Beautiful Stourhead

Haven't managed to get moving on the craft front yet - but I have been out and about and I know there are a couple of you who enjoy looking at the beautiful English countryside, so here are a few piccies.

We've been to Stourhead which is a beautiful Palladian mansion, and incredible landscape garden owned by the National Trust. It really is stunning.

Stourhead garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s. Basically, the River Stour was dammed to form a huge lake. Hoare laid out a landscape garden around the lake (as you do!) to entrance his guests with stunning views and "pacify them with serene walking pleasure". I like that!

As the garden developed, he added classical features, such as the Temple of Flora, the Pantheon, the Temple of Apollo, Gothic ruins and underground grottos to enhance the amazing views. Oh, and for those of us of a certain age the house was used as the model for Lady Penelope's mansion in "Thunderbirds". My beloved was really impressed with that fact!

There's also a huge estate with loads of walks and wildlife, the village itself, just a few cottages , a marvellous C18th inn and a wonderful courtyard, where on entering we found these guys performing!

They were actually traditional English Morris dancers - from the Netherlands!

These piccies don't do it justice, if you take a look on the link above there are more professional ones. The little rabbit, (who was only feet from me) is a special photo for my blogging friend Shell. He practically hopped out and posed.

Hi, to all my friends in Blogland - I'm still here!

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth at all.

I feel very guilty I haven't blogged. I started my Drawing course with the OCA and had to set up a special blog Jules OCA Blog
(I obviously wasn't feeling very imaginative!) to act as my course logbook. Then I had to go off to a conference for work, and, when I got back, my pelvis decided to knock itself out of alignment again, then I had complications after treatment - so I've had a horrid, painful few weeks of not being able to do much at all, and being a real grump bucket! I'm feeling a lot better now and the pain is less intense.

Sitting has been the worst problem again, so art, craft and computer time have been non existent, but I'm now beginning to feel like me again. I want to get back to normal and catch up with everyone's blogs soon!

Hope all who read this are well and happy, and if you're in the UK, enjoying the great autumn weather - if you're elsewhere in the world , I hope it's lovely there too! I will blog properly soon!

A bit of stitching and some scenery....

Blogging and crafty stuff has had to take a bit of a back seat, as it's been really busy at work and last weekend was spent mostly outdoors, trying to make the most of the weekend, as it may be all the sunshine we get! There are some pics at the bottom of Dyrham Park, a beautiful 17th century house and estate owned by the National Trust, where we spent a fabulous day last Saturday. There is a herd of fallow deer in the park which have been there for generations, since 1320 when the park was enclosed!

Last Sunday evening we went to watch the final launch of hot air ballons at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. I got some nice shots of the balloons over the Clifton Suspension Bridge

Just to prove to myself that I have actually done something with thread lately, I looked back at my stumpwork picture in January, which I picked up again recently. It still needs a lot of work, the padding for the snail went wrong and will need to be redone, and the bottom of the marsh marigold flowers also need a revision, but, it is coming along, and I'm pleased with the cheeky expression on the far bird.

































Thank you all for your kind and supportive comments about my deciding to do a formal course. My course pack arrived on Monday and I had a nice letter from my distance learning tutor who is based in London. Yesterday I began in earnest on my first assignment. My arm was so tired after drawing for about 5 hours flat, I'm out of practice muscle wise! I really, really enjoyed myself though. I have to keep a log and sketchbook which will count towards my assessment, and I think I will do that as a specific blog. I will post about it here in case anyone wants to have a look.

Meanwhile, I hope it's sunny and pleasant for everyone, if not hope you enjoy these sunny pictures!

Oops, I started a post last Monday which never got finished, so this is a two week update, sorry it's long, and hope it's not too boring!

Well, it's kept on raining almost every day with only a couple of days respite, and the garden getting wilder and higher. I swear I saw a tiger peeping through the undergrowth......
We have now, though, proudly picked the first sweet peas from the garden, and my once tiny tomato plant (now a triffid) is bursting with fruit!

