A day off!... drooling over quilts at Birmingham!
Where to start?
i cannot even begin to tell you the joy in this day. A day off from all my stresses and a day ON quilt viewing and fabric shopping. This Fish was in heaven...
The above quilt is by my pal Lucie Summers - the work in it just hurts my eyes! She is such a huge talent... so i was chuffed to bits that this gorgeous Porthole quilt was on display...
And truly *proud by proxy* that this stunning quilt WON! Whooop - and so deserved. It was hard to get close to it as there were crowds of adoring ladies around it. And Kaffe Fasset too! but i couldn't hear what he said. Still, nice to see the man himself.
There were many quilts working on the theme of 'upcycle' and using clothing remnants and labels. This was just heart stopping however. An entire quilt made of name tapes / sew-in name labels and it looked so amazing. It should have won something as everyone stopped to talk about it.
Again, labels... so fun and interesting to look at it.
You know these few quilts are just the tiny tip of a huge array of quilts, right? i had to stop to snapping and just 'enjoy' after a while....
I just loved this hexagony quilt - It worked so well. It was traditional but contemporary... the colours worked beautifully....
I am no critic, i should just let the quilts doing the talking.
Ughhh... pretty pretty quilts.... everywhere!!!
More honeycombs and muted shades...
My friend with her camera - she was the perfect companion for the day. Equally obsessed with fabrics and quilts and sewing AND very much in need of a day to herself, like me :)
*sooo want to own this quilt*
....... i mean......... wow! just wow!
Our favourite stand in the shopping area. And it turns out she lives up the road from me! She was great: "Washed and Worn"? i cannot remember. The lady has no website so i cannot link her but her stall was inspiring and she was selling JellyRolls cut from loads of mens old shirts. Just cool!
It may surprise you to know i did not spend a fortune. I bought a few choice bits, an apron, an old spool, a few fabric offcuts... but you know what? my friend was lovely and the day out was just like a home-cooked meal and a few chilled glasses of good wine... it left me with the feeling:
Replete. Happy. Relaxed. Inspired.
The FATTIES are here.... *new felt balls*
I know, i know.... i AM up to my eyeballs still in paint and packing boxes and i cannot find anything and i am stressed and i have run out of savings to buy furniture - - - my friends, it's allllll good.
I have FAT BALLS!
The very most totally grrrrrr thing about moving house though, is i have no time (or place) right now, to play with my new supplies. I have so many fabulous ideas for my *new* fat friends. I am itching to play with them. 2cm across and such amazing colourways.
New stock - packs available in the http:// BigFish.etsy.com shop and in the new UK shop LovePaperFish.com as soon as it is open (mid Sept at the latest ready for Xmas)
THIS IS THE AUTUMN PACK x40balls
WINTER x40 balls
SPRING x30 balls
SUMMER x40 balls
and these POMPOM BALLS - just soooo cute.
I literally have a basket full of them that i keep running my fingers through - i want to M A K E stuff!
Want to Play?
Quilting and Patchwork and Moving Home....
Sometimes life throws so many chaotic situations at you, in such a random order, that life can see unbelievably overwhelming....
2010 has been pretty much like that for me. It is one of those years that is bringing such craziness - i pinch myself to check i am still breathing.
But i know i am tremendously lucky - as other people have entirely overwhelming lives!! i can see how my year will slowly improve.
Step.1. I am moving house.
And this is proving to be the longest move in history.
I am in the midst of clearing out and re-decorating the house into which i will move. The home must come before the new studio as i have a child who needs a safe place to feel cozy (don't we all?)
Stock is half packed in boxes and new supplies wait for their new home....
And i continue to make *new* bits and pieces as i must still earn my pennies and Craft Fairs / Internet sales cannot wait, simply because i am busy - what a "Catch22" - what a squash - what a headache.
So all my blogging ideas sit on a small shelf of my brain until a time where i am more settled and ready to chat CRAFTS with my Craft loving Cyber-Friends.
So, lucky me to be moving on and moving forward. Don't think of me this Summer taking my umpteenth trip to the recycle Centre or CarBooting... losing vital items in endless boxes and Ikea bags... cursing the Homeware stores and waiting for a sane moment when i can make curtains!!
Enjoy your children if they are off school.
Enjoy your moments of crafting when you can get them.
(if you are a customer of mine - i continue to trade and ThankU for shopping with me)
AAAAArrrggggHHHhhh - moving house!!!
