tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76622378667371946362024-03-13T00:28:07.953-07:00nbnqnbnqPerfectionist coming to terms with reality. Handmaker of lovely things.nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-49030725482978632012014-11-25T02:54:00.000-08:002014-11-25T03:03:16.030-08:00Instagram SummerI broke my ankle at the start of the Summer holiday* and resigned myself to a very indoorsy couple of months. I had drawing, sewing etc. but photography seemed dimmed since I could hardly use my heavy Nikon whilst unsteady on my sticks. So for a little bit more social and a bit of creative learning - I finally joined Instagram.<br />
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A photo posted by nbnqnbnq (@nbnqnbnq) on <time datetime="2014-07-22T14:33:26+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 7, 2014 at 7:33am PDT</time></div>
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Despite having <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/sets/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>, <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/nbnqnbnq" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and Facebook I try to treat each one separate from the others.<br />
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One of my pet peeves is linked sharing across social media. The same thing coming full across all social media with broken links, missing text, hashtags where they don't belong...? Drives me potty and if, like me, you use lots of social media channels then you can feel as though you're getting spammed... especially when it's not even an interesting or appealing image. There's also the former communications advisor me who wants to give my feedback on how to do this better, think about your audience, maximise your content and all that... but I don't reckon my friends sharing bikini/baby/DIY pics would thank me. </div>
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So... </div>
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I set myself a few rules. </div>
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1) No food pictures</div>
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2) Share between one and three photos per day (no more no less)</div>
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3) Take pics of bits/ all of my own drawings</div>
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4) Photograph inspirations </div>
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5) Share pictures via other social media as and when appropriate</div>
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6) Enjoy it<br />
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Now of course I am at Art School being a Fashion and Textile Design student and Instagram use is very much encouraged too. Folk have told me that they enjoy seeing what I'm up to (especially those who knew me as a nose-to-the-grindstone professional) and that seeing my work is inspiring. Well I'm a sucker for that sort of thing so on I go. Plus I really enjoy connecting with other creative people that I have/ haven't met in real life - and to peruse the work that my peers are making too of course.<br />
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I broke one of my rules yesterday by posting four pictures. It really annoyed me... until I remembered that they were my own guidelines and I could break them if I wanted/needed to... and yesterday after making a fabric print I HAD to share a 'visualisation' (mock up of use) that I did with it!<br />
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A photo posted by nbnqnbnq (@nbnqnbnq) on <time datetime="2014-11-24T20:54:08+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 12:54pm PST</time></div>
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Here I am though restating my intentions (for myself) and hoping that others will enjoy seeing my inspirations, makes, journey and a bit of me.
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My instagram is here: <a href="http://instagram.com/nbnqnbnq">http://instagram.com/nbnqnbnq</a><br />
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Follow me if you like... or not if you don't, but do join Instagram if you haven't already. It really helps to reflect on where you're spending your time - whether creatively or otherwise. I certainly spot when it's been a while since I did any drawing or if I'm falling into a design rut.<br />
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nbnq xx<br />
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*at a music festival (Truck) going over a net made of of guy ropes to tents at about 2:30am on the last night since you asked. </div>
nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-22210825769702102862014-10-08T02:32:00.002-07:002014-10-08T02:32:46.467-07:00Mature student? Me? Hardly likely.Implausible as this might sound - I just started a B.A. at Art School. Yes really.<br />
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Little by little making and creating had become a big part of my life and last summer between jobs my dear friends (<a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">ratsasbigascats</a> and <a href="http://borderlinestraggler.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Borderline Straggler</a>) sent me an email that changed my life. I clicked on a link, I filled in a form and I then went to an open day. Being told that I was too old for a Foundation course was a bit of a shocker - but they just take them that are fresh from school. At the open day I met the Tutor of the 'Access to Art and Design' course, he interviewed me (looking at <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/" target="_blank">my flickr account</a> on my phone to see my work!) and I was accepted there and then! Days later - and it was only that - I started the course... and a year on and here I am in a new city starting Uni life!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOBxN8kfY2CLH6XRCSUK7RtV9R-O3k98Fw87X8Xv8mXkT3fcEXgGeYJwnkYnwUKPiHOXbyrukVGS9QJpYLvCM3q1l4g-WAG21gifWQfeOX2LuskOH45NawQNtkxFYlUmduDxT8KI0Xf-W/s1600/Notebooksandmacbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOBxN8kfY2CLH6XRCSUK7RtV9R-O3k98Fw87X8Xv8mXkT3fcEXgGeYJwnkYnwUKPiHOXbyrukVGS9QJpYLvCM3q1l4g-WAG21gifWQfeOX2LuskOH45NawQNtkxFYlUmduDxT8KI0Xf-W/s1600/Notebooksandmacbook.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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'Access to Art and Design' at the City of Oxford College is less than three days a week in college and then self-directed learning at home. I was excited to try a range of new techniques, improve my skills and my thinking but I had no intention whatsoever of going to University (despite that being part of the course). I hoped that I would simply come out as a more skilled maker with greater range. I was scared though. I had been an habitual truant towards the end of my time as school. I'd coast through leaving things to the last minute, failing to finish work and then ostriching my way out of it, totally letting myself down. Bad girl? Hardly... it was an awfully nice school though and so that is how I was perceived. I therefore approached the Access course thinking that as some point I was likely going to screw up, or life would get in the way or... or... or...<br />
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What I failed to appreciate fully was that yes - once I was a flakey kid - but since then I have done numerous jobs and learned a tonne - usually against a real deadline. I'm ruddy good at that stuff too. So I applied some of those lessons in college.<br />
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1) <b>Use a sensible file structure. Batch things by project and topic.</b><br />
Doing it as you go and of course backing up - these things you learn by losing work.<br />
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2) <b>Don't do your printing at home - it's expensive! </b><br />
Friends will often print your stuff at their work. Make it easy for them by batching up your images into a folder and then simply turning them into a photo album using PowerPoint. <br />
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3) <b>If you're not sure what you're being asked to do just have a crack at it early on</b> and show your progress to the person who gave you the task. They will steer you then. <br />
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4) <b>Technology will always fail you if you leave those things until the last minute.</b><br />
Leave the low tech stuff until last if you must leave something.<br />
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5) <b>Take notes.</b> Memories are unreliable. Notes are better. They serve as evidence too if someone else's memory is at fault.<br />
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6) <b>Pictures keep one's attention better than words.</b> Here's one I wish that all Academics would learn.<br />
Take photos. I think in images more than words, so notes next to pictures works for me. Pages and pages of notes... death. Pictures my brain can't help but to process. <br />
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7) <b>Learn how to use the photocopiers until you could just about service them.</b><br />
Some stuff is quicker to do on a copier than a computer if you know what you're doing... and you can get some interesting results too.<br />
There's never a queue when the copier is broken, and if you can quickly remedy it then you're at the front of the queue.<br />
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8) <b>Some people are really working - and having a bad day - so be nice</b>.<br />
The people teaching are at work. I get that. I've been there. 'Thank you' can be just what you need, a sincere smile and a bit of light chat can do the world of good.<br />
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9) <b>Talk to people at break times</b> - call it building networks or making friends. It's not time wasted. <br />
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10) <b>Get first thoughts down on paper and keep referring to it.</b> Brainstorm as lists or mind maps whatever early ideas and direction can be lost mid project, when poorly or when life gets in the way.<br />
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11) <b>Do the thing that you're rubbish at first.</b> It's so much worse when that's the bit you're doing against a time pressure. e.g. for me painting - it's just not my thing... but sewing I will always make time for and it doesn't feel like a chore even under pressure. Sometimes the thing you hate doing turns out alright too - double yay.<br />
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I wasn't the oldest but nor was I the youngest. I wasn't the most talented nor the least. I don't even think I was trying hardest... but you know what... I loved it and when it came to the results I was top of my class! <br />
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My sketchbooks were much admired - not because my drawings were special but everything was in there! Lots of pictures. Lots of stuff.<br />
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Now I'm an undergraduate Fashion and Textile Design student and if it weren't for my Access course a) I wouldn't have considered this, even in my wildest dreams b) I wouldn't have the confidence and skills to be enjoying as much as I am... but the rest is on me. I cannot recommend it enough.<br />
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I could hardly believe it was happening - so I waited to share this until I had started - but it really is and I'm so grateful.<br />
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nbnq<br />
xxnearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-57514828655721139072014-09-09T04:13:00.001-07:002014-09-09T04:22:09.908-07:00Skull Lap Quilt (I ain't Guild material)I eschewed the option of submitting to the Festival of Quilts this year partly because, well... hell if the cupcakes and bunnies of last year's <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/foqing-done.html" target="_blank">Geek Boy Quilt</a> that I submitted to the 'My First Quilt' category wasn't for the ladies of the Quilters Guild I was pretty sure that this one would go down pretty badly too. Anyway it's for me - and I can judge myself plenty hard enough thank you! As it turned out I fractured a bone in my leg so I couldn't even go to the FoQ but anyway...<br />
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It's been a long time in the making having been a very early bit of log cabin-ing, each stage came very slow behind the other in no sort of rush... but then I moved house and now I have a cutting table! An IKEA table of adjustable height meant I could trim the basted, quilted thing without having to break my knees on the floor!<br />
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Oh sure having a cast on my leg (and needing the aid of crutches to walk) over the summer didn't make it easy - but it did allow me time. So... here is is bound and done. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYgLxlBa2J6X0SNn5XBmN_JO3ZOCicZy-6J7sqFgJHxcDTw43AXY9biAjr2u3b6_WgwuI-uI7cJbYQ4J481UmQ2dhyphenhyphenulOUh8VLUlCt3_O2gZ7TwitGlrJS26FOb8kZ0AVesIJL07RmNQp/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaYgLxlBa2J6X0SNn5XBmN_JO3ZOCicZy-6J7sqFgJHxcDTw43AXY9biAjr2u3b6_WgwuI-uI7cJbYQ4J481UmQ2dhyphenhyphenulOUh8VLUlCt3_O2gZ7TwitGlrJS26FOb8kZ0AVesIJL07RmNQp/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" height="285" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skulls, dots and hexagons - my Skull lap quilt</td></tr>
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The pieced quilt back uses dizzyingly swirly black and white pattern 'YEAH.AI' by Brother Sister Design Studio - I love it but WOW is it hard on the eyes to work with!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrcgvxj32qpB-vpnkUFDgMfCnN8KoEIub45t5mFISK54jhbn7qC5A_Ue1sr71ZJFQG4nLMG7eRtqsfK7rSmIkGFZa6qSw-605W-EPgvsy9Ik9qd4pmOtRQPhRcT4N3NmtJgWujm-iyEiZ/s1600/DSC_0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrcgvxj32qpB-vpnkUFDgMfCnN8KoEIub45t5mFISK54jhbn7qC5A_Ue1sr71ZJFQG4nLMG7eRtqsfK7rSmIkGFZa6qSw-605W-EPgvsy9Ik9qd4pmOtRQPhRcT4N3NmtJgWujm-iyEiZ/s1600/DSC_0022.jpg" height="276" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skull lap quilt - the back</td></tr>
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Luckily having taken forever in making this quilt I didn't, as I had thought I might, compromise on bias binding and instead had time to stumble across the yellow dotty lace-edged bias binding in the wonderful haberdashers <a href="http://www.darnitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">Darn it & Stitch</a> in Oxford. The Alexander Henry fabric in the centre and the yellow dots were both also Darn it and Stitch buys I think - from many moons ago. These really were very early fabric purchases - I know this because I only picked up a small amount (not a mistake I make these days), and therefore didn't have any of either fabric for binding. Spotting (ha ha) the yellow dotty trim meant that I could finish my quilt! I feel as though the binding really does set it off wonderfully and brings a light and brightness to the whole piece.<br />
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I have suffered terrible quilt envy at Chez Penny (<a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">ratsasbigascats</a>) as well as snuggly comfort of a sofa-based quilt so to have one of my own is such a thrill I can't tell you. Maybe I should have taken the photos before loafing and napping under it - but let's call that a 'testing phase'.<br />
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All in all - super chuffed!<br />
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As ever there are more pics on <a href="http://j.mp/1uu0g9a" target="_blank">my Flickr</a>.<br />
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I also finally joined Instagram this summer when I broke my leg (and therefore couldn't stand steady with my camera). Do take a look at my pics there if you like. I try to treat all social media as separate and different so lots of my stuff only exists there. I'm <a href="http://instagram.com/nbnqnbnq" target="_blank">nbnqnbnq</a> there too. <br />
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nbnq<br />
xxnearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-51621642236191001562014-06-23T13:23:00.000-07:002014-06-23T14:01:24.985-07:00Stitchy PortraitsFramed on a wall - in an exhibition? My work? Really? Yeah...<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eHVGXi-B52CIywxGWEf07xWuQEjmTdb-RQNRrFhqtkT4pYfUqyOdwE1NbJx1n0HRYcTpmLrfNfIbchtDdWB92AseH1RkjpSC3aUkUOPenYgUnro6egebDFSH44Hhniug8NOD9Fe33gwz/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eHVGXi-B52CIywxGWEf07xWuQEjmTdb-RQNRrFhqtkT4pYfUqyOdwE1NbJx1n0HRYcTpmLrfNfIbchtDdWB92AseH1RkjpSC3aUkUOPenYgUnro6egebDFSH44Hhniug8NOD9Fe33gwz/s1600/DSC_0060.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Me (Sally a.k.a. nbnq / nearlybutnotquite/ nbnqnbnq) with my Herman ze German range of embroidered portraits.</td></tr>
