Our Snowdonia Project

This beautiful quilt was made by Janine Jones, she is a very successful City and Guilds tutor at Coleg Menai in Bangor, North Wales. This is a memory quilt. Janine found letters and photos after the death of her mother. These were sent home by her father who served for some years in India during the 2nd World War. This would have been around 1945-47. The letters were on this very fine paper in tiny print, but she enlarged them on a photo copier and used them to write on her quilt. Her father's photo was transferred to fabric using a transfer solution and the colours in the quilt are reminiscent of India. The photo really does not do it justice.


Below is a detail of the quilt.


Here are photos of some of the individual works of art that were made for our Snowdonia project. A photo was taken from a book on North Wales of a lake called Llyn Dywarchen in Welsh, which is at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. The photo was copied and divided into 12 pieces and we each made our piece exactly 10"x8", we were not quite sure how to hang these together, would we leave a slight gap between each one or stitch them all up together without leaving a gap. When we saw them all together it was decided to do the latter. This important job is going to be undertaken by Mary.

SerenTex AGM

We had a wonderful AGM at Sue's house. We get on so well as a group and there is so much give and take going on that AGM's are a pleasure. Sue chaired the meeting and named everyone who had made a special contribution during the year and we all clapped with enthusiasm. Then we were asked if we were willing to continue with what we did last year or did we need a change. I am quite happy to take photos and continue with the SerenTex blog, but I felt I needed a change from being the Tea Lady and Ann kindly volunteered to take over that job. A few other jobs have changed too, but as I did not take notes I'm afraid I've forgotten what they were. This is how the group operates everything is done in an enjoyable and light hearted way with a lot of laughing and joking.


A few people have asked if we are willing to invite more to join the group, but it was decided unanimously to stay as we are for the time being as a small group seems to be more friendly and united. It was also decided to officially rename the group SerenTex. It will no longer be called Serendipity, SerenTex was originally only the name of our blog. we have also booked our annual retreat at Plas Tan y Bwlch.

Sue had brought us all some thick, mustardy coloured felt flowers and we have a small project going, making brooches out of these flowers for the North Wales Embroiderers' Guild Sales Table at the Guild's EXHIBITION OF WORK to be held at the RHOS ON SEA METHODIST CHURCH HALL, Rhos Road, Rhos on Sea on Friday November 2nd and Saturday November 3rd from 10 am to 5.30 pm.
The entrance fee is £2.00 to include the programme. there will be demonstrations throughout the day, sales table and refreshments.

Work in Progress

I know the title says WIP, but Ann has finished a bag with the fabric she made at the last meeting and it has been highly successful.


Just look at them! They are all so busy they haven't even noticed they're having a photo taken. Well done 'girls'.



Here is a new sample Trish has done today, it uses scrim and a variety of papers with thinned down PVA.


This one uses the same method and I loved it, but Miriam who is making it didn't like her effort. I'm sure she will have done wonders with it for the next meeting.


This is my all time favourite. It looks like a watercolour, but Trish told me her secret, some of it uses a serviette!


This is the brooch Ann was working on in Plas Tan y Bwlch. This stone is such a beautiful green and terracotta.


Joan is still working on her special box in cream.


Rhiannon is busy turning something inside out, but she didn't tell me what it was and I'll have to wait until she has had her hip replacement operation. All the best Rhiannon. Hwyl fawr!


I'm slowly converting them one by one to use the latest technology. today Mary brought her laptop and printer in as she was having printing problems, but now she is copying some pages for Miriam.


Here is Trish who didn't mind having her photo taken today. She's done a lot of the samples I have this time.

A great afternoon

We had a fantastic meeting yesterday and not just because we had cakes made by 2 of our members. Can you see the cake tin on the table and how much they are being enjoyed?



Miriam and Ann are enjoying a joke as usual. Miriam demonstrated a new technique and we all had a go, we are not finished yet, so I'm not going to tell you what we are going to make. We have decided to make some things for the Embroiderer's Guild Sales table in November. Watch this space!


Sue has already made two quilted bags which are going to be sold. I was so disappointed when my battery finished before I could take a photo of the large bag. She was the 'Bag Lady' for the day, we usually call Miriam by that name as she loves making bags too.


You can see that we are still bringing together our sections for the Snowdonia view. They will all be joined together at our next meeting.


Below you can see what we were all doing after Miriam's demonstration. Unfortunately I don't have Joan's sample as I seem to have had a bit of a shake when I was taking the photo. Sorry. Joan is going to be reading this blog regularly from now on, she has just bought a laptop and is now on broadband. Well done Joan. Rhiannon is already enjoying hers. I'd like to take this opportunity of wishing her well, she is going to hospital for a hip replacement at the beginning of October. Hwyl fawr Rhiannon.

A few photos only

I'm sure you are wondering why this the heading? I feel very guilty as I forgot to take my camera with me to the SerenTex meeting yesterday. Luckily for me, there wasn't a lot of new work there and I have a few photos from the last meeting for you.
Joan is making something exciting here, but I'm not going to tell you what it is until it's finished.





These shells were collected by Trish on a holiday in Ireland. I'm afraid I have forgotten where this beach is but I know it's a favourite place with Trish. Another place she loves is Plas Tan y Bwlch and she arranges our retreat there every year. Thanks Trish. I'm looking forward to our visit there once more and it's only just over a week away now.

A relaxing meeting

There were eight of us at the meeting today, but Ann had to leave early. Mary was missing, but she had a very good excuse, she has just become a grandmother for the first time. One of her daughters Branwen has just given birth to a baby boy who has been called Dylan Timothy. Congratulations to you all!


I was very disappointed to have missed the annual college exhibition at Coleg Menai this year, but seeing Sue's work made up for this. She has been following a special course there this year under the watchful eye of Janine who is the C&G quilting tutor there.
I'm afraid I have forgotten exactly what Sue has called this wonderful piece of work, but it was based on an image created by her on the computer based on an aerial photo.


The following three images are also by Sue and are based on the peeling paintwork on old boats. Wonderful work as usual Sue. Thanks for sharing them with us all.
May I also at this point thank you all for your lovely comments on SerenTex, they are very much appreciated by us all.





Below is WIP, a few are finished, but some are not. I have just put them together on the computer to see what they will look like when they are all together. This image will have to be extended as there are 6 missing today. I will add them as I get photos of them. We had a very enjoyable afternoon, I played with Rhiannon and Joan on the laptop. You may remember at the last meeting Rhiannon brought her new laptop and this time, there was more good news today as Joan intends to buy a new laptop as well.

Happy Brithday Sheila

Here's wishing you a very happy birthday Sheila from Sue and the rest of us in SerenTex for being one of our most loyal fans(smile)

Collaboration

This is Carol's landscape for the collaboration on Snowdonia. It's almost finished and I think it's going to be rather special. Fantastic textures.


I am pleased to tell you that some of my friends in this textile group have promised to collaborate with me in creating some articles for Fibre & Stitch - An Online Mixed Media Zine on their techniques for some of our future issues. I know how much you are all enjoying their work.


Here are the happy winners of the competition at the Embroiderers' Guild Wales Regional Day last week.


Gaynor is busy again. I think she's stitching some of her Orinuno patches.