Sunday 22 May 2011

Moira demesne.

It's peaceful and quiet here today but don't be fooled.

Next weekend there's something going on.

Tents waiting to be filled.

Empty fields waiting for hoards of people.

You can find out here what it's all about.

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Weight Watchers

I joined a new club and I paid the joining fee.
Then I bought new trainers for the extra walking I'm intending to do...and so far,it's more ££££££££££££'s lost than pounds and ounces.

Saturday 14 May 2011

St. George's Market.

I went to the market hoping to find a few craft stalls. I bought these hand dyed 'silk hankies' and a bag of carded sari silks thinking they would all be of use with the Embellisher machine gathering dust in my sewing room.


It was a long time since I'd been and how times have changed...used as a morgue during the blitz in Belfast in the 1940's,
this was also the workplace of my husband's great uncle Bob who was a saddler for the market traders' horses.


Fresh fish stalls with live crabs. I didn't see them move.


Dublin Bay prawns.



Freshly baked breads.


Dulse,winkles and I think these are Arbroath smokies in the foreground.


Entertainment.


Bonsai.



Spices.


Yummy cakes.






Now it's a bustling marketplace,on a Saturday morning,for fresh produce,crafts and somewhere to do a spot of people watching.

Sunday 8 May 2011

Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park.

So crowded on May Day that we turned away. Today there were just a few people.










HAVE A VIRTUAL TOUR here .

























I like it here this time of year. Gorgeous colours. Much nicer than Rose Week.

Friday 6 May 2011

Setting Up.

Scribbled notes.



Lots of bags.



Happy ladies, talking, drinking tea.



Empty room coming to life.



Exhibits waiting.



Can only mean one thing. Harmony Hill ladies have arrived!

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Exhibition time.

I have four entries for 'The Elements'....

A quilt.





Two concertina books.



A decorated tin.




A hanging.



...and every year I think I could have done better, worked harder...

Sunday 1 May 2011

Moroccan fountains.

I've finished beading the fountains today, not sure if it looks like water but I have tried to give the effect. I could go on and on with this quilt adding bits to it.
This is where I was starting to find a way of adding a fountain border to the quilt. In the end I traced the pattern from a piece of wallpaper, transferred it to the quilt and outlined the fountains with free machining.
The whole thing really 'did my head in'!!
The fountains were then painted with acrylics. I would have liked to add some more stitch detail to them but, as I said, you can go on and on!





I've beaded the centrepiece too. I imagined it was like the water bubbling up before it cascades over and into the fountain.
The china pieces - akin to the blue and white zellig tiles you see in Morocco - they were found in the fields around where I live.
That fascinates me - where did all that china come from originally? (I collected alot).




I'm putting this quilt into our exhibition - entries go in this Thursday.