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Here's the story of the final project of my year at college and my self-chosen goal to create a modern embroidered portrait. Contemporary male subject, nothing twee, 'girly' or cute. I'd had a crack at something similar in an earlier project (see below) but had been pressed for time and I wanted to do better.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7yZLKR4yJuQGUP0ORIdbWiUyFSfruFRaMk1F4bBUa5rq0nLbNQjbjdQvuJYN45nVWF4Fr2MD8TN7dw0R88L9gBtuoPv0WOPSEpBVXCWBzk6SfSJXewgNGdtVSeFY_pEENJDV1sl-oPa5/s1600/Carlos+Acosta+54.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7yZLKR4yJuQGUP0ORIdbWiUyFSfruFRaMk1F4bBUa5rq0nLbNQjbjdQvuJYN45nVWF4Fr2MD8TN7dw0R88L9gBtuoPv0WOPSEpBVXCWBzk6SfSJXewgNGdtVSeFY_pEENJDV1sl-oPa5/s1600/Carlos+Acosta+54.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/11965849875/in/set-72157630295818294/" target="_blank">Carlos Acosta embroidery</a></td></tr>
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Working from your own drawings from life seemed to be what the staff at college would respect most and I discovered a real love for it. So I sneakily did a few pencil sketches of my friend Dre whilst he was absorbed in one of his favourite tv shows and started to stitch them up.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemvjx_90T5QFxFbtG_WjekzsH9luMKhqNlqGyQYI1chwMYwfR6d_e_SVNUWM4P7eZySoPIlQ2_azxYmBFZk2wMaI_biexh7hvAdWZGdw9lfB_m3vpzLpCkgCv2CrZZ1G713TTsLyqgAXN/s1600/Dre+Stitched.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemvjx_90T5QFxFbtG_WjekzsH9luMKhqNlqGyQYI1chwMYwfR6d_e_SVNUWM4P7eZySoPIlQ2_azxYmBFZk2wMaI_biexh7hvAdWZGdw9lfB_m3vpzLpCkgCv2CrZZ1G713TTsLyqgAXN/s1600/Dre+Stitched.jpg" height="320" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14419583356/in/set-72157630295818294" target="_blank">Dre from life </a>embroidery</td></tr>
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More than one of my tutors at college suggested I do "someone we all know"... but really that's fan art and I don't do that. After a twitter interaction with Hoop-La where I was torn between reading the F1 Racing Magazine or Hoop-La I did stitch up an embroidery of Lewis Hamilton and I thought about doing one of Valentino Rossi... Anyway it turns out 'everyone' doesn't know who he is* anyway.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif75YphHZYC5rJxS85pbvTkFGFJ-ia2CDfPRyOvir2wk6J4yY9DUzNsAZ_xzMt9OWwpowAv0V0SoaGeUUy5l7dTYSwhPUhBaMaSU5wyDzQ-oShESv20rxuFXBl3pX2P4ni3s9rNt3Xdt8A/s1600/Lewis+Hamilton+16+nbnq.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif75YphHZYC5rJxS85pbvTkFGFJ-ia2CDfPRyOvir2wk6J4yY9DUzNsAZ_xzMt9OWwpowAv0V0SoaGeUUy5l7dTYSwhPUhBaMaSU5wyDzQ-oShESv20rxuFXBl3pX2P4ni3s9rNt3Xdt8A/s1600/Lewis+Hamilton+16+nbnq.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/13086002893/in/set-72157630295818294" target="_blank">Lewis Hamilton </a></td></tr>
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Embroidered portraits - there must be loads of them, right? Uh... not so much. I created a Pinterest Board named '<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/nbnqnbnq/stitching-portraits/" target="_blank">Stitching Portraits</a>' to help me to gather inspiration... but my best reference and inspiration came from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/PUSH-Stitchery-Jamie-Chalmers/dp/1600597874" target="_blank">PUSH Stitchery</a> - the <a href="http://www.mrxstitch.com/" target="_blank">Mr X Stitch</a> collated collection of contemporary stitchers.<br />
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The V&A's embroidered items on display when I visited were those with one-colour flat fill for flesh and outlines for definition. Lovely though they were, that's not what I was looking for. I was determined to create a painterly embroidery... and I was thirsty.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-cDfSu-rpKXtxhqmUWm7S9xtZa-cRz1ZXBOi996fQfGD_UdgWpAlUW7c0iVOVl-iRJrXut3jEid4JPbW5fkqu4kPYFwS2kWYj97oO68KtU7mENWUU8c7pn7WEpWYM55Y09rPIHj-9hBQ/s1600/nbnq+Herman+ze+German+265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-cDfSu-rpKXtxhqmUWm7S9xtZa-cRz1ZXBOi996fQfGD_UdgWpAlUW7c0iVOVl-iRJrXut3jEid4JPbW5fkqu4kPYFwS2kWYj97oO68KtU7mENWUU8c7pn7WEpWYM55Y09rPIHj-9hBQ/s1600/nbnq+Herman+ze+German+265.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bratwurst at Herman ze German's </td></tr>
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Making the most of the trip afterwards it was out to <a href="http://www.herman-ze-german.co.uk/" target="_blank">Herman ze German</a> for lush beers and bratwurst with London loves after and, since I had my proper camera (and was out of Oxford), I snap,snap, snapped away. <br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLSzkESiDn45GiexN9WlXGnVIWclID2TaI01Frhv_S2CuaNndhiH4YcZO1apnWPYQgAqtdsePPh10hIVgnq9c-tOsjdFxY4ZjSC4oPVP_55abmNb-m0BJT_5fNk5OPZQJrLhlgQn_ZPxb/s1600/nbnq+HZG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLSzkESiDn45GiexN9WlXGnVIWclID2TaI01Frhv_S2CuaNndhiH4YcZO1apnWPYQgAqtdsePPh10hIVgnq9c-tOsjdFxY4ZjSC4oPVP_55abmNb-m0BJT_5fNk5OPZQJrLhlgQn_ZPxb/s1600/nbnq+HZG.jpg" height="159" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bratwurst, Stein of Beer and some Sauce - at Herman ze German</td></tr>
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Loving my photos I thought if I worked from them I'd have all the colour references I needed! Not only that but Cayce Zavaglia whose work I had drooled over says (in the PUSH Stitchery Book) that she only ever embroiders friends, family and fellow artists, and I thought yeah, that'd be nice; so that even when it's tricky, if I'm looking at the face of someone I love, I won't want to shred it.<br />
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I used the same process of tracing the original image with a pencil over my lightbox, picking out the lines I wanted to keep (inspired by Frank Quitely's process that I saw on What Do Artists Do All Day), then I took the pencil tracing and repeated the process with a black fineliner, and then onto fabric with a water soluble pen.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhDpRYHdaN4Ck7cjV4iF02n-2ktjkfwA2xRZs9ykmKv_3c4jWzRC9WV0meWdEFrntS4mbxjPg8r800u4tPMhPBfeLdA089NSpPujvDb8e_-9dQG41KDmvd7_iPmYKpc30c5rPC9ZNXq6v/s1600/Bratwurst+lightbox+pencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhDpRYHdaN4Ck7cjV4iF02n-2ktjkfwA2xRZs9ykmKv_3c4jWzRC9WV0meWdEFrntS4mbxjPg8r800u4tPMhPBfeLdA089NSpPujvDb8e_-9dQG41KDmvd7_iPmYKpc30c5rPC9ZNXq6v/s1600/Bratwurst+lightbox+pencil.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14256033618/" target="_blank">'Bratwurst' pencil drawing</a> from photo by hand</td></tr>
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Wanting to try new ideas and stretch myself is part of the reason for doing the course in the first place, so needless to say I didn't stick with the standard cotton on cotton embroidery. Instead I used a butter yellow coloured faux suede that my mum has previously used for upholstering chairs. I tested it with a continuous line drawing I did from life. The effect is great, a tactile surface that makes the embroidery seem touchable and appealing in a way that cotton doesn't, also the faux suede has more rigidity so appears less crumpled. Great.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCWiuUpLFAx-yxaQEbeiZDjksPk1YMZozNldDTREcqVwXbxo5GGZrZw4uNCwxnpYqsc9VreK84Wp-4kdXgmVOoR0n-c4zR9EaTd7WI2WIkwacH5PcT5RjQgKfAa5vpEx3kEoD0D_M3uNB/s1600/Continuous+Dre.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCWiuUpLFAx-yxaQEbeiZDjksPk1YMZozNldDTREcqVwXbxo5GGZrZw4uNCwxnpYqsc9VreK84Wp-4kdXgmVOoR0n-c4zR9EaTd7WI2WIkwacH5PcT5RjQgKfAa5vpEx3kEoD0D_M3uNB/s1600/Continuous+Dre.JPG" height="320" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14441346952/" target="_blank">Continuous(ish) line Dre</a> on butter yellow faux suede (IRL) </td></tr>
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I had originally tried a small sample, working on cotton and using a watercolour to match colour, to test the time, difficulty level etc.. I learned from this sample that a full stitch fill would take longer than I had time for and also that it actually didn't give the contemporary look that I was after, but rather back to a religious style of embroidery.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7okJmcqNGeRqQ7mYTWKxpElzrrcN0c0yVxATiTUhKAz3tDjssoCU8Bh1xcntFMrcwYgo-WQmE0ib7_qG6gBdvC2ked3lcRv4nKNu1H9U0hozGr-trIuIM_Xk2XoIKlJrV6u1oTjy8LTO9/s1600/Nose+study+nbnq+paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7okJmcqNGeRqQ7mYTWKxpElzrrcN0c0yVxATiTUhKAz3tDjssoCU8Bh1xcntFMrcwYgo-WQmE0ib7_qG6gBdvC2ked3lcRv4nKNu1H9U0hozGr-trIuIM_Xk2XoIKlJrV6u1oTjy8LTO9/s1600/Nose+study+nbnq+paint.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14278412158/" target="_blank">Nosey noses</a></td></tr>
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I started off winging it; colouring in really as I always had done before but I ended up unpicking the shading on the hands, and at that point, I decided to sit with my coloured pencils and actually plan out a stitch map. I don't know if that is a thing that folk normally do since I don't know any other embroiderers in real life.**<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdK9s-Zqvj50Mx6tBxWv0aaIBvJE8nhaXIZExJ1tkEq7BkKBDZ5CpSUlVkWZguJhK0u2HhJV_vCrEUX9jS5wuKfHfW3I9lSlY_QVvG0cD0eEluORiS_utx-4ZO7fBnNmwLPyRQCYKFXEue/s1600/Stein+stitch+planning+41.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdK9s-Zqvj50Mx6tBxWv0aaIBvJE8nhaXIZExJ1tkEq7BkKBDZ5CpSUlVkWZguJhK0u2HhJV_vCrEUX9jS5wuKfHfW3I9lSlY_QVvG0cD0eEluORiS_utx-4ZO7fBnNmwLPyRQCYKFXEue/s1600/Stein+stitch+planning+41.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14478001392/" target="_blank">Stitch plan of 'Stein' </a>using coloured pencils</td></tr>
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The Stein embroidery uses unlinked chain stitch for the foamy head on the beer.<br />
Stem stitch in satin, metallic and normal floss for the hair.<br />
French knots for pupils.<br />
Multiple embroidery flosses used including satins and metallics on butter yellow faux suede.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ISB9-ghSQjDbRIUCiqN-6bSXhB95cDBU0bceSzIzWJXCHz50yD44qlbwHS1NgO5oqtizkODm_4lcICS0DFWrvlegN-hWtQY0FLgqfjbKKWEoGpH__uphM02M-t2mWfsoF5XDkpwOasYU/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ISB9-ghSQjDbRIUCiqN-6bSXhB95cDBU0bceSzIzWJXCHz50yD44qlbwHS1NgO5oqtizkODm_4lcICS0DFWrvlegN-hWtQY0FLgqfjbKKWEoGpH__uphM02M-t2mWfsoF5XDkpwOasYU/s1600/DSC_0087.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14475932881/" target="_blank">'Stein' </a>- the colour portrait</td></tr>
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My aim was to create a contemporary, embroidered portrait with a painterly use of colour and using stitch size and direction to create texture instead of an embroidered outline as I felt this had been a failing of my earlier samples including my Carlos Acosta. Unlike Cayce Zavaglia and others I was seriously pressed for time, and though I would have liked to have created a full fill of colour, I just couldn't guarantee being ready for the deadline in that case. In fact I would have liked to create a full set using the colour method I chose for Stein... but it would have broken me.<br />
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Picking up and putting down of stitchy projects does however seem to be the norm. Certainly whilst I was working on 'Stein' I also started stitching 'Bratwurst' just using a plain dark floss for a tiny, fussy, neat back stitch. My 'Eureka!' moment came upon seeing the back of the embroidery was so much more interesting than the front! Strong dramatic eyes and a fierceness that you don't get from the 'front' or from the original photograph. Rats! I thought at first. It's going to be hidden behind a frame. Oh Globbits!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGo4mzTbxUNbh_Khm8OfiK5jJN-m-F57XeS5GHHsDjsBXz4lmO6R2fwT23slgI2CxiUxhlwMLbtLYxOOwnFRzCmKGTSVMxzMjut5Hc-Az67kqoG_zCos_Sg3PfD_Ff8tKGi8eEoy63AFu/s1600/Bratwurst+eyes+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGo4mzTbxUNbh_Khm8OfiK5jJN-m-F57XeS5GHHsDjsBXz4lmO6R2fwT23slgI2CxiUxhlwMLbtLYxOOwnFRzCmKGTSVMxzMjut5Hc-Az67kqoG_zCos_Sg3PfD_Ff8tKGi8eEoy63AFu/s1600/Bratwurst+eyes+crop.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14256007689/" target="_blank">Detail from 'Bratwurst' </a>whilst in progress</td></tr>
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Taking that lesson I started 'Sauce 2' aiming for the same effect working from the rough side of the faux suede, using my fussy little back stitches but making my knots on the side upon which I was stitching - total counter-intuitive and a real wrench!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiQTyIt3AJlsvS2503QTUGy5nZTRoLsJFfd0z0GsNhfE1vEj57F-XVAwouTy0DOxef1YJE5SQAUUBvg33KenGQHB2IMAaLy42dmceAqchvLzyTiT2lSH9NSztRxPzx6PMzJDacMRTxRQc/s1600/Sauce+2+knot+side+DSC_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiQTyIt3AJlsvS2503QTUGy5nZTRoLsJFfd0z0GsNhfE1vEj57F-XVAwouTy0DOxef1YJE5SQAUUBvg33KenGQHB2IMAaLy42dmceAqchvLzyTiT2lSH9NSztRxPzx6PMzJDacMRTxRQc/s1600/Sauce+2+knot+side+DSC_0068.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14300842780/" target="_blank">'Sauce 2'</a> the 'back'</td></tr>
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But... I got the effect I wanted.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-HPsrvmSRK1OcLPTbs08_McQ6Nwrm-lSEj3TuLTNJBfeINOD9AgNutGUrejeqJXEIlMTJemGM67o_QCpE7Ykt4aE98Ge8i34VVBLv0uyw2EPFh3XxiI6LLSeqgoqLZusudhfHi8CUWRD/s1600/Sauce+2+framing+33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-HPsrvmSRK1OcLPTbs08_McQ6Nwrm-lSEj3TuLTNJBfeINOD9AgNutGUrejeqJXEIlMTJemGM67o_QCpE7Ykt4aE98Ge8i34VVBLv0uyw2EPFh3XxiI6LLSeqgoqLZusudhfHi8CUWRD/s1600/Sauce+2+framing+33.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14300890769/" target="_blank">'Sauce 2' (mid framing)</a></td></tr>
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With the set ready to frame I was torn over 'Bratwurst' I so wanted to show the dramatic back and was told I could just put photos in my sketchbook but no - then I realised oh yeah... I'm on an ART course - a broad one - if folk can have abstract paintings with rough edges then I can certainly just show the back!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbIPfkuL_DKe8dnShGeEraYU_TLQxLyut1p7vWa4DbzrMcGKNPCtdCS0InyI54HfQWEKN-FDEir32sO9bamX6dRJYacrBxxINzykPw7UBMpqRZb7zsM4ii6NDwhq5MJB-uvyQwSdU7wdO/s1600/Bratwurst+framing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbIPfkuL_DKe8dnShGeEraYU_TLQxLyut1p7vWa4DbzrMcGKNPCtdCS0InyI54HfQWEKN-FDEir32sO9bamX6dRJYacrBxxINzykPw7UBMpqRZb7zsM4ii6NDwhq5MJB-uvyQwSdU7wdO/s1600/Bratwurst+framing.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/14419522656/" target="_blank">'Bratwurst' embroidery (mid framing)</a></td></tr>
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After a bit of spray-painting frames (to the perfect shade of grey) and cutting mounts at home, mounting my embroideries for the first time ever, hanging them on wires on a wobbly board and a bit of an anxious wait... it was the show! Lots of my lovely loved ones came from all across the UK to see the show and I was chuffed to little meatballs. Especially when my unwitting models J&R saw themselves! That was a a tough secret to keep!<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGI-RW1Bf_thN9HO7ZzehPyz2vKc_0Jx0WbsSgTbmOMis_MT581QGGsNoVtdbjIu5feA5UcOkch0XUuDfMeVoh2Is8aEV4mkb35EtHLg0w5RV11Ucbixrng26ytkwbUfmYEtoOYIRXCWd/s1600/nbnq+showing+off+63.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGGI-RW1Bf_thN9HO7ZzehPyz2vKc_0Jx0WbsSgTbmOMis_MT581QGGsNoVtdbjIu5feA5UcOkch0XUuDfMeVoh2Is8aEV4mkb35EtHLg0w5RV11Ucbixrng26ytkwbUfmYEtoOYIRXCWd/s1600/nbnq+showing+off+63.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">J&R see themselves as embroideries for the first time!</td></tr>
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Photo heavy and wordy blog combo I know... but you can see my Flickr for more pictures if you like!<br />
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Comment here or reach me as @nbnqnbnq on twitter if you prefer.<br />
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nbnq x<br />
<br />
*I KNOW right!? (or if you actually don't know <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentino_Rossi" target="_blank">click</a>)<br />
**Though I hope to make it to the <a href="http://andstitchesinthepark.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">&Stitches Picnic in the Park</a> and change that!nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-24266922162525779902014-04-16T04:58:00.000-07:002014-06-23T14:02:05.418-07:00Massive Thanks (Cushion) to (the delightful) Tom Rosenthal<br />
<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 2.8rem; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="item" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">благодаря!</span></h1>
meaning 'thank you' in Bulgarian. It's the name of the divine <a href="http://tomrosenthal.net/" target="_blank">Tom Rosenthal</a>'s show from Edinburgh last year and presumably some more in 2014...? Anyway I saw a pre-Edinburgh version of it. He was really funny - I laughed a lot and you should take the chance to see him if you get it. I did get distracted by shoes so neat that I wondered if he hovered about without ever touching the floor, his distractingly, amazing, envy-inducing perfect teeth, oh also there was some interaction which left both of us feeling weird and guilty for the other - and there was a hug. I'm not going into more detail - I was mortified. <br />
