ChrisBea's blog

2010-01-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Have failed in my New Year Resolution but anyway onwards and upwards - its a week since I blogged and have actually been quite busy.
My journal quilt is nearing completion - will post a completed picture soon.
Last Tuesday I went to Broderers for the first time this year - worked a small sample of canvas work for an altar frontal for St Nicholas's Chapel and took the sample for the large Nave altar frontal into the Minster to see if it is working - and it is just need to space the lines of stitching wider apart.
Today was the first Dollybirds meeting of the year and we were working on the doll/figures/artifacts based on Vikings as our contribution for The Viking Festival in February, What really amazed me was the variety of contributions from long ships complete with jolly viking sailors to helmets to sea gods who fished for souls lost at sea to dragons. Fantastic!!!
Will post some pictures if and when I can persuade Helen to send me some of those that she took today.
I think the answer to this blogging thing is actually to take photos much more regularly so that I have something concrete to 'hang' my inane ramblings on to.

2010-01-17T02:33:00.000-08:00

I should be bowling this morning in a mixed pairs knockout competition but our opposition has called off and rearranged so I thought I would take this opportunity to update the blog. Progress is continuing with the journal quilt - nearly finished -will post a picture later today.
Yesterday I went to give a talk at York Spinners, Weavers and Dyers - the talk was about dollmaking and though I included as much as I could about fibres and felting I was still uncertain as to how I would be received. However they were most welcoming - gave me a lovely lunch and then joined in the talk most appreciatively and asked lots of questions. Good day!
The rest of today is going to be spent catching up on Broderers work - I have a design to transfer and a little more sampling to complete before Tuesday.

2010-01-13T11:26:00.000-08:00

I'm on a roll!!!!! two days running - had to come back on to show more progress on the journal quilt and also to tell you that I misled you about the Quilting Arts issue - it is in issue 7 not 6 - have also got to say that today I found out that the lady whose work inspired me, Susan Shie is registered blind - now I am seriously impressed.

You will see that I have put on some leaf shapes and started to stitch to quilt the design - looking good!

2010-01-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here I am - I managed to get back to the blog just a day late and I did think about yesterday as I took a photo of my current handstitching see above. I know there does not seem to be much stitching yet but give it time!

I am a member of the Quilters Guild and within that organisation is a group called the Contemporary Quilters and they set a Journal Quilt challenge each year where participants have to commit to producing a small quilt once a month for a year to the size they specify but content and technique is left to the participant. This years size is 7"x10" and I am going to commit to doing this challenge and I have decided to use articles in Quilting Arts magazine as the basis for them - I subscribe to this excellent magazine and often read articles and think I would like to have a go at the technique but then life gets in the way and I never do so this is my opportunity.

The first technique I have chosen is from Issue 6 and is based on work done by an American lady called Susan Shie - she prepares the quilt sandwich and binds it before she does any quilting at all, she then appliques on shapes and stitches in quite a pleasing bold naive way and finally adds beads and embellishment leaving a very rich surface. So above is my quilt sandwich ready bound waiting for the appliqued shapes - watch this space!

2010-01-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

Well here I am again - finally got back to my blog!! I said right at the beginning that I did not have the necessary self discipline to do this justice however this is a new year and my resolution is to keep up my blog a little more regularly. I am aiming for every other day at the moment.
So today I went to the Embroiderers' Guild meeting - sadly there was a very poor turn out as the weather is so dreadful. The speaker was an American lady called Linda Hume and she told us about finding or actually redefining her identity when she moved to live in this country and how her work with textiles had helped. She made fantastic felted jewellry, vessels and bags heavily embellished with beads but I have to say that the highlight for me was a 30" high (approx) felted hare that she had made as a Christmas gift for her husband - he was so quirky and lovely - the hare that is!!!!!!
A good day was had by those who managed to get there.
Now I am going as Caroline (Number 1 daughter) has gone on holiday to France and I have borrowed her Wii to have a practice with as I am considering buying one and so am going to have a little play. When I get fed up of it or realise I can't work it without her assistance I will return to stitching and show you on the next post what I am currently doing.

Away for a few days!!!

2009-08-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

We went away for few days last week to the Lake District - we went to stay at a hotel which takes dogs and does fantastic food.

It was our first visit since Bronte died and we wanted to see if Jaffa would settle by himself and he did. Weather was not as bad as forecast we got a little damp but not the persistent downpours that were predicted.

