Carolyn and I out for dinner in Taupo. We dressed to the theme of “Winter Wonderland. And went off to the dinner and entertainment. Came home with Jennie Rayment and several other of the tutors in a taxi as we were all tired and in need of our beds. It’s hard going teaching all day and then going out to a big function when all you really won’t to do is chill out in you room with your slippers on and watch the telly or prep for your next days classes.
What a well organised and wonderful symposium . My classroom is fine considering we are utilising the science classroom and the facilities are good throughout the college . The symposium team are looking after all of us international teachers and have organised a sight seeing trip along with a bus to take us all back and fort to the college. Picknick type lunches have been provided each day with yummy sandwiches and cake packed in a cardboard lunch box.( this is a really good idea) and today at lunch time I managed to sneak off to a lecture at lunch time by Susan Cleaveland from the USA. Boy she did make me laugh.
I arrived in New Zealand yesterday absolutely wrecked from flying. But after a good nights sleep and a quick stop for breakfast Carolyn and I set off across the country for Taupe. We drove the hired car down from Auckland and really enjoyed seeing the wonderful scenery and the mountains with their caps covered in snow. It is the end part of the winter over here but the temperature over here today was 16 degrees with bright blue skies so felt very like English weather, although the people here are wearing scarfs and saying it is cold. Our hotel is gorgeous and right on the lake edge with huge glass windows to take in the view. It was a relief to unpack my suitcase and find all my class bits and bobs still in tack. although the two hangings i brought over will need an iron, but they are in tact
Ahhhhhh!!
With just over a week to go before I depart to the other side of the world I have got round to getting my mask made. No pressure involved you here me say. Don’t be fooled I am up against it but it will get done even if I have to sew snowflakes on the plane or when I get there.
9 ladies from in and around Bedfordshire came together to learn how to put and impression of a view down on to fabric before filling it in with simple embroidery stitches, bringing it to life. We spent the first part of the morning getting comfy with the paint and then moved on to choosing thread colours and the joy of just sitting and sewing.
I’m off today to get the ladies comfy with applying colour washes to white cotton that suggest scenery.
Today I will be demonstrating these quick and easy flowers made from layers of organza v and machine embroidery. I am doing this at Tudor rose patchwork shop as part of their shop hop week . Four other shops are taking part and the idea is that you hop from shop to shop across the week buying different things from each shop whilst checking them out.
Six enthusiastic ladies came and spent the day learning how to use their sewing machines as a painting instrument. The aim was for each student to produce a small square with a floral motif stitched in place, the design being completely coloured in with free motion stitches worked in small movements to creat a coloured surface on top of which they machined any details . All ladies did really well but as expected some machines had their moments and caused the usual frustrations that can be associated with free motion embroidery. Below are a selection of lovely little 2″ by 2″ tiles created on the day.
Spent a lovely evening with the ladies of Shrewsbury E G sharing my second best passion for stitching on plastic. ( which makes a change from my first passion of soldering organza). I took along my coats and jackets made from layered and stamped images and also many of my studio samples and finished pictures. Everyone appeared very interested after the talk and after a beautiful drive home to Jens who hosted me in her beautiful rural home a well attended next day workshop was held. The ladies were excellent and all produced a sample while hopefully their heads were filling up with innovative ideas to follow up on when that got home. Many of their samples were very nickable little gems of which I could of just brought home and kept and I hope the ladies now see the potential for this unusual but quite satisfying weird media that I love to use. Good day, great ladies, wonderful hospertality.
