I can't quite believe that it has been this long since I last posted something. Where did those few months go?? It sure is scary just how fast time passes these days...
Speaking of time passing, the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering is nearly here. It runs from April 5th until the 7th, inclusive. I shall once again be demonstrating blackwork and cross stitch in the craft exhibition area at Morpeth Town Hall. I do hope you'll stop by to see how easy it is to do these crafts.
Maybe your latest project has stalled because you are having trouble with a particular stitch? French knots immediately come to mind... (smile). Or perhaps you've run into problems while designing a pattern of your own on the computer? Whatever the stiching problem, I'll be there to help you through it so please do stop by for a chat, even if it is simply to help get your stitching mojo back.
I shall do my best to make a weekly report of how my designs are progressing between now and then. I'm not sure if there'll be any photography with them as time is getting very short now. However, I'm really looking forward to the event and hope to see you there.
Showing posts with label Morpeth Gathering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morpeth Gathering. Show all posts
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
After the Gathering
Despite the weekend at the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering having come to a close, I'm still 'sweeping up' so to speak. A small commissioned piece came about from the Gathering so I've been working flat out on that the last two days. It needs to arrive at its new home by Monday so it has received priority. It should be finished later today at which point I'm going to draw a full breath before cracking on with the next big project. I might even unpack from the weekend! More news will follow shortly.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Last minute update before the weekend
Between the electricity going off at irregular intervals and the printer deciding to put up a fight, I've had quite a trying day of it! However, I have finally managed to produce 4 different textile postcard patterns, all related to the Morpeth Gathering. So, those will be available over the weekend. Today's trials and tribulations do mean that I didn't finish the bookmark that I also had in mind for this weekend. Perhaps next year... or it may appear here online in the not too distant future.
Must get going here as I need to pack everything for the morning. Hope to see you over the weekend!
Must get going here as I need to pack everything for the morning. Hope to see you over the weekend!
Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering approaches
I just realised that the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering is about to start and I haven't posted anything to say about it. So, here comes a quick entry.
I'll be having my customary table in the craft exhibition room in the Corn Exchange at the Town Hall. There is a small fee for viewing the exhibition... well worth it as the quality of the work on display has always been of a very high standard.
Last year, I worked on my blackwork design which was made specially for the Gathering. This year, I'm once again demonstrating blackwork by turning some of the Gathering's more popular 'characters', who featured on that design, into textile postcards. Yes! They really can be sent through the post! A lot of people like to make them as collectors items as well because they display nicely in the house without taking up a lot of room or requiring expensive framing. If I have a particularly productive day today, I might even have a bookmark to accompany them.
My usual cross stitch patterns will also be coming along. If you wished you'd bought one of them when you saw them the last time, there is no fear as the opportunity to do has arisen again. I'll be there for the entire weekend (Friday through Sunday) so I hope to see you there. I love to chat with people so there is no worry about disturbing me while I work.
I'll be having my customary table in the craft exhibition room in the Corn Exchange at the Town Hall. There is a small fee for viewing the exhibition... well worth it as the quality of the work on display has always been of a very high standard.
Last year, I worked on my blackwork design which was made specially for the Gathering. This year, I'm once again demonstrating blackwork by turning some of the Gathering's more popular 'characters', who featured on that design, into textile postcards. Yes! They really can be sent through the post! A lot of people like to make them as collectors items as well because they display nicely in the house without taking up a lot of room or requiring expensive framing. If I have a particularly productive day today, I might even have a bookmark to accompany them.
My usual cross stitch patterns will also be coming along. If you wished you'd bought one of them when you saw them the last time, there is no fear as the opportunity to do has arisen again. I'll be there for the entire weekend (Friday through Sunday) so I hope to see you there. I love to chat with people so there is no worry about disturbing me while I work.
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Moving on from the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering
Better late than never... here is the finished Morpeth Gathering design upon which I worked during the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering.
Later in the year I hope to have finished some small, spin-off designs from it. I will post them as they become available.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to finish off the Hoopoe before too much more time elapses. I have also been reviewing my business plan in order to find other ways to make myself known to a wider audience. Stay tuned as I hope to have some breaking news on that front in the next week or so.
