ho ho ho

Was inspired by the Sewing Bee on telly last night and have started a few DIY Christmas decorations. Just the thing to do when it is pouring with rain outside:  snuggle up with youngest on the sofa and do a bit of festive hand stitching.

click to enlarge   Yesterday had a fab Christmas treat with my sewing friend - learning to make fabric coil pots at Lady Sew and Sew in Henley, www.ladysewandsew.co.uk The course was run by Helen Deighan a renowned textile artist. An example of her work is on the right. Basically it is wrapping leftover strips of fabric around cord that is then stitched together. I did not finish my pot in one day so carried on in the evening. The fabric wrapping took ages so husband was roped (!) in. Eldest daughter then started on making a pot too.... Is it a pot..is it a fez? not quite sure up to bags yet but a brilliant way to use up scraps.

Two linocuts by my students ..... we kept ourselves and the lino warm by having the heaters on full blast. You put the lino on the heater (being careful !) and the warmth makes the lino soft so that it is easier to carve.

Sold two of my prints at Art for Youth, both woodcuts, Tarpan and the other, pictured, Lascaux I. 

One to one tutorial making a christmas card.... drawing a lovely angel and then cutting her out on lino

Made a DIY drying rack for my prints today - a handful of nails into the roof beams, wooden clothes pegs attached and voila! The prints should take a week or so to dry depending on the weather.

Just back from London having dropped off my lino and woodcut prints at the Royal College of Art for the UK Art for Youth Exhibition. Its a great space , huge white walls and lots of work stacked up waiting to be hung. I have 5 pieces of work on show.

This morning I printed off linocut labels for the chili jam mountain we have in the under stairs cupboard - feel now that they are more presentable they can come out of hiding.

The messy bit! Inking up the roller. The roller is then rolled across the linocut

Paper on top and rub like mad with the back of a spoon

Ta daah! First print  - hope Charles and Camilla like it

Have just bought the most delicious red and black lightweight wool fabric from @MacCulloch and Wallis, off Oxford Street. It has three fabulous floors of fabric, buttons, bag handles and zips - every thing! I am going to make a dress like the one below. It is a fab pattern but it is a new challenge to try it in wool and with a lining - was assured by helpful man in shop that lining is not too tricky.

The summer dress in cotton                                        Pattern by New Look 6141

Wool and lining - chalked up and ready to go

Here is my rowing linocut , just finished cutting it out ...

......all set to print when small person off my knee.

This blog is about my prints and things I love making and looking at. Today I spent a bit of time designing the title as well as working on a linocut image of a rower. I am new to blogging and have been helped to start this one by my friend Deb who has a fab site called Plain Stitch.