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Not long afterwards I made I made a massive 'Thanks' cushion. He asked me to. I didn't just take it upon myself. I mean I loved Plebs and Friday night dinner but I'm not a nutcase. I am fairly certain that this was Tom finding a way to do something nice for me after the awkwardness of the gig thing. I was certainly chuffed to be commissioned with it but I took this also as a penitential opportunity. Foisting sewn goods, food and drink are the kindnesses I choose in place of awkward conversations ordinarily anyway!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Now this was in the heatwave of the summer and I know a lot of time has passed but meh... I've been studying and making! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm9S3lXtfQsm_zGtGiJ4qv9D_fBSdQ9WghPJ7-D2Xc1LPMpe1aCv-BUHBt9lWgzaM5uujAk6gstMWJ3CZZw3-Kz4yS-dJZVkBoTqkcin7-VeMHzzfqynL0wE_g6UkMr2cHsz5lqmX0m9G/s1600/Final+Thanks+Bulgarian+DSC_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm9S3lXtfQsm_zGtGiJ4qv9D_fBSdQ9WghPJ7-D2Xc1LPMpe1aCv-BUHBt9lWgzaM5uujAk6gstMWJ3CZZw3-Kz4yS-dJZVkBoTqkcin7-VeMHzzfqynL0wE_g6UkMr2cHsz5lqmX0m9G/s320/Final+Thanks+Bulgarian+DSC_0057.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tO_oD4xEJfRo6a2VcmSIsq5sUIUPFEQdFRQKaakulbEQwhjsbeCSkDGG-VLR3UX1jQ-1fFgUJFrrOuYyhEGk5boVehE1SfxceSEp_PbL8TjPMX9DL9TY8T59PEL6fnR4oFT-DNxTLE6d/s1600/rosentweets+scribbled+cushion.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tO_oD4xEJfRo6a2VcmSIsq5sUIUPFEQdFRQKaakulbEQwhjsbeCSkDGG-VLR3UX1jQ-1fFgUJFrrOuYyhEGk5boVehE1SfxceSEp_PbL8TjPMX9DL9TY8T59PEL6fnR4oFT-DNxTLE6d/s320/rosentweets+scribbled+cushion.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did ask for a scribbled sketch of it - and that's this</td></tr>
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We went into more detail than this but the basic specifications were<br />
'<i>... Am looking for the Bulgarian flag with the title stitched into it in yellow / gold (the title is in Cyrillic)</i><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;">.'</span><br />
Sure - I thought - I can do that. How hard can it be? <br />
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'<i>Is it possible to maybe have a golden border to make it feel a little ornate? I dunno, whatever you think will look best</i>'<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jr1F8Ubl9VWkWtA15sYWHiBHIWYNXtUSIpwgFZER_niLqO5iEmKhnTEf_bNv0BAKRYNfQ5UgCfbHqT_WvqAidk4HIr5Ii8xkHTt-4CBHegzvwn9HkzKFSRPWO1Fe0H-DQaHz9f7YA92a/s1600/Piping-making++in+progress+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jr1F8Ubl9VWkWtA15sYWHiBHIWYNXtUSIpwgFZER_niLqO5iEmKhnTEf_bNv0BAKRYNfQ5UgCfbHqT_WvqAidk4HIr5Ii8xkHTt-4CBHegzvwn9HkzKFSRPWO1Fe0H-DQaHz9f7YA92a/s320/Piping-making++in+progress+9.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So then - cushion piping.</td></tr>
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Right so... best relinquish my objection to piping - and learn how to do it... or find some truly gigantic ric rac!<br />
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'<i>Also, the bigger the better! It will be on stage and would be great if it was legible to all</i>.'<br />
That's going to be a damned big cushion. <br />
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I asked for a scribbled drawing and then worked up the scale and such from there. I created strips of each colour for both flags - that is in Bulgarian on the front and English on the back. I attached the letters on, pieced it together, created piping... melted under it - got up super early to start when the light was good but the heat was low...<br />
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I also hand couched (embroidery stitch anchoring yarn laid on the surface) DMC floss all the way around each letter to make it totally lovely, tactile and make it feel more luxurious or 'ornate' - then tidied it up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMPkRjqfeR3sflh2KRxs5BeLoRlJmSbkgaj9Ip71D_3bF3DTiV9JyAdnntBQ2RINQ2Oqd-kSSy2H71YABjiOoq9-5JmfV_ih9_2wPsjjvh3iYwvoPBRSPzqaF7oLGrckYDciV4aI-4_c1/s1600/nbnq+neatening+29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMPkRjqfeR3sflh2KRxs5BeLoRlJmSbkgaj9Ip71D_3bF3DTiV9JyAdnntBQ2RINQ2Oqd-kSSy2H71YABjiOoq9-5JmfV_ih9_2wPsjjvh3iYwvoPBRSPzqaF7oLGrckYDciV4aI-4_c1/s320/nbnq+neatening+29.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfectionist? Me?</td></tr>
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Things I learned from this project:<br />
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1) When it comes to appliqueing lettering - bondaweb is the only way.<br />
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2) Tracing of lettering from print onto bondaweb/ fabric (without a lightbox) involves standing up against the window and<br />
a) looking as though you're being held captive and are making a plea for rescue - especially when using non English words and/ or characters.<br />
b) melting in the heat like an ant under a magnifying glass (if you choose to do this in the peak of summer).<br />
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3) Couching big floss around the edges of flat letters/ images really makes them pop. <br />
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4) Factor in for the misery of ironing in a heatwave. Do any ironing <i>very</i> early in the morning.<br />
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5) In a heatwave my computer will refuse to work, much in the way I'd like to when it's sweltering. It will burn my wrists if I come to close to using it. This makes the promise to send photographs feel like a curse. <br />
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6) I need a proper foot to enable me to do piping by machine, since I will choose hours of aching hand sewing over the chance of it not being quite right. <br />
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7) Explain dimensions as early on as possible in a project, with metric and imperial and a comparison object. Not everyone understands either or both systems. <br />
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8) Interacting with comedians is not always mortifying... though I should probably learn to keep my big mouth shut, learn to stop my face from showing what I'm thinking all the time, and oh yes - NEVER SIT AT THE FRONT OF A COMEDY GIG... sometimes good things come out of it.<br />
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9) Tom Rosenthal is proper lovely. <br />
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10) Loving the challenge of this project was one of the things that forced my decision to quit the day jobs and go to study Art & Design... and I created a portfolio sheet of this project which also impressed at my university interview! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6obE1WaLsNc6CsrdecdEegr0jVVWOUzd6sVfZ3YI1lvQ6-b5hJp_4OTHE2DcuK1uK7G9cTZ13TmNz9UmJmrvX4V2GeykYsYjsktjisS2eC1klw4jLg_0i35ClOmzHPvOnUiKsjnckpVNz/s1600/Final+Thanks+Cushion+DSC_0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6obE1WaLsNc6CsrdecdEegr0jVVWOUzd6sVfZ3YI1lvQ6-b5hJp_4OTHE2DcuK1uK7G9cTZ13TmNz9UmJmrvX4V2GeykYsYjsktjisS2eC1klw4jLg_0i35ClOmzHPvOnUiKsjnckpVNz/s320/Final+Thanks+Cushion+DSC_0070.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-14031593247897468712013-09-11T07:36:00.000-07:002013-09-11T07:36:11.867-07:00"Art's not a real A-Level"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ7xP8A_ikolDf0OJY6tE_unuSdXjX_YXNk_4FZYI8D3Y3qgOgp4hE-HYgImMPXQJM651Px1xWbC0oZW2vF5TKaCZKnZ-4iDoEC5be-FXT8uaOpo2OXtuupUTVmaR1_q74IbSIHKz7aMw/s1600/nbnq+DSC_0010+long+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ7xP8A_ikolDf0OJY6tE_unuSdXjX_YXNk_4FZYI8D3Y3qgOgp4hE-HYgImMPXQJM651Px1xWbC0oZW2vF5TKaCZKnZ-4iDoEC5be-FXT8uaOpo2OXtuupUTVmaR1_q74IbSIHKz7aMw/s320/nbnq+DSC_0010+long+crop.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>
Once upon a time I turned right when I could have turned left. I was forbidden from doing Art A-Level. A choice taken from me to ensure that I ended up with a proper career in something secure that pays. Gradually though the art has crept back into my life insidiously, more and more until I couldn't ignore it or play it down any more. I've been making jewellery, sewing, knitting and such thanks to kick-starts from workshops at <a href="http://www.amysurman.com/" target="_blank">Amy Surman's Oxford Bead Shop</a>, <a href="http://darnitandstitch.com/Workshops-with-Pin-Works" target="_blank">Darn it and Stitch</a> (now <a href="http://www.pinworks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pin Works</a>) and of course the wonderful <a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">RatsasBigasCats</a>. Doing those things in my leisure time but as a professional communications person, as well as someone with aspirations to sell drove me to taking photographs of my work. I then started to share my photos on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>, blogging here, using <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> to share my WiP's and such, as well as joining in with <a href="https://twitter.com/nbnqnbnq" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. I learned much from doing it and it has improved my making, kept good records and enabled me to give better strategic communications advice too, having actually walked the walk. <div>
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The <a href="http://www.fatquarterly.com/" target="_blank">Fat Quarterly</a> Retreat inspired me <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/fq-all.html" target="_blank">in a bunch of ways you've already heard me express</a> but there was another I did not mention. See I vowed to myself I wasn't to go to another FQR until I had actually made a quilt! Might seem obvious but I suffered from a lack of confidence at the first one some of which I put down to never having made a quilt, as well as feeling a bit out-of-water, and yet there we were watching quilting done as a competitive timed sport! I also wanted to make the most of the opportunity to learn from such clever quilters, having actually made a proper size of quilted thing seemed like a good start. This vow thing did mean that I was deprived of this year's retreat - however it also meant a push to submit to the Festival of Quilts - that is on top of <a href="http://j.mp/18Pz0FS" target="_blank">my own mouthing off</a> about the lack of novelty and Modern Quilts. </div>
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Once the Festival of Quilts was over I felt a post-FoQ slump though having ramped myself up to do it, finally made a quilt, photographed it to death, blogged it, exhibited even... and was left with the 'now what?' feeling. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxn1SM0fLAnF-4R5G71UXSUj3n_eXcPHoJrUmZAq3eqRto0s155BwFIGx84Gq-5O0JgzaM8whb8jDW9-lr1h8qQiooKA0-tahwhK4d2JYB91TDQmqRyaObMliTrld2noXd0DgOsVYhSvQ/s1600/DSC_0448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxn1SM0fLAnF-4R5G71UXSUj3n_eXcPHoJrUmZAq3eqRto0s155BwFIGx84Gq-5O0JgzaM8whb8jDW9-lr1h8qQiooKA0-tahwhK4d2JYB91TDQmqRyaObMliTrld2noXd0DgOsVYhSvQ/s320/DSC_0448.JPG" width="209" /></a></div>
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My lovely friends have, over the last months, nudged me towards a big decision. Dear Pritch (Comm's Kate) buys my jewellery and loves the sewn bits I make too, so gifted me with the 'Not on the High Street' 'Build a Business from your Kitchen Table' book and added a post-it note saying "<span style="background-color: #f2f7fc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Create, create, create, sell, sell, sell. Live your dreams.</span>" </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/misscoffs/" target="_blank">Miss Coffs</a> then commented on the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/8698551116/" target="_blank">photo of this on Flickr</a> "<span style="background-color: #f2f7fc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">She's right, Sally - live your dream. Do it now ... before you get entangled in mindless rubbish just to pay the bills. I believe you can do it! xx</span>".</div>
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I had come out of some exhausting fixed term employments and in-between things I found myself free to consider the suggestion of my wonderful, kind, creative friends <a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">RatsasBigasCats</a> and <a href="http://borderlinestraggler.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Borderline Straggler</a> that, perhaps, I should try college - as an Art and Design student. *gulp* After all I was applying for jobs which my heart was just not in and I'd taken myself as far as I could before I would likely be sucked into just the quilting, when really I wanted to push myself into new disciplines and techniques, but just didn't know how. Some folk can learn via blogs, tutorials on YouTube in their leisure time and such, but really I like to see, touch, try, see again and ask questions. </div>
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I didn't have a portfolio of my work but I went to an open day hoping to get an idea of what was involved in making one. There I was introduced to the course tutor, and, based on a <a href="http://j.mp/14ytFPr" target="_blank">sketchbook (made with Ratty's expert tuition</a><span id="goog_1177409495"></span><span id="goog_1177409496"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>) I had in my bag and photos of my makes on my phone via Flickr - I got in! The tutor was impressed with my having submitted to the FoQ, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/153608262/skeleton-and-liberty-print-cushion-in?ref=shop_home_active" target="_blank">my skeleton cushions</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/8859009132" target="_blank">rock quilting</a>... and you could've knocked me over with a feather. </div>
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So that's me now. Art & Design Student. Mature Art Student even. Learning all I can in a year, building a foundation towards becoming a better maker, learning new techniques, finding a job where this side of me is valuable... or <i>maybe</i>... going on to University... <i>maybe</i>... we'll see... dolly steps eh? </div>
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In the meantime I shall still be selling the other makes (the hexagon things I do and such) that are not going into a portfolio via <a href="http://j.mp/19RYpTm" target="_blank">Etsy</a> and elsewhere. Oh and <a href="http://www.nearlybutnotquite.co.uk/" target="_blank">I still consider commissions</a> too. Those Library fines won't pay themselves after all ;-) . </div>
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nbnq</div>
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xx </div>
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-29570692878481237272013-09-01T17:11:00.004-07:002013-09-01T17:12:12.685-07:00FoQing done<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyy4Ya_E218qVuYiDUHFCruhe43mzgOXdRO2DwQK-3p_PrZ1-CvH0Zsbthas-9GjNmVPWnnODzVtN1C-hsL7kL_VrC51Wbz1Ie5pXBAMl_qIYA7h9BGKv9DQ3vID5jrVf0Lw3xGrwk3Gqh/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyy4Ya_E218qVuYiDUHFCruhe43mzgOXdRO2DwQK-3p_PrZ1-CvH0Zsbthas-9GjNmVPWnnODzVtN1C-hsL7kL_VrC51Wbz1Ie5pXBAMl_qIYA7h9BGKv9DQ3vID5jrVf0Lw3xGrwk3Gqh/s320/DSC_0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dotty me and my dotty side of the Geek Boy Quilt</td></tr>
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My Festival of Quilts experience all done and dusted and my feedback in. Folk keep asking me about how it went and what I'm upto next so here it is:<br />
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<i>Judge 1 - 'Good use of fabrics especially the fussy cut images that help to tell the story. Very neat hand quilting. Well done. The back is lovely too. GF'</i><br />
On the table of feedback she (I am assuming it's a she...) marked me as 'good' in all categories but for 'Design, Composition, Colour' where it was only 'satisfactory' and the same for 'Surface Design and Embellishment'.<br />
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Okay I can take that. I mean there wasn't surface embellishment because it's an actual functioning quilt that can go in the washing machine when it needs to and not a wall hanging. Honestly I'm not totally smitten with the front of it myself. Fine. Chuffed with the notes.<br />
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But Judge 2... The feedback from this one did get under my skin. I wish it hadn't... but honestly this is the reason I have held off from writing up my FoQing experience. I want not to let this bother me because I knew going there that I wasn't really going to be the Guild's sort of thing didn't I? But... hell what's blogging for but to vent these things right? So this was the 'My First Quilt' section - you might think they'd be kind and encouraging? I shan't run through all the categories and marks (tempting as that is) because they were equal numbers 'good' and 'satisfactory', but for one 'Quilting: Design & Execution' 'Needs Attention' - yeah? Really? The hand stitched hexagons and rays and rows? I thought they were okay but even if not - it is MY FIRST QUILT! *seethe*.<br />
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<i>Judge 2 - 'Fine idea to make it double-sided. Backside surprising. You could think of more quilting. OS'</i><br />
I often hear that I have lovely eyes, I've been complimented on my legs - but I've never before been told that my backside is surprising.<br />
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When I saw the quilt that won my section... I was more than underwhelmed. I haven't shared a photo or anything here because I don't wish to be a <b><i>total</i></b> bitch as a bad loser so I shan't go into why it wasn't to my taste, but just the thing that really bothered me. The rule was your quilt must be at least a metre in dimension - and the winning one was in two pieces. In two pieces? So... it was two small quilts to me. Right? 'A quilt in two parts in-bloody-deed'. The challenges of making a piece at this scale taken out? Yup. Oooh anyone'll tell you I'm terrible for playing by the rules of the game, and to me, this felt like it didn't.<br />
