Well I've spent the last couple of weeks doing lots of things but essentially my time has been focusing on working and spending time catching up with long long overdue orders and planning for future workshops as well as events . I have thrown myself into preparing for these after the enforced slow down of the summer holidays . Although I am very busy and very excited by things that have been discussed and are starting to be planned in' The Studio' by Lucy and I , I am a little cranky with stress !! My husband told me to go boil my head at the weekend , I was so out of sorts . Oh you have to laugh , a person could get really offended by such a remark , it's just as well we've been together soooooo long and I have very thick skin . I think Mr p . deserves a medal for putting up with me .
But I am staying focused and playing catch up . Here is a peek of a long overdue order for an old colleague who loves my Chicken cushions , she has two now . She has patiently waited and if your reading this Maureen , THANK YOU X.
I am never Happier in my work than when I am making little stitches , I love the textural and tactile quality they give the surface of the piece !!
This is in my back yard , we had sheets over fences and tall ladders to climb up for photographing . In the end Lucy came up with idea of photographing in her bay this is where she does allot of photography as the light is very good in the morning . We were both pleased with the resulting image and we adore the background colour . Blue is becoming a signature colour in the studio .
Now I could set too on promotional material for our first dates in the Studio .
Rag Rug Wreath and Rag Rug Brooch .
RAG RUG WREATH DAY WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY 19TH OCTOBER
SATURDAY 19TH OCTOBER
SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER
RAG RUG BROOCH DAY WORKSHOP
SATURDAY 30th NOVEMBER
TIME : 10AM - 4 PM
COST : £45.00
TUTOR : RACHEL TERRY
We are very excited about these workshops and Rachel is a very talented Textile Artist and Tutor , her business is called Bewitched by stitch if you would like to check her out . All the workshops are full day courses and include all material as well as tea/coffee on arrival and light lunch and tea / coffee . The Brooch workshop has been designed to teach both rag rugging techniques in two adorable projects .
If you would like further information please get in touch via my Face book page Handmade Over Yonder or call into Coopers Cafe-bar ( 6-8 Belmont st , Skipton , North Yorkshire ) and come up to 'The Studio ' where we can discuss the workshop with you and show you samples of what you will be making .
But whilst being busy with work I've tried not to neglect my boys and there needs , now the session is starting to change and different vegetables are coming into season one request I got the other week was for Pumpkin pie . I love this time of year as we move away from fresh zingy tastes to rich aromatic spicy flavours.
Yorkshire parkin
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
175g/6oz golden syrup
100g/4oz black treacle
85g/3oz light muscovado sugar
225g/8oz butter, plus extra for greasing
100g/4ozmadium oatmeal
250g/9oz plain flour
2 rounded tsp ground ginger
2 tsp bicabonate of soda
: Heat oven 160c/fan 140c/gas 3.
:Butter a deep 23cm/9in square cake tin and line .
:Beat the egg and stir in milk , then set aside .
:Put syrup, treacle, sugar & butter in large pan , heat gently until sugar has dissolved and butter has melted .Remove from heat .
: Mix together the oatmeal, flour ginger & bicarbonate of soda in a bowl , then stir into the syrup mixture , followed by the egg and milk . Combine well .
:Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 mins- 1 hour until the cake feels firm and a little crusty on top . Leave to cool in the tin .
: Then turn out and peel off the lining paper then wrap in fresh paper and foil and leave it for at least 3 days to allow it to become softer ans stickier . ( Note I keep mine in original baking paper and don't put new paper on , I just wrap as is ).
Other preparations I am in full swing of are for the next OPEN STUDIO EVENT and I'm doing a full weekend this time . As I have previously posted it is to co inside with the Yarndale weekend and while Lucy will be up at the Auction Mart ( the Yarndale venue ) meeting all the lovely yarntastic people I will be here for anyone who wants to pop in . ' The Studio ' will be full of lovely makes , there will be Yorkshire Mill Mice & Linen Hare and Some Mr Fox's ( but I do need to knit their scarfs ! ) . I have also asked two other crafters to show their work at this weekend ( photos and details to follow ) .
Coopers cafe-bar will be open from 9am on the Saturday morning as always doing delicious breakfast , you may want to call if your one of those people in Skipton before Yarndale opens it's doors at 10am , Lucy has told me today that the Yarndale bus will be doing it's first pick up at the train station to get people up for open doors we think it will leave about 9.45am and best of all coopers cafe-bar is on the same road as the train station ( pick up point ) and literally a 2 minute walk away . I will be opening 'The Studio ' doors at 9 am on the Saturday( 28th) for anyone who wants to pop in before Yarndale , I will be closing at 3pm as it's my youngest 7th birthday and we are having a tea party for him which as you can understand I don't want to miss . On the Sunday ( 29th ) I will be opening the door at 12pm and closing at 4 pm . I've had lots of messages from people saying they are popping in to 'The Studio ' I'm am really looking forward to meeting you and some of you are travelling so far . Also just on the off chance any of you will be in Skipton on the Friday morning before Yarndale we hold a Crochet / knitting group @ Coopers 9.15am - 11ish the group is free and very friendly the knitters are doing a hat knit along , this is so I can teach people of different skill levels all together and I think it will be fun to see how different the hats turn out !