My Week.....

18th July 2015

Where did this week go????

Two sessions in the park, edging, dead heading, planting and litter picking....

.....shopping, washing, ironing, cooking and Pilates......

.....a friend asked me to make a special card.....

....drawn on silk with a water soluble pen.....

.....hand embroidered, stem stitch, french knots and beads....

.....it was well received, thank goodness! 

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It has been very blustery here in Blackpool but today we braved the prom....

.....kite surfers were amazing...

.....gulls gliding.

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Still stitching my picture, I have added more poppies, seed heads and daisies....

......decided to weave some poppy seed heads, might mount on a piece of driftwood....

.....collected some lovely grasses today to weave, watch this space!!

More Stitching on my Third Mixed Media Picture

13th July 2015

It has rained ALL day today so this afternoon I spent an enjoyable 3 hours stitching on my background....

....I used Myfanwy's silk thread for the stems, machine couched in place and finished the detail with french knots....

......today added some orange poppies using a selection of my hand dyed fabrics....

......close ups....

......used an idea from Julie Broad and tried orange detail on the seed head, quite pleased with the result!

Need to add hand stitching, not quite sure yet but RD likes it so far!

Centenary Day at the Park!

12th July 2015

A busy and very enjoyable day......

......a bowling competition which was very well supported, donkey rides, cakes, ice creams and the Brass Band from Park School who were brilliant!!

I look as though I am asleep!!

Avril and Karen....

......our banner....

....the donkeys worked hard all afternoon....

.....Sylvia looking so elegant.....

.....a banner with information/photos from 100 years ago.....

.....Gary ( chairman ), Sean (organiser of the Community Payback Team), Karen (secretary) inside the refurbished pavilion....

......a Blackpool builders merchants donated all the items needed for the refurbishment and the Payback team did the work....

......Sylvia and Guiseppe....

.....Sean and Christine keeping an eye on the bowlers....

.....Sylvia made this fabulous cake which was cut up and distributed, delicious!!

The Park Committee!

It was a fabulous day, after a very cloudy morning the sun broke through in time for the picnic!

I really love volunteering with this enthusiastic group of people!!

Busy, Busy, Busy....

10th July 2015

We have had lovely weather here the last couple of days, I edged the bowling green this morning and Karen, our brilliant secretary on the park committee, picked up the cuttings!! Also nailed the bunting on the window frames inside the pavilion ready for our Centenary Opening on Sunday. Forgot my camera but will take photos on Sunday.

This afternoon we went to Lytham.....

....lots of beautifully planted tubs...

....view across the estuary.....

....loved this!

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Yesterday I used acrylic paint, water and Brusho to colour wipes and muslin....

.....drying in my loft!

This is the background for my third mixed media picture free machined....

.....covered in 'gold' chiffon....

....green chiffon...

...I need to mute the background and am not sure which to use!!!!

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Finally the postman delivered these hand dyed silk threads from Myfanwy Hart and I am itching to couch them!!!

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Baking for the park tomorrow and at the Centenary Picnic on Sunday, selling cakes and cards to raise funds, it's all go!!!

A Picture Finished and Another Started!

8th July 2015

Greetings from a very blustery Blackpool! The sun is now shining and my washing is blowing and drying......

......we were greeted in the park this morning by many cornflowers, red hot pokers and poppies spoiled by a vandal with a golf club!! So we cleared the mess with a few choice words!!!

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I have finished the second picture for my kitchen.....

...I  really enjoyed working Kantha stitch to create texture.

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My blogger friend, Julie Broad - https://creatingtextiles.wordpress.com - has inspired me to make a mixed media background for my third picture.....

....I cut a piece of calico the correct size and ironed on Bondaweb, then gathered together various fabrics, papers , sari silk, printed velvet and fleece to make the background......

......placed these randomly.....

.....and machine stitched to secure....

......more is needed but I need to leave it and look at it again tomorrow!

The Pleasure of Running Stitch....

5th July 2015

Another busy few days......

.....cutting out triangles to decorate the park pavilion next Sunday on Centenary Day....

....I then needed to buy tape for the bunting so walked to South Shore, about a mile, to a fabulous haberdashery shop....

......walked back along the promenade with my purchases....

....love these colours....

.....visitors waiting for the tide to go out...

....shrieks could be heard from the Big One on the Pleasure Beach....

.....those clouds look a bit ominous....

.....got caught in the heavy rain on the last part of my walk!!

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Received this fabric screen print from a blogger friend, I love these colours, not sure yet whether to add stitch detail....

.....I have been Kantha stitching while listening to a story tape, soooo relaxing and I really like the effect.....

....my latest project...

....the centre panel is a leaf print on rusted fabric and Kantha ( running ) stitched....

.....same stitch for side panel....

....right side panel. I decided to see the effect of varying the length/width of stitch....

.....added folded rusted muslin fabric and fringed, dyed polyester....

......a leaf shape...

.....really enjoyed my day, must try to finish the bunting tomorrow!