Craft Exhibition - Boddington, South Northants
As promised, i took a few photos of my display at the Art & Craft exhibition over the weekend.
It was a really long weekend - 10am till 4pm on both days, which is exhausting but it means i can put up a really nice display... which i enjoy!
The above 2 are quilts that i have made recently. The floral extravaganza is made from 14 different Cath Kidston fabrics. It is available in PaperFish.etsy.com and will be in my *new* shop http://www.lovepaperfish.com/
The animal baby boy Cot Quilt was a real success.
On the wall at the back here - i displayed the quilt i am currently making for my daughter. I had alot of nice comments and chats with craft and fabric fans - about colour choices and getting projects 'finished'!
I used lots of my vintage homewares and a pot of yellow Gerberas to help make my display stand ZING!
These are also new... The above are 12 scallop pennants i call "Artisan Bunting" with each scallop a different mix of linens with hand embroidered and machine stitched embellishments. These were really popular and i have plans to make many more. They are designed for the grown-up bunting and craft lover, to hang on shelves or on a mantlepiece. I am so proud of these and can't wait to develop this idea.
I hung mixed bunting all across the ehibition room too. It was a real 'country fair' english shabby feel and the reactions from the public was so much fun. Sometimes when i sit and 'make' in isolation i worry that people won't enjoy the same things that i do. It is a great feeling to get positive reactions and sales. Also to chat with people who always supply me with new ideas (Thanks Juliet for the Pockets Thing!)
Vintage suitcases to add height and interest and because i love them and because i can carry my products easily in suitcases. I sold many lavender cushions which was such a compliment.
I also put out books and magazines and freebies on the stall to help engage people in conversation aswell as set 'the scene'..... i even sold some Christmas Decorations this weekend! i apologised for my prematurity but customers were easy to forgive me and liked to see what new Christmas 2010 stock is on it's way.....
Mini Lavender and Clove cushions with off-cuts of Cath Kidston fabrics... the smell!
All in all it was fun. I took some money and people loved their 'finds'. I chatted much about sewing and crafts and patchwork and .... ahhh, so much other stuff.
Thanks for looking - hope it inspires you a bit xxx
What are you doing THIS weekend?
You *might* not be into football or Motor Racing...
You might even live close-ish to Upper Boddington (a small village halfway between Banbury and Southam)
You might want to come to the Boddington School Art Exhibition?
I think there will be children's art aswell as amateur and professional artists - Korky Paul - some crafters
AND ME!!!!
See you there?
Church Road
Upper Boddington
Daventry
Northamptonshire
NN11 6DL
(i'll blog it for those of you in Manchester, Scotland, Germany.... )
Here's an idea for Summer Holiday Fun or Home Educating Families...
Hire a local Village Hall / Community Centre - with an enclosed outside space is ideal. If the weather is really hot, consider putting up one of those dead simple and cheapo Marquees... to provide a bit of well needed shade. This advice is, of course, 'rich' as i was the only person today who managed to badly sunburn themselves.
And ask a few families to all chip in with the Hall cost and with the activities.
It might sound strange but you don't want 'too many' families as it can get a little bit manic and hectic. We do this every week and we have just 4 families with 8 children bewteen us. they are quite.... erm,,,,, LOUD! so we feel 8 children is enough (let alone the parents!)
I took a tray of pre-baked cakes for all the children to join and and decorate. Take some food colouring, a few packets of sweets and raisins, icing sugar, spoons - all that jazz - and that is snacking sorted.
If there is an adult who says they are not 'crafty' (is there such a thing?) then put them in charge of bringing all tea / coffee / drinks and milk to sustain the adults and children.
Then you set up several diffrent tables with the different activities on... The children can dip in and out of activities and bewteen playing as they want to. Each adult can bring something different to do. And that way, ideas and cost are spread pretty evenly.
Today, we decorated cakes.
And we did Marble Inking! We set up a long washing line to hang up our pictures. This was one of the major advantages to the gorgeous weather and crafting outside.
Somebody bought a big box of toys - somebody bought a big tub of Dressing-Up clothes - and I painted the Children's Faces as Dalmations and Pussy Cats....
Not that i'm telling you how to parent / play with your brood - heaven forbid! But this Weekly Play Club keeps our hard working group of Mums, a little bit saner. And it occured to me, if other parents booked a hall space in the Summer Hols, they could experience the fun we have? And it is surprising the skills and activities other parents have hidden.
Enjoy your kids.
Enjoy the Weather.
Enjoy life xxx
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