September

Lets see if I can cover all my September events in one blog posting.
Patchwork classes have started at School House Arts. Despite people telling us that they wanted basic classes the uptake has been slow. But numbers are increasing which is promising.
My car has had its first MOT.Nice boys round at Hanningfield Motors looked after that for me.Highly reccommend these chaps very fair on price and their workshop has got to be the tidiest I have ever seen!


I have applied for and received my very first passport. This is momentus for me. I don't really like travelling or holidays so have avoided getting a passport. Why now then? Well it's motorbikes of course.Brother in law and a small group of chaps have been going to Jerez MotoGP for a few years now. His daughter and son in law have a house a few miles away from the racetrack so it makes it a very reasonable trip. So my love of bikes and more especially Valentino Rossi have pushed me into this. All happened fast as well. Less than a fortnight from sending off my application.And that included having to go for an interview to prove I was who I said I was!

Concert crowds

Finally on Saturday last we had a family trip down to Brighton.Son has been before but couldn't remember and his girlfriend had never been. So we made a reasonably early start and drove down. It was only when we got close that we realised that we had picked the day of the Fat Boy Slim concert on the beach and the place was jammed.Still we had no problem getting to the park and ride and getting in to town. The shops in the Laines were wonderful as always and we had a great time wandering around.Lunch at the Gourmet Burger Company was yummy.

Jess and Peter
I managed not to spend too much money but could easily have spent loads more. The weather was fantastic and I am sure all those crowds had a great time at the concert.

Mr on beach

ArtyAllsorts

Saturday 30th August
The wonderful ArtyAllsorts very kindly came down to School House Arts and spent the day helping us to learn more about using our cameras and taking better photos. I don't think I will ever be terribly good at it,I haven't got the 'eye'. But I certainly learnt loads .Thanks Arty!

I am a bad blogger

Yes I am. It is so long between posts that I have to look at my calender to see what I have done since. So this is me catching up (again)
The day after my epic charity bike ride Hubby and I went on a day sail on a Thames sailing barge out of Maldon.Hubby has had a couple of trips away on one of these as team building exercises from work and has really enjoyed them.So much better that paintballing!
Very early start was needed to catch the tide and it was a bit nippy and windy to start off with but later on the sun came out and it warmed up a bit. Got some sail up and headed out. Now obviously you don't go very far just sail for a bit, anchor for lunch and sail back. Nevertheless it was a very pleasent way to spend a day. The real highlight though was the food which was excellent.
On the way back they did manage to get it into full sail for a while but it was the wrong kind of wind so we were not travelling fast enough to get us back in time so sails had to come down and engine started.

Charity Bike Ride 24/08/08

Still catching up! Went on a charity motorcycle ride with EAMG. Riding pillion with Rob who's daughter is going out with my son.Alledgedly it was to be 160miles or thereabouts. It turned out to be nearer 250. It is over 30 years since I spent that long on the back of a bike. That was OK though. Weather was most unpromising to start off with but it did brighten up later and I only got slightly damp and soon dried off.
Riding on the back of the Fazar was a very different experience to the Ducati! Much more comfortable for distance riding of course. I think I did OK as a pillion passenger although Rob has had to replace his back tyre!

Nec Festival of Quilts

Gradually catching up with my blog! Sunday 17th August saw me catching a coach with the ladies from Ferrers Quilters to go to Birmingham. An early start but that was OK. Gave us plenty of time for a really good look round. Lots of wonderful work,too much to list here. Trends seemed to be many more art quilts also lots of painting,bleaching /discharge etc. The Kemshalls have been real trend setters there.It was interesting to watch them working using various different methods to transfer portraits on to fabric in a quilt they are making featuring the women in their family.
My favourite pieces were in the 3D and wearable section with some interesting use of computer parts, just quirky enough to appeal to me
I was most interested in watching people working with new techniques. Committed to Cloth is always worth watching as was Kim Thittichai and Maggie Grey. A few new ideas I might even get round to trying.
All in all a good day with only one downside. The button up quilts that had been made by so many groups in the UK and abroad were poorly displayed. Ferrers Quilters entry had very little showing but the one I was, in a very small way, involved with from Springfield Quilters was almost completely invisible. In fact most of Region 8 and 9 were very restricted

Etsy Retreat

Can't believe it's been a week and a half since I set of to York and the Uk etsy retreat. Overcoming my fear/dislike of travelling was the first hurdle so I was much relieved to find my way to Kings X and met up with reform aka Tricia, charlottenarunsky aka Charlotte and Dichotomy aka Bronwyn . Collected Gillian on the way somehow. Collected at York station by the wonderful Debbie
who was responsible for us all being there.There ensued a wonderful weekend of crafting ,chat,laughing etc. The facilities at the school were superb.Lucky girls that go there! I really hope it happens next year as now I know what is there I have ideas of what I would like to do. Tried a few new things although my screen printing on Sunday morning was hampered by me feeing decidedly unwell.

Getting Ready

On Friday I am off to the etsy retreat in York. Really excited about this but don't really know what I am going to do. I am not in the slightest worried about being with so many strangers for the weekend because they are not , strangers that is. I have met a few of them, the rest I feel I already know and I am certain that we will all get on fine. I haven't done much to prepare for this trip but I have bought my first 2 bars of Green and Black's chocolate which I understand is an essential ingredient for this weekend.
I have also signed up for flickr's 888 event so I will have to take my picture and post it before I leave for the train on Friday morning.