Blog

Val:  Getting away for a workshop is the best of two worlds - you get to sew and you get looked after.   Jennie has just finished one at Dunford House in Midhurst  but she has another booked at Farncombe Estate from 15-17th October;  Of course her workshop is full but check out some of the wide variety of courses that they offer.
www.FarncombeEstate.co.uk

Val:  If you are new to the site we hope you are enjoying it.   Should you find that the films aren't running smoothly, the data file  to download onto your machine is quite large, so  here is a little trick:  once you have pushed the play arrow in the centre of the filmscreen, you will see a pause option appear in the bottom section (it looks like this II);  if you pause the film, it will continue to load in the background - you can see this as a different colour line appearing and growing longer - which will allow you to pop off and make a cup of tea, so that when you come back the film will run smoothly and you can enjoy watching the films as you sup your tea (or wine and/or other beverage!)

Val:  Just back from a couple of weeks visiting in Toronto, Canada;   while there I cam across the hidden gem of the Textile Museum of Canada - located at 55 Centre Avenue.   The current exhibition runs until Feb 2011 and is called 'Drawing with Scissors' and features Molas from Kuna Yala - fascinating;  there are also several other exhibits always running on the building as well as a children's floor where they can has a hands-on experience with fibres - weaving and such - as well as experience different cottons, wools etc.   more info at www.textilemuseum.ca

Val: I was in Canada on this anniversary date and as was only to be expected the tv airwaves were full of the memorial services being held.   I was fascinated to learn of a memorial quilt that has been made in honour of those who were on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania and this is and will continue to be on display in the chapel there;   it is a mixture of pictures and patchwork and you can see more at www/911memorialquilts.com

Jennie: At long last we have got some pics from the Fashion show at the Festival of Quilts. All of us are eagerly awating the video because it was such a special occasion. such a pity that none of us spoke any Russian other than 'Hello' which works in most languages and 'Niet' and 'Dosvidana' and 'Spasiba' - for those who are not multi-lingual - that is 'No', 'Goodbye' and 'Thank you' plus I could manage 'Vot on' which loosely translated means 'Here is.

Val:  A day to remember I think;  Jennie was busy teaching and I met the boys from Bizview.tv at 8.45 with their entry passes.   Hubby was drafted in to cope with selling Jennie's books on her stand as well as membership to Justhands-on.tv complete with golfing hat - I have to say he did well!! (not sure I'll get him to do it again, not because he did anything wrong;  more about now he knows what he's in for!!!)   Manning a stand is a constant with so many visitors, but I have to say you are all so lovely and you did treat him kindly - including the lady whose credit card he wrecked (I am SO sorry!!!) The Bizview.tv team and I had a wonderful day filming exhibitions for you to enjoy as well as a few quilts that I just stopped infront of because they spoke to me.   We were thrilled to speak to Pauline Ineson who won the P&Q Traditional Quilt category (she had her own little booth there so we stole her away for a few minutes).   More info on what we got up to in the newsletter.

Val:   Wow another busy day and that glass of wine is really very appealing.   It is really so exciting to be surrounded by so much inspiration and that obviously shows in the spending;   I do hope that all that good intention doesn't fade on the way home.   Those who come by coach must have a great time comparing shopping notes!

Val:  Well my day to wander round, organised the filming for Sunday, do some shopping and see the quilts - a treat I've not had in years. Still very busy and still lots of overseas visitors.  Got chatting over coffee (as you do when every seat counts) to a couple of ladies who had picked up Karin Hellaby's new Pinapple book.   I'd also been accosted - always in the nicest possible way - on the shuttle bus from the hotel by a lady who was volunteering on the Roses from the Heart exhibition - an exhibition not to be missed she said and she was right.   Definitely one for the cameras on Sunday.   (Nothing to do with roses and everything to do with creating a bonnet memorial for convinct women and their babies that were shipped off to Tasmania).  More information can be found at www.christinahenri.com.au.

Val;  What a first day!! Advance ticket sales must have been huge - they were starting to queue at 9am (doors didn't open until 10!)  still Starbucks did a roaring trade. It was BUSY;  hopefully everyone had a good time;  we didn't get to have lunch until 4pm!    Lots of overseas visitors (and by that I don't mean just north  and west where they print their own version of our money!).

Val:  Well after sailing through all the checkpoints yesterday because there were girls in charge, we had a slow crawl through this morning;  give a man a yellow jacket and a clipboard and 'jobsworth' rains. Still a few last minute things to primpt and price but otherwise ready for action.  

Val:   Three girls and a van full of fabric join hundred sof others at the NEC for the the major textile event of the year - Festival of Quilts;  Isabelle from Creative Quilting with Lesley Owens and Valerie Nesbitt  ready to roll up the M40: complete with jacket for Sunday's filming day!. One empty space at the NEC that needs filling (10m x 2m) ;  maybe we should have a picnic and compare notes.

Val:   Fabric is in the post to the girls who won and Elizabeth in Ayreshire loves the idea that she will soon be the proud owner of the Husqvarna Viking ER10 Embellisher machine.   Congratulations to you all. Don't forget that there is a Janome BCC-30 sewing machine on offer;  all you have to do is answer 3 simple questions correctly to be in with a chance to win it.