The reason I am including it is because part two of felt making will be in February (again at Threlkeld where water slopping onto the floor is not a problem) when Marilyn will show us how to make NUNO felt. More information will appear on this blog soon, so keep a look out. I promise you it will be an exciting day, so if you missed the last workshop do try and come to this one as Marilyn is a very talented and inspirational teacher and an expert at making all kinds of beautiful felt. You can see how good she is by this bag which was made by me, a complete novice.
Marilyn like myself and several other ladies in the Keswick branch are also members of Cumbria Patchworkers and last Wednesday we gathered in Kirkby Stephen for a Christmas Party. We all made some food and took it along to share out. This is my pavlova in the oven.
And these are the chocolate coated strawberries waiting to go on the top as decoration later, along with whipped cream and Greek yoghurt + redcurrants and chocolate with an icing sugar dusting, phew!
The final putting together was done on the morning of the feast, so I don't have a photo; sorry. But you must use your imagination for the party food itself which was delicious. All of us took along home baking and it was dainty and tasty too.
I did manage to take a photo of the present we left for our hostess, the idea was to each make a felt heart and decorate it and then put them all together to form a wreath which was given to the lady of the house.
Here it is on the tablecloth which was pretty Christmas fabric.
Speaking of Christmas I have been busy making presents for people and here is a small pouch for jewellery I made using some silk paper which again we made at an Embroiderers' Guild workshop in June 2003 with Pat Lewington from Newton Rigg college. I always keep all scraps just in case I need them and silk paper is so versatile so I usually have some if I have a rummage about. Gosh it looks so beautiful in the photo that I would love to make some more. I made a simple envelope with the paper and stitched the sides together with 'machine buttonhole' then embellished the top with French knots and some Swarovski crystals and lastly a Dorset button I had made when I was a student doing City & Guilds Stage 1 Embroidery. This next photo shows some lovely flowers we made after our AGM in September. Gloria had given me a present last year at our Christmas Luncheon decorated with one and I fell in love with it..
So of course I asked her if she would kindly show us all how it was done and she did us proud. Well done Gloria and thank you so much. These by the way are my effort as I did not have my camera with me that day, a real pity as our ladies did some wonderful work.
My last project (Union Jack pillow cases) was more ambitious and involved an element of shabby chic! An idea I had picked up whilst on holiday kept nagging at me until I had a go. Here are the finished presents on my bed but what is that terrier doing there? You know you can always trust a pet to steal the scene... Merry Christmas everyone as this may be my last posting until after the festivities.
