Toadstools and cottages

It's been a while, and life quietly ticks over. Nothing much happens and then it's winter workshop season. I held my first local standalone session last month in Shrewsbury at the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. I had booked the modest little garden room, but due to circumstances, I was upgraded to this lovely space. It was my first workshop since the summer, but the old routine kicked in as soon as I begin setting up.

The Reserve used to be part of the old Abbey and has been well restored. There is a beautiful modern stained glass window with little etched birds and animals hiding in the undergrowth. 

Everyone arrived safely and were soon at work. 

This is my favourite workshop subject to teach and a particularly enjoyable group to work with. A couple of weeks later there was an impromptu workshop held at Ferndell Bed and Breakfast again, which booked out within a few days. This time the project was a Christmas Cottage. 

As usual, there was a lovely home made lunch, with Prosecco (though sadly not for me, as I was teaching). The wood burner was kept going all day.

And later, afternoon tea with home made brownies and cream.

So two workshops down and the biggest one to follow. Which, unlike these, didn't exactly go to plan...

Staffordshire cats at the Potteries Museum

On the first day of July, I was up at 5am to arrive early in Stoke-on-Trent for a workshop at the Potteries Museum. Thankfully this time the train journey was relatively short, and I was at the museum at around 8.30am. As you can see, our British weather can be rather temperamental; the mini heatwave was over and we were back to being moist and overcast.

  

I set up as usual in my designated space, then went for a little prowl around the museum before it opened; there was something quite delightful about being the only visitor, before the doors were open to the public.

The ceramics collection covers all periods of the Potteries history. 

Some fabulous 20th century work, much of it from the Midwinter studio - 

 - on to the more ostentatious Minton pieces - 

But my favourite collection was of course, the Staffordshire work. 

and these - 

Who wouldn't want a  frog mug? 

A final quick peek of the antique slipware collection, before hastening back to start the workshop. 

So we commenced the day's project, which was to make a needle felted Staffordshire style cat, rather like this one I made earlier in the year. 

They were a lovely group and great fun to work with. For most of them this was their first time needle felting and I think I may have thrown them in at the deep end, as this was not the simplest of things to make. But at the end of the day, when they had all worked their fingers off, everyone had a cat, each with its own personality. 

Another enjoyable workshop - not everyone takes to needle felting, but I think a few people were inspired to carry on with it.

  

My next workshop is scheduled to be on August12th at the Village Haberdashery in West Hampstead, London - more cats, but of a different kind; my circus kitties from the recent 'Mollie Makes' cover. All details and links on my workshop page here.

Witney and the Magic Roundabout

Last weekend saw me back in Oxfordshire again, at the Witney Sewing and Knitting Centre. Witney is a bit of a 'home town' for me; I've known it most of my life, since I first moved to the area when I was 19. I haven't been back there since Andy and I upped sticks and moved to Shropshire, so I was ambivalent about seeing it again. However, I did the stiff upper lip thing and didn't have a meltdown, but concentrated on my workshop instead.

It is a  lovely space to work in with great all round lighting and people quickly started doing the pattern of the day, which was my old 'Doglets' pattern from 'Mollie Makes' (issue 13 2012). Another odd thing as I was moving away from the area when it was published and so much has happened in the ensuing four years.

However, lovely doglets were made, and amended in some cases. I'm not a stickler for people sticking to my patterns and if people want to go off piste, I actively encourage it.  My next workshop is down in Hampstead, London on Saturday October the 1st at the Village Haberdashery. It's limited to six spaces and there are a a couple of places left, so if anyone fancies it, the booking link is here.

I was away for a  couple of days and stayed with friends. There was decent beer.

 And fish. 

And a vintage 'Magic Roundabout' playground which was dragged out of the attic and played with. And photographed.

Back in Shropshire, I have been spending most of my time working on my new independent website, 'Lost Arcadia' where I am now selling my paintings and needle felt work. My latest small painting 'Country Church' is a nod to my old home of the Cotswolds and the myriad small, sweet churches buried within it's rolling landscape.