Funny when you think about it ....

 .... and I did think about it as I was making this for my sister-in-law's birthday.  We get on really well and would be good friends independently of the fact that she happened to marry my brother, and yet .... we have hardly anything in common!

Carolyn is a farmer's daughter.  She is definitely a country girl.  Likes horses.  I don't.  She can deliver newborn lambs.  I couldn't and wouldn't!  I like creating things like these - she is not really and arty-crafty person!

She's quite sporty and goes to the gym a lot.  I'm not sporty and the gym bored me to tears when I tried it!

She and my brother used to go on coast-to-coast bike rides - it used to nearly kill me and the mister just pootling round our lanes for half an hour!

She lives in the Yorkshire Dales and I do love the Dales, so we have that in common, but really not much else!  And yet we talk for hours and email all the time.

Funny when you think about it.

Are your friends like you - or unlike you?

Talking of friends - I must catch up with you all now !

Cathy x

Bear Tracks

So, getting back to quilt-bowls, I have decided to do some of them with a more conventional round edge, rather than the random/raggedy edge, and also add the name of the block.  I think it works ok.  I will do both from now on.  I like this version of 'Bear Tracks' because the tracks point inwards AND outwards, rather than all going outwards.

About ten years ago we went on a family road trip from New York up through New England and eventually to Boston.  We passed near stretches of the Appalachian Trail and fully expected to see real Bears hopping out of the woods onto the road in front of us ..... but, alas, no.  There were road signs telling us to watch out for them, and also for Moose .... but they didn't show either!

So the nearest I think I shall get to a bear is this disintegrating well-loved little chap.  He is as old as his owner, 22 years, (and looks every minute of it!).  I can no longer sew him up as there's nothing left to sew on to, as you can see.  His ears have disappeared.  His arms are dropping off.  His stuffing is coming out and his nose is flat.

Is he a real bear?  Well, yes of course.  He is the 'Velveteen Rabbit' of the Bear world. 

In Margery Williams' words:  "Real isn't how you are made, ...  It's a thing that happens to you.  When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real".

Still - if we ever go back to Vermont ... I want Bears!!

Have a lovely weekend.

x Cathy

A Cottage Industry

These itty-bitty cottages above are the latest additions to my range of hanging decorations (although they haven't got their little hangers attached yet!).  It was nice to make something other than hearts and chickens, popular though those are.  I didn't know until recently that people 'collect' my hanging decorations.  That's really nice to hear!

These ones are little rows of three cottages which curve round.  But then I wondered .... curve round what?

Well, a candle, maybe, for the Winter months, (which we have definitely left behind us now - Oh Yes!!)

So, maybe some spring flowers would be more appropriate, in a little jam jar tucked inside the cottages. Forgive the amateur flower arranging!  I don't know what these are but they take over our little patch each spring.

These and more will be wending their way to the Forum Shop in Norwich in the next few weeks, but I'll be adding them to the website soon.

How are your Spring flowers doing - any signs of life?

x Cathy

Are you Awesome?

I'm getting a lot of commissions for these personalised plates - they seem to meet a demand for a 'special present' which is also 'something a bit different'.  This one I just made is for a 70th birthday and it pretty much speaks for itself.

I have never met the 'Robin' in question, but when my 18year old saw me making this, he remarked,   "Wow ... Robin sounds awesome!"  Obviously, in the eyes of an 18 year old, Robin at 70 should have one foot in the grave, rather than both feet on skis, the golf course or the tennis court!

Making the tennis racket was easier than you might imagine.  Over the years I have collected all sorts of bits and bobs for my clay tool box.  Below you can see the oval shape of an old yoghurt pot which cut out the racket head, an old tube for the tennis ball and a strip of some sort of matting/baking sheet thing from the pound shop, which made the strings.  See - easy!

For the golf clubs, I just drew them onto clay and cut round with a knife.  Then simply position the motif onto the plate, and smooth the edges with a wet paint brush.

Apply a few details and always have in mind how you might glaze it when it re-appears from the kiln. A sewing thread spool was impressed into the wheel to make the detail there.

But not being quite as awesome as Robin, I know nothing of skiing (or golf or tennis either!) and so I unfortunately gave the poor chap only one skiing-stick-thingy-whatever they're called.  Does that mean he will ski in circles forever, like when you lose an oar in a rowing boat?

In order to be this awesome at 70, I think I shall have to start being more active NOW!  And I really will .... once Spring comes back again.  I knew I spoke too soon in my last post!!