Later in the year I hope to have finished some small, spin-off designs from it. I will post them as they become available.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to finish off the Hoopoe before too much more time elapses. I have also been reviewing my business plan in order to find other ways to make myself known to a wider audience. Stay tuned as I hope to have some breaking news on that front in the next week or so.
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Morpeth Gathering
Eek! The Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering is nearly upon me, and I'm far from ready for it, so this will be short and sweet. You can find me Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Morpeth Town Hall where the craft exhibition is taking place. There is a small fee for viewing the exhibition. I'll be demonstrating blackwork and cross stitch as I work on a piece I designed especially for the event. And my current patterns will be on sale there as well. I'm happy to provide guidance for stitching conundrums you are encountering. Bring along the piece with which you are struggling and I'll help you back onto the right path. Hope to see you there!
Monday, 4 April 2011
Onwards...
It seems strange to not have to dash off in a rush after last week's hectic schedule. Although it is nice to relax, I am missing the buzz that always accompanies such events. I really enjoy chatting with everyone who stops at my table.
Most of the conversations centre around the following statements too:
Most of the conversations centre around the following statements too:
- I have so many unfinished or yet-to-start projects that I resolved not to buy anything new this time. But I saw this wonderful new pattern that I simply couldn't resist...
- I have stitched so many patterns now that I have run out of space to hang them.
- You should see the drawers full of projects that I have yet to start!
- I have so many yet-to-start projects that I've had to hide them away so my husband won't question me when I bring home even more!
If I had a pound for every time I heard one of them, I'd be rich!
But I have to admit to being exactly the same way. Perhaps worse though... After all, I'm adding to the pile by designing my own!
Speaking of designing, I must crack on with another one I'm doing with the Morpeth Gathering in mind. So, I shall end with my thanks to all of you for making my time at the Pins & Needles show such a delight.
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
How time flies
The past month has certainly flown by!
Not least of the events to occupy my time has been the return of the mouse. It managed to access the linen supply so I've been doing a lot of laundry. I imagine our neighbours must be thinking that we've gone 10 rounds with Norovirus... However, the mouse has been dealt with once and for all, and there are no signs of any 'family' or 'friends' so, I'm hoping that that particular pantomime can now be put to rest.
A more worrying event though was the disappearance of a pattern that I posted to a customer at the end of December. To date, it has still not arrived so my faith in the postal system has been thoroughly shaken. Surely there must be a contingency plan for snow, Christmas rush and wild cat strikes? Other countries around the world cope with such events so I really don't understand how it all went so terribly wrong in the UK. At the end of January, I was still receiving post that was dated from the middle of November so I'm not convinced that it is safe yet to send anything else through the post.
I feel as though my business is being held to ransom because the only financially reasonable options offered by Royal Mail do not guarantee on time delivery. Even recorded signed for delivery gives no guarantee. Special delivery gives a guarantee but is priced well beyond what most people would be willing to pay. Are there any other viable solutions out there? If you think so, please e-mail me so I can check them out!
Another event of note has been the recent down time of our ISP service. Gales in the region, over the last several days, played havoc with local exchanges. We were off-line from Friday afternoon until yesterday afternoon - the longest time ever with this particular ISP. There has been the odd occasion when our service has vanished into the ether for several hours, usually attributable to scheduled maintenance, but it has never been down for this long. The timing was absolutely classic... my husband was finishing off his dissertation over the weekend and needed the internet for literature searches. I have aged about 20 years as a result!
My exhibition at Gibside has now finished so I am looking for other venues at which to show my work. My income tax return has been submitted so I can now concentrate on getting ready for the Pins and Needles show at the end of March. I will be attending the Morpeth Gathering as well at the end of April so there is much to be done. Must crack on here but I will post again as newsworthy events take place.