We had had to miss our May visit because of Jaffa having an accident and Bronte's deterioration so this time I was able to catch up on the Osprey's progress. A pair of Ospreys returned to nest on Lake Bassenthwaite some years ago and we always check to see how many eggs/chicks they raise. Last year the male bird took himself a new mate as his previous one did not return and they have been very successful - this year they had raised three girls sadly one disappeared as soon as she fledged but the other two were still around and about the nest learning how to fish for themselves.

Just before I left the latest Stitch magazine arrived with a pattern to make a canvaswork pincushion which I really liked so I took threads and canvas to make it - it has an unusual shape which I really like and I love Stef Francis threads too so here it is - I'm really pleased with it.

The shape has a French name - Biscornu - and this particular one was designed by Sue Hawkins.

Lovely Service at the Minster

2009-07-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of this years Broderers meeting - we are now on our Summer hols.
Today was not my official day to be there but as it was the last day our group had been invited to join the others after lunch as a tour of the library had been organised for us (our workroom is in the Minster Library).
Also we have recently completed a Low Mass set of vestments which were being dedicated today by Canon Glyn Webster at the 12.30 Communion Service to which we were all invited to attend. It was a very thoughtful Service and Glyn spoke very appreciatively about our work. I had worked on the stole and Glyn put the stole and chausable on after the dedication and they looked very rich.

Busy Weekend!

2009-07-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well I managed to get my doll made but more of her later.

Had a really productive and busy weekend!

On Saturday morning I went to the Minster to take part in the Henry VIII family day they had organised - I went as a Broderer as we were inviting people to put a stitch into one of the Nave Kneelers we are currently working on and so many people wanted to do that!!! and the quality of their work was excellent we did not have to undo anything - really pleasing. Some of the Minster staff had dressed as Henry and his wives and there were various activities going on in the aisles for children and adults.
Dashed home at lunchtime to complete my doll and finally finished her at 10ish.

Sunday - Dollybirds

Today was the fish challenge day when those who wished to were asked to make a doll to include a fish/es somewhere!!!!

I have to say that I was delighted with the response and here are pictures as promised:-

These four were made by Sue Galloway: the tall fish on the stand was her own design based on one she has in her bathroom; it is beautifully constructed in her trademark pastel colours with machine embroidered seaweed trailing up the stand.

The pastel flatfish is a work in progress taken from a Julie McCullough pattern and we will wait with baited breath to see what comes.
The two small colourful fish with faces came from a pattern designed by Rhonda Maghinty and are delightful and quirky and Sue's choice of colours is super.

Pictures can be deceptive!!!!!!!!
I include here two pictures of fishes made by Tina Holliday and Pauline Twyman respectively.

These fishes look as big as all the others featured but are in fact a fish brooch and a minature fish on a stick!! However size is not everything and these are two tiny gems.

Tina's fish on stick is really clever as she downloaded an image of a fish from the internet and its reverse image - printed them onto fabric, stitched them together and stuffed then - smart girl our Tina!!

Pauline's fish is her own design based on one of her own Discus fish in her aquarium- beautifully made and finished - a little jewel!

This is Colleen's fish - she wasn't very inspired by this challenge until Sue gave here ideas based on wordplay and here is her response - she has made a lemon sole by drawing around her foot to get her sole template and made it in lemon fabric. We had a workshop with Jenny Rayment who works with pleats and tucks to give texture and Colleen brought this to her fish to give an impression of scales. Brought a smile to everyones face -but she has now been challenged to make a matching Dover sole!!!!!

This fish was made by Anne Evans from a pattern designed by Julie McCullough - this really is a clever pattern and has been interpreted really well by Anne - the picture does not do real credit to just how sparkly this fish is - he shimmers. Anne applied Angelina fibres to make his scales and glued minute beads onto the riders feet for shoes. Superb!!
Anne got her challenge deadlines mixed up and produced the fish two months early but I am sure that she inspired others to try this pattern.

Sheila and Tracy Raines (mother and daughter) also chose to work on Julie McCulloughs fish - they chose a different colourway, a green fish and rider but whereas Anne applied fabric to represent scales Sheila and Tracy cleverly chose fabric with a pattern they could accentuate to represent scales which they outlined with green glitter glue. Again my pictures do not do justi

ce to this doll which looked fabulous and the construction and finish were excellent - I have put up two pictures of this one as I wanted to show the shading around the eyes and mouth which added depth to doll.Well done girls!

