DOWNLOADABLE WORKSHOPS - CHOCKS AWAY

Today I have sent out this months workshops

 This is a little taster of the SMASHEE workshop called DAFFY-FOLD-DIL.  Mixed media with a twist!
You can still sign up for all the SMASHEE workshops & receive all the previous ones, this one & the following three.  See left hand side bar for details

It is also the start of TANTALISING TECHNIQUES - This is Lingering Lutradur - explore the properties of a range of mediums for stitch.  You can still sign up for this fortnightly technique only series, there are six for one fee.  http://tantalisingtechniques.blogspot.com has all the details

Both workshops - SMASHEES & TANTALISING TECHNIQUES can be purchased from http://shelaghfolgate.bigcartel.com.  Payment is through paypal, sorry I dont accept cheques at the moment.

Both groups have a members only Yahoo Forum, much more information can be gained from there, should you join.

Finally, a big thank you to those who have signed up for my NEWSLETTER - it is FREE & sent at the moment on an ah-hoc basis.  It will always include, DESIGN & / OR STITCH.  This is a new venure through Mailchimp & I am 'getting to grips' wih how to do it ...slowly.
Sign up at the top of this blog

It is a windy, sunny & fairly warm day today - Happy Spring to you where ever you are x

ACROSS THE WORLD

 A wonderful parcel arrived for me today from Perth, Australia.
Look at the wonderful colours selected for me by Dale Rollason from http://www.thethreadstudio.com/
These are bundles of Silk, Rayon & cotton SARI RIBBON in long strips of various widths & shades, completely wonderful, do go  & look at her wonderful site with
its fabulous colour combinations.  They ship worldwide.
Look at the thread pack, purples, gold, orange, deep crimson & a variegated rayon threads

I bought a pack of cotton strips from fabric freedom to go with these fabulous items
I shall add information on what I do with these on here & in my FREE NEWSLETTER - sign up on the side bar.
Some of my machine embroidery city & guilds students went to the NEC this last weekend to the stitching show & reported back that it was very good.  I am so glad that I have my parcel as I was feeling very left out!! especially when the fab 'stuff' appeared out of the bags.
A couple of days to go to the launch of TANTALISING TECHNIQUES & the new SMASHEE wokshop called DAFF-FOLD-DIL - studios at the ready, clear the decks - its nearly playtime!

NEWSLETTER 2

Newsletter 2 has been sent today - if you would like to get my FREE newsletter which contains mini tutorials at the moment about COLOUR & DESIGN then please sign up on the side bar - Its FREE
TANTALISING TECHNIQUES STARTS this week - 1st April 2011 - dont miss out go to http://tantalisingtechniques/ for all the information
SMASHEE 5 arrives 1st April 2011

Two great 'April Fools Day' workshops to look forward to - you can still join up & receive the previous workshops

To find out what I am doing with this & also what it is - sign up to my FREE newsletter, this image will be used for design soon

QUIET

Hi - Here in England the weather has gone all quiet, warm & sunny.  The birds are busy chasing each other & all the daffoldils are sunning themselves.  We have a round lawn which has daffs all round it, they all look into the centre of the lawn where there is a pot filled with pansies, who all look back at the daffs, it reminds me of a pop concert with the pansies the group & the daffs the groupies!!
I think that the sun has gone to my head!

I am having a quiet few days as well, dont like the term chilling but thats what I have been doing to recover from the dreaded lurgy of last week

I have used the Accuquilt Go to cut out a 4 piece wedding ring.  Not an easy piece of patchwork to piece but the result is very pleasing.  I have no idea why it had to be blue & white but it is!!

The first picture is it laid out & the second is the beginning of the quilting.  The pretty little white & blue fabric has flowers leaves & small circles on it.

I am going to use my new Bernina ditch quilting sole plate to quilt around the circles, I am planning rows or either straight stitch or twin needle

The fabrics are from my stash & are an eclectic mix of types.  The pieces stitched together really well. I decided not to split the rings as this is only 36 inches square & I thought it would look a bit of a mess at that size.  Is always important to consider what you are making in relationship to size of block

In my quiet day, I have designed 2 blocks.  Discussed a church banner that will be paraded in St Pauls Cathedral.  Printed out lettering onto pre-treated fabric.  Pieced a couple of blocks, packaged up a few parcels for the TT group, played with cardboard cat - not bad for a quiet day!  What have you been upto?  Please leave a comment.

