Is Heaton Cooper in Grasmere - Lake District.
It's small and perfectly formed.
You can just see it though the door.... it stocks just everything you need (and more you don't actually need but would like to have).
Great delivery service too... the parcels arrive wrapped in brown paper which somehow makes them very special. Their web site is here.
A morning stroll around Stonehenge - in the pouring rain with masses of American, Canadian and Japanese tourists...... but just to prove that you can capture the spirit of the stones even with all the people around. I did want to sit and sketch but believe me it was absolutely drenching rain.
The end photo shows it as it really was!
Janice asked me about the summer school - we are a group of textile artists - some teachers and tutors, some have written books, most of us blog and we all belong to a private Yahoo group. Some have met before but we have never managed to get together for a week. Unfortunately not everyone could make it but 13 of us did (one ran off early before I got a picture), we came mainly from the UK, but also France and Austria. The group also has members in the USA, Australia and Sweden.
Throughout the week we all shared our skills - Paulene showed us how to print and we used her pasta machine which worked really well. Here is a leaf print I made - I loved this.
This was our main workroom.
Sara showing Liz either crochet or spinning.
Gill demonstrating the Docucam in the second room. During the evenings we could sit in here watching DVD's, crocheting and often drinking a glass of wine. Nothing was too planned, nothing was obligatory. We all got on so well and there was much nattering and laughing.
It was very sad to leave and less said about the journey home the better..........
Pictures from Stonehenge to follow soon.
The days are going far too fast.
Controlled chaos, we all have laptops / notebooks as comforters.
The best Green Man I’ve ever seen – in his autumn colours
Some pictures from the Summer School retreat in Wiltshire…. guess what I’m making?
A display of some peoples previous work
The beautiful setting
What happens when 13 textile artists who met on the internet get together?
They get the computers configured for the web :)
Take small pieces of several types of silk... one length of rayon (for another tunic) and one large length for a commission and one pre-made cotton tunic. Soak in soda ash for an hour then drain.
Make up the procion dyes with water and urea.
Dye one batch black.
Dye another black + purple + raspberry (this is the combination for the tunic and rayon length too).
Cover table tops with polythene and lay out fabric, liberally sprinkle with dyes.
Swish around and leave crumpled.
Wash and dry.
Hope Anne likes the final result!
Use up the dye to paint a piece of lutradur - for the inside of a new "tower".
Well I told the hairdresser I was bored and wanted something more dramatic.....
yes that red is erm....very red/orange.
Finally something for myself.... Amy Butler Fabric - perhaps I could have placed that large flower a little better - at least its not central to any major body area! There are another two of these - one sleeveless made from cotton which is being dyed tonight and one using hand dyed rayon (still work a in progress).
I've enjoyed playing with lutradur, tyvek and finally some stamping with acrylic paint.
A play with markals and a blending stick. Just for the hell of it. That's good to be able to do.