And finally on to my girl - this doll came about as a result of an internet class that I took with Katie Estvold - this is her design but I put papier-mache fish in her theatre dress instead of the bird that Katie had there
Well what can I say - she is strange and quirky and I am very pleased with her though she will not be to everyones taste. I am working on two small paperclay fishes to be hair ornaments for her!

Currently Marlene Walker and Judith Johnson are working on fish based dolls and I will post pictures as and when.
Judith is working on a doll that has very difficult instructions and came to me for help and was delighted that I also could make no sense of the instructions what so ever.

Really good day which got better when we had an outing in the afternoon to the Yorkshire Museum organised by Helen (who works there) to look at Viking artefacts as a starting point for our upcoming exhibition at the Yorvik Festival in February 2010. An interesting excellent time was had by all. Thank you Helen.

Apologies for anything which I have got wrong or misplaced.

Good day that got better and dollmaking!

2009-07-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Have been to Broderers today and had a really productive day - completed my education in stole making and so the low mass set is now complete and is going to be dedicated next Tuesday. This is appropriate as it is the last day of this year - the Broderers will have a summer break until September.
I also (with the help of Shirley) managed to negotiate photographs and samples in readiness for the Power Point presentation we are going to put together about the Broderers - I have already taken three bookings for talks and as yet no illustrations are ready - but they will be!!!!
When I got home this afternoon I was delighted to find that the drum carder had arrived so had a great time practising whilst waiting for dinner to cook - this is going to be a real timesaver.
One of my stated reasons for setting up this blog was for the Dollybirds - we have a meeting on Sunday and it is a Challenge day: that is the designated day for our lastest challenge to be brought in to show. The challenge was to make a doll to include a fish somewhere which seems like a very strange challenge and I did think I would be shouted down but as ever they rose to the challenge and I am looking forward to Sunday. Ihave to get my finger out as my doll has been half finished for 6weeks but as always is going to be completed last minute - I work much better under pressure!!!!!!!!
Will post pictures of the dolls next week.

Quiet day

2009-07-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Today has been a really quiet day nothing of any great note to report - I have been busy spinning all the rolags of fleece which I carded yesterday whilst sitting in the garden with Jaffa. Carding is really time-consuming and boring and I am really beginning to think that I should persuade Malcolm that it would be a good idea to invest in drum carder. We'll see!

Rug project!!!!

2009-07-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is the photo that I attempted and failed to upload yesterday of Bronte.

Today has been a busy day washing and drying the last of the three Jacob fleeces that I purchased earlier in the week from Shirley. My next door neighbours must think they live next door to somebody with very strange laundry habits as last week there were multi-coloured skeins of wool that I had spun and dyed for my latest rug project and today there was fleece drying on the line.

This is the rug project - really small rug - more of a wall hanging really . The design comes from a book of primitive designs and really should be done with much thicker srips of wool but I prefer to work finer but find the primitive designs very pleasing. Will post more photos as the work progresses

finally found the time!!!

2009-07-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

I did say in my first post that I didn't think that I had the self discipline to do this but have finally found time whilst I am waiting for a shower to pass so that I can take Jaffa out for his teatime walk.

He has had to spend his first long time by himself today as Malcolm is away for a few days and I had to go to Broderers' to get my first tuition in making up a stole. I left the Test Match on the TV for him but I could tell he was unhappy when I returned.

I am going to try and download pics of both dogs today - am gradually getting my head round Bronte but it is hard.

As you can see I did manage to down load pictures, however they came before the relevant words but I am being positive and can only get better as I get more used to this. Also I intended to publish two pictures of Bronte and one of Jaffa but got it the wrong way round.

Will try again tomorrow.

2009-07-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

I have thought long and hard about having a blog mainly because I am not convinced that I have anything of any great import to say to the world and I am fairly certain that I do not have the required self discipline to actually keep signing in every few days and writing about what has been going on in my life.
However I have succumbed as I am going to use the blog as a point of contact with my group of dollmaking friends The York Dollybirds and to enable me to post pictures of our work.
I made the decision to begin this blog last weekend at the end of the City of York Embroidery Guilds' exhibition which was extremely successful and would give me something good to say but sadly the week went downhill from there as on Monday we had to take the decision to have our Italian Spinone bitch, Bronte, put to sleep as the tumour she had been growing in her cheek finally grew to the point where she could no longer eat. She had been our companion for ten and a half years and there is a huge gap and we miss her tremendously but we still have Jaffa (the boy Spinone) - but this weekend I thought I would begin and use Bronte's going as a starting point - I will post a photo of them both as I get more proficient at bligging or blogging even!!!!!