I have just arrived back from nearly 3 weeks in America, to find the first copy of my book on the doorstep!

Signed copies will be available to buy in June from my shop and look at for silk shading kits also. More about San Francisco later....

Thanks to all who joined myself and Nikki Jarvis for another successful weekend of classes in Rugby! Saturday saw us all stitching this silk shaded Fuchsia bag (well done everyone, this isn't easy!)...

...then Sunday we had great fun making goldwork daisy brooches. This is the one Nikki and I made in class to demonstrate the techniques:

It is a bit crazy as we used the materials to hand, but good fun none the less! And it just goes to show, there is always something new to learn: I learnt puff couching!

Nikki and I are planning a day class program starting in September, so keep an eye on this blog and the classes pages for more information.

I don't often get time to do embroidery just for me and for no other reason than the love of stitching, but I took a few hours the other night and stitched this little chap:

The design is taken from the Bayeux Tapestry and can be found in the borders with other wonderful creatures (some recognisable, some not!). He is stitched in stem stitch and seeding, and worked in a hand died cotton thread. There are lots of great elements in the 'tapestry' so there may be more little beasts to follow!

I've just spent a few days in Durham with Tracy A Franklin assessing some students work for the RSN. It was fun to explore a new place, see Tracy in her great studio space and to stumble across Anglo Saxon Embroideries in Durham Cathedral museum. The embroideries are part of a set of vestments found in St Cuthberts tomb and date from the early 10th Century. They are still in fabulous condition considering their age. They are the oldest known hand embroideries in England (older than the 11th Century Bayeux Tapestry) so well worth the £3 entry fee to the museum to see if you are passing by.

The door knocker above is the Sanctuary door knocker on the Cathedral door. In the middle ages the Cathedral provided a refuge for fugitives. Anyone who had committed a serious offence could claim sancturay by knocking on this door. They were given 37 days to organise their affairs then they had to decide to either stand trial or to leave the country by the nearest port...

Just for the fun of it I thought I would have a go at making some felt beads. I love working with felt: how amazing to be able to make a solid material by just rubbing fibres together! Free instructions on how to make these beads on my free stuff page.