I'm in the Craft Open

So delighted that two of my 'House Coats' have been selected for the Contemporary Craft Open held at Jennifer Colliers Unit Twelve Gallery in Staffordshire this winter.  It's another chance to see No. 1 Crumpet and Meals on Wheels, set amongst a whole host of other fabulous designer crafts.

Open from 4th December until 28th Feb 2015 check the Unit Twelve website for times.

Natural Dye Workshop

Yesterday I a wonderful day  'In the wool shed' where a group of us had a glorious time discovering the joy of a natural dyes.  Onion skins, Weld, Cochineal, Indigo and Copper were just some of the colours on the menu as we cooked up our delights.  There was many an oooh and arh as the sumptuous colours revealed themselves to us..... Oh happy days and a big thank you to Emma!

Print and stitch workshops this autumn.

Spoon bunting, mono printing, free machine embroidery, surface texture and quirky quilts are a series of textile workshops I'll be teaching this autumn at SewArty in Kenilworth.

If you would like to come along to all or just one of these creative sessions please call Sew Arty 07530 809308 to book your place.

For more information take a look at my workshops page or drop me an email.

I'm in print!

The exhibition is official.  Come along and see a story of daily rituals sewn into textiles, there's activities for the children too.

Nuneaton Art Gallery

'Happy Ever After' is now on at Nuneaton Art Gallery until the 5th October.

An exhibition that documents a playful response to the world around me.  Fond memories and familiar objects from the everyday - notions of motherhood, shopping lists, food wrappers and graphic packaging - absorbed into the fabric by patchwork and quilting techniques. 

First Class

With just a week to go till this years Warwickshire open studios, we're getting ready for a first class show In The Wool Shed at East Chase Farm.  Clearing and weeding it's all hands on deck!

Meals on wheels any one?

A travelling jacket for those who like to Hostess on the the go!

No.1 Crumpet

Keep em coming, round em up and finish them off!!

No1. crumpet is the penultimate jacket in the 'House Coat' (motherhood) collection, and bringing this one all together has been a satisfying turkish delight, the patchwork was constructed in turkey at easter. So, so long as sleeve insertions happen before 10am my eyes, concentration and hand dexterity will still coordinate enough to put them in!

The Birds

This week I've been 'In The Wool Shed' feeling the space in readiness for Open Studios, it's very exciting Emma has been painting walls and filling holes whilst trying not to disturb the wild life too much.  We're going to have a beautiful sound track of bird song when we show our wears....

It's all about the nips

This is the advice I had when a very good friend of mine helped me cut a pattern for my 'Wedding Jacket' nearly 10 years ago!  I've been using it ever since, that's the advice and the pattern, Thank you very kindly 'Maven Patterns'.

'Meals on Wheels' is rolling into action, look out for the finished version coming here really soon!

I might just have to buy a ham

This week I've been putting the sleeves in to my 'free range egg custard tart' jacket and all this fiddling around is making me think I'm going to need to get a ham! (For those of you not in the know a tailor's ham or dressmaker's ham is a tightly stuffed pillow used as a curved mold when pressing curved areas of clothing, such as darts, sleeves, cuffs, collars, or waistlines.)

Every mother deserves a medal!

Part of  'Happily ever after'  created for this years summer expo.
The motherhood jacket collection 2014
This one's called '2 for £8'
for all those who like a bargain whilst out doing the weekly shop......

Looking forward to exhibiting this summer...

Just signed up for warwickshire open studios 2014. You can find me with the lovely Emma in the wool shed at East Chase Farm, Kenilworth. From Saturday 28th June to Sunday 13th July.

Special Offer!

Friday afternoon 'Creative Textiles' workshops @ Sew Arty, in Kenilworth. 

1.30 - 4.30 @ £20 pppw

Week 1: Friday 21^st March 2014 - Freehand machine embroidery and appliqué.

Week 2: Friday 28^th March 2014 - Image transfer technique with hand embroidery.

Week 3: Friday 4^th April 2014 - Freehand machine embroidery with soluble fabric.

Week 4: Friday 11^th April 2014 - Transfer Printing with unique colour effects.

Come along and try one week or do all four! To book your place call Leanne on 07530809308

All you need is love ....

I've been beavering away, working on my house coat enjoying the LOVE that surounds me in motherhood, lets hope it gets me to the other side of half term?!

Getting back to the studio

it's a happy new year hear at Studio Sixty as 2014 brings me two exciting exhibition opportunities at Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery and The Wool Shed in Kenilworth, now all I have to do is magic the work......