Tshirt success

I've just made my first sale on the internet. A lovely lady bought one of my t-shirts on the website folksy. It's really exciting to actually make a sale. I started making these t-shirts for my own monsters and then their friends and when I put some of my more serious stuff for sale on the internet http://www.folksy.com/shops/gillian , I thought I would also try some of the more fun stuff too. She seems to like it as well! I was so pleased that I rushed it round the post office and forgot to take a photo of it - so this is one that I made for a friend's daughter.

I've also listed items on the American website Etsy, as gillcooper and gummybears, but no bites there so far. I think I need to spend more time on marketing and setting it up properly - all important things that take time away from stitching the work that still needs to be finished for the Loch Lomond Show. The monsters have been playing under the drying fabric... glad it is amusing someone.

Quality Quilting?

We had one of our rare 'proper' editorial meetings for Popular Patchwork the other week, where we gathered from across the country and sat down together and discussed where the magazine is going and what should be featured. It's really enjoyable to feel part of a team when we all work from home in front of our computers normally and send emails. There's also lots of exciting things going on. One of the discussions we had was how to get the word quilting more prominent on the cover. I couldn't come up with any great phrases and my best offering was 'quality quilting'. I'm not expecting that to feature any time soon!

On the making front, the Shelter pieces are developing, but more slowly than I expected. It's taking more time to add the blanket ribbon than I thought would be needed to add the ribbon and finish everything thing. It's getting a bit tedious, so I'm hiding typing this, ignoring the large piece of semi pinned brushed cotton, silk and blanket ribbon that has taken over the living room floor. I still haven't got one of them complete and I've got five still to do. However, they do look good with fabric over them - like ghosts or wraiths - even I was spooked and I made them.

This photo is of my May journal quilt for PP - lots of torn fabric scraps and some beads on top. Another outcome of our editorial meeting is that we are definitely having a stand at the Festival of Quilts and my journal quilts are going to be on show there (unless we are absolutely inundated with reader ones), so I'm going to have to get finishing them better so that they stand up to our readers closer inspection.

This Glamorous Life

Sometimes when I write for Popular Patchwork, I get the impression that people are rather envious of the fact I have a studio. I know I am very lucky. However, I have never been a neat and tidy worker. Even as a teenager, books were strewn everywhere and now my studio is filled to the brim with fabric and knitting and sewing machines and the ironing board. So the computer is in the playroom and my desk is messy with very old paper work still sitting on it begging to be sorted (sorry paper work not today, got better things to do). I've finally started getting the Shelter pieces made for the Loch Lomond Show and they are taking over the entire house!

The garage is too full of junk and potentially mice to paint fabric there, so this is being done in our dining area of the kitchen, stretching the fabric from the table to the old futon, doing about 1.5m by 1m at at time - let's hope it is sunny over the next few days or it could be a very slow process! The two frames which are being covered in wadding are in the living room as I can't get the big one up the stairs without punching holes in the thin plasterboard walls. What is it going to be like when I have all six of them at this stage? And even more so, where I am going to keep them after the show? Please someone, would you like to exhibit them somewhere as I don't really want a permanent show in my living room!

Funding Success

Had two lots of good news recently. My local authority scheme, Forth Valley Visual Artist Awards Scheme is giving me a grant to experiment and create some new work about the passing of time. Only a few days prior to this, another small grant giving group, Stirling Arts Forum had told me I had been successful and am getting a small grant to help towards making the work to go outside at Aberfoyle.

The oldest monster is beginning to understand money and was pleased. He thinks it is money for our holiday.... As if I would give up precious childcare money for that!

We were up at Aberfoyle again at the weekend in the sunshine and I was measuring the width of the trees to see how it would compare to my work. Luckily it is about the same. The trees look amazing. So I am starting to think about what I could make to hang amongst them. I think it will definitely be something felted, as it is something natural. I want it be stand out from the woods but not to be too blatant. But of course, I may change my mind before I finish the work.

