Ashamed!

Well this is shameful!I knew it had been a while since I last posted on here but I hadn't realised quite how long  it was. I am hanging my head and facing the wall.

The Open House is finished!! It's both good and bad. Good because I get the weekends back and can stop carting stuff around Brighton, and bad because it's been a lovely thing to meet other artists and makers,  and talk to people about the things on the stall.

The lavender bags have gone like the clappers - my sewing machine can almost make them by itself now, I just switch it on and off it goes! The landing (where I work!) smells lovely from the 3 kg bag of English lavender still waiting to go.

Hat stands sold well too which does cheer me up as Mr Vintage voiced doubts when I made the first one!

I'm off to a Handmade & Gift Fair in about 3 weeks - Saturday June 18th 11.00 - 16.00 at a place called Shalford near Guildford - so I'm about to embark on another frenzy of making.

 I've got some gorgeous hand embroidered pinnies from Portugal that are begging to be made into shopping bags - no really, they're just the right shape.

I'm on a mission though because on Friday I have to go and have an operation on my ankle (ligaments, blah, blah - don't ask)and I won't be able to put any weight on my right foot for THREE weeks. I must practice driving the sewing machine with my left foot... Actual driving, of a car, is forbidden for at least 6 weeks. I am in denial about the whole thing!

I am coming to the end of my part-time machine embroidery course (boo) and have finished my final project which I present to you here!

It's one of the hat stands... I dyed some calico and then embroidered each panel with abstract patterns and shapes inspired by Miro.

 When I think that back in September last year I couldn't have free machined if my life depended on it, I feel quite chuffed. Mostly though it's a testament to the brilliant teaching skills of the talented Wendy Dolan.

More news soon - ankle allowing!