Of all the things.....

I am rubbish at embroidery and needle turn appliqué and what was our first assignment? A small sample of embroidery stitches and a piece of needle turn appliqué.  To be fair you only had to do a running stitch, a back stitch and a satin stitch. However, if anyone felt confident to do other stitches from the sheet provided then you could. For the needle turn appliqué you only had to do a circle or a square. Does anyone think I've been a bit of a show off by doing a jac'o'bean flower??? (That is a rhetorical question so don't answer that lol). It took me all day Sunday to complete my flower but I think its fairly expectable, however, it is far from perfect and anyone who is an expert at needle turn appliqué would surely laugh at my attempt at this incredibly skilful technique. I have to say I was quite shocked at such a request from the teacher and the five minute demonstration at the technique to a group of novice sewers (no disrespect to the group of lovely girls). I myself find this technique difficult and I have attempted needle turn appliqué several times including a very intense work shop with Barbara Chainey no less! and I am rubbish at it. The thing is I could not bring myself to do just a little circle or a square, it seemed so pointless, so out came the Jac'o'bean book and this was the end result.

First projects for UIni.....

Choose a natural unusual object. i:e fruit, shell stone leaf etc.... I chose a pomegranate..

Make representations of your object by drawing, painting, printing  etc....

Be realistic and impressionistic with you drawings of your object.

The last two weeks have been really busy but I am enjoying every minute. I realised I have not blogged for a little while but in truth I have not had anything to blog about. (sorry) I thought I would give you all a glimpse of what I have been doing this week and a peek into my very first sketch book for Uni. I feel I have exhausted drawing, painting, printing and photographing the pomegranate so today I am hoping to stitch one on my lovely Bernie.  This project is for creative thinking and besides the sketch book I have had to collect hundreds of images from magazines, books and take photos of everything and anything to be able to create mood boards.  Mood boards are new to me but I will save showing you my first one for another posting.

Its a start.....

It has been a real busy week and time has just flew by. I was getting my bag ready for Uni tomorrow and decided to take time out and decorate the cover of sketch book number one. A few days ago I bought a pair of pumps from Primark and the brown paper bag that they came in has been lying on the floor in my sewing room.  When I decided to decorate the front of my sketch book this morning I picked up the brown paper and bag and decided it needed to be ripped into strips and it became the basis for my collage. I added masking tape, again roughly torn into strips, a bit of coloured paper and began to randomly stick the pieces to the front of the sketch book. Nothing was planned and I used whatever was to hand. I even had some little left over threads on my desk from the current stitch along I am doing with Homespun Magazine. I added some stamped images and the text Imagine, Wonder and Dream is a lovely strip of cloth. I am really pleased with the end result as I am not very confident when it comes to collage. I hope I will make the inside just as interesting as the front cover and it invites people to want to take a peek inside.

Unexpected gift.....

I have started Uni and it has been a very busy week. Last night I went to Liverbirds and was greeted with a beautifully wrapped gift and card on the table where I sit.  It was from my very generous, wonderful friend Sue. Inside was a big square Oink sketch book (my favourite type of sketch book) and a lovely lilac A5 (very posh) sketch book, to start me off on my journey in Uni. I was so overwhelmed, I think I hugged her and her son Josh to death. On the bus home I took out my new sketchbook and stroked them loving, enjoying the anticipation of knowing they will both soon be filled with doodles, scribbles and wonderful images of things that inspire me to be creative. Sue thank you for your wonderful and very thoughtful gift. I am truly blessed to have such amazing friends in my life. XX 

Get ahead wear a hat........

When I got my welcome pack from Uclan there was a brief in it for a summer project titled 'Know Thyself. The project was to create a sketch book and develop it to make a hat,which reflected your self. Well silly me, I thought this was probably for the fashion students and therefore did not bother to do the project. Then two days ago I discovered that I was wrong and I had to do the summer project. This was because you need to bring your sketch book and hat to the introduction day, it is an ice breaker to introducing yourself to the other students. OOOPs PANIC!!! because I start Uni next week. Yesterday I went to town bought a sketch book and  I have tried to do what was asked as best I could in such a short time.  After lots of stressful moments this is my  hat. I decided to make a top hat because I can be as mad as the mad hatter in Alice and Wonderland and he wears a top hat. I collaged it with things that I think make me who I am. Family, sewing, cup cakes, cats, paints, quilts etc.. you get the drift. I just need it to dry and I can glue it to a head band that will keep it on my head, hopefully. Phew!! note to self: "don't leave things till the last minute".

Disappointment leads to Embarrassment.....

Well what a week it has been. Wednesday to Friday I was on a course at Uni called Flying Start and it was very enjoyable. I am looking forward to starting Uni even more now, if that's at all possible? Then yesterday I went to Harrogate with three of my amazing friends, Janet, Sue and Emma and we had a lovely day. Sadly my Age of Aquarius did not win any rosettes but I didn't really think it stood a chance there where some big names in the large wall hanging category and just on sixty quilts entered. I was more disappointed  about the place it had been hung and boy it hung terribly. It looked awful and was tucked away in a confined space and that saddened me more than not winning. I was so proud of it beforehand, telling all who'd listen I had entered it in Harrogate and I was so ashamed when I saw it because it really did look terrible. However, I am not throwing in the towel, its back to the drawing board and start thinking about an entry for next year. It was that bad I didn't even take a picture. :(