Last Saturday was one of the few sunny days, but we had to spend it taking apart a rockery (about one ton of stone!) which was going to be destroyed. We were offered the stones if we collected them. We had to get them all out and transport them home (and we only have a Fiat Punto). Some were huge! It took four trips and the car boot was an inch deep in mud, but our front garden has had a major renovation from it - and all for free! We were shattered....

Last Friday we had a lovely afternoon at our local Adult Learning Centre open day and exhibition of student's work. My beloved is now a published author! His writing group at the centre has created a book of illustrated short stories which has been produced to raise money for charity. I'm very proud of him.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any courses I wanted to do next year, so I have come to a decision! (Ta ta da da da dah!)

I have decided to enrol with the Open College of the Arts,
I ummed and ahed about doing a textiles course first, maybe City and Guilds embroidery, but after lots of soul searching, and a couple of week's research I've decided to go down the fine arts route instead. I want to do something that's going to back up my art and craft work and help me to develop my creativity and perspective. At the moment I feel like I'm playing around and not achieving very much, and I think it's time to take the bull by the horns and go for it. It's not like I don't have the time!

I just feel that doing something more formal would make me feel differently about the things I create. I have a real problem with lack of confidence in my abilities, and it was very hard to start blogging and posting pictures of what I do. I have been asked about selling some of the things I make (such as the dolls and journals), which is very flattering, but I just don't feel confident about the standard of my work.

If it hadn't been for all the support and encouragement from the on-line friends I've made, through this blog and Stitchin' Fingers I wouldn't have continued, so thanks to all of you. I'll still be fiddling about with all my crafts, and hopefully seeing things in a new light. This week I haven't finished anything as I've been travelling for work again, so no crafty pics - but, my stumpwork UFO is coming along nicely at last (after 4 years!)

So instead here's few photos taken yesterday. First one is one of the many butterflies that have been attracted to our buddleia in the odd sunny spells we've had!

Blaise Hamlet is a delightful hamlet of nine very different picturesque cottages designed by the architect John Nash in 1809 to accommodate pensioners from the Blaise Estate, now in the ownership of the National Trust - it's literally a couple of minutes away from home. It was raining - but, because of that, there were no tourists, so it was beautifully quiet for taking photos.

Bits and bobs

That's all that seems to have happened last week. It's been raining cats and dogs (and giraffes and lions and elephants) with terrific storms all week. I just couldn't settle to anything much, and seemed to have wasted lots of time. The new doll is cut out and the pieces are looking at me plaintively, but that's as far as it's gone.

I haven't been completely idle, I made another crocheted elephant, and a tiny needle felted one for my friend Marie's birthday, and a little crocheted purse lined with silk for my friend Mel's birthday. Oh, and I had a lovely afternoon wet felting yesterday, which I haven't done for years, but I still don't feel I achieved much.....

I had a lovely surprise last Friday, my kind on-line friend Rosemary from Australia sent me a packet of gorgeous vintage buttons. She was given a bagful by an old lady in the hospital where she was volunteering. I admired the button on a lovely bag brooch she had made and now she has sent me a selection, and I am excitedly wondering what to do with them. There will definitely have to be a few special projects coming up!

Oh, and we got the plans for the new kitchen (exciting!) but now I have to find a firm to do the preliminary work ( not exciting and will be so messy!) before it can be fitted. We have a couple of months though. It will all be worth it in the end!

Also, my eldest niece has just been appointed to a terrific new job, so congratulations Katherine!

Here's a selection of pics from my week!

Thanks everyone!

We had a lovely family time last Monday and I'm so pleased that my cousin really loved her tiny teddy, which I popped in a pretty drawstring bag, so he has somewhere to snooze whilst he is waiting for her in hospital. Her first chemo session is done, and she's managing brilliantly at the moment, fingers crossed that it continues well. Thank you all so much for all your kind wishes, it is much appreciated.

