It was our first meeting of the York Embroiderers' Guild on Saturday. It was our 30th Birthday and after the business was over we had an excellent celebratory buffet lunch. Our speaker in the afternoon was Jaqui Hyman, textile conservationist, who spoke to us about the University of Leeds textile collection -ULITA - with special reference to Louisa Pesel whose collection is stored there. Louisa Pesel was the first president of the Embroiderers Guild so it was a very appropriate subject and whetted our appetite for a visit sometime.

On Saturday I went with Celia to the opening of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Textile exhibition at the Platform Gallery in Clitheroe. The pictures show the gallery and my piece as it is hung
there. Diana Barett and Linda Westerman also had pieces accepted for show. It was a really nice event. Celia and I had a good day out and found some interesting bargains in Clitheroe - not to mention a top up for the freezer from the sausage shop!!

Last night some of the Broderers demonstrated our work at an event in the Minster called 'Minster Nights'. Various volunteer groups and artists presented their work and there was also music, drama and 'Hidden Minster' tours. It was a very successful evening with a lot of people attending and much interest shown in our work.

We had a meeting, or rather gathering, of Ebor yesterday. We went to Anna's new house in Kirbymoorside and all took a contribution for lunch - we dined extremely well! Later in the afternoon some of us went to the Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton - le- Hole and took photos to assist us in creating new work for an exhibition we are to have there in November next year.
The locals look rather interested!!

The Weekend + Success!!

On Saturday Fi's sister Susie and partner Richard came on their way back from the NE, and stayed the night. It was a flying visit and they left on Sunday morning in time for us to get ready to go to my friend's son's christening. They live in a small village in the Lower Derwent Valley called Seaton Ross. Matthew is nearly one, but he fitted the beautiful Christening gown that Cluny had made for her daughter Lucy three years ago. The service was very informal and beautifully conducted for the benefit of all the children there. The vicar made them all feel very important. Fortunately the weather held off long enough to have the bar-b-que in the garden and for the children to let of steam outside. It was fascinating watching all the children playing and interacting with each other - I don't think one tear was shed - amazing!

I said earlier in my blogg that I had submitted my 'Connections I' textile/glass piece for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Exhibition to be held at the Platform Gallery, Clitheroe throughout September. Yesterday I had a letter to say that it has been accepted so I am feeling really happy about that. My friend Diana Barrett submitted three pieces and has had two of them accepted so we shall take them over together as she had work their last year and knows the way!!

Today was the last meeting of the Minster Broderers until September. I took Denny to the work room and then met Chris. We spent most of the morning taking photos in the Minster for the power point presentation we are preparing. This will enable us to take a Minster Broderers Tour out to give to groups.

At 12.30pm we went to St John's Chapel where the low mass set we have been working on for about two years was being consecrated at the communion service. Josie, Jean and I had worked the chasuble front (above). A lot of Broderers attended and Canon Glynn Webster made a big fuss of us, dedicated the vestments and then wore them for the first time to celebrate. They looked stunning and Glynn said they were very comfortable to wear. All very satisfying!

We returned to the workroom for a crowded sherry and lunch before being given a tour of the Library.

On the way home I picked up the pieces of glass I had taken to be fired, together with a piece of grey glass and some lead so that I can finish my mirror. Looking forward to doing that - probably at the weekend.

My Weekend

I've had a really interesting and most enjoyable weekend.





On Saturday morning Chris B and I went to the Minster to take part in the Henry X lll Family Day. There were activities available with a Tudor theme - making a 'God's Eye', Calligraphy writing with quills, herbs, brass rubbing and us! We took quite a few of the small pieces we have worked based on fragments of stained glass, for display and one of the kneelers we are working currently. We were encouraging people to put in a few stitches for us and after a slow start we did no work at all and just supervised the visitors. People were very happy to put in a couple of stitches and liked to think that they had left their mark in the Minster in a small way. The Minster Volunteers were especially keen and we had a constant flow of them at our table. Although I took my camera. I forgot to take photos - sorry! After the Minster I took all the pieces of glass I have painted ready for a mirror for my bedroom, up to my tutor's to be fired. Watch this space.







Yesterday morning I went to the Minster again to the 10.00am service. This was the last Sunday for the Precentor, Rev Jeremy Fletcher, who is moving to Beverley Minster. Jeremy was the Broderers line manager and our closest link with the Minster.





Then on to York Dolly Birds. This is a group of like minded mad people who make art dolls in their spare time. I don't seem to have much spare time nowadays so don't get much done at the moment, but we have a great crowd there and I really enjoy the company. Chris B had set us a challenge a few months ago to make a doll based on a fish and yesterday was the due date. There was a lovely collection of fishy dolls.

If you would like to see individual photos go to Chris B's Blog (see top of page).

One of our members, Helen, is the manager of Yorkshire Museum in Abbey Gardens. She has asked if we would display dolls on a Viking theme at next years Jorvik Festival in February. So, after an early lunch we walked down to the museum for a private guided tour of the museum's Viking collection to inspire us. We were priviledged to be able to then go and observe some of the collection close up and even handle some of the artifacts with our white cotton gloves on. We felt very honoured - thank you Helen. Now I just have to get the brain working for a good idea!

Got back to our meeting room and there the weekend ended for me cos I was seeing two of everything with zig-zag black and white lines round the edge. Many of you will know the signs - a migraine approaching! So I took tablets and once my eyes were OK, drove home.

Catching Up!

• Gosh, time goes so quickly! In the last12 days I have -
  
  Had a meeting with Celia, Liz and Sara about designing a set of Deacon's stoles for Liz who was ordained this month. Sara has some very exciting ideas and I'm really looking forward to working on them. Watch this space for further developments.


