Christmas Lunch at Dalemain

Nearly December already! Just a reminder......... Lunch at Dalemain is this Thursday; the plan is , to meet up at Rheged at 11am for coffee, and to organise lifts , should anyone need them or, be at Dalemain itself by 11.55, to eat at 12 noon. A small embroidery-related gift can be entered into the gift exchange!

Look at this site!

Just wandering through from one site to another, I came across this one. www.onestepon.co.uk It houses the web pages of a group of textile artists, and shows examples of their very varied work. As we missed our bag-making day, you might like to get some inspiration from some of these examples! You need to click on the artist to see their work So far, I have drooled over bags made by Sandie Maher, and Ann Christy. Worth a peek!

Floods

The November meeting had to be cancelled, of course, and in the light of what happened next in Keswick and Cockermouth, it seems a very minor disappointment. Maybe we'll be able to do that workshop in the future.

Val has provided me with an example of a stitch sampler, to post, showing the idea behind her 'Chairman's Challenge.' It has a stitch, or technique inspired by each of our meetings this year.(In our case, this will be a mere nine motifs!) I will try soon to link this picture to a larger version, so that you can see it in more detail, but in the meantime, you get the idea!

Programme Changes

I will miss the bag-making session, sadly, but hope you all have an inspiring day! Please note the changes to this year's programme, set out on the right. Also, note that the felted jewellery session in January will be held at Threlkeld Village Hall rather than at the Friends' Meeting house.

Book Review

Machine Embroidered Woodlands

Alison Holt

I've just bought this book, and was seriously inspired from the first glimpse. To help you achieve the lovely finished embroideries , there are clear step-by step instructions which cover everything from the very basics of machine embroidery, to painting the backgrounds, and achieving the detailed effects. The instructions are clear, and accompanied by close-up photographs which make everything look so easy! We shall see! I did buy Alison's DVD last year,which dealt with Machine Embroidered landscapes. This was useful, too, if you like working alongside the PC, but I am always more comfortable with a book, somehow.

Anyway, this book is tempting me to my machine!

(It's published by Search Press)

Crewel Work October meeting.

There was something for all levels of skill at Phillippa's crewel workshop, our October meeting. We had several visitors, and we ranged from relative newcomers to this particular embroidery, to the very experienced. Everyone seemed to enjoy the day, and we all left knowing about (and able to stitch) laid and couched work. It will be interesting to see all the peonies when they are finished, and the little crewel work example on everyone's challenge sampler!

Those patchworkers among you might like to check out the Fobbles link , as they have a sale day coming up very soon, when many of their lovely fabrics will be reduced in price.
The new Embroidery/ Beading shop is now open in Cockermouth. The Silver Beaded Needle is in Lowther Went, and is stocked with some gorgeous threads, and packs for all kinds of embroidery.

I have added the blog links of two other guilds in the north, Parbold, and Blackpool .They both look very busy, and produce lovely, inspiring work. If you haven't already, take a look.

Have you found a book or a shop recently, which you think we should all know about? It would be great if you could write a review for the blog. Let me know!

A New Online Home!

This is our new online home! I'm not as expert as Lyn in the art of setting up a blog, so I will need your patience as I learn how to do it.

We held our AGM on 17th September, when Val Osborn was elected our new Chairman. The other officers stayed in post for another year.

Val began by issuing a Chairman's Challenge!

Including the Applique workshop we did after the business meeting, there are nine workshops in this year's program. We are challenged thus;

On a piece of evenweave fabric (not Aida), produce a small example of work after each of the workshops, producing a sampler, finished by the Summer exhibition, in the Moot Hall in July. It is a really good idea, because we'll all have a record of what we've achieved during the year. (I'm already behind after just one workshop, but I do intend to catch up!