Order, chaos....socks

When minor elements of chaos hit: mice in the outdoor dog food bin, forgotten lunches, plant pots overturned by an exuberant karate demonstration, it is time to introduce a bit of order.

But even when imposing order , why is there always one odd sock?

Raspberry experiments - not in stitch

I have finally read the instruction booklet for my camera and celebrated with these pics of our first raspberries . We never get a large crop, but they always taste wonderful.

From A to B in felted textile

This is the beautiful piece I bought from Ali Brown last weekend. Still in its protective cellophane, hence the shine.

Approximately A4 size, I love the simplicity of this image, the thickness of the base felt and that the grey lines are felted wool collected from barbed wire on her walks.

London, through a Prism

A trip to London to visit the Prism exhibition at the Mall Galleries.

I love this exhibition, particularly as it coincides with rehearsals for Trooping of the Colour, so there are always lots of incongruous instances of busby and metal clad ceremonial soldiers on huge horses surrounded by people scantily clad in their summer clothes.

I also love the way the London Eye creeps unexpectedly into London scenes.

My favourite pieces again were by Ali Brown and Rachel Gornall, with Gina Ferrari, Heather Hunter, Bea Sewell, and Charlotte Sewell coming close seconds. I did buy a piece by Ali Brown, but no photos yet.

Then to Trafalgar Square to see the latest installation on the 4th plinth - a ship in a bottle by Yinka Shonibare. Very mixed feelings about this piece as my father used to make ships in bottles, but not to this scale thank goodness.

Then a wander round "Thailand in London" wondering at the juxtaposition of lanterns and London landmarks.

Bank holiday in Dresden,...so to speak

May Bank Holiday, which always means mixed weather.

Lots of good stuff: visitors, boys away pursuing their own interests ( camping and manga respectively), lunch at The Petersham for a significant birthday, charity fair ( with the most obscure charities I have never been aware of).

When is was raining, I spent time stitching Dresden plates, using the technique shown in Karin Hellaby's " Sew a Row" book. I've never been attracted to this book from the cover, but there are lots of really good techniques inside, well illustrated and explained.

Fabrics are from stash: Ricky Tims convergence fabric, bought about 6 years ago in Boston; unnamed fabric from John Lewis sale about 5 years ago, hand-dyed gift from a fellow BQLer. One of them has a stitched motif in the middle, trying to pre-embroider, a la Philippa Naylor ( as if!). These are 12 inch plates, cut using a wedge shaped stencil.