All at sea

After a bit of a write off last week with a coldy bug and a migraine, it's back to normal this week. I finished the first block on the mystery quilt, which of course I can't show you as it is meant to be a mystery! I'm also trying to persuade myself to get on with making the final pieces for the Loch Lomond Show. I've got eight weeks, but I seem to keep putting it off as I want them to be perfect and I'm not 110% convinced yet that the inner fabric is just quite right. So that's this afternoon's task. I have to really start going for it. I did start covering the first frame in wadding this weekend and Dad asked yesterday who was making monsters, thinking it was the kids rather than my work...

It was the Quilters' Guild Regional Weekend and it was fun hearing Evelyn Ramsay and Delia Salter taking about their work. I also went to a workshop run by Delia about Making a Seascape. This was my effort. It's ages since I've been to a workshop so it was just fun playing with fabric and making something on a totally different theme to normal. I'm quite pleased with it, although it still needs some more work. It was a really weird piece as it looked totally different close up to from a distance. Some of the stitching which I thought had made not effect at all close up was almost too dominant when I looked at it from a distance. From the photo you get more of the distance view.

Journal Quilt 4

This is the latest journal quilt. It was meant to be trying out machine embroidery/quilting. I really enjoyed hammering away at the jellyfish with the sewing machine to create the layers of stitch - I could of gone on for ages longer, but it had to be ready in time for publication to coincide with the new edition of Popular Patchwork. DH thinks it is his favourite so far. I'm not so sure - but I will be doing more of the old machine embroidery in future. I had forgotten how much fun it could be.

exhibitions, exhibitions

Got some good news last week: my work is being included in an outdoor exhibition at the David Marshall Lodge, Aberfoyle on a Forestry Commission trail to a little waterfall. It's one of the family's favourite walks. The forest is beautiful, there are stunning views for miles, there is a waterfall to see and river to play in and the cafe is not too bad either. So, I'm really pleased to have my work included for the Interventions Show, which starts on 1 August. Not sure exactly what this work will be, but I'm sure it will involve fabric in some shape or form as I am fascinated by the the way it can disintegrate when left outside (or not!).
I also got an email confirming that my work was being included in a group show at the the Pittenweem Arts Festival (http://pittenweemartsfestival.co.uk/), which also starts on 1 August, as part of an invited group of craft practitioners at the 'cutting edge'. Given the space requirements, I'm also going to be making new work for this and was practicing on the embellisher this afternoon., hence the photos. I was very pleased when Janet Shelley approached me to be included in this show. All very exciting and I'm still getting started on making the fabric coverings for the frames for the Loch Lomond Show. I calculated the amount of fabric I needed today and I think I have just enough. This is a huge relief as I bought it four years ago from a shop over 400 miles away and I can't find it anywhere else and it may have been a one off.

Oops

What is DH going to say when he comes home and sees what I've done to the back yard in the name of art? I had to spray paint these metal frames which form the spines of my Shelter series and the grass will be too wet until too late, so I had to use the yard instead. Today was the first time I was able to spray them since they were made weeks ago given the snow and the rain. I'm still high on the fumes! You can see what the finished pieces will look like on the Loch Lomond Quilt Show website, where they are going to be shown in May. (http://www.lochlomondquiltshow.com/). Once the effects of the spray paint have worn off, I can start making the fabric 'covers'!

Back to work

Despite the fun in the snow, I have done some work - honest! Big excitement at the weekend when I picked up masses of fabric for a mystery quilt I am making for Popular Patchwork. It's a mystery, so I can't tell you much about it, but here is my box of fabric. It was in a much smaller box when it arrived, beautifully folded, but I've got my paws on it now and it is heading towards chaotic jumble. The quilt is going to be big - double bed sized, so there is lots of cutting and sewing to be done. I got started today, despite having stood on and broken my indestructible cutting ruler. Ooops.

I also remembered that Saturday is Valentines Day and as I did a big nothing last year, thought I better make an effort this year. This is a little card and gift bag. Only problem is I have nothing to go in the gift bag. One day to get something and I am passing one possible shop - it just has to be small enough to fit. Here's hoping.

Snow Time

At long last we had some snow! I got very excited and we did make a snowman, but it wasn't enough to close the schools and roads, so it was kind of a normal day, except the oldest monster was off school sick. He was well enough to play with the sledge in the garden though and the baby loved being pulled around. She sat regally demanding us to drag the sledge where she wanted to go. What fun. Sometimes work just has to take a back seat.