow us to get together for the next meeting, at Threlkeld Village Hall, for the felting workshop.

Newsletter, January 2010

Keswick Embroiderers' Guild

- HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The K E G NEWSLETTER - January 2010

This is a short Newsletter, as a reminder, and to give you new information.

An informal meeting will take place on Thursday, 7th January at Pat’s house – 10 till about 3pm. Ring for directions if necessary, (and to see if the snow has allowed us to use the drive again!) Bring along your own work and your own lunch, or some lunchy things to share if you wish.

******************

On the day of the February informal meeting (4th Feb), we are going to have a bring and buy, swap, jumble, of sewing, knitting, craft items, so take the opportunity to have a sort out. This will probably take place at Pat’s house again. More information as the weeks pass.


Our next ‘proper’ meeting is - 10am on Thursday, 21st January, at Threlkeld Village Hall. Marilyn Hughes is going to lead us in a day to make Felt Jewellery (small items).

Marilyn says – “this is intended as an experimental day, where you can explore different techniques, both wet and dry felting (needle felting) to make small items such as jewellery, cards, small purses, pictures, phone or glasses cases. The emphasis is on small so no physical workout rolling felt this time! A relaxed, chatty day! I shall bring several ideas, so that you can choose what you want to try”.

Please bring with you:
Normal sewing kit – scissors, needles, etc
Beads, to stitch on, and to thread up (ie small and large)
v Embroidery threads
An old towel and plastic jug, and pure soap if you have some (plus rubber gloves if you are allergic to soap)
A block of polystyrene, or thick sponge, or cheap kneeling mat (to stab needles into)
Jewellery ‘findings’, ie brooch pins, earring hooks, necklace fastenings, etc.
*** Your lunch – no shops in Threlkeld!!!

If you don’t have any of these items, don’t worry – we usually share!
>>>>>>><<<<<<<

As you probably all know by now, the Friends’ Meeting House was flooded again, and is undergoing repairs. As a result we have booked Threlkeld Village Hall for the next few meetings, but we will keep you informed. So ……. meetings at Threlkeld until informed otherwise. Ring Pat if you’re confused (about anything) [but perhaps not the meaning of life] (yet!).

Look forward to seeing you on the 7th January!

Pat Knifton 017687 79448

Sally's Christmas Cake (hic!)

Sally has provided this recipe for Christmas cake. Given how fraught everyone is by this stage, it looks very tempting!

CHRISTMAS CAKE

Ingredients

2 cups flour1 stick butter1 cup of water1 tsp baking soda1 cup of sugar1 tsp salt1 cup of brown sugarLemon juice4 large eggs1 cup of nuts1 bottle of wine2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the wine to check the quality. Take a large bowl, check the wine again.

To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.

Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the wine is still ok. Try anothercup.... Just in case. Turn of the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner.. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the wine to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Check the wine. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tine 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the wine and

wipe counter with the cat.

Bingle Jells!

Chairman's Challenge ; More details from Val

"This was a sampler I did to illustrate the various stitches I was teaching at an adult education class the other year. We made a small article each week using the stitch but I also made this sampler. I use any of them for workshops . This Sampler is the sort or thing I was thinking of for the Chairman's Challenge though on a larger scale than the challenge. The nine months we have before the Exhibition in July lends itself very nicely to 9 squares in any format (if anyone is short of a stitch then I can show them one). My workshop in April teaches one stitch which can be shown on the sampler AFTER the item is made on the day."

Val.

Time marches on! And I, for one, need to get going on this challenge. I have bought the fabric......... Val also pointed out that some of the workshops, Phillippa's, for example, involved more than one new stitch.