Doh ra mi!

Posted on December 7, 2011 by nuvofelt

Learning to play an instument is something that requires dedication, and a lot of tolerance on behalf of other members of the family. I was about 5 when I began my lessons on the pianoforte, and the early days are just a blur. I don’t remember what I learnt, I don’t remember how often I had lessons or on which day of the week, but I do remember my first piano teacher.

Mrs Dudeney lived in a house a short walk from where we lived. She was old. She must have been at least 50, and at 5 that is very old! She was always beautifully dressed. Silk dresses at calf length, lace collars, silk scarf suitably draped over her shoulder and always a lace handkerchief.

Oh yes, always a lace handkerchief.

A lace handkerchief safely stashed.

A lace handkerchief safely stashed up the left leg of her shiny pink directoire bloomers.

Today’s 365 Days of Colour

Today’s Just Snaps

A miss and a muddle

Posted on October 28, 2011 by nuvofelt

Firstly, if you missed yesterday’s post, or if you saw it and wondered what on earth it was all about I suggest you take another look. There should have been a video there, but for some reason it suddenly disappeared. I’ve put a link in so that you can find it, and it’s quite fun and clever. Do take a look.

So that was the miss…… now for the muddle

Two weeks ago I had a request for a workshop in November of next year. We booked the date and I popped it in the diary. A few days later another phone call announced that the date was wrong! It should have been a week earlier. Am I still free? No, not that week, but I am the one before….. I waited for a confirming phone call. Finally it came, no, that won’t work as the venue isn’t free. What about December? Well, that’s a little close to Christmas, but yes……

So. New date put into diary. Two days later another phone call.

‘Um, sorry, should have booked you for 2014!’

Am I free?

Who knows?

Today’s photograph
Today’s colour fix
Today’s collage

Welcome

Posted on September 2, 2011 by nuvofelt

These flowers say it all.

The welcome outside is as warm and colourful as the one inside. Those of you that have visited will recognise it as Urchfont Manor. Those of you that have yet to be introduced to the delights of Urchfont really should enrol on a course. The manor is cosy and the food……. all local and much is homegrown…… Yum.

Maybe I’ll see you there at my dyeing course at the end of the month? If you don’t want to dye, however, just wait until you see what’s in store next year! (Coming soon, watch this space……)

Hubble Bubble

Posted on August 7, 2011 by nuvofelt

As the Festival of Quilts approaches things get more and more manic!

It would be lovely to be able to tell you that supper was bubbling away in the crock pot, but it isn’t! In fact, the crockpot I’m using in the above photograph has never been used for food, and it never will…… It’s hubbling and bubbling on the studio counter. The quality of the photograph isn’t good because the steam and reflections are getting in the way. Is this easier to see?

I dye a variety of fabrics this way, this batch is distinctly purple, but that isn’t always the case

Above and below are some that I dyed yesterday

There’s more to do – so it’s back to the dyepot. I’m moving on to a different one now, if you are good, I might show you that tomorrow! But then again……

Here’s today’s collage

Day 7

Posted on August 6, 2011 by nuvofelt

A week of a collage a day. I’m still going, although I should be doing something else…..

….. or should I?

It is only a few days to the Festival of Quilts. Thousands of people will attend, and hopefully we will make a profit! I’m dyeing chiffon, carrier rods, fabric, threads and cords and …….. the list seems endless, and much of it also has to be packed into clear bags for sale. So…. I reckon those 20 minutes of creativity are actually of even more value than usual. It’s a haven of peace and concentration.

Why….

Posted on June 23, 2011 by nuvofelt

…. do the camera batteries always seem to need changing when you want to grab a photograph in a hurry?

I wanted a quick photograph for one of the current online courses. I wanted it NOW! A simple task. Threads arranged – light perfect, but…..

And of course, exceedingly low battery also meant no preview picture, so quick snaps were the order of the day – and I just hoped that it would last long enough to load onto the computer.

Phew! It died just as the last one loaded!

Not perfect, but it illustrates my point perfectly. And that is…..? LOL, you’ll have to join the course to find out!

WooHoo! I get to play for my health

Posted on June 20, 2011 by nuvofelt

A while ago I filled in a questionnaire. I didn’t know what it was for – but last Friday I received this link, and all became clear.

Well, I’m not a quilter, but I do work in textiles. The handle of the fabric is very important to me, and so is colour – that’s why I dye. This article has given me absolute permission to carry on. Hooray!

Today I’m playing with colour, but not in the way you might expect.

It’s for the next stage in my online course. Don’t forget – there are still a few more days to sign up for the first level.

Off to play now…..

Fancy joining us?

Posted on June 14, 2011 by nuvofelt

Summer School at Missenden Abbey promises to be an exciting time. We are investigating colour, and the plan is to create sample swatches of over 300 colours. This really is possible in the time that we have, and there are other activities planned too for students who stay at Missenden Abbey.

You could end up with colours like these in your sequence, and these too

not to mention these……

So why not come and join us and see what the rest of the colours will be.

I promise it will be fun.

Best Foot Forward – again…

Posted on June 13, 2011 by nuvofelt

I just love teaching this workshop. Tiny boots, and everyone loves them. They aren’t easy, they are fiddly, but so rewarding. Here are the ones the students made today.

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Enjoy