Not least of the events to occupy my time has been the return of the mouse. It managed to access the linen supply so I've been doing a lot of laundry. I imagine our neighbours must be thinking that we've gone 10 rounds with Norovirus... However, the mouse has been dealt with once and for all, and there are no signs of any 'family' or 'friends' so, I'm hoping that that particular pantomime can now be put to rest.
A more worrying event though was the disappearance of a pattern that I posted to a customer at the end of December. To date, it has still not arrived so my faith in the postal system has been thoroughly shaken. Surely there must be a contingency plan for snow, Christmas rush and wild cat strikes? Other countries around the world cope with such events so I really don't understand how it all went so terribly wrong in the UK. At the end of January, I was still receiving post that was dated from the middle of November so I'm not convinced that it is safe yet to send anything else through the post.
I feel as though my business is being held to ransom because the only financially reasonable options offered by Royal Mail do not guarantee on time delivery. Even recorded signed for delivery gives no guarantee. Special delivery gives a guarantee but is priced well beyond what most people would be willing to pay. Are there any other viable solutions out there? If you think so, please e-mail me so I can check them out!
Another event of note has been the recent down time of our ISP service. Gales in the region, over the last several days, played havoc with local exchanges. We were off-line from Friday afternoon until yesterday afternoon - the longest time ever with this particular ISP. There has been the odd occasion when our service has vanished into the ether for several hours, usually attributable to scheduled maintenance, but it has never been down for this long. The timing was absolutely classic... my husband was finishing off his dissertation over the weekend and needed the internet for literature searches. I have aged about 20 years as a result!
My exhibition at Gibside has now finished so I am looking for other venues at which to show my work. My income tax return has been submitted so I can now concentrate on getting ready for the Pins and Needles show at the end of March. I will be attending the Morpeth Gathering as well at the end of April so there is much to be done. Must crack on here but I will post again as newsworthy events take place.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Pantomime season
Happy New Year everyone! I do hope the Christmas holiday season has been a good one for you. Hopefully, 2011 will have plenty of joy to bring as well.
We had an ongoing pantomime with a mouse that decided it didn't think very much of the British winter in this part of the country. It had moved in lock, stock and barrel by Christmas day, and led us on a merry old chase throughout the holiday season. I did everything I could think of to eliminate food and water supplies in hopes of forcing it to pack its bags and leave under its own steam. They are not supposed to like mint so I even applied peppermint oil to all the radiators and along the bottom of a door that it had tried to chew. The chewing stopped, but it was busy making nesting material out of some minted cotton balls I had left in a strategic place last evening so I'm not as convinced now. That was the final straw for me so I spent most of last night lying in wait for it. In the end, I successfully convinced it to enter a shoe box long enough for me to slam the lid shut. My Hubby wasn't keen to drive it at least a mile away at 3:30 a.m., so we released it on the grass expanse across the street. A car came past as we were deciding how best to lift the lid without scaring the mouse up one of our legs. My Hubby reckons the driver probably thought we were up to no good, but driver, if you are reading this, we were simply letting the mouse go. Honest! Last we saw, the mouse was speeding off down the hill so with any luck, it won't be putting in a reappearance. I'm now busy disinfecting the places it accessed, and stuffing lots of steel wool into potential entry points. We are also remaining vigilant in case it invited some friends along for company but the amount of mess it left behind suggests that it was a one off. And, no, I won't be making a cross stitch pattern to commemorate the event!
Speaking of patterns, I have designed a bookmark pattern that I will be using to facilitate the blackwork workshops I will be conducting at the Pins & Needles 2011 show at the end of March. These tutorial sessions are only one hour in length so I'm keeping it pretty basic. I'm preparing instructions to accompany it for finishing at home as most visitors will want to spend more time checking out the show than stitching.
My exhibition at Saltwell Towers has now ended so I'm setting my sights next on the Pins & Needles show. I also have something in mind for the Morpeth Gathering, and there is still the Hoopoe to complete. So, it looks as though I'm going to have a reasonably busy start to the New Year. I would like to go back to Seaton Delaval Hall through the summer but that has yet to be arranged. I'll keep you posted of events as usual here.
Must go for now as I need to complete the steel wool task before night sets in. But I'll be back in the not too distant future.
