Networking/Interfacing.... Whatever!

Well I've ventured forth into the world of social networking!  I am now on Facebook.  On a personal level things have moved and changed with many family members this year, and I fear being on the outer edges if I don't actively make efforts.  But I still intend to use it as I do this blog, 99% of it about my arty stuff, not about whether I liked what I ate for dinner last night.  But so far its so not what I like, hate these multiple columns of info, I like things neat and crisp.   Blogs are always back to front for me, cos I like latest news at the bottom, not the top.  Hate trying to read multiple postings and its constant scrolling up and down, its not how I read a book!!  Even after having this blog for some time, its still seems twisted to me.
I have been on Linked In for some considerable time though.  But I doubt I will get very far with that, especially as I keep referring to it as Lindi Kin!  (Have a complete mind blank about the right name) So the likes of Twitter and Pinterest can relax, nothing much to fear from me.

Today I went out to the EG, for our usual stitchy meeting.  I took this little bit of fun along with me.  Its a piece started in an afternoon EG meeting, where we had loads of supplies and were told to go and play, stitch as you felt like, don't design, just do.

Its bits and pieces stitched onto a heavy watercolour paper.  Around the room we had cross stitch, knitting, goldwork, more considered free embroidery and paper bead making.  We are a noisy bunch, and there's a lot of laughing, joking, teasing, impossible (for me) to concentrate on anything of detail and precious!!  Such a contrast to our friends down the corridor working on paintings, they concentrate so much their room is virtually silent!   Although both groups are entirely separate, because we are both doing arty things, we often pop into each other's room to share what is being created.
I think this piece might sit around a little longer, decide if it needs anything else on it, or not - red beads keep springing to mind.  But I must get down to some considered art pieces.

Coming Unstuck

So UKers did you put the clocks back last night.... me I put my bedside clock forward before going to sleep.  Got a in right muddle this morning with knowing what the real tme should be. No need to worry cos the cat alarm goes off, marches upstairs to scream

Fe e d   m e   n o w.

Yesterday I had to do some running repairs on a piece of my work up in the Art Trail, tsk.  Been standing upright for over a week, and its in the venue for a day and slips.
You better read the next bit peeping through fingers over eyes...  I commit the sin of using sticky tape on my textiles, (make she be struck down for uttering the word).  I am useless at lacing work, never get it straight, and was once heavily verbally attacked by a tutor for a piece of work, where the warp/weft of the fabric was not absolutley 100% parallel to the mount.  Believe me it measured exact all the way along, just it had a very slight and I mean slight undulation, in the thread on the base fabric..  A lesson never to be forgotten.  So I use doubled sided tape, find it easier to make the adjustment to get it spot on.
However, I'm not sooo sinful... I've always used tape for artworks, acid free, and I've never ever had trouble with glue seeping through even on pieces now over 10 years old.  Of late absolutely loved Glue Dots, Double Sided Textile Tape.

But what on earth has happened to it, now I've got work which is just not stitcking.  It used to be a proper solid tape, now it looks like this:

and I've two reels of it, so not as if I got a dodgy one. (cough unless its a dodgy two!)  Wonder if anyone else has noticed and had trouble, but it looks like this faithful customer will have to go elsewhere as the product has let me down.  First time I've ever had work on show which needed repair....

Enough of me and my moans - I think you should pop along to my friend Anne's blog.  She does the most beautiful work, is in need of a boost a the moment and would like lots more Followers and.... she has a beautiful giveaway.

Rochford Art Trail

Rochford Art Trail OPENS SATURDAY.

As I've said, I'm in the opticians again, my third year at this venue.  Very nice people always welcoming and friendly.
I set up my work yesterday afternoon,  the staff oohed and aaahed, there were people already stopping to look, and one of the staff leapt outside with a leaflet and one of my business cards, to give details to the person looking!  I was quite touched.
Although this is ny third time at the same venue, new things arise.  My display is in glass, and I mean glass, boxes which are suspended on wires floor to ceiling.  The first year I had to manipulate things to get in,  as the only open side is against the wall.  Last year someone showed me how to open the the other side panel to gain access.  This year I have lime green paper on the bottom shelves, part of their own set dressing, which has stayed in place.
Here are photos of my display.

Do come along to the Trail, this Saturday there is an Arts & Crafts Market in the WI Hall, which is in the Square.  Download the Trail Map, here.

Also importantly there are postcards for sale in aid of charity.  Miniature pieces of art made by Trail Artists - not me this year, not that I didn't want to contribute, but it was one 'can you just' too many this year.

Passion for Purple

I'm in need of a bit of sparkle - are you?  I finished this little piece yesterday, here's a close up detail.

Changing my avatar is long over due, so I thought I'd use this.  Stitching on paper, with beads and mixed media.  I think the close up looks really good.  Of course, as always it just has to be purple. Do people get set in their ways from childhood - purple has always been my fave colour, all shades of.

Whoah spooky muzak time.  Researching something last week I found out that the days of the week are associated with colours.  So today I've just searched the day I was born, never known this, a Thursday, and guess what the colour is for Thursday - yep Purple!  So let's test it, found an online quiz to find the colour of your soul, oh dear, its Violet.
I might have to lay down before I come over all unnecessary....
Nothing for it then, just have to buy more and more threads, beads, paints in purple, after all, would be rude not to!

