Bread and Linen

I daresay some people might find this scrap of card with it's dingy squares rather dull - even ugly. My late foster mother, never noted for her imagination, would have put it straight in the bin. But I love it and when I saw that Elizabeth Baer herself was offering it up on her gorgeous textiles blog, I put my hand up first and bagsied it. How old is it? Elizabeth, who is an expert in these things, describes it as a sample card of linen tapes, possibly from a drapery shop. I'd hazard a guess and say it is probably pre-second world war, if not pre-first world war.

To me it is beautiful, because despite it's humble appearance, it has survived. Keep your fancy toile de jouy - imagine if this card could talk. Elizabeth has an amazing stock of French linens, textiles and haberdashery - she also organises specialist textile fairs, which are by invitation only, so anyone interested should hop over to her website for contact details or subscribe to her blog, as I do - which is why I spotted the little card so quickly. Thank you very much to Elizabeth - it will be treasured and eventually passed on to other safe hands.

Sometimes I am so involved with my work that I am oblivious to anything, Even knocks on the door from kind people bringing round homemade bread and marmalade. Andy returned from work that evening and asked why we had a loaf of bread hanging from the door handle; I eventually found out who the generous person was, but felt terrible at having missed them. The spectacular hyacinths are down to Andy, who has discovered a previously unsuspected knack for garden pots and flowers. Which is good, as my time is becoming even more squeezed. Still manage to get out sometimes though - the Cotswolds in spring are not to be missed -

I had a wonderful demo day last Saturday at the Winds of Change gallery, with lots of people milling about and so many interesting people and artists that it needs a blogpost all of it's own. I think there is one space left for my Winchcombe wool workshop. We'll be making a sheep from proper Cotswold Lion fleece and one or two other British fleeces. I also have another workshop at the Fibreworks in Chipping Norton, on May 26th. One space is already taken and as usual, there are limited spaces because I can't give my full attention to too many lovely people. As we made little birds last time it will be something different, and I hope by then I will have some of my first needle felting kits for sale.