We had an ongoing pantomime with a mouse that decided it didn't think very much of the British winter in this part of the country. It had moved in lock, stock and barrel by Christmas day, and led us on a merry old chase throughout the holiday season. I did everything I could think of to eliminate food and water supplies in hopes of forcing it to pack its bags and leave under its own steam. They are not supposed to like mint so I even applied peppermint oil to all the radiators and along the bottom of a door that it had tried to chew. The chewing stopped, but it was busy making nesting material out of some minted cotton balls I had left in a strategic place last evening so I'm not as convinced now. That was the final straw for me so I spent most of last night lying in wait for it. In the end, I successfully convinced it to enter a shoe box long enough for me to slam the lid shut. My Hubby wasn't keen to drive it at least a mile away at 3:30 a.m., so we released it on the grass expanse across the street. A car came past as we were deciding how best to lift the lid without scaring the mouse up one of our legs. My Hubby reckons the driver probably thought we were up to no good, but driver, if you are reading this, we were simply letting the mouse go. Honest! Last we saw, the mouse was speeding off down the hill so with any luck, it won't be putting in a reappearance. I'm now busy disinfecting the places it accessed, and stuffing lots of steel wool into potential entry points. We are also remaining vigilant in case it invited some friends along for company but the amount of mess it left behind suggests that it was a one off. And, no, I won't be making a cross stitch pattern to commemorate the event!
Speaking of patterns, I have designed a bookmark pattern that I will be using to facilitate the blackwork workshops I will be conducting at the Pins & Needles 2011 show at the end of March. These tutorial sessions are only one hour in length so I'm keeping it pretty basic. I'm preparing instructions to accompany it for finishing at home as most visitors will want to spend more time checking out the show than stitching.
My exhibition at Saltwell Towers has now ended so I'm setting my sights next on the Pins & Needles show. I also have something in mind for the Morpeth Gathering, and there is still the Hoopoe to complete. So, it looks as though I'm going to have a reasonably busy start to the New Year. I would like to go back to Seaton Delaval Hall through the summer but that has yet to be arranged. I'll keep you posted of events as usual here.
Must go for now as I need to complete the steel wool task before night sets in. But I'll be back in the not too distant future.
Monday, 12 April 2010
Morpeth Gathering Weekend
What an enjoyable weekend I have had at the Morpeth Gathering! I have chatted with so many lovely people that I can't begin to count. The organisers also treated me very well, and made me feel most welcome. Although I am no stranger to the Gathering, it was my first time selling my charts and demonstrating cross stitch there. Needless to say, I am keen to return next year.
I have also taken advantage of the weekend to network with like-minded crafts people. I am sure we will be keeping in touch as time marches on, and some will probably even become good friends. I feel as though my enthusiasm has been thoroughly recharged now.
I have also taken some photos to develop into potential designs. They will be a little while coming but I am definitely getting plenty of ideas for the future. Hopefully I'll have 3 or 4 ready in time for next year's Gathering.
Meanwhile, I have loads of work to do now. Many thanks to both those of you who purchased charts, and who helped make the time fly by stopping for a chat. Hope to see you in the future!
I have also taken advantage of the weekend to network with like-minded crafts people. I am sure we will be keeping in touch as time marches on, and some will probably even become good friends. I feel as though my enthusiasm has been thoroughly recharged now.
I have also taken some photos to develop into potential designs. They will be a little while coming but I am definitely getting plenty of ideas for the future. Hopefully I'll have 3 or 4 ready in time for next year's Gathering.
Meanwhile, I have loads of work to do now. Many thanks to both those of you who purchased charts, and who helped make the time fly by stopping for a chat. Hope to see you in the future!
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Jobs on the go
Well, I made the mistake of fiddling with my page tabs at the top just one more time. I encountered a lot of problems with the HTML formatting so I'm going to leave well enough alone for the moment even though the formatting is not consistent across the board. I may experiment with the new Blogger Template Designer in future to see if I can find an easier way of posting. However, that is going to have to wait until I do a couple of other jobs first.
