Monday, November 5, 2012

Dublin Stitching Show and a Finish and RAKS

Hi all,

How are you all doing.  I know my American friends are busy either getting ready to vote or still dealing with aftermath of Sandy so I wish you all well and hope things settle down soon.  Thankfully living in Ireland we hear less about the USA election what I did when in the UK where it was on more than the UK elections but I do stay abreast of the news.  I know who I want to get in but the last time I mentioned the election to a good American friend, with a few of my opinions, he emailed me the entire American constitution with the American anthem over it and a virus so I had to watch the whole thing through from first page to the gazzilionth before I could have my internet back to myself.  He is still a friend (just teehee) and I learned to keep my mouth shut regarding my opinions about American Presidents!

Let's just say may the best man win!

On Saturday I went to my first ever stitching show at the RDS in Dublin.  Wow.  I am hooked.
It was inspirational.

Firstly I had a look around the stalls.  Some of the stalls had seriously over inflated their prices compared to their websites even allowing for our daft 23% VAT and the exchange rate. Some however, in particular Trudy Ann's, were fine and dandy and I got to look at real life material, wool, fabric and a very small amount of cross stitch stash.  Trudy's was really the only stall with charts and even with just one stall, I kindda froze with all the choice I had.  Real life charts I could see, and even feel.  OMgoodness: what should I do?  Look through this pile first or that pile or just panic at the thought of missing some?????

Honestly, you guys with LNS.....you have no idea how lucky you are!

I had already bought my fabric and wool for my 2013 goals so I wasn't under any pressure to buy (just as well at those prices; something is very wrong with the world when it is cheaper to buy something from hundreds of miles away even with postage, than it is your own country!!!) and I was good and took a shopping list.

And a budget.  Thank you so much to my hubby, sons and MIL for giving me my xmas pressies in the form of money for the show.  I had an absolute ball.  Here is what I bought.


A self-healing cutting board because my old one stopped healing, a ruler because I also managed to kill mine: charts, white fabric for emboidery, rik rak and lace, ribbons, some buttons, some gold beads, three balls of scarf wool. 

A totally extortionate bag making kit: not necessarily because I want to make the bag though I will, but because I want to work with wools etc with different textures and learn different techniques involving a more 3-d appearance.  I also bought a patten for a log cabin quilted bag.

I was also very inspired by the displays at the show.  There were Quilts from the Irish Patchwork Association



This is me...mmm..double chin seems to be coming back: will have to stop cheating with my diet!


A lot of universities also brought their work over (with the undergraduates who created them).  There are too many to show but I just have to include these:



A totally constructed Mr Fox: I just love his wooly tail!


And this is meant to be a huge, cloth rat, burrowing into one of the display boxes.  Very funny.

And finally I had a good look at this embroidered work.


MMMMMMMM!

Mmmmm...(that is me thinking)..I can do that.  Easy peasy:
So yesterday I decided to have a go at embroidery stealing      Using some of the ideas I had from the show.  Here is my first ever real embroidery!










I took some orangy guaze and attached two felt Oak Leaves with back stitch and then used Gold Embroidery thread to highlight the veins.  The acorn was done in a mixture of embroidery thread in Satin Stitch, French Knots and long stitch..with shorter stitches for texture.

I mounted it on a wide artists canvas: It looks a bit crumpled because I used the glue gun: I will have to find an alternative method of attaching my work to canvas without losing the hollow part for easy hanging.  Glue and a ribbon were all I could think of last night, so any opinions you may have are always very much welcome.





There is another picture I have in my head to partner this one but you will have to wait and see what it is.  As an inexperienced stitcher, getting it out of my head and into a real life finish may take some doing...but I love the use of texture and experimenting so I don't think you will have to wait for long.

Evenings seem to get so dark so early so I am having to re-juggle my time to get the crafting in: my eyes nearly burned out with the embroidery last night and that was with a day-light lamp.  Still: we all suffer this time of year, which is why the knitting needles often come out.

I have my goals for 2013 in my head and one of them is to send RAKs.  As I said in my last post, I cannot guarantee it will be cross stitch but it will be a nice surprise.  Several of you have sent me your addresses: and that is all  you have to do.  You do not have to pass it on or get me anything in return: I am doing this for fun and to say thank you for all the support blog world gave me during my cancer treatment time.  So please, feel free to email me with your details.  My email is in my details and in the last post.

Wow..long post.  I will love you and leave you now.  Have a great week xxxxxx



12 comments:

  1. Hello dear looks like you had lots of fun..
    Yummy stash and lovely quilts..
    I love mr foc so much
    Thank you for sharing...
    Hugs cucki xxx

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  2. Thank you for sharing your visit to the show, I greatly enjoyed reading about it, you write so well.

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  3. I've not been to a stitching show in years, probably since the kids have been around.
    I attach my embroidery to the canvas with tiny, strategically placed stitches, the same as you get in hospital. One stitch, tied off and sniped.

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  4. Looks like you had fun amd your acorn panel is great. How about jst stitching the piece to the canvas? It wouldn't even matter if the stitches showed as you could make them a feature of the design

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  5. It looks like you had a wonderful day out!! So many beautiful things to see. I can't wait to see how this inspired you.
    Lovely new stash!!

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  6. Okay, so, went to Dublin on Sunday for the first time in 2 years. I learned later that we were at Brown Thomas the day BEFORE the Downton Abbey actor who plays Branson was there, turning on the lights. I also learned I was too busy spraying myself with perfume testers downstairs and thus didn't go see a huge diamond worn by some actress, which was on display upstairs. Now I learned that I missed the show. ROFLOL Ah well, I didn't have any money to spend anyway, and what I did have went to pay to get the car out of the parking garage, which closed at 7 and we got there at 7:20. The show looked like fun--I love that fox! I agree, people who can go to a real live LNS don't know how lucky they have it. I used to have a brilliant one up the road from me in the US and I know now just how lucky I was.

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  7. Sounds like you had a great time at the stitching show (although that fox looks a little creepy, lol). I know what you mean about no LNS...the only one we had closed in July and I've been lost without it ever since. Cursed shipping charges! I can't imagine how much higher they must be to get to you in Ireland. Yikes! :)

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  8. Looks like you had fun at the show. Great pics of the quilts. Love the new stash you got.

    Linda

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  9. Yes, I know how Blessed I am to have my LNS and also that they are fabric dye-ers! I just got home from voting! TWO hours standing in the cold, rain... My legs and back hurt, hurt, hurt... LOVE your report about the show. I would enjoy going to one... I always seem to hear AFTER they are gone! (well only 56 more blog posts to read!!)Hugs!

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  10. Hello, returning the following, love the show pictures and your embroidery looks great too.

    I am very tempted by the Santa's Village series and the Needlework book challenge too.

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  11. Looks like a great show, lots of lovelies to inspire you. The acorn block is lovely. X

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  12. Oh that show looks and sounds like fun. I love that fox!

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