Carol is the artisit in our group and she paints lovely watercolours. You can tell from the way she's used her transfer paint, can't you?




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(Click for a larger image)

This is Rosemary's work of art, as yet unfinished, but very beautiful.


A closeup of the previous work. And below is Rosemary teasing me when I tried to take a photo of her. This is the sort of group we are, we work and play.

Transfer paint class

We are so lucky in Serentex that we have so many talented people who are willing to share their expertise. Once again Miriam shared with us when she demonstrated her Transfer Painting techniques.


Here is Miriam.


Miriam showing us some work she's experimenting with.


The result of today's experiment. Isn't it beautifully textured?


Another one, which I like even better.


When Miriam framed the previous work in black, it looked just like an Autumn scene with a beech tree in the foreground.

Tuesday play 3

Joan Park is our doll maker and here is her latest creation, an Ice Maiden. She is a cutie.


Here she is from another angle. Joan is kept busy with making these dolls to commission. If anyone would like to buy one, you can e-mail me and I will put you in touch with Joan.


Ann Jones and Rhiannon Jones have finished their containers and are making me feel very guilty as I still haven't finished mine.

Tuesday play 2

You saw this piece as a work in progress, but it is now finished and has turned out as a very special piece of work.


Here is a detail of the work by Sue Gallagher.




Samples of fiber Fusion.


Sue has a book of details and samples of her work.

Tuesday play

Here you can see how well Rosemary's quilt is developing. I think she has nearly finished it now and it's absolutely beautiful. She calls it her 'Australian Quilt' and the reason for this is that her daughter visited Australia last year. When she asked her mother what she wanted brought back for her, she naturally said she would like some quilting magazines! So the design for the quilt is from an Australian Quilting magazine.


Rosemary Kenyon, who made the quilt is here on the right and Mary Spence is on the left, who has just returned from her daughter's wedding in Canada. On the far left just in the picture is Tricia Sherry who is rather camera shy and I hardly ever have a photo of her. But she is a very important member of the group as she is the one who has organized our visits to Plas Tan y Bwlch for the last 5 or 6 years.

Margaret Beale

These are tyvek stitched and heated flowers Joan made using the Three Dimensional Embroidery book by Janet Edmunds.


Now what do you think Margaret Beale and her students at the class find so interesting?


Very interesting! They are all looking at two wonderful dolls that Joan made. I'm sorry I have no close-ups of the dolls, the one I took was not a very good quality I'm afraid.

More textile work

Here is one part of Sue's double quilt. She has finished this one and I think the other half is also finished, but a photo did not show up the contrast in style between the two quilts. But they are both beautifully textured, but using different techniques.


Here is a detail of the above quilt.


This is a photo of Joan giving the new doll she's making a haircut. She knitted the doll's hair while we were at the meeting. Below is the finished head.


There are still a few more things to show and I will post them later on.

Show and Tell

Many people write to tell me how lucky we are to have such a wonderful group of us able to work together and to inspire each other. I think we all appreciate this. Eight if us got together today and there was some lovely work to show. The box at the top is in progress, Rhiannon is making this and it's going to be special.


This is very different from Miriam's usual work and it is striking. Below is a detail from it. She used the materials she dyed on the Ruth Issett course we did at Plas Tan y Bwlch.


I will post some more photos tomorrow as blogger is rather slow tonight.

Tuesday Fun Part 2

Now, aren't these colours something? I have never seen such lovely rich colours. This is Sue's work again and here is another one that you have seen before. She was advised by someone to cut it up, and she has cut it up! But she has some wonderful ideas up her sleeve about the way these are going to be developed. I forgot to take a photo of the work she did on them while we were at the centre yesterday.




Here is Miriam experimenting with her Transfer Paints once again and below is one she dyed and stitched previously.

Tuesday fun

Eight Dippies met yesterday which was quite good considering it's August with a lot on holiday. Carol is on a cruise yet again(smile) and Ann(Jones) is recovering from a cataract operation 3 weeks ago. I saw Ann this afternoon and her sight is much better than it was. I hope you make a quick recovery Ann. I also saw Ann(Cross) this afternoon, she is very busy with her City and Guilds Embroidery course. Mary is at her daughter's wedding in Canada and I'm certain she is enjoying herself there with her family. Janine is probably taking a well earned rest after her City and Guilds quilting class did so well at the end of this term.


This is the quilt Rosemary is handstitching and it now has a backing. I envy whoever is going to have this one.


This is what Gaynor was making and I think it is going to be a bag.


This is Gwyneth with her goldwork. She is making something very special but I'm not allowed to tell you what it is, because it's a secret. Did I ever tell you we are cousins and we used to live next door to each other when we were children? We lost touch for years until textiles brought us together again. Take a look at those lovely hands. I'm very jealous of her hands as I'm always telling her.


Joan is making another doll. I think it might be another white one. Unfortunately I don't have a photo to show you of the other white doll as they are all on display in a cabinet at the Library in Colwyn Bay. If you read this and live locally, they are well worth a visit.

Tan y Bwlch Textiles

This is a woven piece that Tricia is making. First of all she had a dummy run where she practiced the loopy stitches she wanted to use and then went on to the real thing. I can tell you it is a wonderfully textured piece of work and I know she will let me show you a photo when she's finished it. The colours blend so beautifully.



Here is Jenny, a friend who came with us. She is not yet obsessed with textiles , but she made a card for her friends 25th Wedding Anniversary and also started to do some quilting for the first time, under Gaynor's guidance. Before long she will be well and truly hooked like the rest of us.



This is Joan's new white doll and she is beautiful as well. One of the best yet, even though she is still carrying her head under her arm at the moment. She has the most fantastic hat but I forgot to take a photo.



A detail of the doll's dress.

Gaynor is another of our Quilters in the group and she is also kept busy with teaching local groups. She is very free with her advice and help and will always stop what she's doing to show people how to do all sorts of quilting. Thank you Gaynor.
I'm afraid you will have to wait for a close-up of the work she was doing until August 8th when we next meet.



Rhiannon is a beautiful stitcher and here she is working on the 100 squares piece for the Embroiderers' Guild Raffle. I will share a little secret with you, some people even paid her to do their 2 squares for them. Tut tut!



Here is Joan again making her 17th doll. Every doll she makes I say it's the best yet and I just don't know how long I will be saying this, for they truly are wonderful and full of character.
By the way, commissions are taken and if you write to my e-mail address I will put you in touch with the person you require.

Textile Retreat

This is the happy group of textile artists who had a wonderfully creative time at Plas Tan y Bwlch. For this retreat we do not have a tutor with us, we just enjoy our own chosen projects. We depend on each other for help and constructive criticism, often with some very plain spoken advice on what to do with the work!
We laugh and joke as we work, but often you can hear a pin drop on the cool blue slate floor as we all concentrate on our work.


This is where we work. It is the old stable block and it has a worn slate floor, which was nice and cool to work in this hot weather, plus the cool breeze that came off the mountains through the open doors. We are so fortunate to be able to come here every year.


Here is a message from Sue to her friend Sheila who is a regular reader of our blog. Just in case it's not very clear, it says "Hello Sheila".


Here is Janine, who is a C and G quilting tutor at Plas Mennai a local college setting out a new idea for a quilt. She was also making a Memory quilt of her father, which is unfinished. She allowed me to photograph it, but unfortunately, it is the only one that had a shake so I can't post it here. I'm sure I will be allowed to photograph it again when it's finished.
There are many more photos to post during the next few days for those interested.