One of these jobs is to link into social networking sites in some way. I have noticed some other cross stitch companies doing this so I thought I'd experiment with that as well. I would rather not blatantly advertise my business on relevant group pages though. Yes, I might pick up a few sales that way, but the group pages really have a different purpose. I suspect I would stand a better chance of just annoying people. It doesn't feel quite right to me to blatantly advertise there despite the fact that others do so. I'll add my blog address in any special areas specifically set up by the groups for that purpose, but I won't take it any further than that unless I have received permission to do so.
The other thing I really must do this week is to get organised for the Morpeth Gathering. Posting here may therefore become a bit scarce until after the 11th of April. I'm getting quite excited about it. I've been attending the Gathering for several years now, usually as a competitor in a couple of different events that interest me. This time will see me selling my charts instead, as well as demonstrating my craft. I will miss the events in which I have participated but the time has come to move on. I'm sure this new move will prove equally exciting and interesting for me. Hope to see you there!
One of these jobs is to link into social networking sites in some way. I have noticed some other cross stitch companies doing this so I thought I'd experiment with that as well. I would rather not blatantly advertise my business on relevant group pages though. Yes, I might pick up a few sales that way, but the group pages really have a different purpose. I suspect I would stand a better chance of just annoying people. It doesn't feel quite right to me to blatantly advertise there despite the fact that others do so. I'll add my blog address in any special areas specifically set up by the groups for that purpose, but I won't take it any further than that unless I have received permission to do so.
The other thing I really must do this week is to get organised for the Morpeth Gathering. Posting here may therefore become a bit scarce until after the 11th of April. I'm getting quite excited about it. I've been attending the Gathering for several years now, usually as a competitor in a couple of different events that interest me. This time will see me selling my charts instead, as well as demonstrating my craft. I will miss the events in which I have participated but the time has come to move on. I'm sure this new move will prove equally exciting and interesting for me. Hope to see you there!
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Stall at Morpeth Gathering
Well, I've pretty much sorted out the page tabs at the top now. There will be the odd bit of information and a photo or two added here and there, but they are basically complete. These page tabs contain the information that is most likely to be revisited over time. It saves you scrolling through all the posts trying to gather the information each time.
Now... if I could just figure out what goes wrong with the formatting each time, I'll have it made! I find I have to keep dumping information into a text editor before transferring it into these posts and the pages. Otherwise, I end up with huge gaps between paragraphs and a different size font with each post. It's maddening!
But enough of the trials set to try me. I will be attending the Morpeth Gathering from 9-11 April, 2010 inclusive. I'll have a table set up inside the room housing the craft exhibition at the Morpeth Town Hall. The organisers charge a small fee to enter the exhibition area and you can find this information in the program section of their site.
My Spring at Cragside and Saltwell Park charts will be on sale there. I will also be demonstrating cross stitch and possibly even some blackwork so feel free to stop by and have a chat with me. Maybe you are struggling with a particular stitch that you are using in one of your cross stitch or blackwork projects? I bet French knots will feature heavily... (smile). I am happy to help guide you, and will also bring along some of my favourite reference books for browsing purposes.
Hope to see you there!
Now... if I could just figure out what goes wrong with the formatting each time, I'll have it made! I find I have to keep dumping information into a text editor before transferring it into these posts and the pages. Otherwise, I end up with huge gaps between paragraphs and a different size font with each post. It's maddening!
But enough of the trials set to try me. I will be attending the Morpeth Gathering from 9-11 April, 2010 inclusive. I'll have a table set up inside the room housing the craft exhibition at the Morpeth Town Hall. The organisers charge a small fee to enter the exhibition area and you can find this information in the program section of their site.
My Spring at Cragside and Saltwell Park charts will be on sale there. I will also be demonstrating cross stitch and possibly even some blackwork so feel free to stop by and have a chat with me. Maybe you are struggling with a particular stitch that you are using in one of your cross stitch or blackwork projects? I bet French knots will feature heavily... (smile). I am happy to help guide you, and will also bring along some of my favourite reference books for browsing purposes.
Hope to see you there!
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