Big workshop, little workshop

Somehow I inadvertently managed to book myself for two workshops in the space of a week, which has been a bit of a whirlwind. My first port of call was to Stourbridge, where I had a lovely large crafting group working in a converted canal-side warehouse. As usual there was a lot of wool...

...and plenty of homemade cake. 

 

It was a really lovely day, very chatty and very friendly. Nearly everyone was new to needle felting, but being a talented bunch of crafters, they soon got the hang of things and were busy creating their own delightful creatures.

Including a thread jointed teddy bear, not a mean feat in one afternoon.

What I liked best was how people quickly found their own style - I don't lay down ground rules in my workshops (apart from trying not to stab yourself with the needle) and the variety of styles was fabulous.

Then just six days later I was up at 5am, to catch an early train down to London, to visit the Village Haberdashery. 

 I rather enjoy the London Underground and snapped a few arty shots. 

There were only three people for the workshop, but it made for a nice, intimate day and so nice to meet people who already 'knew' me, one way or another.  Foxes were made. And I finally got home at 9.30pm, a long old day.

I have also made my first sale from my own new website, Lost Arcadia, and sent this little rabbit to her new home. It's starting to feel like a proper website at last.

Finally, we were so happy to be visited by 'Granny Sue' and her lovely husband Larry, all the way from America. They popped in for lunch and we had such a fabulous time that three hours zipped by without us noticing. Brian-next-door lent us their drive for parking as ours is a bit steep. Susannah has written lovely accounts of their trip to England and Wales, and a sweet account of their visit to us, on her blog here.

Such an occasion demanded a photographic souvenir, so here is a snap of Susannah and myself...I am thinking i need to start doing some sit-ups! Or suck my tummy in. Or eat less cake.

Staffordshire animals in needlefelt

I mentioned some time ago that I was changing my direction with my work, and doing something somewhat different to the toys that I have been making for around eight years. Typically I chose a challenge. It kind of began with this Staffordshire cat, which I sold a couple of years ago. I meant to make some more but never did. 

 

 

Anyway, I started in earnest earlier this spring and made a copy of another traditional Staffordshire design, this time a rabbit.

A greyhound was next. I work from one photo, to get the first angle and work out how the rest of it should look.

Which isn't always easy.

Each design has it's own quirks and foibles, and with Staffordshire, they are very 'folksy' and quirky. Trying to replicate a design which isn't my own (and which, by the way, I believe is out of its copyright period)  has been something I've found really interesting, although the hours put in on each one are a bit excessive.

The poodle almost finished me off. The shape wasn't too hard to replicate, but this poodle design in it's various forms has stippled, 'salt glaze' on parts of the body, which I tried to emulate by sewing on a silly amount of tiny beads. Eighteen hours of sewing on beads. Yes, I did time myself.

Despite the amount of time they take - 35/40 hours each -  I've had fantastic feedback on my Facebook page and Instagram account, and it is nice to take a break from toys.
Although both cats are sold, the dogs and rabbit are now listed on my new site, in the Staffordshire Animals section. Making things in wool which were originally made in clay.

Witney and the Magic Roundabout

Last weekend saw me back in Oxfordshire again, at the Witney Sewing and Knitting Centre. Witney is a bit of a 'home town' for me; I've known it most of my life, since I first moved to the area when I was 19. I haven't been back there since Andy and I upped sticks and moved to Shropshire, so I was ambivalent about seeing it again. However, I did the stiff upper lip thing and didn't have a meltdown, but concentrated on my workshop instead.

It is a  lovely space to work in with great all round lighting and people quickly started doing the pattern of the day, which was my old 'Doglets' pattern from 'Mollie Makes' (issue 13 2012). Another odd thing as I was moving away from the area when it was published and so much has happened in the ensuing four years.

However, lovely doglets were made, and amended in some cases. I'm not a stickler for people sticking to my patterns and if people want to go off piste, I actively encourage it.  My next workshop is down in Hampstead, London on Saturday October the 1st at the Village Haberdashery. It's limited to six spaces and there are a a couple of places left, so if anyone fancies it, the booking link is here.

I was away for a  couple of days and stayed with friends. There was decent beer.

 And fish. 

And a vintage 'Magic Roundabout' playground which was dragged out of the attic and played with. And photographed.

Back in Shropshire, I have been spending most of my time working on my new independent website, 'Lost Arcadia' where I am now selling my paintings and needle felt work. My latest small painting 'Country Church' is a nod to my old home of the Cotswolds and the myriad small, sweet churches buried within it's rolling landscape.

 

In search of Langley Chapel

It's been a long time since we went for a bike ride what with one thing and another. So this week we went off in search of Langley Chapel, less than four miles away. I had done my Google map research and was convinced it would be fairly easy to find, despite being in the middle of a Shropshire field. We cycled up to the small but pretty village of Acton Burnell.

 

 

Once through the village however, it all became very uphill-y and with our cycling legs being a bit rusty, there was a lot of pushing. Alright, pretty much all pushing.

As we climbed higher, the views were spectacular. This is looking across to our main town of Shrewsbury. Somewhere in there towards the right, I think.

I found a lovely roly-poly field formation for painting inspiration. There aren't that many dry stone walls in Shropshire and this picture reminds me of the dear Cotswold countryside, which is lined with them.

Joe found me a tiny cottage in a field, sadly ruined with no roof, but very sweet seen through the hedgerow. 

Anyway, we got higher and higher, in search of Langley Chapel - or even a handy signpost - until we got to a point where I knew that it became EVEN MORE hilly. And unfit as we were, we decided to turn back. Happily, it was downhill all the way to Acton Burnell. 

Now, we had seen a footpath sign in the village and wondered if we had managed to miss the chapel. So Joe went ahead and explored, and waved me to follow. He had found something.  We followed the field footpath and discovered a promising looking portico. 

However it did look familiar and as we neared, we realised it was the beautiful Catholic graveyard for the old 'big house' which we had investigated last year. Slightly daunted but determined to have one last shot, we tried another part of the footpath. Which was very pretty but showed no sign of a chapel. 

We found a few wild damsons though and jolly nice they were too, after all that exercise.

So well exercised but feeling a bit defeated, we hastened home, with rain clouds looming overhead.
 

Back home, we looked at a map and were chagrined to find that had we ventured a little further (towards the EVEN MORE HILLY bit), we would have found Langley chapel. It was about five minutes away from our turn-back point. So that's a trip for another day. Nonetheless, it was lovely to get out and explore. We may not have found Langley chapel. But we did get some exercise.