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The staff working at the event when I spoke to them about taking my quilt at the end of Sunday weren't very nice to me either. They more treated me like a nuisance than anything and even failed to look me in the eye. The white gloved helpers by the exhibits were lovely. Vendors and bar staff and such... delightful. Look I'm no mousey shy girl, I can take feedback, I can ask for what I want, I can certainly handle bored hostility from some professions (in fact one of my favourite games is making the grumpy bus driver smile)... but here when the quilty guild are supposedly concerned about bringing young folk into the game, and in the My First Quilt section...? You might expect a note on the my first quilts feedback forms at least saying 'We hope you find these comments helpful and submit a quilt with us again next year' - something like that? Ummm... nope.<br />
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Oh and the feedback form was in Comic Sans! No wonder it churned my mood. Well it all just put me off. That's not to say I won't make more quilts, but I have no intention of playing this FoQing game again.<br />
<br />
But hey not to worry. It doesn't really matter. Rant over. I'm not heartbroken - this is just my feedback on the event. I went to a funeral the next day and you struggle to care too much about such silly things then.<br />
<br />
Back to the positive stuff? That day I got to see my quilt exhibited, admired, and photographed (which felt really odd)! I saw some interesting quilt details and kit. I got to be part of the first ever Pinworks excursion and I bought an amazingly lovely dinosaur ribbon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqctFSmtjSW-GGhQlJYGYaFll6TAscDpaITj-tuJOjolz92mqIFZkxs7wTkZe5Rk5lnxTtQHCvigPD5M9QPO4v6cLuaYT0j6v5zTZoTAbL1aTyb-GSigYupWmmflppv44fWzhs5K6au5X/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqctFSmtjSW-GGhQlJYGYaFll6TAscDpaITj-tuJOjolz92mqIFZkxs7wTkZe5Rk5lnxTtQHCvigPD5M9QPO4v6cLuaYT0j6v5zTZoTAbL1aTyb-GSigYupWmmflppv44fWzhs5K6au5X/s320/DSC_0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geek Boy Quilt was hung so you could see both sides! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <a href="http://www.pinworks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pinworks</a>/ <a href="http://darnitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">Darn it and Stitch</a> outing was super fun and its FoQers were very supportive. Spending the day with Jo and Verity was a giggle (and hanging out with Penny (<a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">ratsasbigascats</a>) is always a joy) (see <a href="http://j.mp/17rcxCn" target="_blank">pics</a> if you like). Coming back to the mini bus to a chorus of 'You were robbed' and '...but yours was clearly the most original...' etc. from the rest of the ladies more than made up for the rest.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
As you'll have seen from my previous blogs on the subject you'll know that I learned a lot from the whole experience... and most importantly I set the goal and met it. I exhibited a piece of my work - and hell being able to say that turns out to be a big thing. I can also now see why the Modern Quilty lot tend to work the event promoting products or books etc. rather than submit the wonderful quilts that we see them blog about and such.<br />
<br />
What next..? It's late now and tomorrow's a big day for me *yawn* - but I'll explain soon.<br />
<br />
nbnq<br />
xx<br />
<br />
P.S. Forgive me please if this post is typo-tastic but my eyes are tired.<br />
<br /></div>
nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-53763413665158525902013-07-30T08:25:00.000-07:002013-07-30T08:29:21.505-07:00Bookbinding lessonI love notebooks. I really do. I believe a new notebook can be as good as a tidy room. Lucky for me then that my dear friend Penny (r<a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">ats as big as cats</a>) needed to practice teaching bookbinding for one of her outreach and inclusion activities.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7iHQkVjjss342TXg3mfyx7cc8psbsqMSCUA9_k6LWtXEayWiy-8NOlRkKmTCVDQmnwju77OdJAbE3k-uSdASsPC9_yEtTNDfnYf9VciBYu_bBOPCcI55Sbkp9D844iFomWdWTIuNY-oT/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7iHQkVjjss342TXg3mfyx7cc8psbsqMSCUA9_k6LWtXEayWiy-8NOlRkKmTCVDQmnwju77OdJAbE3k-uSdASsPC9_yEtTNDfnYf9VciBYu_bBOPCcI55Sbkp9D844iFomWdWTIuNY-oT/s320/DSC_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You need a few tools but the use of the foldback clip was my innovation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiDF939T2i3eQXnyopEDgCyGCBsRtNMnDtEMiKlxkebZdEgpcx_lOiAeUsLO4rsHjRKM5XHAvrbXlhPAlUv6XjSK2rh1sBEBfy8uDgcq5T5fSf0ZfHkFZQdn4UnAUvDIAL0SC3HIoALw9/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEiDF939T2i3eQXnyopEDgCyGCBsRtNMnDtEMiKlxkebZdEgpcx_lOiAeUsLO4rsHjRKM5XHAvrbXlhPAlUv6XjSK2rh1sBEBfy8uDgcq5T5fSf0ZfHkFZQdn4UnAUvDIAL0SC3HIoALw9/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini teaching aid notebook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXUBlALfHFeGdTZySWUqPvKOPs0X0RREgBAStvsrA_g_KNP5o14MUqbmnPrgwezT90Zxgw3jrjsE1BvEtBfmjTcyRUVV2bb-61jSAhVIT_Na3QxPeR8R59aL3hQ_QlZfg-fywDWCI7lF8/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXUBlALfHFeGdTZySWUqPvKOPs0X0RREgBAStvsrA_g_KNP5o14MUqbmnPrgwezT90Zxgw3jrjsE1BvEtBfmjTcyRUVV2bb-61jSAhVIT_Na3QxPeR8R59aL3hQ_QlZfg-fywDWCI7lF8/s320/DSC_0004.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished sketchbook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cMvXnnZKdmJzYufzY2xJcCzWiq53k8b47jvr5o4qaurIowI2emDnzuxoF_BrPSQifI7ypelkk_5r3Hod7Chq_r0NdotYHCXcbWfh7xzfQFQsg7Y9Z0QvZ9__RyMcpQv9yB5XWmxpw-Ac/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cMvXnnZKdmJzYufzY2xJcCzWiq53k8b47jvr5o4qaurIowI2emDnzuxoF_BrPSQifI7ypelkk_5r3Hod7Chq_r0NdotYHCXcbWfh7xzfQFQsg7Y9Z0QvZ9__RyMcpQv9yB5XWmxpw-Ac/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why not have a Bing lining?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_fNiVChJbpz62PLQDaBwfsjH5XYwx0arldffA_hcK8fEn31E1FiRhlkG1oqkKUsWRJtcv-KKtkHXUv_QJE-OZa47DDNZ9P88wKcWUBp2JSacpTdGZeEeuW92OieBMpRF_Kl0h15LGI0R/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_fNiVChJbpz62PLQDaBwfsjH5XYwx0arldffA_hcK8fEn31E1FiRhlkG1oqkKUsWRJtcv-KKtkHXUv_QJE-OZa47DDNZ9P88wKcWUBp2JSacpTdGZeEeuW92OieBMpRF_Kl0h15LGI0R/s320/DSC_0011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just sewing and knotting. Easy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVieJj-6YqKH9abzI3IeRNnF21I5mVagLnGRcxozzR-9sAtQOVoiirGwkfTGWD7Nqof29cjRfym582P1u9FcixdBaOncyhH9nbW0LsCoQBMgPNqXOAWzUjWL6cwrjm0Z6qic2C9Aj21ZSb/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVieJj-6YqKH9abzI3IeRNnF21I5mVagLnGRcxozzR-9sAtQOVoiirGwkfTGWD7Nqof29cjRfym582P1u9FcixdBaOncyhH9nbW0LsCoQBMgPNqXOAWzUjWL6cwrjm0Z6qic2C9Aj21ZSb/s320/DSC_0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardback notebook with sections. Tricky!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQbMSO1J31intEw7EhBxvdNGq64YW8cECk77RnhT3rFF83oqhRA5oKeBdIZP8bHFTb7c7VfUqxTuDZS9Qghgmh7YFUtBkvXGWM5bBNbYUesomJT_J1E5rCRNEXpe-Ow_wp-5xlwxWINHp/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQbMSO1J31intEw7EhBxvdNGq64YW8cECk77RnhT3rFF83oqhRA5oKeBdIZP8bHFTb7c7VfUqxTuDZS9Qghgmh7YFUtBkvXGWM5bBNbYUesomJT_J1E5rCRNEXpe-Ow_wp-5xlwxWINHp/s320/DSC_0018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You need to use maths and logic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfE2-zfCRPOvVDpzgGJQp_Zfy7kdyOP_tG1e2-4YgYhPESWKCQnmc2A4Ploar0eOD66jiZsqNs1-4Dp2Lyj3KkAA0JPHW-hSny7-tT40b3bZJ4oKfXpu9Gg38T_r28m9-gZSFLuoJD5OS/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfE2-zfCRPOvVDpzgGJQp_Zfy7kdyOP_tG1e2-4YgYhPESWKCQnmc2A4Ploar0eOD66jiZsqNs1-4Dp2Lyj3KkAA0JPHW-hSny7-tT40b3bZJ4oKfXpu9Gg38T_r28m9-gZSFLuoJD5OS/s320/DSC_0022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sewing and taping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYbzJHm8gjQnsy813NGrOp3C927omFPX_EGbcrAKLR2azwrjADZLMs275XhjnVwltbllcWvR_xNwguvwAqIhSD5xQdMdA646L2f113qtm0tGTJA-tqbYPFiqyEcmozUcP6oUaL-2SA8YX/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYbzJHm8gjQnsy813NGrOp3C927omFPX_EGbcrAKLR2azwrjADZLMs275XhjnVwltbllcWvR_xNwguvwAqIhSD5xQdMdA646L2f113qtm0tGTJA-tqbYPFiqyEcmozUcP6oUaL-2SA8YX/s320/DSC_0025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardboard cutting is even harder than paper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFYVkh8D1PoL4ZCOnj4y0P3kMFedS52B5Va1ibLQJ1ZeoByakSk55VnTU0OafLa6wtHzm7E8kgpmVodqJv_cHI-7P4fUFkBMDA4i4Q3n7Em1unqPE0_NfKCqYD-B3BT1t4DSrSS9oDIbV/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFYVkh8D1PoL4ZCOnj4y0P3kMFedS52B5Va1ibLQJ1ZeoByakSk55VnTU0OafLa6wtHzm7E8kgpmVodqJv_cHI-7P4fUFkBMDA4i4Q3n7Em1unqPE0_NfKCqYD-B3BT1t4DSrSS9oDIbV/s320/DSC_0031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glue. Lots of lovely PVA glue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr5f8n08hmSLQVPJo5wNzeAppsIaDfG3Mo5sIpYa8R5zS39T9N2naZuFjhscmsIqQQ4SRK7H4ATOrR0Cbmb83rhEYEGq3xAtnSFIfuOugOOqN0ZYn5EV0xOrAN5pfEToiiBJrgsOKD4Cg/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr5f8n08hmSLQVPJo5wNzeAppsIaDfG3Mo5sIpYa8R5zS39T9N2naZuFjhscmsIqQQ4SRK7H4ATOrR0Cbmb83rhEYEGq3xAtnSFIfuOugOOqN0ZYn5EV0xOrAN5pfEToiiBJrgsOKD4Cg/s320/DSC_0033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inserted paper scraps to stop the glue from taking more pages</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpw8O06ELnqVGkF_rIorDu5T5DfSj_7lWw8p1FEFKL7vlvUXzpZAH8LWQ_MgfEojxRcfxqoViBjDWi9pfa_Qzm4Yu8oVUOTeQ7yjHVno_50aetm6OsPG1sURi1v8MQWO3NK9_nf3EZ2oQ/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpw8O06ELnqVGkF_rIorDu5T5DfSj_7lWw8p1FEFKL7vlvUXzpZAH8LWQ_MgfEojxRcfxqoViBjDWi9pfa_Qzm4Yu8oVUOTeQ7yjHVno_50aetm6OsPG1sURi1v8MQWO3NK9_nf3EZ2oQ/s320/DSC_0044.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penny kindly showing me and my memory (camera)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdOseYfBKNUdYfPZPE0-V8JMcmlPjEmvMWduWpWpHKRHZ7SRGYs1Dr23Edb9WYVjcAZzsxn-KZ_uNK9TW9EEjStO27pZCRrROYLBVE3PbySlEmas5oJtKcRoen4ezDzJ_V7NUD7cEMehS/s1600/DSC_0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdOseYfBKNUdYfPZPE0-V8JMcmlPjEmvMWduWpWpHKRHZ7SRGYs1Dr23Edb9WYVjcAZzsxn-KZ_uNK9TW9EEjStO27pZCRrROYLBVE3PbySlEmas5oJtKcRoen4ezDzJ_V7NUD7cEMehS/s320/DSC_0098.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished hardback notebook of my very own!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
So I likely won't get hooked on this activity but I ended up with two lovely new notebooks and a new found admiration for those who <i>do</i> make handmade notebooks. I also understand why it must be infuriating to make them and them not be used. I do tend to do that, smoothing lovely clean unspoiled notebooks and scribbling on the back of an envelope instead.<br />
<br />
So here... look... they're in use!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZYAJnrArWeuqEMWMQcCdySpg-7rteUgJxgM3U5kA93ZCI2oJpjj0RoZcoHtqe5ou9BnR7HuZG8F4jUmegSmaP0B_8gCv3F5h4okpM9JtCyCTpWl6aQi0rEK9Ewbm6vmmv-q0iPuSVRNx/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZYAJnrArWeuqEMWMQcCdySpg-7rteUgJxgM3U5kA93ZCI2oJpjj0RoZcoHtqe5ou9BnR7HuZG8F4jUmegSmaP0B_8gCv3F5h4okpM9JtCyCTpWl6aQi0rEK9Ewbm6vmmv-q0iPuSVRNx/s320/DSC_0029.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I drew what was nearby - my foot and my phone.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
nbnq<br />
<br />
xxnearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-6420368077050983322013-07-26T06:54:00.004-07:002013-07-30T08:29:41.956-07:00Oxford Crafters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://twitter.com/OxCrafters" target="_blank">Oxford Crafters</a>' came out of the Etsy Meet Up that took place recently. It's organised by some young disaffected W.I.'ers and the first meet up took place on Tuesday. The purpose was to shape the group, asses what folk want etc. and of course do some creative stuff.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My postcard scribbles (it was before we knew the name)</td></tr>
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The crafting task was Royal Baby postcards. Now of course I would never normally participate with such baby hoo hah (even if it's someone I know) but was showing willing. After all I want more craft and maker networking in Oxford and all the better if someone else is doing the organising. Since I am a sucker for being asked my opinion and for flattery I was also giving networking, promotional, branding and social media advice (which we know I love to do). I brought the lovely Penny (<a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rats as Big as Cats</a>) along with me who, on top of our help and advice given, even helped to inspire the group's logo with her brilliant <a href="http://redsuitcaseproject.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">red suitcase project</a>.<br />
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I took photos too... these are they...<br />
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Looking forward to seeing how this group shapes up.<br />
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nbnq xx<br />
<br />nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-37408725538944030202013-06-26T12:46:00.000-07:002013-07-30T08:40:09.669-07:00FOQing ready - Geek Boy Quilt I finished it! My Festival of Quilts quilt is pieced, quilted, bound and done. It's the biggest thing I've ever made and I'm so chuffed I can't tell you (some blogger I am), but I'll try.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geek Boy Quilt front - aiming for movement and distraction see?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geek Boy Quilt Back - neat and ordered but dotty just the way I like it</td></tr>
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It changed a lot along the way from concept to completion and there are/ were so many mistakes! I couldn't visualize the quilted dimension and leaving space was difficult. The piece of dotty fabric that I had for the backing fabric just wasn't quite big enough so in went a row of hexagon blocks. Deciding to make the quilt double-sided then changed up the design again because I wanted the quilting to make sense on both sides and neither side to be wonky. The arrogance of starting with a double-sided quilt for my first go did bite me... but I love the back and am so proud that back and front both work! </div>
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There was quite a lot of unpicking from the original piecing which had a variety of shapes appliqued on the front, not just hexagons, but gradually I took them all off - apart from the cyber men in the middle. It just didn't feel right and no amount of reassurances convinced me of it. I now know just to trust my judgement with such things. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The squares had to come off!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scattering of mini hexies and shadow hexies replace the ejected squares in the top right corner.</td></tr>
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The 'back' of this quilt I love, it's hexagons, dots, framed blocks in a row and my hand quilted hexagons show up a treat. Control <strike>freak</strike> enthusiast that I am it brings me joy and peace.</div>
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On the other side, (a.k.a. the 'front') <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/foq-me.html" target="_blank">you may recall my goal </a>was to achieve a feeling of movement. It was intended to be a proper quilt, to provide comfort and distraction for poorly or sleepy circumstances, and it seems that it does - but for now at least I struggle not to just see the flaws on it. I learned a lot in the making of it, and I am so proud of it but it's still doesn't have my heart... then again it's not FOR me. It does make its new owner (to be) happy and it is what I aimed for. <br />
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I have learned a LOT in the making of this: </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Handbinding mistakes take some time to remedy!</td></tr>
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1) If I don't love it it's not going on. </div>
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2) There are good reasons to use for a whole back to quilts.</div>
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3) Double-sized quilt design is HARD! </div>
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4) Appliqueing straight lines is crazy-making. Ridiculous. Foolish. I will find a better way. </div>
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5) Properly basting a quilt is not only so worth it, but also gives a TA-DAHhh feeling when it comes out at the end. </div>
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6) Cutting into English Paper Pieced hexagons and having it go wrong - not a big deal. Fixable in fact.</div>
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7) Preparation is everything. Buy too much fabric, make too many hexagons, practice, play, measure and be ready. There's no such thing as 'too big of a fabric stash' after all. </div>
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8) I really need to try out machine quilting and binding. Hand piecing, hand appliqueing, hand quilting and hand binding is lovely - but pretty sllllloooooooowwwww.<br />