• Went for another meeting to look at a replacement banner job. Awfully big and complicated - it will take a long time to work, but it would be interesting to do. I have put in an estimate so we'll just wait and see.


• Our Embroderers Guild Branch awards a busary every year to a textile student from the York Area. I have been asked to be on the sub committee and we had a selection meeting to choose this years winner. We had four candidates and eventually decided to give our preffered student the ammount she had applied for and still hade enough to give a smaller bursary to a student whose work we liked and wanted to encourage.


• Been to an Ebor Group Meeting. Ebor is a group of nine textile artists who work as a group with a mentor and exhibit in various places around where we live. We are very fortunate to have the textile artist Hilary Bower as our mentor and we meet with her five or six times a year. This was a 'non Hilary day' so we each did our own thing - or not as the case maybe!


• On Sunday last I spent the afternoon at Bridlington Priory. demonstrating for the Broderers. There was a textile exhibition there and we had been invited to exhibit and demonstrate. The work was much admired.


• Today we have visitors. Fi's neice Sophie graduated from York University yesterday with a first class Honours BA. we have been out for a celebratory lunch and her mum Tricia and sister Fleur are staying with us tonight whilst Sophie goes out on the town for the last time in York. We are all going to see the new Harry Potter film in Pocklington.

Me, Fiona, Fi's mum,Sophie, Fleur, Tricia

Tomorrow I am again demonstrating for the Broderers. This time in York Minster for the Henry Xlll family day.

I was highly delighted yesterday to find that I had won the 'best in exhibition' from the guild exhibition last week. The piece was Connections I (scroll down to see picture). Thanks to any one reading this who voted for me!

Well, my pot is off my arm, but it is not as good as I had hoped. It's still very painful and swollen. The doc said it will be painful for another few weeks and swollen until Christmas! I'm hoping to try it out seriously with some work next week .





Had a frantic week last week. My pot came off on Tuesday then I paid a visit to Broderers and took Fiona out to lunch for her Birthday which was on Wednesday.





Unfortuanately we had to go to a fueral on Fi's birthday. Her Aunt Jill has died at the age of 99 1/2 . She lived the other side of Hexham so it was a long day but a lovely drive up and a nice service celebrating the life of a lovely lady. We ended the bay with a birthday dinner at our frinds Celia and Bill's. It was also Bills birthday and Fiona's sisters too .





Thursday I was ic the hanging of the York Embroiderers'Guild exhibition at the Guildhall in York. Another long day but we got it up and thought it looked well in the space.

The exhibition was on for three days and as far as I know as yet, was a success. The first two days were very busy and Sunday rather quiet but hopefully we have raised enough to put some more money into our Acorn Fund which we use to award Bursaries to Textile students from our area.






I sneaked off on Friday - to the Woolfest. This is a show to do with fibres, mainly wool of course, and is held at the sheep auction market in Cockermouth, Cumbria. There is everything there you could imagine from the animals themselves right through to the finished products of amazing craftsmen and women plus everything you might need to have a go yourself. A wonderful day but another long journey and very tiring in the heat. Well worth it though!

I'm having a rest this week after all that!

It's my birthday today - we won't mention any numbers cos this decade seems to be passing by all too quickly! The house is quiet once again - everyone has gone back home. When Fi gets back from York we are going to Helmsley for Lunch and then a wander around Rieveaux Abbey weather permitting.

We have had a very busy weekend with lots of family guests staying for the 65th Wedding Anniversary celebrations. All went well - lovely weather, great food, plenty to eat and drink! Most of all much appreciated by Jaqui and Sydney.

This weekend is the 65th Wedding Anniversary celebrations for Fiona's parents. Two sisters and one partner arrived from France yesterday, and the other sister and brother et al are arriving tomorrow.

At the York Minster Broders we are just embarking on a new nave altar frontal, a green one, designed by Malcolm Lockhead. This last year we have been receiving the design in stages and have been sampling. Now we are framed up and the design has been transferred to the fabric.

Because the frame is so large and it is impossible to reach to the centre of it, we have to have people lying under the frame to push the needle back up - a bit of a slow job, especially if they get too comfortable and fall asleep!!

As regards Stained Glass, I have just finished a piece which has been on view at the Theatre Royal, York the last few weeks. It is a pannel about 24" square and incorporates some slices of agate which I had. The design grew round them. Now I just have to think what to do with it......................................................................

Thought I had better mention where I am up to in my various ventures and post a few pics - perhaps I can then stop deleting the blog addy at the bottom of my emails cos I'm embarrassed by there being nothing here to look at!!

This is a picture of the first piece I have made incorporating my embroidery with stained glass skills I have acquired during the last three years on the course I am attending at York College - one more year to go.

It's called Connections I

This is Connections II and was made to exchange with my friend Carol. She has made me a lovely silver pin.

This is Feathers.

It was again made for an exchange of work with another member of the Ebor Group - Shenagh, and I have wonderful piece of work on my wall that she made for our 'Lines of Communication' exhibition.

All these pieces will be on show at the City of York Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild Exhibition in the Guildhall, York next weekend 19th, 20th, 21st June.

Well, its been along time since I created this blog and I've done absolutely nothing with it since. I broke my arm acouple of weeks ago, so am searching around for things I can do to keep me occupied - getting this going properly being one.

Since breaking my arm I've been to visit family in Renfrew. My cousin Angela and her husband Ric are over here from South Africa visiting their son Marc, and daughter Caryn and grandchildren James and Elizabeth, not to mention their dad Charlie. I had a great couple of days with them in the two day summer we had last week. The pic shows Angela with James and Elizabeth, who is teething on a juice bottle!