Oh can someone tell me if they received the newsletter on Sunday & if it displayed ok?  Bear with me, this is a new venture, there will be a bit of design, stitch, ideas etc in each newsletter, which will arrive as I do them!  I will send out Sundays first newsletter again next Sunday to anyone new this week - its all FREE so please sign up -

Dont forget that Tantalising Techniques starts on 1st April 2011 Sign up now to be included in this brand new series of workshop techniques which includes design, stitch, manipulation, printing & much more - go to http://tantalisingtechniques.blogspot.com/ for all the details.

THE SMASHEES is still open for NEW RECUITS - you will receive ALL the previous workshops, can join the Forum & gain the additional information that it provides & continue to receive the coming April to July workshops

Sign up at http://shelaghfolgate.bigcartel.com/

Coming soon will be a new set of one off workshops for sale.......

Off for museli now x

LOTTIE UPDATE

Yep its a picture of me, haha looks funny with my copyright on it!
This is Charlotte, the cardboard box cat.
Seems that she has divorced the man next door, in favour of our patio cardboard box des res.
Each morning she is outside the back door waiting & will not come in, she sits on the door step & we try & try to get her to come in, even resorting to buying Dreamies...wrote about this before..still makes me hoot with laughter.  We now feed her full time, she loves Felix!
Well there has been a debate with 'those who have had cats before'  I am a 'cat virgin' & am learning on the hoof (ha!) - back to the debate - worming - who is doing it.  She has been our lodger since end of November.  Mr Next door is very evasive, so off to the shops did DH go yesterday for 'bob martins'  after being advised to wrap her up in a towel firmly & push a tablet down her throat we decided against such alarming treatment in favour of the food method.
My sides ache from laughing - DH did as it says on the packet, meowing lottie all around his legs looking so happy for her grub.  Hee hee her face - hoho- she gave him such a scathing look & ran away & sat on the bench looking so cross.  Oh her food looked like sick, yep sorry it did.
I opened the back door (she wont come in for food at all now so we have a little restaurant surrounded by pretty pots outside the french windows) - she ran up to me with a pleading look & I got the meows
So I added more meat to the dish & stirred it round like a pudding & covered it with dried food & mixed it up, apparently completely destroying the dose.  Well at least she eat most of it.
I suppose it will be the tablet down the throat - unless I can have some advice please - she still is not our cat.
But she is so lovely
You know the show 'Friends' & Phoebie singing 'smelly cat' well we have our very own smelly cat with a dirty face - you know sometimes I think that the keyboard likes playing tricks on my typing - if you could see the strange words it types grr - I would so love to give Lottie a bath! Ha, we dont even pick her up cause we dont want to frighten her.
Well Lottie report over - off to teach Sampler quilt making at Poppy Patch today
Beautiful spring day, white fluffy clouds & blue (yes blue blue blue) sky & no wind
I feel like taking the roof off the car ( but its going to rain later - not forecast but will if I have th soft top on!)
Happy weekend to you, hope you get to do what you want to do (stitch -yey!!)

READY

NEWSLETTER is ready to post on SUNDAY - sign up to get it - its FREE
Recovering a bit today from the awful weekend & feeling really crook for a couple of days.  Not a 100% but should hold up long enough to do the Embroiderers Guild workshop at Kettering this evening.
Textures of Lindisfarne. Mixed media workshop with fabulous wools to stitch with
TANTALISING TEXTURES starts on 1st April 2011 - sign up now at http://shelaghfolgate.bigcartel.com/
Dont forget that you can still get ALL the SMASHEE workshops
Lollipop Lane, Hubble Bubble, Toran Toran, Phoenix, the next one for April is Daff-fold-dil & 3 more including any new SMASHEE BITES that might get thrown in FREE as well.
Sign up here.......There is a voluntary Yahoo group Forum with lots more information as well
ONE FEE for ALL 8 workshops
Sign up HERE

NEWSLETTER

NEW....NEWSLETTER IS BEING BORN - ITS TOTALLY FREE - FIRST ONE IS COLOUR & DESIGN 1
SIGN UP ON SIDEBAR
Feeling very crook - off to bed, night all

TANTALISING TECHNIQUES - starts 1st April 2011

Join TANTALISING TECHNIQUES NOW    HERE

Lots of ideas & techniques including stitch by hand & machine,, using felting tools & innovative approaches to textile design & execution.  LUTRADUR, COTTON, FELT, EVOLON, PAPER & WOOL with the FREE WORKSHOP on SILK - ends today
More details HERE
Sign up HERE
Dont miss out

