» Listings for 2011

1. The Big Draw...

   Posted on 3:17pm Tuesday 27th Sep 2011

   You may or may not have heard of the 'Campaign for Drawing', you may however, have heard of 'The Big Draw'. It's a yearly event with the claim of the largest drawing festival in the world! There are lots of activities to get involved with, for your nearest one check the Campaign for drawing website below.

   

   I will be teaching the RSN certificated course at the Rugby Library and Art Gallery Big Draw event on the 15th October. My class will be a living installation for artist Morgan O'Hara who is going to draw us! If you happen to be in Rugby on the 15th October, pop into the library and see her in action (and us too!). More information on this specific event can be found here.

   For country wide events and lots more information on the 'Campaign for Drawing' ("The Campaign's work will finish when the words 'I can't draw' are dropped from our vocabulary!") visit their website here:

   www.campaignfordrawing.org

    I am always trying to encourage my students to draw where possible (some of you may be smiling as you read this! You know who you are....) and believe that with some help, guidance and encouragement everyone can do it! I thought it would be a good opportunity to brush up on my own drawing skills as drawing is something that easily gets pushed aside to answer e-mails, pack orders, run classes and make kits. I am, therefore, planning to do a drawing every day that The Big Draw is running (that's the whole of October by the way!). I am also planning to post them all here although I might not manage to do that every day. There is nothing like practice to improve your skills so check in regularly to see if my drawing is improving!!! I have even made myself a sketchbook for the purpose....

       

2. Up-coming up-cycling class!

   Posted on 1:09pm Friday 23rd Sep 2011

   There are still some places left on the following class. Why not join us for a very creative few days customising your clothes and furnishings?

     

   Customising Cloth - Making new from old

   Royal School of Needlework, Hampton Court Palace, Surrey

   October 1st - 2nd, 2011 (2 days)

   I will be teaching alongside Caroline Homfray and we will be showing you how to customise and recycle cloth and clothing to revamp your wardrobe, make furnishings and other accessories.

   To book visit: The Royal School of Needlework

   For more information on the class, to see what you will be doing and to get some free projects, visit us at our Twin Needle website!

3. Here, there and everywhere!

   Posted on 12:19pm Tuesday 13th Sep 2011

   My new commute started this week, Chatham up to Rugby by train. In theory an easy journey being only two trains, but joining the London commute was a little stressful! I will get the later train this week!

       

   We had a great class, Rugby is a brilliant venue and very useful being right in the middle of town as, inevitably, there were a few things we forgot! See more about this class on our blog here: www.heartofembroidery.co.uk. Then it was back to Kent on Wednesday night from St Pancras station (which you can see from above pictures, is much more appealing than Euston).

   Had a lovely few days away in Norfolk to recharge the batteries, then it was into London again yesterday for a visit to Buckingham Palace for a tour around and a good look at Kates Dress! It was slighty strange to see everyone filing past it and admiring it, when I had worked on a little part of it. I thought it was well displayed, although it looks tiny! Much easier to see the design and shape of it on display as compared to on the television.

    It's worth a look but book tickets in advance and be prepared for queueing and lots of people (you also have to pass through airport type security to get in). You also get a tour around the state rooms of the Palace and a visit to the Faberge exhibition where you can see, amongst other things, the very sparkly Mosaic egg given as an easter gift from Nicolas II of Russia to his wife, the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna:

   

   After all that, it's time to shoot back up to Rugby again for another week!

4. A new month..

   Posted on 11:11am Friday 2nd Sep 2011

   Well it's September already and that means more new stuff! The September/October newsletter is out now, you can read it here on this website (if you missed an issue you can view all issues published by following the link on the publications page). 

   There are many new items in the shop including needles, tape measures, webbing for framing up, kits, new and improved velvetboards, shisha mirrors, books and more! Check out nearly 100 items in my shop here.

   

   'Mini bunting' kits now available. Easy to make, sew or glue!

   Now taking bookings for day classes in embroidery, visit the classes page to see what's happening. There is more information and a booking form on the new website: www.heartofembroidery.co.uk. Hope to see you in the heart of England!

   

5. Birmingham NEC, The Festival of Quilts

   Posted on 9:33pm Wednesday 24th Aug 2011

   So I arrived in Rugby for teatime on Friday with a car full of equipment for our classes in September. Nikki had already been working hard on our stand for two days so all I had to do was pick her up on Satuday morning and walk onto the stand which was looking fabulous:

      

   We had lots of interest and it was great to meet some Rugby students from our taster classes and first Intensive CC course, and I think we have some sign ups for september and day classes which is great! If you haven't been to this show, there are hundreds of competition quilts on display organised into various categories. These were a few of my favourites:

           

   Quilted Doll, folk costume dolls, Hare quilt

   There was some amazing work on display and it was great to see so much creative work going on. It made me want to rush home and make one of my own, but perhaps I should make one for the 'Miniature Quilts' category first! This one must have been the smallest in the show at and inch square:

   

   Packing up the stand was interesting, we had to get a 5 metre stand into my Ford hatchback! There was just enough room to squeeze Nikki in the front seat...