Smallbeans

I’m in the North for a few days! Staying with friends who have moved up from Milton Keynes and it is glorious and it rained heavily today, I was thrilled, I took a video 😂. Yesterday we popped into Berwick upon Tweed and found SkyBluePink a lovely little textile wool craft shop Jo from Jo Andrews had recommended last year. Jenny doesn’t do social media at all “if they find me they find me, if they don’t they don’t!” I was very happy because my hosts know Jenny and gave done some of her workshops! I found some lovely tweed fabrics that ‘spoke tree’ to me 😉 and some variegated threads that spoke Saxon buriel site corn field 👍 oh and chatting about my Saxon projects, Jenny showed me a collection of iron drop spindle weights that had been found locally- beautiful! Now Jo of Jo Andrews happens to be giving a talk tomorrow night in the area, but by then I’ll be back in MK so will miss it! Damn it. But I have to be back to prep for a workshop on Saturday, it’s all go!

Taplow mound version 2. Work in progress. Slow stitching, silk threads couched onto eco printed vintage cotton.

Remembering the cards we made Class On Grass Cards 27 years ago to the day. We lived in a lovely new flat in Backchurch Lane, E1 1LS East London, Evie was 11 months old. Her bedroom was green, ducky lights and a glitter ball 🪩 all the sparkles in this moment were the 11th August 1999, of course they were. The second card shows one of our hand made Christmas cards, us on our balcony, early Apple Mac illustration, hand cut and coloured.

I’m excited to launch this new community textile project at the Emberton Park Café Over the next 8 months we will be celebrating the beautiful country park with block printing, natural textile techniques, eco printing and slow stitch embroidery. Generously supported by MK Community Foundation we start on Monday the 10th of August and have an exciting programme of activities to try over the next 8 months. The outcome? Five fabulous quilts for the cafe that celebrates the Park, wildlife, beautiful landscapes and fabulous outdoor activities. I’ll keep you posted, but if you are local do message me and would like to come and help!

Ohh it’s quite a lot when it’s out of the bag! My lovely haul from the Festival of quilts yesterday, I do like to stock up on my favourite thread and found a new beautiful fabric dyer all the way from Minnesota! Lovely to meet Suzie from as well after all these years. Not able to tag apparently atm, so I’ll list in the comments 🙄 👍🧵

One of my creative ‘hats’ I’m very delighted to say in COMMUNITY! I work with schools and community groups to create large textile commissions, which is always a joy and an honour. People are so proud of their work and an all the little pieces that make a whole. The first slide are quilts that I have submitted to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC over the years and I’m sad to say they often get bad comments from the judges, which makes me sad, it’s like they don’t get the community element of the work. I’m wonder if others feel the same who make community quilts, or maybe it’s just me.
However I have persisted and have finally been rewarded today with a Judges Choice(!) 🙌 Together with Cherry from Cherry Mcdaniel I worked with 300 children from a primary school as part of last years Waddeson Manor Learning Christmas extravaganza last year. It was the background to “I saw three ships come sailing in, on Christmas Day” etc Swipe to see it in situ in The Stables at Waddesdon
We are ok so excited to have been noticed at last, I had 2 great days in a school and then around a week of collaging and appliqué and then Cherry added the final wonderful quilting details with her Handi Quilter Inc. | Longarm Quilting long arm amazing machine.
Some of the other quilts I have made are so huge and wild, they don’t make it the FOQ, but very proud of this years entry.
What shall we do next year Sarah Dewberry? Xx

Not the best photo, but the ONLY photo I took yesterday at the Julia - Vintage and Handmade Shop - Olney event at Turvey House. So well organised. Just delightful, lots of new conversations and interested people. A good few sales, thank you 🙏 Lots of people I knew, stopped by to check in on me (us as a family) The sun shone, but there was a gentle breeze…..you can see the results of the ‘breeze’ at the bottom of the photo, I spent all day re planting the trees which blew over 🙄 Slightly frustrating, but so happy I went along and I’d love to return! I’ll take more photos of my new work in the wind free space that is the studio next week. Quiet day planned now, catching up with chores.