Happy New Year From White Nancy

I'm always late to the (New Year) party, so again I am belatedly wishing you health, happiness and much craftiness in the coming year!

I'm continuing to create at the Makers' Place at Macclesfield Heritage Centre, which is lovely and productive. I get to meet lovely people, hang out with like-minded creatives and of course, protect time in my week for stitchery.

I am hoping to get better at the social media side of things this year, like Instagram and Facebook and maybe I'll be blogging a little more frequently (baby steps).

My drive to my little studio in Macclesfield takes me through some nice country lanes and from a particular junction I occasionally get a view of White Nancy - a well-known Cheshire landmark.

White Nancy is a very distinctive structure built to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo and I love how it stands like a sentinel watching over the landscape in all weathers. I find something comforting in its presence and I'm sure it is a favourite spot to walk to for many people.

White Nancy's simple, but recognisable shape has been appearing in my textile art quite a lot recently and I made this piece with a nod to Valentine's Day and all the romantic couples who have strolled near her.

(needle felt, applique, quilting)

Hexagon Christmas Wreath

As you probably know, my formal craft training is in patchwork and quilting and I have a passion for hexagons.

I will be running a workshop teaching traditional English patchwork on 12th November. I will be teaching how to make patchwork over papers and we will make a Christmas wreath to hang on the Christmas tree.

Having mastered the basics you could then hone your new skill to go on to make brooches and even a patchwork quilt.

The workshop will be held at 1.30-3.30 pm at the Makers' Place, Macclesfield Heritage Centre, Roe Street, Macclesfield and costs £25 including materials, a tea/ coffee and a piece of cake.

Message me on my Facebook page if you would like to join in:

www.facebook.com/Dotty-B-Textile-Art-1726279450986088/

From Black Holes to a Gaping Hole!

Last Saturday saw the start (or should I say "blast off"?) of the Barnaby Festival in Macclesfield; 10 days of events celebrating "Space" including music, talks, art installations and performance.
The Festival kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a space-themed parade through the town and the good people of Macclesfield rose to the challenge to create costumes and floats.

There will be events taking place all week until the grand finale of the Barnaby Festival on Sunday 26th June when there will be a special Treacle Market, (always a treat), a "Big Brass Bonanza", music and art.

                                               Treacle Market

On Saturday 25th, the cool and talented Marc Jackson from Makers' Place will be hosting Macc-Pow Comic-Art Convention in the the Old Sunday School Macclesfield, celebrating comic art from around the world. There will be some big-names from the world of indie comic book art so it will be a great opportunity to meet some of your super heroes!

The Makers' Place (where I work alongside fellow artists and sell my pieces) will be open in the Old Sunday school for the duration of the Barnaby Festival and beyond.

There is also a lovely, friendly cafe - The Tea Kitchen- serving great food so you could make a day of it!

Don't miss visiting this hub of culture and fun! I really enjoyed taking a break from stitching to watch the parade go past.

After a productive day, I was fast asleep in my bed on Saturday night when we were woken by an almighty crash! We dashed downstairs and were confronted with this sight and water dripping through the kitchen ceiling!

 It took several moments to comprehend what all the mess on the kitchen floor was and to register the gaping hole in the ceiling! It turns out there had been a build up of water leaking through the bathroom floor and with no warning it suddenly burst through the ceiling. Not the best start to Father's Day for Mr Dotty!

The dog sleeps in a crate just to the left of all this debris! Thank goodness it didn't land directly on top of him! As it happens, he was sitting very quietly in a wet, rubbly bed and he needed drying off and a cuddle. We turned the water off at the mains and had a calming cup of tea before settling the dog in another room and heading back to bed (not that we slept much after that).

Sunday was mostly spent clearing heavy, wet plaster and dirt (3 bags full) and mopping  and cleaning the kitchen. I guess the rest of the week will be spent dealing with insurance, plumbing and builders.

As I lay in bed on Sunday morning though, I really did think how lucky we are. Many people are suffering the effects of flooding to their homes and many more have no homes at all. A temporary lack of water can't compare in any way to the thousands of displaced people who are having to cope with poor shelter and little sanitation.  I am going to remain cheerful, counting my blessings in spite of the gaping hole and damp-plaster smell pervading my home, (well, at least for now!)

The rest of the week has to go better, right? Hope your week goes well....

 (He's fine!)

Busy Stitching

I have been busy stitching at my studio space at Makers' Place Macclesfield. I'm enjoying the productivity, being among creative people and chatting to the public.

But boy, am I tired! It has been a hectic few weeks with family stuff and I'm still learning to balance working and being away from the house with all the jobs that need to be done at home, trying to build up my running again and finding time to see friends! Though I don't miss the distraction of the washing machine beeping to demand that I hang out the washing, it is amazing how quickly the dirty laundry builds up! At least it has been a great few days for drying!

"Home from Home"

"Inspired by Skye"

"Come Rain or Shine"

I'm also looking forward to Artisans in the Palm House at Sefton Park, Liverpool on 29th & 30th May. It will be a fantastic weekend, especially if it is sunny- come on over!

Hope you have been enjoying the warmer weather.

My New Venture

I am delighted to tell you that I was recently accepted to take a studio/ selling space at the Makers' Place at the Heritage Centre in Macclesfield.

It is a bright, airy space where a number of makers create and display their work and there is also a museum, shop and a lovely cafe.

I began to set up last Thursday. My space is between two corner spaces and has a big windows on either side letting in lots of light. I have acquired a lovely big unit with plenty of storage space for my fabrics and a good-sized table to work on.

Much as I love the bright stripes at the front of my unit, I think it calls for something a little more neutral, which I hope to put up this week.

I will be selling small textile artworks as well as larger quilted wall hangings.

This is part of my work space. I will be there on Thursdays and Fridays and also some Saturdays. I also aim to be there on some of the Sundays when the Treacle Market is held in Macclesfield as the cafe and Maker's Place will be open.

 This is my view as I sit working, looking through the doorway to the cafe. I am enjoying chatting to the public about my work and people are often interested to see what I am up to, especially when  my needle-felting machine is clattering away (must find a way to reduce the noise pollution!)

 I plan to be really productive on my studio days. It will make a big change to go out to work and to get away from the many distractions that present themselves when working from home. It will also be amazing to have other creative people to talk to- I have felt increasingly isolated at home recently. It also means that on my days at home I can enjoy doing things there without feeling resentful!

 There are still a few more things to do. I'm going to make a sign for the top middle of the wall and possibly a shelf .

                                       The view through to the shop.

So, if you fancy a trip out to Macclesfield- you could combine it with a look around the Silk Museum- do pop in and have a chat with me, have a cuppa and a browse. I'd love to meet you.

Treacle Market

I have been very tardy about this post, partly because I couldn't work out how to get my photos from my phone to the computer. It's not too difficult, I know, but sometimes where technology is concernes I just have a mental resistance!

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we visited the Macclesfield Treacle Market, which is a regular treat for us.

There is a great range of stalls selling handmade goods, vintage goods and food.

I love this stall- Shabby Cheek- it is full of curios

and unexpected objects!

We haven't taken Alfie yet as I suspect he'd get really over-excited, but dogs are always welcome

and there are usually lots of dogs of all types

(and penguins and owls and horses...)

I dream of having this beautiful hut in my garden and every time I see it I wonder how they get it there!

This weekend we may visit the Vintage Village at Stockport.

Hope you have a lovely weekend. Do you have plans?