Sunday 24 January 2010

This week was my first week back at Broderers since before Christmas. I am currently working on a panel for a new altar frontal for the St Nicholas Chapel. I should be further on with it than I am, but I had a query re the design that I couldn't resolve over the phone, so had to wait for this Tuesday. I ended up redrawing the design,and have now transferred it on to the canvas. This week I have to apply vilene to the area which is to have laid gold on it. When I have done that I will take a photo to post.



Being in York on Tuesday I was able finally to get tracing paper so that I can trace the design of the banner I am going to be making. I have spent most of the time during the daylight hours this week doing just that. The braid has now arrived for the altar frontal, so I will put the banner aside and concentrate on finishing that now - hopefully it will be done by the end of the week. Pics will follow



The other thing I have been working on this week is the pair of dolls I have been making to go on display at the Jorvik Viking Fair at half term. Only three weeks to go ,and even though I have spent all day today at the Dolly Birds meeting on them, there is still a lot of work to be done. I'll take photos of those too.



It was also the first time I have been able to get to my leaded glass course this term. It was good to be back.



I finally managed to get my car going on Thursday when I had time to drive it around for a while to make sure the battery was well and truely charged. It was only when I had done this that I finally felt things were back to normal after Christmas! I thought I heard the word 'snow' on the weather forecast tonight. Fingers crossed it is not going to land here!

Sunday 17 January 2010

Whilst awaiting samples of braid to finish off the altar frontal, I have been getting on with a couple of other things.

Our next meeeting of Ebor is on February the 11th and our mentor will be there that day. I did say to her when last I saw her in November that I would have the piece I was working on finished! In fact it only got underway on Thursday - the sewing part that is. The glass has been finished sometime. It is a piece which is going to be called 'On a Cold Day', and is based on a photo I took of condensation on one of the panes of glass in my bedroom window. Because of the vertical nature of the glass design, I have had a few problems with the landscape design that goes behind it. However I took some photos of the trees opposite the front of the house during the snow and from those I have formed a simplified design which I think will work (fingers crossed - though perhaps not as it makes stitching difficult!). I have cut a lot of the fabric shapes and am ready to start stitching but I came to a standstill with that today because I am awaiting some thread arriving through the post, so on to another project I am behind with!

The York Dolly Birds have agreed to have a stand at the Jorvik Viking Fair in February as a result of one of our members, who is manager of the Yorkshire Museum, twisting our arms hard behind our backs. I sent to the USA for patterns for a matching man and woman doll and am part way through the woman doll. The dolls are to represent the underwater Norse gods, Aegir and Ran, who used to catch drowned sailors in their net to people their Kingdom. I have finally managed to attach the legs which were causing me a few problems so perhaps I can make swifter progress now.

Thursday 14 January 2010


This has been our world since Christmas. 'Snow on snow'.
I think we have managed to get out a couple of times, but most of the time we have stayed in and safe. We did venture out on Saturday last, but had to abandon the car at the farm next door and walk back home, with as much shoppping as we could carry, through drifts in our track which were two or three feet deep.
It has been extremely pretty though and good for photography.
I went up for the post today and saw some tracks I didn't recognise. I took a photo of them on my phone and have identified it as being a badger.
November (cont)
I have collected my next task. This is a 19th century frontal from Warhill which is in great need of some tlc.





The annual visit to the Knitting and Stitching Show was as usual inspirational and it was good to meet up with so many old friends.

December

I went to see a banner at a masonic lodge in York. A new one is required and it is going to be a lot of work! I'll post pics when I begin.

It snowed before Christmas which made life very difficult. Christmas itself was quiet, but livened up when Fiona's brother and family arrived!
September

The sad news of the death of my friend Judy Murty came early this month. She had fought a hard battle admirably. Chris and I spoke at her funeral, me for the Embroiders Guild and Chris for the Dolly Birds. We also helped her family sort out her craft stash and managed to raise a respectable sum for the Hospice.

Attended the Volunteers' service at the Minster - a good turn out from the Broderers

October

Worked on a new frontal and pulpit fall for Garton - on - the - Wolds. This is to be a temporary white frontal to replace their lovely embroidered one, which is going to Jacqui Hyman for conservation and repair.





Shocked to hear of the sudden death of Maggie Judges, our Region Chairman and member of Diverse Threads. I knew Maggie well as she had been on the old NE Region Committee and had been my Vice Chair when the regions divided.


Had an enjoyable two days on a botannical illustration workshop with Bridgette Gillespie at Helmsley walled garden. A lot of time was spent recovering lost skills!


Kathy Troop , editor of Stitch magazine came to visit the Broderers to research for an article. Chris and I showed her round the Minster and she had lunch with us in the workroom. Not sure when the article will be published. I supplied the photographs so will be interested to see how they turn out.


November


My glass has been photographed by a friend's brother, who is producing a portfolio with the intention of becoming a professional. Above is the mirror I have painted and made for my bedroom.




I have been shamed into getting back to my blogg by my friend Chris, whose New Year's resolution is to keep up with her own blogg. So here goes with a brief resume of the end months of 2009 and the start of 2010.