NEWSLETTER & TWITTER

I maybe dinosaur age (well nearly) but I am making myself be 21st Century by beginning a FREE newsletter & joining TWITTER.  If you use twitter then please add me in (if thats what its called ) I promise to try & get up to speed on the 'speak'............. Suppose I should really get dressed & do some work, but the MONKEY got me from the newsletter site.
Its very basic, to begin with (great Oaks etc...please be patient) & I promise not to bombard you with information.  I am trying to make it a promotion & a FREE TIP / Technique /Link so it will be interesting & not just pure rubbish ;-)
I have not decided on frequency yet
I hope that it works!  Let me know if it does not please

Hi Ho, Hi Ho its off to the land of technology I go, with a muddled head, & plenty of 'said' ...oh...... blow X

EMBROIDERY

My heart goes out to all the people affected by the terrible natural disaster in the far east.  Nothing that I could possibly write could ease the pain & suffering.  Everything today seems a bit surreal.  Last night we experienced a personal trauma, in that my MIL had a very nasty accident & is now in hospital.  Lack of sleep & much clearing up has left me emotionally exhausted.
Searching through my emails there was a link to a TV program about EMBROIDERY in India.  What a wonderful hour I have just spent watching the program on IPlayer
This is the LINK HERE
It is extrememly well presented by Giff Rhys-Jones. There are very few textile related programs on TV in Britain.  Do try & watch it. x

My MIL is still in hospital but is OK

WE'VE BEEN CONVERTED!!

By the water man!  Last week our water bill arrived 540 GBP, gulp.  At work we were talking about meters versus billed & one lovely lady said there are 3 in her house, a large ouse & her bill is 21 GBP per month - quick maths calculation, is a huge saving.  So onto the water site on the net where you can find out how many times you do 'everything' a month - what a shock lol  Our saving should be over 200 GBP

So at 8am  yep 8am a very nice man was met by the apparition that is me in nightgown, no makeup - you dont even want to imagine the picture.  I was horrified cause I thought it was the postie & he is used to a vague face peeking out of the door.  Fortunately my DH was in & I ran upstairs really quickly.
We now have resister plugs on the toilets, a spray head for the garden & a fabulous timer for the shower

Hee hee this is hilarious it has a rubber bung on the back & sticks to the tiles.  I think its a joke! All of this is FREE - what a funny start to a lovely sunny day

REMINDER - only a few days to go to get the FREE - SILKEN TALES - TANTALISING TECHNIQUE - all the details are HERE   Dont miss out!

oh dear eight pounds fifty poorer

My fabulous purple MGF had a hissy fit on me and at  30 mins to start of class time would not start, it went click click click - I just sat in the car looking bewildered, stupid really, I started talking to the car, telling it off, after a few minutes I suddenly came to my senses & actually GOT OUT.  Then panic set in, ahhh what to do, oh next door run a private hire business, I will hire them, 5 cars they have, not one was there.  Ah ha my friend over the road she will take me (20 mins to  go by now)  No one in, grrrr, so I rang the shop, dont know what David could do 3 miles away, but I got a taxi number, oh yes thats what taxis are for!  10 mins to go taxi turns up and the very nice driver asked me if I would like him to jump start my car with his leads, ahhhhhh please just drive, I am going to be late - images of the rabbit disappearing down the hole started popping in my head, I was in really muddled mode now.
Well I got there just as the church clock chimed 7pm  all flustered and not at all ready and with my black leather coat on that I cant undo the buttons, I felt a real plonker.  Lovely evening though teaching drafting the 'drunkards path' unit with their beautiful fabulous hand dyed fabrics
Thanks ladies for a lovely evening x
No spends for me this week :-(
Image has nothing to do with any of this, I just love Tintern Abbey & also chocolate buttons, & after all the panic I am indulging in both
Night all x

ONE WEEK TO GO

Do you like the new heading - I was searching for an update, like to keep the blog looking fresh, whilst scoffing an orange!! So.....

Its a really frosty start today but a lovely clear blue sky.  I had a wonderful walk yesterday to the pocket park & watched the birds playing over the pond.  Took some pictures on my phone

 

There is one week to go to get the FREE workshop for Joining TANTALISING TECHNIQUES  click the linke HERE to go to the blog that explains this technique course.  It is suitable for all from beginners to advanced creators.  There is a suggested requirements list & possible suppliers list sent when you join.

The FREE workshop will be sent on 16th March 2011 & is working with silk - called SILKEN TALES
The first workshop on 1st April 2011 is exploring LUTRADUR

Join in if you can x

WE WON - WHOO HOO - GO ENGLAND

FANTASTIC, really didnt think we would do it when I got up this morning to a miserable total, how exciting that was, well done to the team

Oh I have written a little mini workshop that is a FREE present for anyone who purchases any workshop & then recommends a friend who buys a workshop.    Its called FLUTTERBYE...... quick catch it before it .... lol

BORO

 Here are images of Boro cloth, heavily hand stitched with thick chenille thread on a woven base.  Some of the fabrics are gifts from Lyn, thanks mate!

