Make me a friend ...

Me and this little critter are on our way to teach workshops at the Knitting & Stitching Show in Harrogate. Why not join me and make some little friends ...

I'm ready for 12 workshops over 4 days, teaching 7 different projects. My suitcase is HUGE and weighs a ton with all my materials and equipment. I have a tiny space left over for pajamas and a toothbrush.

I'm travelling by train, so I'm hoping for lots of participants as I'd rather not lug all those materials home again.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

The Storytelling School arrives

So exciting to receive in the post this morning, my copy of the book design project that I've been working on for the past few months for The Story Museum in Oxford www.storymuseum.org.uk

This is a Handbook for teachers which accompanies their schools programme and introduces 'a revolutionary way of delivering primary education ... children learn to be storytellers, retelling and improving stories from memory, and graduating with their own repertoire of stories to tell'.

I became involved in the project a little way in, but was able to develop and refine the design that had started to take shape. An initial short-run was printed this month, and the books have been used for a training course for teachers already. Museum director, Kim Pickin, is thrilled with the result and a long reprint should follow soon!

And I was very happy to receive this feedback from author Adam Guillain: "THANK YOU. It looks wonderful." Cheers Adam!

My final mission is to persuade my children's headteacher to get The Storytelling School in their school ... its a fantastic programme.

Find New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham

I love drawing maps. A long time ago at the start of my career I used to draw loads and loads of location maps for housebuilders such as Alfred McAlpine, Bellway and Bewley Homes. So its always a pleasure to get back into it and I was asked by the New Ashgate Gallery and shop to create a new map to use on their website and brochures.

The one-way system of Farnham is a challenge at the best of times (I have got myself lost more than once), but I have simplified the map and shown the key roads for finding both car parking and the Gallery and shown the directions of the one-way system with an inset.

(Click on the image to see the map at full size.)
There are some beautiful objects in their Autumn Craft Collection and if you don't manage to visit in person (navigating by my new map of course), you can buy online.

CQ@10 book feedback

The new book I designed for Contemporary Quilt has gone down very well (and more importantly sold well) at the Festival of Quilts this summer.

Since the book was published, its been lovely to have such a positive reception:

[The book] arrived today and looks very professional.

... fantastic looking cover, and it's really whetted my appetite now for a copy, or two or three!

What a good advertisement [for Contemporary Quilt]! Could you pass on my congratulations to Jane for such an excellent design.

If you would like your own copy via mail order, please contact Contemporary Quilt through their website

Maiden Erlegh workshop pictures

Some lovely work produced by the GCSE art students at Maiden Erlegh school last week. Here are just a few pictures.

Transforming images with momigami techniques.

Embedding text with a silk paper making technique - the silk fibres are the cream that surrounds the found words, and this could also be stitched or painted.

Weaving fabrics and securing them to a background with Bondaweb.

Weaving with crisp packets and then fusing them with an iron. Also (in the background) creating texture with the iron on crisp packets and stitching into them.

Stitched image combined with words embedded in Angelina fibres. Love the glasses!

Mixing fabrics, texture and words with stitch.

Angelina experiments making tubes, beads and embossed designs.

Stitched image

Exploring peer pressure, through images applied to a primary school sweatshirt

3-d box constructed through strengthening paper with iron-on interfacing and Angelina fibre, then stitched.

Transforming photographs by layering with Angelina fibre

Work in progress! Thanks again for making me so welcome.

Thank you Maiden Erlegh

A big thank you to Maiden Erlegh School for making me so welcome on Friday - everyone worked so hard! The students have been researching issues that are important to them, and we explored how to incorporate text into mixed media/textiles. We used Angelina fibre, silk fibre, Bondaweb and iron-on interfacing as well as recycled fabrics and papers.

Pictures to follow ....

Book launch Festival of Quilts: CQ@10

This is the new book from Contemporary Quilt that launches at the Festival of Quilts at the Birmingham NEC on Thursday 16 August. Its a review of the last 10 years of exhibited work. I designed the book, page layouts and the cover, and worked with Hilary, Janet and Margaret who worked on the content: photographing, editing and the task of managing over 500 images and captions.

I'm also very happy to mention that my textile work appears a couple of times in the book too.

Looking forward to hearing feedback from the ladies on the Contemporary Quilt stand who will be selling the book over the next 4 days.

Feeling the pressure on BBC website

With a wide variety of media represented from painting to sculpture, I was very happy to see a textile piece winning the Feeling the pressure exhibition prize. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17936982

While a detail of my piece was shown in the round-up at image 8:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17936982

Sew near, and so far

Sew Hip magazine issue 41 - I need a copy!

My recycled denim cushion design has appeared ... EXCEPT the magazine publishers have gone into administration, so I have not been able to get hold of a copy (or receive payment or my sample back - boo). All I have found is this tiny thumbnail image.

I believe a few copies went out to subscribers and advertisers. If you have this issue and can either scan my feature and send it by email, or sell me your copy when you've read it - I would be VERY grateful.

I'm trying so hard to establish my career and (swallowing hard) ignoring the fact of my invoice and my sample, I could at the very least really do with having my feature in my portfolio.

Feeling the Pressure

Opening on 5th May, my piece 'Pressure Front' has been selected by Rhyl Arts Centre for their exhibition 'Feeling the Pressure'. On until 2nd June 2012.

Preview the exhibition slideshow:
http://www.flickr.com//photos/llyfrgelloedd/sets/72157629837259409/show/

More information on the exhibition
http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en-gb/DNAP-8Q8LV5