Category: Sew Much To Do

New Workshop Dates

anna osborne1 Comment

Between now and the end of October there are free-wheeling machine embroidery workshops taking place both in Ely at Sew Much To Do, 01353 664000, and here at Rook Head Quarters.  During Open Studios in July several people asked if I would run workshops from home so I have arranged a couple of dates in October, one for zippy bags and one for lampshades with 3 spaces available on each. Come along with your sewing machine for a day of free wheeling embroidery; I will make you good coffee, reasonable tea and endeavour to provide cake. Bring lunch! Dates below.

Saturday 29 September 2018

Sew Much To Do, Ely, 10am – 4pm

Free machine embroidery lampshades.

IMG_0715

Saturday 6 October 2018

Speculating Rook HQ, 10am – 4pm

£60, maximum of 3 people.

Free-machine embroidery zippy bagsDSC_0432[1]

 

Saturday October 13th 2018

Sew Much To Do, Ely  10am – 4pm

Free-machine zippy bags29718325_164353184273745_6194937862836715520_n

 

Monday October 15th 2018

Speculating Rook HQ 10am – 4pm

Free-machine embroidery Lampshades

£70, 30cm lampshade kit included.  Maximum of 3 people

IMG_0716 (1)

please contact me for further details 07854 045576, anna.osborne3@btinternet.com

or Sew Much To Do, Ely, 01353 664000

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all hands and the cook

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The show at  Craftco in September was a wonderful experience – thank you to all who visited and the great feedback.  Who knew hanging cushions on the wall could be so satisfying?img_4206-1

Stitchery workshops are being recieved with enthusiasm. For the most recent I decided zippy bags would  a good idea, not sure all participants agreed… with 10 minutes to go and a second attempt to insert a zip a voice called out ‘I’ve never had children but I imagine it’s something like this!’

More workshops in January, zips optional.

Right now, today, this minute and all minutes between now and Nov 17, I am making work for Ely Cathedral Christmas Fair and Histon Handmade. I have progressed from the calm stage through the denial stage to the batshit crazy stage. Not pretty.

pigeons-in-a-bean-field

See you on the other side.

venus

anna osborne1 Comment

 

Three cheers for the Red Cross jumble sale!

Waiting just inside 19 West Fen Road at 10am this morning (first Saturday of the month) were these two beautiful blankets.

spooner spooner2

There will be hares with green stripes later today.

I use Lutrador as a stabiliser for machine embroidery; Lesley at Sew Much To Do  suggested it when I was searching for something that would help the blankets keep their shape. I love the way it slides smoothly across the machine bed as I stitch over and over in different directions making my scribbley stitching more fluid.

goat back

Does this goat (wrong side) remind anyone else of Botticelli’s Venus….

notes from the A14

anna osborne2 Comments

A trip to Craftco to top up their supplies.  We plugged in the ipod, turned on the windscreen wipers and headed east.  Whilst driving I reflected on how bad we are at time management; this journey was only necessary because I had missed successive last posts. Osborne Central has been intense of late (I am not the only one with deadlines to meet), sleep patterns disrupted, late late nights, early mornings, extra journeys, odd food and not enough dog walking. I am an eight hours a night person and the strain was starting to show…

In Southwold the sun was shining and the people were smiley, Sue Ryder had two woolly blankets, crayfish sandwiches were being served in The Lord Nelson and there is nowhere better to drink Adnams Spindrift.  Order has been restored.

I am working on new designs.

linen hare

Rather than wait for the UK’s supply of blankets to dry up I have started looking at other background fabrics.  Dustsheets are still in mind but between me and the hardware shop are two fabric shops… and this beautiful, beautiful linen.

linen

I am imagining French seams, covered buttons and hand stitched button holes…

From Life In An English Village: by Edward Bawden
From Life In An English Village: by Edward Bawden

I may outsource the button holes.