Very early Friday morning two grown up women became school girls again. After a restless night worrying about the weather I gave up trying to sleep and got up to check that we had not been snowed in. Beginning of the year Mrs A and myself had bought tickets for the Sewing and Crafting Exhibition at the NEC - never dreamt we would be worrying about snow. Fortunately there was not too much snow and we headed off very early only to arrive very early too. But being girls we always find lots to talk/giggle about, tea to drink, toilets to visit and creating havoc at the cloakroom (but that's another story) and all very quickly we were being let into the great halls of never ending sweeties!
Mrs A was in top form and said "Which way shall we go? Oh everyone always goes off to the right so we will go left". Then she immediately proceeded to walk to the right! Now Mrs A and I have very different tactics when it comes to shopping - she buys something as soon as she sees something she likes whereas for me I cannot do that. I have to go around the whole place and then decide what I want to buy. That sounds a good idea but it's rather a pain as you have to remember where and what you saw! This also means poor Mrs A has to be dragged back around again and she gets tempted to spend more money again! But there is sooo much to see and sooo much temptation and soooo many new ideas.
This lady was selling giant knitting needles and giant crochet hooks - so that you can make rugs etc in hours instead of days. I'm not sure my hands would be able to cope with the thickness of those needles, but great for those who can.
I took about 70 pictures but you'll be pleased to know you haven't go to see them all!
I just love house pictures. This is a miniature quilt about the size of A4 sheet of paper. Soo cute.
On show were some of the costumes from Jane Eyre films. Here is the costume Emma Thompson wore for Sense and Sensibility or as Mr P calls the film - senseless and sexless!
Of course you want to see the shirt that Mr D'Arcy wore in Pride and Prejudice - can't forget that moment can we? Oooh it sends tingles down my spine recalling that moment when he comes out of the water.
I can't imagine going to all the trouble of stitching an apron and then wiping my grubby hands on all that beautiful needlework.
Sorry cannot remember the details of this quilt but it was a copy of a mosaic floor from some great house. I just loved the quilt.
Especially loved the centre flower with all the buttons and the fabric is that gorgeous silk dupion.
Another miniature quilt. Love the randomness of the fabrics and stitching.
Isn't this soo cute? I'd love to make this picture.
This is certainly a type of small quilt I would love to have a go at making. Oh there is just not enough hours in a day.
This lovely lady - Lisa Evans from Wales was displaying some of her work she did for college. The patchwork on the wall is deliberately displayed that way. The paper inserts were pictures of friends or something very meaningful and then she also asked family and friends for some material that was dear to them. Such a lovely idea.
This full sized quilt is made up of masses of tiny tiny hexagons - someone had a lot of patience.
I thought this bag was rather sweet and stopped to ask the lady if I could take a picture. She said she had never made anything before and this was her first attempt., hand sewn because she cannot use a sewing machine. She was really chuffed that we stopped to admire her bag.
The Cotton Patch store is always a delight to visit and they always seem to occupy a large corner. One day Mrs A and I will have to venture out to their shop in Birmingham. They sell a wonderful array of fabrics such as those designed by Kaffe Fassett.
The quilt hanging to the right is one that I am in the middle of making but have not done anything to it for ages. Haver decided that I must do more to completing this quilt over the Easter break.
Wouldn't you like to see what I bought - the answer is "Yes please"!
This book has just been recently published and the author was there. She was selling the book, kits and lots of various fabrics to accompany the book. It was probably at this point where Mrs A was probably doing her nut at me because I couldn't make a decision which bundle of material to buy. And in fact just as we were about to leave, final visit to the loo she shouts out - why didn't you get her to sign the book and also you do know you can't get the bundles of material off her website?" Well you can guess what happened next.....
Back into the show I dragged Mrs A!
Then I put her through the agony of not being able to choose a second bundle of fabric! So Mrs A and the author made the decision for me! What a useless shopper I am.
Hopefully all the different colours will give me enough variety to be able to complete several projects from the book.
I like the way she gives such clear pictorial instructions. Not even me should be able to go wrong!
Oh well enough of this episode.
A fat quarter of pale green silk dupion to do some embroidery on - ironically from a stall called Bombay Stores. They are from Bradford and it makes me soo mad with myself that I wasn't into fabric when I used to live in Leeds.
I also bought a small something for No 3 childs birthday but obviously can't show you.
Look at this bargain from Cotton Patch. Have plans of doing a small strip quilt. Oh dear the project list gets longer.
And finally my last buy:
This gorgeous cross stitch. Have to say got a bit out of doing this hobby - felt it had become dated but Michael Powell seems to have bought it all back to life again - well for me anyway. This picture is the middle section. It can stand alone or I could buy the other two at some other point in time. Just love the little beach houses, the boats and the lighthouse. Oh dear so much to do and so little time. I never get bored. I think work should pay me for five days but actually I only work two days - that would seem fair! Then more people could have a job if we only worked two days a week.
The day was finished with a Chinese takeaway with the men folk and some wine. Followed very rapidly with a contented sleep.
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