Shibori in Jersey

Shibori workshops and fog kept me in Jersey for nearly a week. Hello to all the new Shibori addicts I met and have fun working with at the Jersey Textile Showcase. The Gala Dinner, one evening, required a 'smart' outfit so I 'shibori'd' a silk top with marbles and wrapped string for the occasion.

We saw the coastline during a particularly low tide which revealed rocks, tree stumps and wrecks not normally exposed. Note how high up the lighthouse is and also how well matched my 'glam' top was to the rocks!

 

The Textile Showcase event took place at venues around the Harbour Gallery at St Aubin, seen above my right shoulder below. As  you might imagine, it was quite a hardship living and working on this quayside!

Now that the fog has cleared and allowed me to leave the island, I can return to my 'day job' and I will be keen to catch up with everyone who is waiting for me to look at their blog.

And the winners are...................

Congratulations and thank you to all who entered and made this a strong and interesting competition. Although there was a small number of entries, the standard of the work was high. The three jurors thoroughly enjoyed looking at the drawings selected by each candidate and all acknowledge that it was a strong field and initially difficult to differentiate. A 'marking scheme' and comments from each juror established clear winners and our congratulation go to................

FIRST PRIZE (£50 Voucher towards any Distant Stitch Module) goes to

Anne Amosford

http://www.maxthelobster.blogspot.com/2012/02/looking-into-sketchbook-competition.html

SECOND PRIZE (£25 Voucher from 'Art Van Go') goes to

Helen MacRitchie

http://www.fibrenell.blogspot.com/2012/02/sketchbook-pages-looking-into.html

THIRD PRIZE  (£25 Voucher from 'Ario') goes to

Jenn Hutchins

http://ferinnbroidery.blogspot.com/2012/02/sketchbook-competition-entry.html

A selection of the entries will soon be available to view on the Distant Stitch website www.distantstitch.co.uk

Le Return

The results of the Drawing Competition will be annouced on my blog later today.

Two short films taken during the evening event of the Lemon Festival at Menton to keep you amused while I collate the juror's marking schemes!

A twist of lemon

Enjoying the sunshine in Menton on the Cote d'Azur during the Lemon Festival with Martin and Janine. Off to the Jardin de Lumiere this evening - more pics of this night time lemon extravaganza later.

Off to squeeze some lemons in Menton

I shall be away until Friday 1st March when I shall be celebrating St David's Day and announcing the Drawing Competition winners.

See you soon with pics of lemon trees.

Fancy a bit of sun and textiles?

Join me in Jersey the week after next. Lots of exciting workshops - including Shibori with me -  and free textile events. I can email you the workshop details or phone Pat Robson - her contact details in the pink box below.

After an amazing  five hour car journey diagonally across Wales, I arrived at the magnificent house, Plas Tan-Y-Bwlch with terraced gardens on steep slopes with lovely views over the Vale of Ffestiniog and snow capped mountains of Snowdonia in the distance.
'Plas' was built in the 18th century by a wealthy local slate mine owner and is a large, impressive stone built house with a separate servants’ block and a salt-water swimming pool, the water for which was brought up on the Ffestiniog narrow gauge train from the coast at Porthmadog. Elsewhere on the estate are lodges, a dower house, farm buildings, sawmill, smithy, game larder and a laundry cottage along with a deer park and lake.

  

'Plas' is now owned by Snowdonia National Park and is used as a study centre for outdoor pursuits as well as many in indoor pursuits such as textiles. My Shibori class worked in the refurbished glass fronted stable block; Ruth Issett and her group (with Chris Jones and Jane Jenkins from Distant Stitch) were working in the 'messy' studio above and interesting spinning and beading classes in the library and lounge rooms.

Chrissie and Elke show their busy tables, making fabulous scarves and other accessories using the steam-setting method of Shibori. Thanks for a super weekend girls and I hope you all had a safe journey home.