9) For a bigger quilt I'll need to move out a sofa from my flat.<br />
10) Do not sew-up or cut-up a project that is the same material as the dress you are wearing. </div>
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There are many yummy fabrics in the mix but the highlights for me are:</div>
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1) Inclusion of scraps of fabric from Kitenge in Rwanda - given to me by the recipient's sister.</div>
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2) Blueprint fabric from <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/" target="_blank">Spoonflower</a> - the recipient being an engineering sort.</div>
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3) Cyberman fabric from <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/" target="_blank">Spoonflower</a> - the recipient being a robot enthusiast & Dr Who viewer.</div>
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4) Cow print from <a href="http://darnitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">Darn it and Stitch</a> - to represent Oxford via <a href="http://www.gdcafe.com/" target="_blank">G&D's</a> ice cream. </div>
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5) <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/marcelinesmith" target="_blank">Hello Cupcake fabric</a> from <a href="http://www.askingfortrouble.org/" target="_blank">Asking for Trouble</a> on Spoonflower - one of the recipient's nicknames.</div>
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6) Little boy and bunny print from <a href="http://darnitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">Darn it and Stitch</a> since the recipient had a 'bunny blanket' as a small person.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handquilting and orange binding? Joy.</td></tr>
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+ The orange binding I do adore. You can choose just to see the twirling orange hexagons and orange of the the binding too. </div>
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I doubt very much whether most folk that attend FOQ will like my quilt. The tough-to-please ladies judging the competitions in particular, and I base this on feedback some of my friends have had from their submissions in previous years, and these folk are way better than me. All that they won't like about it the new owner does though so... meh. It's pretty imperfect, but then again it is in the 'My First Quilt' section - because it is just that, my first. There are more photos over on <a href="http://j.mp/1cnjAJO" target="_blank">my Flickr</a>.</div>
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Mostly I am pleased that I said <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/foqing-disappointment.html" target="_blank">let's submit Modern Quilts</a> and that's what I'm actually doing! I've never seen one like mine before, so at least that'll break up the impeccably made traditional quilts some. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrMcPLV6-yAQd54Hc3ThQElLcd7Bc6W-usW7hoIJmOoNZbAH1LuQy4XvRnM-o16rnZ_uatnFowkSKcerAYAPnNvlQq61uSAT6ScYmz4JcleprpHIQwWILFIyv45S3PVniM7A9c-8-ne08/s1600/DSC_0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrMcPLV6-yAQd54Hc3ThQElLcd7Bc6W-usW7hoIJmOoNZbAH1LuQy4XvRnM-o16rnZ_uatnFowkSKcerAYAPnNvlQq61uSAT6ScYmz4JcleprpHIQwWILFIyv45S3PVniM7A9c-8-ne08/s320/DSC_0165.JPG" width="320" /></a>The owner of this quilt isn't me and I hand it over fully once the Festival of Quilts is over. Soon I shall have to start the next... and this one will be for me. I'm thinking MORE HEXAGONS! </div>
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nbnq x<br />
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-51412652040550060052013-04-30T04:31:00.002-07:002013-04-30T04:47:01.859-07:00Darn it & Stitch (more DSLR douche-baggery)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_ZtIcJtiYIoaGObKVBQnfc6H8F4hOn-OLGBqHWkYlcozCGt_FDOZgMzZK8nWzZzwpEAR0w4yNiLqQI9-i13WWuhtauvI-oj6hHCEsMXWqkYG8UYDPVU84_6kuS_CyupchBuJ4GGOCtjo/s1600/0+DSC_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_ZtIcJtiYIoaGObKVBQnfc6H8F4hOn-OLGBqHWkYlcozCGt_FDOZgMzZK8nWzZzwpEAR0w4yNiLqQI9-i13WWuhtauvI-oj6hHCEsMXWqkYG8UYDPVU84_6kuS_CyupchBuJ4GGOCtjo/s320/0+DSC_0050.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
I love <a href="http://www.darnitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">Darn it and Stitch</a>. Last time I was there I had my camera and when Jo was busy I took photos. These are some of them.<br />
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<img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXQyITqGAQqaNZMkRKFf7C2s_jgubOnaGGe8sO5R1PmUxIF8vdAst8hQnclnaLjO_MvffSrxjxR-0fb440zqto-7nZ5JNeL5B19ZNvDlvxa5uW2WPPSW9AHLV6iBg7sn3svrKDe_SnqjB/s320/2+DSC_0017.JPG" width="320" /></div>
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More on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/" target="_blank">my flickr</a>.<br />
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I can so see why a lot of DSLR douche-bags have blogs.<br />
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nbnq xxnearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-59446157805378576172013-04-24T07:20:00.000-07:002013-07-30T08:40:48.027-07:00FOQ me! <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/foqing-disappointment.html">Mouthed off last year about the Festival of Quilts</a> didn't I? Railing about the submissions of modern quilts I called out for us to do better... for folk to submit their quilts for us all to see in real life (not touch, oOOoh no not touch!). Me and my big mouth. Now obviously it comes time to put my money where my big mouth is and submit something myself doesn't it? I must make something of my own and walk the walk. Must I? Reeeeally? Yes, I definitely must.<br />
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My goal was to create a quilt that really comes into it's own when on a poorly person. You know that sort of poorly when you can't pick up a book, or watch telly but instead you just stare at cracks in the walls or divert yourself with a patterned curtain? That's what I mean. When you've long hours to fill so you find a small detail makes you smile or transports you to elsewhere in your mind than in pain or discomfort, <i>that's</i> what I was aiming to achieve. <br />
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My quilt/thing/piece is hand-pieced hexagons (surprise!), appliqued onto a off kilter rectangle, which was pieced with my handle-turn Singer, appliqued straight lines (which are wonky but I couldn't face re-doing), basted and now part hand-quilted - but still with quite a way to go. It's not perfect. Really I would like to be submitting the back piece in which my hexies are safely and neatly framed into a nice neat row in amongst the polka dots. It's the side I prefer. The symmetry and rigidity pleases and comforts me - but as my kind friends have reminded me when I need them to - this quilt is not for me and my comfort. Always in mind I have the end result is not about pleasing the FOQ ladies but rather in the years afterwards to provide comfort to someone whom I care for in low times.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geek boy quilt (basted stage) mini hexy detail</td></tr>
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My kind, supportive, encouraging friends have provided guidance, encouragement and support (and I might need more still):<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.ratsasbigascats.com/2011/08/festival-of-quilts-2011.html" target="_blank">Rats as big as Cats</a> has coached me and kept me focused when I needed it, as did Quilt Fairy and my friend Noreen - no small task since helping me to create 'movement' and making something A-symmetric did NOT come easily to me I tell you! </li>
<li>Whilst making this I also have in mind <a href="http://enfurnoh.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Curly Boy</a> who as my geek-quilter chum I so want to impress with this thing! I also know a lot of the old lady patchwork jacket crew are NOT going to 'get' it. I want to be able to add it to Curly Boy's <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/sewgeek/" target="_blank">Sew Geek Flickr Group</a> for geek stitchery and be amongst those who will appreciate what I was going for. It ain't kittens and flowers.</li>
<li>Flylilypad chivvied me forward, encouraged me in sweary motivational language and reminded me of the coming deadline as did others, for which I am very grateful. </li>
<li>Scruffalo who is to be the eventual owner of and snuggler-under of this quilt is therefore of course, my muse and inspiration but was the original motivation to get on with it at all! Something this size was terrifying - until the request came and I knew I HAD to do it. Been waiting aeons now mind and won't get it until the mid-August heat of summer! I am very glad of the patience. </li>
<li>Jo and Klee from <a href="http://darnitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">Darn it and Stitch</a> have been beyond brilliant and so encouraging... Jo's being incredibly supportive... not like a cheer, or shouting encouragement, more like two hands on my back shoving me forward. Like let's arrange a coach full of people to FOQ and 'go and see your quilt' supportive. *gulp* </li>
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I can't bear the idea of everyone I'd let down if I failed to submit (and one of them is me) so here goes... WISH ME LUCK!<br />
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So I've submitted my application *now*! I've written some blurb and given dimensions but now I need to finish it... soon, so soon... like best stop typing and get on with hand quilting sort of soon. Yep. *double gulp*<br />
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Enjoying the sunny weather? Not really sitting with a quilt on your lap weather is it? Nope. But on I go.<br />
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If you're in the same position do let me know. Let us encourage and support one another, then bring something to show and tell, in the hope that if I do you will then will all have an inspiring interesting time. There's no shame in being a beginner and everyone has to start somewhere. Come on boys and girls - <a href="http://www.thefestivalofquilts.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=27/t=m/goSection=7_24" target="_blank">submit</a> - there's still time!<br />
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nbnq xx<br />
(if you wish to chivvy, encourage or berate me on twitter I'm <a href="https://twitter.com/nbnqnbnq" target="_blank">@nbnqnbnq</a>)nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-25778376528206601882013-03-15T06:04:00.003-07:002013-03-18T06:58:55.190-07:00Manchester - indulging in some DSLR douche-baggingHere's the story in pictures...<br />
(I did say I'd be practicing my photo-taking so forgive the indulgence please)<br />
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A cracking time was had... and my photos are coming along I think. Turns out it really is all in the camera and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/8453761375" target="_blank">'blogger' lens</a>! But I am really open to tips on how to take better pictures so please do say if you have guidance! </div>
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The rest of them are on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/sets/72157632762286882/" target="_blank">my flickr here</a>. </div>
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nbnqx</div>
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-2385663217278052392013-02-19T01:21:00.001-08:002013-02-19T11:29:46.489-08:00That blogging, making mojo thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">You know that thing we hate where we look at the work of some other makers whether that be in a shop, design centre, Etsy or such and, as well as admiring and coveting, think I could make that! Well I do that (not say out loud mind - I'm not a monster) but I think 'Oh the things I make are better than<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>that</i>!' The next thought is 'I could be selling my makes!' Then I don't. I know why too... It's because I'm a king-sized coward. I want everything to be perfect and if I don't give 100% it feels like failure anyway. Plus I am SO good at diverting myself! It's a gift and a curse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Surrounded by half-made lovely things I've been poised on the edge of really trying as my maker self for some time. Previously I have blamed my photography skills and kit, needing to practice, wanting to complete one big project first... All sorts of excuses! Lately the reason/ excuse has been down to not finishing items so that I could sew in labels once I have them. Homemade labels didn't meet my neat need, the hand-embroidered hexagons took waaaaaay too much time and so now it's about designing and ordering machine made labels... hadn't done that though had I? So then I wait, delay shilly-shally and start the next thing, and the next. Buy more fabric, buy more fabric, knit another scarf... and allow the pile of WiPs to grow like a fabric tumour in the room next door. It's presence feels Poe-esque to me - The Tell-Tale Heap (of Unfinished Objects). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Folk I know see the things I make and ooh, ahh and 'I hope you'll make <i>me</i> something' to me. The flattery/request combo means that I take them at their word. I then make gifts of items that take me days to plan and make. Items that could go for a significant sum in £s. In exchange often I get a book, bag of fudge or some other 10 second decision. Then I curse myself for failing to have the same motivation for making to sell. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I don't have the crafter churn-them-out and whack them on Etsy mentality at all. I like to make one-off pieces with love, care and total obsessive perfectionism. But I bump into friends who are real artists, artisans etc. - I mean proper ones (skint ones) - and it turns out we think the same ways, we have the same processes, share the same challenges and it occurs to me that I'm just like them in my creative pursuits... Does that mean I'm an artist? Maybe. Maybe not. At least it definitely means I have no choice but to express that side of myself. No choice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">In the meantime I throw myself into a new employment - heart and soul of course. Like I said, anything less than 100% is a fail - that counts for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>everything</i>. Working with lovely new people and feeling somewhat like a hero parachuted in to save the day, means that I neglect my craftery, my social life, my web life, my voluntary work, gymming and my health even. Away for some R&R to recover from all that... lovely... then ill - of course. You can't run full tilt then rest up and expect anything other than being struck down ill can you? But that poorly time does allow for a bit of time to reflect which is what this whole business has been about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Having failed to blog for a long time and failed to commit properly to doing anything with my makes it seems appropriate to say it out loud here. It might not sound like much but it's sizable enough to slightly scare me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Here goes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">By the end of March</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I shall have my labels. Labels to identify fabricy makes as made by me. <br />By the time the labels arrive I shall be poised with makes ready to be whizzed with their labels and gathered into a stock, which I shall properly promote via the appropriate channels. Not flog, not rinse, but share. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">By the end of April</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I shall have my website and all the rest of those channels in some sort of order... whatever that might look like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">In the meantime</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">I shall be working on improving my photography skills, and indeed my writing, so sharing a little more non-makery stuff here, maybe more </span><a href="http://nbnqnbnq.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: blue;">there</span></span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> etc.. Forgive me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">My<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/foqing-disappointment.html"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: blue;">FOQ rant</span></span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">wasn't for naught either. There are plans on that count too, and I shan't be letting anything get in the way of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Just you bloody watch me.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">nbnq xx<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-16962613510843894392012-10-15T14:17:00.001-07:002012-10-15T14:21:41.392-07:00Quitches Be Crazy about Autumn (QBC 5)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">This week we Quitches Be Crazy about <b>Autumn</b>! Season of new shoes and knitwear to me it's also one for new starts and life planning. </span><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">RatsAsBigAsCats</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"> is starting her final year of her art course </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">and for me it's the start of a new Communications job. We will both also be getting some Christmas craft on meaning more of our WiPs being secret! So, having learned about what it means to be committed to a weekly blog Quitches Be Crazy is now taking a deep breath and moving to a monthly feature. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">So to this week's Autumn/ new term themed Quitches Be Crazy questions... </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q1) <b>Text </b>- Autumn is firmly here. What do you do to get into the spirit of the season?</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Autumn means knitting and wearing knitwear, boots, tights, hot wine, but also buying new stationery sitting down with a notebook and making lists and goals for the coming year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">e.g. for example on my list is getting my CBT again, (which I'd allowed to expire) so that I can have the freedom of a motorbike eventually...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">I love to walk along a leafy road, wrapped up warm, music on with a head full of plans and plots. Now </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">I also have a shiny new day job to get stuck into which helps too! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Autumn just </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">feels</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> like the start of the year in a way that New Year doesn't. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q2) <b>Photo </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">What sums up the back to school season for you?</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Well short of a picture of new stationery, knitwear and new shoes... since I'm in in Oxford it has to be something like...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBjlfyoNS79uSgZHnfHUD3MrvaqgUuaEemvwQPzKCx-6wTxcwMfeGMQvZl_yqr9T0Re_xSpDv8iaV_yOaV0t84NwUQ0Knbu8bTKW6VQ78UPwF2gs31ZnLbu8ibmCttb2kvjVo_llPjQzb/s1600/Autumn+in+Oxford.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBjlfyoNS79uSgZHnfHUD3MrvaqgUuaEemvwQPzKCx-6wTxcwMfeGMQvZl_yqr9T0Re_xSpDv8iaV_yOaV0t84NwUQ0Knbu8bTKW6VQ78UPwF2gs31ZnLbu8ibmCttb2kvjVo_llPjQzb/s320/Autumn+in+Oxford.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OOoh... the tentacle window by Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton that I saw in Florence really captured my imagination. It's so extraordinary and quite a thing to sell a handbag (just in view). </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">a) Skull in glow in the dark thread french knots - perfectly acceptable long-term WiP since glow-in-the-dark floss is a bitch and french knots require a lot of patience.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">b) Flowers of hexagons stacking them up mindlessly. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">c) Case for my bamboo tablet for which I have outer and inner mostly finished... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">d) Knitting something navy blue - lovely mindless knitting to keep hands busy when brain is still in use. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">e) </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Finally learned how to do moss stitch... so practicing that with ugly yarn.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">f) Geek boy quilt top all done and ready for basting I think... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">And there are more but there's simply not time today to list them all + it'd depress me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Quitches Be Crazy moving to a monthly feature might even mean that I get some other blogging done now you never know! Certainly I have a new respect for proper bloggers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">More quitching in November then... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Should you want to Quitch-along with us see my instructions</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/quitches-be-crazy-whats-quitch-anyway.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">RatsAsBigAsCats</a>' posts will have lovely, proper photos and all sorts too so do click to her post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">In the meantime I may have time to actually DO some of those projects on the list, some Christmas makes as well as the other stuff in the calendar, gigs, movies and perhaps even some gymming. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">I shall also try to get more photos on my much neglected </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">flickr</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> and </span><a href="http://nbnqnbnq.tumblr.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">tumblr</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">... maybe even the old </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/nearlybutnotquite" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">etsy</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">xx</span></div>
nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-53816637439057922972012-10-07T14:34:00.002-07:002012-10-07T23:45:36.319-07:00Quitches Be Crazy about holidays (QBC 4)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">This week we Quitches Be Crazy about holidays! I am famous for failing to take leave from the day job, let alone taking proper holidays but I did and now I see what the fuss is about! I came back with my notebook of ideas and not all of them were for Italian salads, pizzas and pasta dishes. </span><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">RatsAsBigAsCats</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"> does do such things and encouraged me to too. She's been off in Devon and I went to Florence. So to this week's holiday themed quitches questions... </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">In amongst all of the classical statues, renaissance art, shutters and arches this little detail with a space monkey stuck up inside really made me smile. The tear marks where someone obviously tried to remove it and failed I especially enjoy. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q2) <b>Photo </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">What did you see on your holidays and think of me?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">This bike:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The Magic is Might-esque turtles under a pillar:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Oh there are several WiPs kicking around but I have not sewn, stitched or crafted in a week! Sketches and photos, lists and inspiration only. A fallow week - deliberately. Me? Imagine! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Should you want to Quitch-along with us see my instructions</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/quitches-be-crazy-whats-quitch-anyway.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">RatsAsBigAsCats</a>' posts will have lovely photos and all sorts too so do click to her post. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">nbnq</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">xx</span><br />
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-36418058901844692292012-10-01T01:22:00.000-07:002012-10-01T01:22:17.483-07:00Quitches Be Crazy about feminism (QBC 3) <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">This week we Quitches Be Crazy about feminism! Actually we always are. But </span><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;" target="_blank">RatsAsBigAsCats</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;"> and I were talking about a journal article she was reading when (not) prepping her dissertation which went into stashing building as a feminist issue. Set us thinking. So to this week's quitches questions... </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q1) <b>Photo </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">Stash shame is a feminist issue, let's tackle it with a stash shot (one or more discipline). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Fabric stash here, this is from the drawer that unlike the others isn't sorted by colour. <br />I also have a bead and fixings stash, embroidery floss too... shoes don't count as stash items right? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q2) <b>Text </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">Do you read one book at a time or have a stash on the go? What's in the to read file?</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Oh I stash! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Gym book - The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving</span><br />
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Bedside books & others here:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY2DyhztV3sl4xH2RSLg14R_4oiphxMfzQCKEAEp64jGuCuifGCvYUn8kNPLjyh3Ay-ZEKd7K5-4AdXyXWKsv7KSUtNgi5A0dxomk4yQr1Tl6HKvyIXomPUo0p5JDq-03_oQYYCqDu0bC/s1600/bedsidebookscrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY2DyhztV3sl4xH2RSLg14R_4oiphxMfzQCKEAEp64jGuCuifGCvYUn8kNPLjyh3Ay-ZEKd7K5-4AdXyXWKsv7KSUtNgi5A0dxomk4yQr1Tl6HKvyIXomPUo0p5JDq-03_oQYYCqDu0bC/s320/bedsidebookscrop.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">Holiday book - I remember nothing by </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Nora Ephron </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q3) <b>Linky</b>- </span></i></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">What can you show me to fill me with what they used to call 'girl power'? </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">Campaign for no more page 3 - by Hollie McNish</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/XomUSdsg6UY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 13px;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">I also think everyone should read '<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/26/caitlin-moran-how-be-woman" target="_blank">How to be a Woman'</a> by Caitlin Moran.</span></i></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 13px;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q4) <b>WiP?</b></span></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17px;">The geek boy quilt top is still unfinished because hand appliqueing straight strips is hideous. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4nj4pCyUgcTLWSZZkb6ZF4TJfSouC0VpboE9Cn3blPn4nxfjjVy1itt8d9Vv5EgCYr9Fj2gH_WGW3rS8JXUe_VVX4ky05qrB8l43I-cIC-nRXsQAa4xmTByS4vmII0kDjsD7tj2WA_pe/s1600/geekboyquilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4nj4pCyUgcTLWSZZkb6ZF4TJfSouC0VpboE9Cn3blPn4nxfjjVy1itt8d9Vv5EgCYr9Fj2gH_WGW3rS8JXUe_VVX4ky05qrB8l43I-cIC-nRXsQAa4xmTByS4vmII0kDjsD7tj2WA_pe/s320/geekboyquilt.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">So that's me QBC week 3!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">To Quitch-along with us see my instructions</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/quitches-be-crazy-whats-quitch-anyway.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">RatsAsBigAsCats</a>' side is bound to be better than mine too so take a look. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">nbnq</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">xx</span><br />
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-33709680737372756122012-09-24T03:23:00.003-07:002012-09-24T03:23:49.512-07:00Quitches Be Crazy - 2<br />
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<a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=Quitches+Be+Crazy" title="Search for Quitches Be Crazy Posts"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><img alt="Quitches Be Crazy" height="197" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8441/7976584363_174e08cd8f_o.png" width="198" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Quitches Be Crazy</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">We Quitches still Be Crazy! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">To Quitch-along with us see my instructions <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/quitches-be-crazy-whats-quitch-anyway.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q1) <b>Photo </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">Let's have a sneaky peek in your ideas/ sketchbook? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thinking of what to do with my new embroidery habit!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q2) <b>Linky </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">When the urge to comfort shop overwhelms you where do you go online/ foot/ both? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;">Haberdashery is my comfort drug of choice, since I cannot be trusted in shoe shops. </span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;">Online comfort shopping - </span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFB8B3A0pxid-NQ354dMgpgxG1Y97qKNryO1sQ40soDZQAjJQJXRW6S9cceODHlbYgN097fdSY7s6_Td1u9iUNLUPJej3UnHcJH-zGdVOYYjdkNFHricUeN5OWE6Y3rRQod2QjyHZjmL8/s1600/VH_logo_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFB8B3A0pxid-NQ354dMgpgxG1Y97qKNryO1sQ40soDZQAjJQJXRW6S9cceODHlbYgN097fdSY7s6_Td1u9iUNLUPJej3UnHcJH-zGdVOYYjdkNFHricUeN5OWE6Y3rRQod2QjyHZjmL8/s200/VH_logo_large.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://www.thevillagehaberdashery.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Village Haberdashery</a> is so pretty and lovely, full of such nice things and you know when it arrives it comes is a cute dotty bag. *sold* </span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;">Or Amazon - sometimes before I even realise I'm doing it. </span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><i>On foot comfort shopping - </i></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFW_AZwhAjm3fyDRijtCekuvAF3TuL358nLkNTYCSO9T4jFmYoCvmAAtLf8CzNQA2eidwNCTxgVI6ZBlhkGwf11PSMGKrMHSspeovEar0DyAk09RW3ucUxgkIXc6mI1QfnL83L6SpUNFg/s1600/darnitandstitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFW_AZwhAjm3fyDRijtCekuvAF3TuL358nLkNTYCSO9T4jFmYoCvmAAtLf8CzNQA2eidwNCTxgVI6ZBlhkGwf11PSMGKrMHSspeovEar0DyAk09RW3ucUxgkIXc6mI1QfnL83L6SpUNFg/s1600/darnitandstitch.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><i><a href="http://darnitandstitch.com/" target="_blank">Darn it & Stitch</a> of course! It's the haberdashery version of a sweet shop from Willy Wonka! The colours of the place are gorgeous, it's full of wool, ribbon, fabric and buttons... but it's not just that. Jo and her staff are so friendly and funny that it doesn't just make me smile to go there but actually laugh. </i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q3) <b>Text </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">What do you most love/ hate in about blogs? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_cJm5zDbVHYy2VWkFErFuzw3eDB9C_3kWfC2v2H6Sa4AWVClWz67v2mjY7wr_3MYohcdSsQyMr0zsK8G05jF9IQqyK8xgRSFc0lzK6wYPfXaLp9kYJP8JTW-MVZCtf3ZQNDfZ9-jXqM6/s1600/myspecs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">Love</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"> - The thing I most love in a blog is someone who is real, funny and inclusive. Ideally I like them to be slightly sweary (I see that as a quality) and be teaching me something too. So <a href="http://blu-shed.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lu Su</a></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://blu-shed.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">mmers</a> is great as is Lynne of <a href="http://lilysquilts.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lily's Quilts</a> especially accompanied by their twitter selves. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">It doesn't necessarilily have to be a maker blog though. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">e.g. Loving <a href="http://msmarmite.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Ms Marmite's new blog</a> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Hate</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"> - Call me Cruella but I hate the over-share. I never want to know about grim details about illness, maternity or other. Not that I want the polished pretence of perfection, just not the gross stuff please. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 13px;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q4) <b>WiP?</b></span></i></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can't claim my knitting or necklaces as a work in progress any more as I was <i>finishing</i> stuff at the weekend. Yeah get me! Finishing stuff - Christmas stuff! </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRL3ctyBPWJD7Yf9_CZC_rP3J8mdWT3KZmOqbBMDYszdj-YoYyf5ESAhJed-ghk7OdKw6aUWfam9hL6ku2YqepHGnHGMjzmoc-kv3Mhs5pxgkjvVwVcNEsKDRH1tjDGTIQF_YMEO96V2l/s1600/artistinprogress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRL3ctyBPWJD7Yf9_CZC_rP3J8mdWT3KZmOqbBMDYszdj-YoYyf5ESAhJed-ghk7OdKw6aUWfam9hL6ku2YqepHGnHGMjzmoc-kv3Mhs5pxgkjvVwVcNEsKDRH1tjDGTIQF_YMEO96V2l/s320/artistinprogress.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I bought a whole bunch of mini hoops though which are in Christmas progress... </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;">So that's me QBC week 2! </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;">Do take a look at</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">RatsAsBigAsCats</a>' side of this quitchery too won't you? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">She's much better at photos than me AND has been *tarting up her blog too. Though I've been able to advise Ratty and others about their web presence and felt very useful and clever, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">I have been awfully distracted by life changes of late myself but do plan to get better at all this. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">nbnq</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">xx</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">* must stop using the phrase 'tarting up'</span><br />