Let There Be Light - hopefully....

I might have solved something which has been a huge irritation to me.
This time of year when the daylight changes and you need lights on indoors, or actually not, I find using the sewing machine difficult.
Where my machine is situated I can't add a lamp to the table, there simply isn't room, and certainly can't do with more wire trailing across what working space I have.  But I've become increasingly irritated by the bulbs in my sewing machine.  Yes my Bernina has two, inncey wincey weeny little things, but they throw off a yellow light, sometimes with some threads I can't even see where I've stitched.  I try with the light on, off, add in the room light, sew almost in pitch darkness.  Last year so fed up with this I resorted to hanging a small flip light around my neck to focus in onto the needle.  Of course perfect until I moved and then back into not being able to see.  Next I tied it up to the underside of the harp bit.  That works, until stitching something large which needs to slide through the harp, then there is all sorts of manipulation needed, sigh.

What I really don't understand is why can't you get daylight bulbs for sewing machines?  Isn't it so obvious? I know some machines have them, but not as tiny as my machine needs.  In fact I enquired of the lightbulb manufacturers themselves (tell you this has really bugged me), they told me they didn't make bulbs that small, oh right, so I painted their name onto the bulbs myself then, sigh.

Top a daylight sewing machine bulb - described as a Pgymy...

below the one from my machine



Surely there must be other hobbyist equipment which take small bulbs, and wouldn't it be an instant seller to have daylight bulb versions - or is someone trying to tell me that my 20 year old machine is too old to bother with.  I know these teeny bulbs are used in things like projectors, microscopes, or around the house to illuminte display cabinets.

So, do I have a solution, well will have to see if the latest idea works.
Now I've bought one of these small round LED battery lights.  As my noticeboard is immediately behind the machine, I'm going to put the light on there shining onto the needle area and we will see if that improves things.  Now the variable is of course me, sliding the machine back and forth on the table, as I tend to push it back when I'm finished, so we might have to play with adjust the angle every time....

All these Dragons Den and business entrepreneur programmes - just make me a tiny daylight bulb - me and a zillion machiners would be so pleased!  Or alternatively get me a house big enough to have my own studio, where I can set it up to meet my every need.  At the moment I don't even have a room for my sole use.
I think that's it, I am quite comfortably now into the whining old biddy zone.

Almost There.... and the Next Project is?

I found out that this month is known as Blogtober, ie bloggers posting every single day - well look at me, fell off the chair at that one.
I've been driving here and there, had a nice lunch out, oh and yes was discussing textile business and I mean proper important stuff, not chit chat.  So on to what's what in my arty life at the moment.

Minimalist poster, but says everything needed, the pink is eye catching but its also the brand colour of Essex Summer of Art.  I have the actual Art Trail leaflet, but in pdf form, so can't add to the blog - it has a snippet of a piece of my work.  I'm so not with it, I was looking and thought well who is at number 31 then, Oh, its me!!!  Duh.  Go to the website mentioned on the poster for information.  Oooops better finish off work for making, especially as I've made my appointment to set up the display!

Also been to my little stitchy group, where I took along the purple sparkle from the last post and stitched on it.  Still a WiP

Been along to the monthly meeting of The Material Girls.  We are almost at the end of the Bridging Waters Project.  A couple of talks to be given by Members, the next is this coming Saturday, at Romford Branch of the Embroiderer's Guild  this will be almost the last chance to see all the wall hangings before they are all transferred to Canada to go on display there.  Its been a very full on project, especially for me coming in after its underway.  I always knew that would be a personal challenge, but pleased that I met it.

This piece found a new home when on display at Maldon.  I hope whoever has it now, enjoys, thank you for buying.  (there are two other pieces of similar design).

So now we move on to the next project "Tales and Textiles" - for display at Textiles in Focus in 2014.  This is going to take MG on a journey around the world.  I've done a little research for it, but haven't felt able to immerse myself until I've had more brain space.  But the ideas are popping and of course in my head I've constructed a couple of absolute masterpieces.  For me though this is my first project with the group right from inception, so hopefully I will be getting more of an understanding of group dynamics and how it all works. And won't feel like I'm rushing to catch up, which was always going to be the case joining part way in. Already from initial topic, its grown and changed, moved, added and taken away, and individuals have also had a few thoughts before settling with ideas, well may be... who knows what actually develops when you get down to it.  And.... I'm going to open a fresh sketchbook!!!

Even I thought it ridiculous when I bought 2013 diary a couple of months back, but here I am today having to update - as I have committee meetings for one group scheduled right through 2013.  MG meetings are known through to August, and of course my local Embroiderers' Guild meetings are set for the year, better note those, cos actually I'm leading one of the meetings, (cough).  And guess what, already I have to be in 3 places on the one day, trouble is two of them I have to pay whether I attend or not.  Typical.

So I guess its get on with the Art Trail and be ready to start over making for 2013, I know at least one deadline which will be in February.