I love naive stitch & Raised chain band that is looped all over & then woven through.  My days of ordinary embroidery have gone & I love to experiment with texture effects.  I have also used string here & of course my beloved Perle 5 threads, variegated - is there anything else!!!!?

I produced this piece to encourage my City & Guilds Machine Embroidery students to deconstruct their stitches & to use up old bobbins.  Truly a Boro - Boro cloth from Lyn & Jennie, woven in Judes style & hours & hours of stitch
This is all machine stitch even though some of it looks like hand stitch, its amazing what an ordinary domestic sewing machine can do.
Just some ideas to show some of my technique repertoire!
Join Tantalising Techniques for more & The Smashees for complete items - check out my shop here & here for one off workshops, lots of details on the side bar.

NEW WORKSHOP- MONET'S GARDEN

Hi  I have been asked to write a workshop for the image at the top of my blog on SOY WAX & SILK PAINT.  This completely NEW workshop is for sale HERE

This workshop is  SURFACE DESIGN only & there is no stitching.  It follows my step by step photographs & words in English & is sent as a PDF file via email.
Make your own Monet Garden, pay through Paypal at http://shelaghfolgate.bigcartel.com/

I spent a very frustrating 2 hours this afternoon trying to find something in my studio, which ended up being where it should have been anyway.  Hey I must have hiding gremlins in here.  However, I found 3 more items that I have been searching for over the past week so that was a bonus - thanks gremlins!

Ummmmmm

What could this be?

Part of one of the Tantalising techniques?

Yep part of the freebie for joining before 15th March 2011

Dont miss out

Blog:  http://tantalisingtechniques.blogspot.com/

Join:  http://shelaghfolgate.bigcartel.com/

I have remembered the name of the cat treats - Dreamies...sounds like a great name for a textile workshop!

Off to dye with my Machine Embroidery City & Guilds students this evening, should be fun, hopefully I wont get dye all around my nails like last week, blue dye does not look becoming when demonstrating hand stitching & it was a 'devil' to get off this time.  Could be because I had picked at the nails - yuk yuk eugh Shelagh - hey I have stupid habits like everyone else.  Now if I could just stop counting coat hangers, apples, washing grrrrrr, I will crack it yep I will - hmmm thats twice.......so 1, 2 ..... I will drive myself mad(der) x

TANTALISE!!!!

Fancy making this?  Join in the fun at TANTALISING TECHNIQUES click HERE  join by 15th March 2011 & get SILKEN TALES FREE, yep 7 techniques for the price of 6
Requirements list, list of suppliers & our very own YAHOO FORUM are now all open
Grand announcement - I am well - yep face ache all gone - I have so much more energy it is amazing how much edge is taken off of life when suffering pain.  My heart goes out to those who suffer constantly.  If you know someone, give them a call, drop them a card, make them something, give them a hug.  I have had 8 months of this, some people suffer for years, heres a big H U G from me, cant take the pain away but might make you smile

Here is the cardboard cat who is very happy in her comfy box.  Today I talked my poor DH into buying her some treats that I saw advertised on the TV.  He went shopping whilst I was working and we both arrived home about the same time.  I grabbed the treats & still in work coat & dirty gloves (Ruth knows dont you?) dashed into the garden, I gave her some & showed her the bag & would you believe it..in went her paw and hooked a couple out!!!! I was astounded! - remember I have never had a cat in my life, I just fell in love with Charlotte, our very own smelly cat!.  I could not stop laughing as she did it again & again - whoops I was only meant to give her a few, they must be salty as she lapped up a whole saucer of milk! Yep I know; dont give her milk, but she loves it & she lives in a cardboard box, so she can have anything in my book.  I wish she would live in our house or my neighbours house (who is her owner, but she has divorced him...lol...he never sees her now, she loves my husband & I am blackmailing her to love me)
I have been busy designing for the SMASHEES - this month is PHOENIX, which for some silly reason I keep spelling phoneix.  Good name for a mobile company!
I am also enjoying the techniques for TANTALISING TECHNIQUES, which by the way has a blog HERE that is another funny spelling, I could not have it with a Z instead of an S, so sticking with my inital S, I slipped that in.  Smashees is also one that I get muddled up.  Memo to me, the next set of workshops call AAAAAA ha! sorry to be so silly but it is 8pm & I am still awake, so better slope off and do some stitching - Silken tales hmmmmmm are you tantalised yet?
Night all x