Are you really sporty and active for your age?  I bet you're all seriously awesome!

x Cathy

If I Ruled The World ....

.... Every day would be the first day of Spring! 

And then I would blog everyday instead of hibernating for two months til the sun came out again. Sorry people!!
And today, here, is really the first day it has truly felt like Spring.  Glorious sunshine, milky blue skies, but still a bit nippy.  Not only did I emerge from beneath my quilt today, but I even ventured outdoors for a long walk and took this photo to prove it!

I have been having a well-earned break from the pottery, but the orders are starting to come in now, so I must get back in the studio and crack on.
I have not been completely pot-free though.  This is a plate I made for my lovely Aunty's 80th birthday in January. Regular readers know how much I enjoy making these, and it's all the more special when the person is someone close to you.

The wet clay stage - impressing lace flowers into the border.

Once fired, and glazing almost complete, ready for second firing.

  

And Hey Presto!  Out of the second firing and looking good.

My Aunty likes baking!

                                        

And Knitting

And staying in her caravan by the sea!

The seaside here is Bridlington on the East coast where I spent many a childhood summer holiday and so in turn did my children.  
See!   I'm looking forward to Summer already, now that I've come out of hibernation!  

Now - I shall pay a much belated visit to all your blogs to see what you've been up to.

x Cathy

My First (but not last!) Quilt

So, as promised, here is some Christmas cheer, or more precisely something to give you a good laugh!
I finished my first ever quilt and really enjoyed making it.  I started with a plan (above) of what colour squares went where and then sewed them together in strips. I love these rich earthy colours - so wintery and warm.

 

I then embroidered five of the central plain squares with our family names and birthdays and then sewed the strips together to form the quilt top. Then I sandwiched together an old flannelette bed sheet,(which has made it REALLY cosy), my wadding in the middle and the quilt top on top and laid it all out on the floor.                                                            

T

Taped it to the floor so that it didn't move and pinned it all together all over.  It helped laying it out on the kitchen tiles as I knew it was all straight by the edge of the tiles!
I really loved doing the embroidered squares - I haven't done chain stitch (or any stitch!) since primary school, but it somehow all came back and was totally relaxing.

Even the little lazy daisies were lurking somewhere in the recesses of my brain.  I decided to machine quilt the whole thing together using rainbow thread.  I love the idea of hand-quilting, but I knew 100% that I would never finish it if I went down that route!  I cut binding strips from a matching creamy yellow material and sewed those round the edge.  So pleased with the colour as it really sets it off beautifully - did mitred corners and everything!

Some of the quilting isn't completely straight - I went diagonally across each square - but it's not too bad for a beginner, and to be honest, I found pushing and pulling something this huge through the machine was an art in itself!  But ..... ta daaa!  Here it is - our Family Quilt - all finished.  Even sewed a label on the back giving it's name, date and maker.

Eldest child has already claimed it when I die (nice!).

I can honestly say that the whole thing was really enjoyable to do.  Thank you Lynne for your advice on how to go about it all.  Please note that this is IN NO WAY a tutorial!  But there loads of on-line tutorials and u-tube videos out there to help at every stage.

I shall now be snuggling under this to watch Downton on Christmas Day.  To date I have watched Jamie's Christmas, Mary and Paul's Christmas, Nigella's Christmas, Hugh Fernley do daa's Christmas, Kirsty's Christmas and many many more and I can honestly say that I now feel absolutely ready to have Cathy's Christmas!

Thanks for visiting throughout this year.

A Very Happy Christmas everyone!

See you in 2013!

x Cathy

Sunflowers and Dogs

This was a commission which I made a few weeks ago for two little boys to give to their mum for her birthday.  I enjoyed making it as there was nothing in the 'brief' that presented me with any real challenge.

You may remember that in the past with these kind of personal pieces, I've been asked to put racehorses, tortoises, packs of playing cards, piles of books, you name it, onto them.

But this was just .... sunflowers.  

Nice and easy and straightforward.

I spoke too soon though.  The next one was a Christening plate and they wanted ..... Dogs!  Not just any dogs.  Their dogs - to be done from photos of their dogs! 

I have done dogs before, and I can tell you, they are not as easy as sunflowers!  They ordered Olympic Rings and the County symbol for Essex too, but they were fairly easy.

But dogs!  Why do I keep getting asked to do dogs?

And, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am ....  how shall we put it ..... not really much of a dog-lover. 

There. I've said it!  So shoot me.  I do know that in this country, that's not a popular thing to say.

I'll stick to creating them out of clay for now!



x Cathy