Inspiration

A busy week - first there was Wonderwool Wales, at the Royal Welsh Show Ground at Builth Wells - a glorious sunny day, so no hardship to drive the 50-odd miles from home to the show! Well over a hundred exhibitors with every kind of yarn, fleece, fibre and gadget imaginable - and some real live sheep! I had a strict budget, but even so came back with two large bags of goodies. I am particularly looking forward to felting with some of the locks I bought - some natural, some dyed. Sensory overload was a real danger, but the kaleidoscope of colour and texture made for a memorable day. The comprehensive show directory will be a useful resource for contact details for exhibitors.

The highlight of the day was meeting Jane Meredith, who was demonstrating the Brinkley loom with its revolutionary heddle. I have since signed up for a workshop, with a view to buying a Brinkley loom of my very own if I get on with it on the day. See my links below for details of Jane's website.

Then I went to stay with a friend in Dorset, and we took part in a Felting and Prayer workshop led by Emily Bradbury in the gorgeous setting of Ivy House retreat centre in Warminster, made even better by the sunny weather which showed off the gardens in all their late spring glory. Each of us produced 2 pieces of felt in the course of the day, and it was a great opportunity to play with unfamiliar materials and variations on the felting technique. Yet more proof that no two felters work the same way!

I am currently looking to produce my first piece of patchwork, for an impending baby, and I took the opportunity to call into Hanson's Fabrics in Sturminster Newton to pick up some small pieces of linen fabric. In view of the fact that we don't yet know the gender of the forthcoming small person, I am playing safe with cream, green, peach, aqua, etc, using a range of stripes, checks, plain, toile de jouy and so on. I already have some remnants of vintage linen fabrics courtesy of ebay, and some ribbons and lace in linen to applique.

And yesterday I rewarded myself for having to work on my day off by coming home by way of Hobbycraft in Newport, where I got some quilting supplies, including a really useful beginner's book on quilting called I can't believe I'm quilting (ISBN 9781574866292), and something called Angelina which is a fusible fibre which I met at Emily's workshop - it can be felted into wool, giving a subtle shimmer which adds depth and interest.

Now all I need is some time to experiment!