Hello everyone!

Sorry haven't posted in a while..what with post flu blarghness and having another creative lull because of it I've finally started getting creative again.

I had the March York Embroidery Guild Meeting last saturday and went down to the morning stitching group as well as the afternoon meeting/talk for the first time - And I wish I'd started doing so sooner!The friday before I decided i was going to be brave and try and do some encrusted calico work, which is a project I found as a back issue online project on the EG magazine Stitch website. The sample they do is in neutral colours as is traditonal calico work as far as I can gather but those who know my previous work will know neutrals are not my thing - though they are something I need to learn how to work with.So, I'm working on natural coloured calico in a range of browns and oranges.I also used a length of faux pearls on a thin cord which allivates the mattness of the threads - being cottons they have the soft lustre to them.I'm planning to add some beads too...This will be an ongoing project as its a little labourous, but I love the textural feel of the work! Will post photos soon!

I've also been doing some sketchbook work which is part of my drive to actually get to the point where I am producing finished pieces rather than just samples and experiments - this is partly due to the talk given on saturday by the Ebor Textiles Group, who were relating how working as a group with one central theme. They are primarily an exhibiting group and therefore work on a joint brief to produce work for an exhibition.The current one is based around poetic license, which they have all developed into some really interesting ideas. They had bought along pieces of work as well as their sketchbooks. This was the part I found most interesting. I enjoy seeing how people get from idea to item.

So, I have started a project - to give myself a brief, and them produce pieces inspired by that sketchbook work.

Part of the drive to do this is that the next EG meeting will involve a talk by Kay Greenlees who wrote the book Creative Sketchbooks for Textile Artists and Embroiderers; a copy of which i got from my beloved for xmas.If you haven't got this book I heartily recommend looking into it if you are interested in this way of documenting a project.