Yarn Cocktails and Christmas gifts

Among my lovely Christmas goodies were two extra special pressies from two dear friends: This fabulous scarf knitted with the fair hands of Suzanne Griffith (she of the marvellous book: Stitching for Victory - available on Amazon)

AND, still on the theme of knitting, this fantastic book from Charlotte Williams - (a fellow textile designer and an extraordinary talent. Check out her show at New Designers in at the Design Centre in July.) The book, The Knitter'g Guide to Yarn Cocktails by Anastasia Blaes and Kelly Wilson, is right up my street - knitted knickers and Singapore Slings - (my favourite ever cocktail which added to my enjoyment of Singapore although sadly Raffles cocktail bar was closed for a refurb - I'll just have to go again!) - who could ask for anything more?

Final Major Project Initial Ideas

The theme for my final major project is going to be based on Guerrilla Gardening with a fashion outcome. This is my workspace and some initial ideas. I expect that the theme will mutate as I develop my drawings an textile experiments, I am already thinking about the detritus of urban living, but it is a launch pad for my creative journey.

Amazing guerrilla gardening research images out there on the web, I particularly love this one: poster pocket planting. To find out more, check out: www.onguerrillagardening.com

Garance Dore fashion illustration

While researching fashion illustrators I came across this French fashion illlustrator. I really liked this Agent Provocateur design and it seems quite typical of her style.

Check her out on: http://www.garancedore.fr/ please leave a message on her blog to say where you found the link. There is also an article about her on the Harpers Bazaar site under fashion articles

I feel another pinnie coming on!

I was given this piece of vintage Whaleys fabric and I still have some vintage bias binding left in various colours so I feel another Lynnie Pinnie project coming on. Probably as a displacement activity as I really should be getting on with my Final Major Project, unfortunately the weather has rather scuppered any location drawing.

Snow stops play!

Although it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO beautiful the snow has stopped play today. But not for the garden fox who goes on the prowl whatever the weather. I was due to go over to Brighton for a lovely girlie lunch party but having already got caught out in a blizzard yesterday, I don't want to get marooned half way today! It is coming down thick and fast AND so far Mr Postman hasn't made it with any of the goodies I have ordered on line. Humph!

BUT it means that I will finally get around to unpacking the Christmas decorations, so not all bad news! I will put one of my beautiful Kimba fairies on top of the tree. (Each one individually hand crafted and no two the same. Available for sale on request).

Lynnie Pinnie

I've been so busy lately I haven't been updating my blog. BUT that was then and this is now!

I was given some vintage fabric and some vintage bias binding by a lovely lady recently and thought I just had to do it justice. My friend, artist, mentor and aficionado of all things vintage Karen Taylor has a vintage pinnie and kindly lent it to me so that I could magic up a pattern. Note, Juliana Sissons! I have put what you taught me to good effect. Here is the pinnie! The upside of a vintage wrap around pinney is that you don't get paint / flower / mud on your backside!

Karen recently exhibited at the Towner Art Gallery and Julie is currently artisit in residence at the V&A - check out her book on knitting in the Basics range - also available at the V&A