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-54138857327865985342012-09-17T01:35:00.001-07:002012-09-17T01:35:28.756-07:00Quitches Be Crazy - 1<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Quitches Be Crazy</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">If you're thinking '</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">What are you on about?' 'Are you making up words now?' or 'Can I play?' </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">click on: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/quitches-be-crazy-whats-quitch-anyway.html" target="_blank">What's a Quitch?</a> for my introduction. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: #0000f1;"><a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/">Rats as Big as Cats</a></span> and me w</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">e're not like the other Quitches.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">On with a gentle start to our first <b>Quitches
Be Crazy</b> questions then:</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q1) <b>Photo </b>- </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">What item that you could hold
with one hand is your most precious? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without my specs I couldn't function. Forget sewing, reading or greeting friends in the street you'd all just be a fuzzy blur to me. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">When choosing my first pair of glasses I said to the Optician I wanted frames 'just like my daddy's' - obviously a bad idea. Carlos the Jackal style aviators hardly go with a gingham dress and plaits! I crunched many pairs under foot and floordrobe etc.. too. I ended up on very good terms with the Design Technology teacher at school who'd keep on fixing them in new and interesting ways. Now I have these sturdy Dior ones and I love them. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: 13px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Luckily they make me look both cooler and cleverer too. Presumably that's what the whole </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;">'Can I try your glasses on?' bit is all about. But I could do without the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;">'OOh you're really blind aren't you?' </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 17px;">that follows. Ha, had me pegged as a hipster? Nah - I need these. </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">Q2) <b>Audio</b> - </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">What's the best album/ playlist
to craft to? (Name the craft, name & link to the music).</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">A Contrary Mary I change my mind a lot on this but on this day in
history... </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #5f497a; font-size: 13pt;">Embroidery</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"> and<b> <span style="color: #5f497a; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 191;">hand quilting</span></b> - Upbeat poppiness with a
sad edge ideally like: <a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/0lH9bacJzoLfY0tP60h6ko"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Tellison</span></a>, <a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/6hfCNoY0LCpiRkqoEu0MU0"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Trophy Wife</span></a>, <a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/7cfhZmKaLWzNLwHDxzugUH"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Little Comets</span></a> that sort of thing.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For <b><span style="color: #5f497a; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themeshade: 191;">knitting</span></b>
- <a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/3Fobin2AT6OcrkLNsACzt4"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Lazerhawk</span></a> allows me to think my own thoughts, tap my feet and bob my head. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #5f497a; font-size: 13pt;">Machine sewing</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"> - I do love a proper album to sing along (shamefully
badly) to - give me some </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/4A9xtvezlouTD7H0kyUje9"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Twin Atlantic</span></a> - Free, </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/1xdB9gS1NrKEYgZUEfoqIw"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Idlewild</span></a> (any album up to 2007), </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/4gobkm0j2fEJ6onYTkWOvY"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Faith no more</span></a> - This is it: the best of (it
reminds me of the come-back gig at Brixton which was AMAZING), </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://open.spotify.com/album/5DrPmYzVSJwbRboOJQbqqS"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Throwing Muses</span></a> - University, </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">or maybe a bit of
<a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/12VaqyEhgwDRuFfEqbnrpz"><span style="color: #0000f1;">PJ Harvey</span></a>. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">If I'm offering one of my playlists then it'll be <span style="color: #0000f1;"><a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/sallyam/playlist/5FKvDyCPvnmFzjgc9M6kOI">splendid</a>. </span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/3JulrApLVT81sb2HkfwMks"><span style="color: #0000f1;">John Martyn</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><a href="http://open.spotify.com/artist/6PHIK3kjWggLtVygsOtpqS"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Suede</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"> are my great loves so they go with everything! </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><i>Q3) <b>Text</b> - </i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;"><i>What's your favourite motto(s)
or quotes to keep you buoyed and/ or making?</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “When it's difficult
like this, the taste (of winning) is better.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Valentino
Rossi<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"My life will only
be what I make it. If I accept defeat, I deserve defeat"<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Azealia Banks<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><i>Q4) <b>Regular Q </b>- </i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;"><i>What's your current Work in Progress?</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #343434; font-size: 13pt;">HA ha! Most everything I've ever started quilt-wise, plus a scarf, some jewellery that got too fiddly for the evening light... a card... but getting the most attention is the fabric from the ugly swap at the Fat Quarterly Retreat that I'm embroidering in several colours to see how that changes it... </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfpgdeqvx30B-SahBPzCTahiCjsaZXzSK8gEuZmmfvXn3JIbN-n6fxZJlpzId5Sl8jhyRbKQ8J5-UOxPIJh0IqmVXf-mpCTurl2yIz0-kJSwRgSjD6IJjTNkuywE6C-xi1tPl6v0c2RJD/s1600/uglyembroiderising++2012-08-07+14.22.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfpgdeqvx30B-SahBPzCTahiCjsaZXzSK8gEuZmmfvXn3JIbN-n6fxZJlpzId5Sl8jhyRbKQ8J5-UOxPIJh0IqmVXf-mpCTurl2yIz0-kJSwRgSjD6IJjTNkuywE6C-xi1tPl6v0c2RJD/s320/uglyembroiderising++2012-08-07+14.22.44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -- <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phew! So the
nearlybutnotquite end of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quitches be
Crazy</b> week 1 is done! My first go at such a thing. Next week may be entirely different! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">nbnq x</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-77694786907717632732012-09-11T08:35:00.001-07:002012-09-11T08:35:39.686-07:00Quitches be Crazy - What's a Quitch anyway?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ONKxIsbSzIVG_xUUidf6QgoUiT4HyGsA_Z6tQplqhEEQ8yGg-vk1LYknI7li6_pmrZ7KCLMVpa6kCGwPjs4UnhJyIJanvDKeuY8BOlHeEuVHlC8fzy_pDxfuHaVuD9RGbiplMJgZ7HhE/s1600/Quitches_255.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/7976584363/in/photostream" border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ONKxIsbSzIVG_xUUidf6QgoUiT4HyGsA_Z6tQplqhEEQ8yGg-vk1LYknI7li6_pmrZ7KCLMVpa6kCGwPjs4UnhJyIJanvDKeuY8BOlHeEuVHlC8fzy_pDxfuHaVuD9RGbiplMJgZ7HhE/s320/Quitches_255.png" title="Quitches Be Crazy" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Quitches Be Crazy </span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Quitches (noun): </span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Meaning: </b>Hardcore ladies who quilt </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Rhymes with: </b>Witches and Bitches</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Example sentance:</b> I went to pick up my quilt from the show but the Quitches elbowed me in the ribs, pushed in front of me and sneered at it because of the modern use of colour. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;">Quitches Be Crazy</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13pt;"> is a new feature which I am sharing with my dear friend <a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: #0000f1;">Rats as Big as Cats</span></a>. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">We're not like the other Quitches and are enjoying some learning about and inspiring each other whilst living far apart nowadays.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">We are in fact having a frenaissance, (yes it's a Friends' reference), where we get to know each other better again, after big changes in each of our lives. We are also encouraging one-another to blog-up too. Since we are thoroughly modern ladies we are going multimedia with this thing a mix of photos, words, links, and sounds to answer questions each week. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 17px;">If you want to play too we've got a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/7976584363/in/photostream" target="_blank">button</a>. We will pick our 3 questions by Wednesday and post on a Monday. To go full linky do post in the comments here won't you? </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">It's a first for us and we're keen to learn from it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">So feedback to me is very welcome. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">You can email me (nearlybutnotquite [at] rocketmail [dot] com, comment here or find me on twitter (as nbnqnbnq). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">We start this coming Monday... </span>nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-31582410118762268582012-08-22T02:17:00.001-07:002013-07-30T08:41:18.300-07:00FoQing disappointmentNow I KNOW the British Quilting scene has modern exciting work being done - I've seen it online - but that is not what I saw in Birmingham at the weekend. I saw (and I'm not going to mince my words here so brace yourself...) a lot of ugly shit. Boring, trad, ugly, sludgy, poorly constructed... it was all there in various combinations. There were some traditional things done well but that doesn't set my heart on fire.<br />
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There were a couple of lovely modern quilts, <a href="http://blu-shed.blogspot.co.uk/">Lu Summers</a> did her bit with some yummy, modern colourful pieces (thank God for her!) and <a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/festival-of-quilts-2011.html">RatsasBigasCats</a> big white on white piece, but nothing really made my jaw drop. No giant eye of hexagons, no deconstructed cleverness, no funny modern twists or anything of the like such as I saw <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/lets-get-quilt-blind-shop-at-foq.html">last year</a>. It just felt like murky trad hobby hell had almost filled the hall and the good bits had been squeezed inbetween.<br />
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Some that won prizes were <i>dreadful</i>, at least one was already in a book available to purchase at the event showing it was made in 2010 and one quilt featured text in Comic Sans. COMIC SANS for goodness sake! That should make for an immediate disqualification from prize-winning (if not society as a whole) in my book. Maybe I'm being a terrible quilt snob I thought... but then my twitter feed showed some similar thoughts elsewhere. So here I am saying it out loud.<br />
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Don't get me wrong it wasn't a day wasted, seeing Ratty with her quilt in the show was touching (as I talked her into submitting it) and the shopping was brilliant! Playing on the machines, asking advice of embroiderers, quilters, trying new products, bumping into quilt chums and the like was smashing and all too... but the quilts are the thing. There were some nice quilts on the stalls promoting the products but not IN the show. I wondered if why? If it's because that means allowing total access to folk to photograph it, to potentially touch it with un-gloved hands, or to send it somewhere uncurated? I don't know. </div>
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It's not the friend-maker thing to say I know and I'm sure there were some very clever things that took a very long time, that I'm failing to appreciate - but this is my honest opinion. Maybe it's an off year, maybe it's my 'quirky' taste being hard to please... but still... We went there to get inspired, hoped to leave with the itch to get sewing and left disappointed. <br />
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The answer if you don't like it is, of course, bloody do something about it right? After all I don't blame the Twisted Thread people or the organisation, I blame us for not submitting them.<br />
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Modern quilt folk! Please, if you make something exciting, if it creates a stir online, please send it to the Festival of Quilts so that we can see it in person. It's not about showing off but rather sharing the joy and giving folk the chance to see what's happening now! You should know that I'm going to be relentless about this, so you might as well just accept it now. <br />
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I left on Sunday even vowing to submit a quilt myself next year. So there you go, next year - I'm putting my efforts up to be sniped about judged by the trads and griped about by pissy bloggers... for my sins... and maybe they'll hate it. But I'll have tried. </div>
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Motivation comes in strange places huh? </div>
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nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-24745328406649964642012-08-15T06:49:00.000-07:002013-07-30T08:41:44.476-07:00Let's get quilt blind & shop at the FoQLast year I went to the <a href="http://www.thenec.co.uk/whatson/festival-of-quilts">Festival of Quilts</a> at the suggestion of my dear friend <a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/festival-of-quilts-2011.html">Rats as Big as Cats</a> having only really made a few hexagons myself, but nevertheless firmly hooked. I bought my first cutting mat and rotary cutter and a few pieces of fabric there. Quilt-blindness kicked in several times and we had to have a pint of beer break or two. Yeah yeah I know but honestly I was dazed and confused by the assault of colours, patterns and techniques of patchwork. In fact I was dizzy before I'd taken more than a couple of steps inside - and that was just from the women who had turned up wearing it. Wearing it! Wearing patchwork jackets, patchwork bags, dresses... like camouflage. It is not okay to wear the band's t-shirt to the gig and it's not okay to wear patchwork to the FoQ. The leopard print dress, laser-cut necklace and black studded shoes I wore was, I got the impression, received much the same way by those ladies, so what do I know.<br />
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So entranced was I by the <a href="http://louisebatten.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/festival-of-quilts-2011.html">monochrome eye quilt</a> I kept just drifting back over and over again to gaze into it, it was awesome, like the untempered schism. Who knows what that did to me! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvqd9J56OOWKMj4P_gEyuvDL8LeiK5rsIGspnutPbqu7QXak0guq-5dPUp_fzkpa4Pw_1eMHudODdUsOH4waFMrNuK5wN-ze8bc04xXhVeGLl4eYpOHZiMhjA-0jLts7gpzYQVS-8Y2dS/s1600/staringintotheuntemperedschism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvqd9J56OOWKMj4P_gEyuvDL8LeiK5rsIGspnutPbqu7QXak0guq-5dPUp_fzkpa4Pw_1eMHudODdUsOH4waFMrNuK5wN-ze8bc04xXhVeGLl4eYpOHZiMhjA-0jLts7gpzYQVS-8Y2dS/s320/staringintotheuntemperedschism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ratsasbigascats.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/big-girl-nerves.html">RasBaC has submitted a quilt</a> this year and I am super excited to see it on display. I will also be trying to over-hear what the quilterati think of it! If you think "<i>OOoh that's big and white and looks like it'd drive you crackers</i>" that's hers! It's so thrilling to think people will be looking at it now! Not for Ratty mind, she'll be elsewhere trying NOT to hear.<br />