Thanks also for your helpful suggestions about my machine embroidery problems. Yesterday I bought a darning foot for my machine. I thought I would have to get one on the internet but my beloved, (bless him!) spotted it while we were in John Lewis' (wonderful department store with a lovely sewing /yarns section, I can't seem to go in without buying something.... ) . I haven't had time to try it out yet, but I will keep you posted!

It's been a strange week, busy, as we have had a couple of appointments around designing our new kitchen (exciting but very tiring!) they took up about half a day each! I also had a long day working in London, which tends to wear me out. Poor old soul that I am becoming!

So, not much stitching has gone on, but, I have been needle felting and crocheting! Ha, yes, the trusty crochet hooks have come out again, inspired by the wonderfully cute patterns from Brigitte Read aka Roman Sock. Even if you don't crochet, do have a look, I really think her patterns are marvellous, and it's hard to realise some of her animals are crocheted at all. She also has some super bag patterns, and up till now has kindly given away all her patterns for free!

I love to crochet and used to do loads when I was younger. Can't knit to save my life, I wish so much I could, but I just don't seem to be able to get the hang of 2 needles. it's the only craft I've found that defeats me! (Hmm, except machine embroidery, of course, but I'm determined to persevere with that, and it's actually fun.) Sadly, knitting + me = no fun!

When I was a teenager I tried really hard and knitted myself a really basic jumper (with huge amounts of help from my mum!!!) The trouble was that, I disliked doing it so much I made it really small and could hardly get it on!

I made Roman Sock's elephant, but all I had to hand was some cheap double knitting wool, so the tension's not right, but I still quite like him.

Then, flushed, with my needle felting success, I tried another teddy. This one is much better shaped, and I am getting the hang of using the needles, but he's not made with as much love as teddy number 1 was!


I bought good quality wool, including gorgeous silk aran, yummy! in the John Lewis' sale, supposedly for a bag for me ( I wonder if I will actually keep it as usually things get given away to other people...) plus wool for more toys. I am spending a couple of days at a friends this week and wanted a project to take with me.

Then I must get on with the next big doll, she is calling loudly and will end up shouting by next week, I'm sure! Have a great week everyone!

Messing about....

Do you ever feel that there are some things which you are not meant to do? Take me and my sewing machine. Now, I've finally, after years of struggling, cracked the plain sewing bit - but the realms of free machine embroidery are completely beyond me, it seems. I bought a book, but that hasn't helped! If any of you kind ladies have any tips I'd be so grateful.

Here is my list of machine related disasters:

1. All my embroidery hoops are too deep! I have to put the hoop in, then the fabric, then the other hoop, before I can fix them!
2. How do you get the tension right? I've tried every setting and it still loops below.
3. How do you stop the machine running away with you? (ok, I think that is probably down to me!)
Then the needle broke!

I did, despite all this, manage to do a bit of stitching on the wings of my Flat Fairy Fallabella.







Just having a bit of a play around, I sketched her out and decided to make her out of cotton and vilene. I wanted to use organza and silk for her outfit and to try distressing it. Of course, I have no heat tool, but when has that ever stopped me! So, (with fortunately no serious fire damage or burns!) I used a candle instead. She's come out ok, and will be going on the cover of a journal (I think).

Yesterday after a long week, including 15 hours to Leeds and back for a meeting, (please don't mention the heat and delayed trains, Grrrrrrr!) I visited a lovely craft shop and treated myself to a few necessities I couldn't possibly live without! You know the sort of thing, unbleached silk tops and tyvek.....

Anyway, sorry, I'm going off the point here, I also bought some more felting needles and today I made my very first tiny teddy. He is not quite 2 inches tall! Teddy just sort of happened, I didn't have a pattern, and he appeared from nowhere. I rather like him though and I'm quite proud he turned out reasonably bear- like. I'll try and do it properly next time.



He's going to be a good luck teddy for my lovely cousin who starts chemo for breast cancer on Wednesday. We're having a little family get together tomorrow which I'm really looking forward to.