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My Google Reader now reveals a loOOoong list of creative makers including people I've actually met, in the real world and interacted with online. The quilt life has become such an enormous part of my life and I'm SO excited to go get back there with a real appreciation for the work, the chance to talk to people and of course the shop-rtunity. <br />
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Maybe next year I'll enter something myself, you never know. For now - roll on Sunday!<br />
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nbnqxnearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-44620956137613256412012-08-03T03:52:00.000-07:002012-08-07T09:01:57.956-07:00What do you DO with embroidery?Doodling with stitches? I love it. It seems that embroidery requires the ability to slow down, sit still and appreciate something that requires patience and time, much like whiskey. So now I have reached the age where all of those things are for me.<br />
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I got the embroidery bug off <a href="http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/">Aneela Hoey</a> at the <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/fq-all.html">Fat Quarterly Jubilee Weekend Retreat</a> and recently we've had weather too hot to have big quilty sewing or any woolly knitting on one's lap, let alone to have an iron on! So embroidery has been my <strike>drug</strike> craft of choice.<br />
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Some of the bits and bobs that I've stitched are:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkYeOMF_yE9d0UwByyZ2r9-vAVTgygOxjKJG2yOfNn9OGj1PATLZVcOXRMaM0B3NjBGnttv2WxfxIPK43KkW6DQJ2wGxk4zmCepDB8rzNFRjmxFoYGh_L5QNJYU465xOJsmpBywO-Xra3/s1600/embroidery+mosaic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkYeOMF_yE9d0UwByyZ2r9-vAVTgygOxjKJG2yOfNn9OGj1PATLZVcOXRMaM0B3NjBGnttv2WxfxIPK43KkW6DQJ2wGxk4zmCepDB8rzNFRjmxFoYGh_L5QNJYU465xOJsmpBywO-Xra3/s320/embroidery+mosaic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/7179728249">Stitchy scruffalo close</a>, 2. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/7683461258">Embroidertree - full side DSCF6879</a>, 3. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/7542024500">Embroidered Ghostery</a>, 4. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/7684005658">Embroiderising the ugly - close</a>
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I love the handsewing, it is the control enthusiast's choice, and I'm hooked.<br />
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The thing is though... what do folk that don't want (or aren't allowed) hoops going dusty on walls DO with embroidery? Seriously. This is the big puzzle for me at the mo.<br />
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Suggestions welcome!<br />
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nbnqx<br />
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<br />nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-28191434596388267372012-07-11T09:18:00.001-07:002012-07-11T09:18:40.522-07:00Why nearlybutnotquite?An odd mix of control enthusiast (not freak), organiser, social butterfly, massive geek, advisor and 'quirky' creative I am a strange beast I know. Girly sewing and frock wearing, sits strangely to some with my love of motor racing and somewhat laddy- rather than ladylike socialising. Folk are often confused about how the pieces of me fit and work together and as there seems to be a spate of honest open door, un-photoshopped sort of blogging at the moment (e.g. <a href="http://ladybirdlikes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/list-38-reasons-why-i-am-keeping-it.html">Ladybird Likes</a>) I thought I'd be brave and 'splain myself here. Perfectionism and making by hand are an odd mix I know. Handmaking has soul and love and sometimes wobbles - because it's human. So, unless you are a machine the best you can hope for is nearly perfect. Even Mary Poppins was only 'practically perfect' I keep reminding myself of that. So here goes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2izQerQoGRiRsyaIRmeiYNd_CsmhBhTZMibLmT29nyrRBNCx-r6oUIvkYlNQ61vSOsrUjaW7a4Ef38BIQnlZEf-NGACnwRvsWAW6YuvFy4SZzLj1xy6sn_VmR8LsOCNPSLO-VYNZhNvjA/s1600/Practically+perfect+in+everyway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2izQerQoGRiRsyaIRmeiYNd_CsmhBhTZMibLmT29nyrRBNCx-r6oUIvkYlNQ61vSOsrUjaW7a4Ef38BIQnlZEf-NGACnwRvsWAW6YuvFy4SZzLj1xy6sn_VmR8LsOCNPSLO-VYNZhNvjA/s320/Practically+perfect+in+everyway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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People label me as 'quirky' from the way I dress as well as the things that I make and all I can say is to just fling on a fleece and jeans everyday (or ever) would make me sad. My clothes and accoutrements make me happy. I like big shoes and rings, bright stuff and black stuff and that's just that. Sometimes getting dressed is the best bit of the day, sometimes I look ordinary and sometimes I look in the mirror mid-morning and think I look like a crazy person, but often my shoes make me smile and my necklace gives me comfort. So - yes there is a 'kooky' creative mode which comes up with ideas, and makes interesting choices... playing with colours, day dreaming and scribbling pictures. But there are also the lists... Ah I love lists, (who doesn't?). My lists are usually full of pictures and quite often mind maps/webs as there is so much I want to do!<br />
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As my maker self I am <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/nearlybutnotquite">nearlybutnotquite</a>. I make lovely 'quirky', often one-of-a-kind I hope, things. There I have full ownership of every step of the design/ making/ selling process, because it's just me. That allows for me to control every stage, which not only means no arguments (yay!) but also lets me learn about what works or doesn't work without letting anyone else down or having to answer to anybody. I had some <i>infuriating</i> times with a fomer employer providing advice, explanation and guidance about use of social media, management of brand etc. only to see it ignored (or not fully followed). This way I learn properly. </div>
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Project mode has me fully focused, totally applied to the task, eye to the details and of course aiming for perfection and order. Do as you would be done by and all that. Cracking on and re-doing until my internal quality assurance testing is happy is a delight for that bit of my brain. It baffles me when others don't. </div>
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Once the 'thing' is made I record it in photographs, put it to sell sometimes and then review it to learn from. Sometimes that's a proud <a href="https://twitter.com/nbnqnbnq">tweet</a>/ blog/ <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/">flickr</a>/ <a href="http://nbnqnbnq.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a> share and sometimes not so much... but I am trying to be brave and open with it. What's the worst that could happen right? I gulp, breathe, sit up straight and hit publish! Then I keep an eye on the analytics, retweets etc. and learn from them. The responses, when I get them, are exclusively kind. Though the flaky creative bit of me struggles with the criticism I so want to keep learning and improving that it is worth it. I have of course learned that I am my own harshest critic. At home I was grumbling about a mistake (stitch out of place) and got the verbal slap of 'if you want a material that you can be accurate to within 2 mm you want metal not fabric'. Ah yes, fair point. </div>
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Since learning from my <a href="http://www.nearlybutnotquite.co.uk/">nearlybutnotquite</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/nbnqnbnq">nbnqnbnq</a> experiences I have found more and more I am asked to give advice and be a sounding board... and now I feel pretty capable and competent at doing so. My maker self is still in it's infancy, but I love it and I'm really growing personally, socially and professionally. </div>
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More and more I find myself giving advice about social media, marketing, fundraising, websites and all that gubbins as a communications consultant. From what I gather the reason I am so often asked for my opinion is because I am honest. If I say nice things it's because I mean them. If I don't (and am sober - drunk rules may differ slightly) I won't. I sincerely believe in contructive criticism. That is to say feedback with encouragement and advice, not abuse dressed in help's clothing. Taking full ownership of my own project means that I can speak from experience when I give communications advice. I can be kind and understand the process but also get the emotional aspect of sharing your work with the world. It's a real joy to see someone I've advised converted and evangelising to someone else with my words. Imagine if I used my powers for evil... anyway... </div>
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Over the last few years I have become gradually more involved with <a href="http://www.sciencebook.org.uk/">Sciencebook</a> too. A scrappy little start-up project spun out of Oxford schools projects to enthuse young people about Science, Technology Engineering and Maths wouldn't be something you'd immediately link me to, being a non-academic, non-parent and all with but you know what? I love it and I'm bloody good at it. I believe in clear, kind, honest, non-jargony communication and that works. Sciencebook's Project Director, Pauline has asked me to be more and more involved over the last 4/5 years from originally asking me to check one piece of content, then to be on the Advisory Board, and now I am responsible for communications for Sciencebook. Pedant and control-enthusiast me gets an outing, along with creative thinking and converting people to my way of thinking? Love it. It's also a great project. Science at school for me was pretty dry, and the exciting innovations were not used to bring us in. If there's one thing I learned from working with a former Chief Scientific Advisor it is that the realities of climate change and feeding the world as they are now require Science as well as Policy to really make a difference, and the problem is going to take the generations after us to deal with it. More of a boots than sandals gal I do still care about the world and being able to use my skills to help enthuse young people about Science with that focus is brilliant.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHccWEfICrYlsIiKwAfjYb28wTsnmvIcxll3Q7lNfQeo4d9dRsUjRQNKyabeKUecPbDu3pNHz0qgDR1MR5X3gWuiAJJvZHCJv7ZEA6036SXqkiB_ZH1Ho1WIV949DAbGZdzAdOYe1h3P4y/s1600/Skulls+and+bunnies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHccWEfICrYlsIiKwAfjYb28wTsnmvIcxll3Q7lNfQeo4d9dRsUjRQNKyabeKUecPbDu3pNHz0qgDR1MR5X3gWuiAJJvZHCJv7ZEA6036SXqkiB_ZH1Ho1WIV949DAbGZdzAdOYe1h3P4y/s320/Skulls+and+bunnies.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Then I go back to my stitching... darkness and light, science and art, bunnies and skulls I am a contrary fairy.<br />
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There's also a day job but that is just for paying the bills.<br />
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If all of that sounds a bit over-achievingy bear in mind that sometimes I am frozen by the fear of imprefection, I almost never do the washing up, dust bunnies eddy around the flat with only the spiders to keep them in line, I've tonnes of incomplete projects and I never visit my mother... but then again I never said I was perfect.<br />
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nbnqxnearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7662237866737194636.post-50742615778601234332012-06-28T01:13:00.005-07:002012-06-28T01:20:23.918-07:00Darn it! (my cake is back)<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #444444; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;">
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Oh imagine my delight in seeing my patchwork cake back in the window of <a href="http://www.darnitandstitch.com/" mce_href="http://www.darnitandstitch.com/" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">Darn it and Stitch</a> (the divine little Oxford Haberdashery)!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRENV_r0VEK_EUr0jqVWq7mcQV7RrqInpjLXs4rtRc9UmA8tVqPFpvib_oS3xG47MHqAI_90tIgbUazKui7pTqquWlO9vAMAqGNQ-U6LOiBx2qLSAplG542Ts2UNTy83uFdEgWLa5IKLG/s1600/my+cake+in+darn+it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRENV_r0VEK_EUr0jqVWq7mcQV7RrqInpjLXs4rtRc9UmA8tVqPFpvib_oS3xG47MHqAI_90tIgbUazKui7pTqquWlO9vAMAqGNQ-U6LOiBx2qLSAplG542Ts2UNTy83uFdEgWLa5IKLG/s320/my+cake+in+darn+it.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hexagon Patchwork Cake (what I made) in Darn it & Stitch now</td></tr>
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I got strong-armed, okay, sweet-talked by the delightful and charming craft-pusher (shop-keeper) Jo into making her a cake for her celebration/ competition for the shop's 1st birthday last year. It was my first finished patchwork thing and seeing it again and reflecting on it now I'm even more proud! </div>
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But I missed out on the 2nd anniversary celebrations, a yarn bombing of Oxford, as I was off with another of my hats on doing my <a href="http://www.sciencebook.org.uk/" target="_blank">Sciencebook</a> stuff on a Windfarm (losing my heels into the mud). Plus I had to go to a bloody (lovely) wedding in that wet Wales so I missed out on the cakey party bit <i>and</i> <a href="http://www.mrxstitch.com/">Mr X Stitch</a>'s workshop too! </div>
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<a href="http://nearlybutnotquite-co-uk.domain-ref.http.tellurium.lon.periodicnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/180-e1312478786371.jpg" mce_href="http://nearlybutnotquite-co-uk.domain-ref.http.tellurium.lon.periodicnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/180-e1312478786371.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Yeah that's right - patchwork candle" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-121" height="200" mce_src="http://nearlybutnotquite-co-uk.domain-ref.http.tellurium.lon.periodicnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/180-e1312478786371-768x1024.jpg" src="http://nearlybutnotquite-co-uk.domain-ref.http.tellurium.lon.periodicnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/180-e1312478786371-768x1024.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="Patchwork candle" width="150" /></a>Gutted though I was to have missed all of the birthday celebrations I'm<i> in</i> the photos of the Darn it and Stitch item on page 11 of this month's <a href="http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com/magazine">Mollie Makes</a><i> twice</i>, plus my make and note are on the shop's window display - so I still feel as though I was involved! </div>
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I love Darn it and Stitch. The lovely things, space and people - obviously! Dropping by to chat to Jo and buy stuff I don't need, but couldn't live without... But I also love the impact on the Oxford craft, designer/maker community it has clearly had - and feeling a part of it. I'm thrilled with the skills I have learned and the places it's taking me creatively and personally. It's great to hear Jo's big plans for the Darn it & Stitch Universe and I can never wait to see the new (<a href="http://www.pinworks.co.uk/">Pin Works</a>) workshops to see where might fancy taking myself next!<br />
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I'm so proud that <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbnq/sets/72157627231470757/">I made that cake</a>. I'm flattered that it's out again for this year's celebration and I have to blush that my thank you note is in a frame on the window sill too! Roll on no. 3! </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.222040667830196.60337.218643148169948" mce_href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.222040667830196.60337.218643148169948" style="clear: left; color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo by Lady Butterworth's " class="alignnone size-full wp-image-125" height="257" mce_src="http://nearlybutnotquite-co-uk.domain-ref.http.tellurium.lon.periodicnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Lady-Butterworths-darn-it-pic-window.jpg" src="http://nearlybutnotquite-co-uk.domain-ref.http.tellurium.lon.periodicnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Lady-Butterworths-darn-it-pic-window.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="Lady Butterworth's darn it pic window" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last year's Darn it and Stitch Birthday window - when it was 1.</td></tr>
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nbnqx</div>
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</div>nearlybutnotquitehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05220262433688577375noreply@blogger.com0