I wrote a while ago about moving in to an artist’s studio at Ushaw College, now known generally as ‘Ushaw’. You can read that post here. There are twenty plus artists there now.
I’ve also written about the wonderful embroidery exhibition currently showing at Ushaw. You can read that post here.
From May to mid-June it has been wonderful arriving at Ushaw because the display of rhododendrons in front of the main building has been spectacular.
Most days I have my lunch in the Refectory at Ushaw. It’s a highly decorative hall where they offer delicious food, cooked on the premises. I tend to choose a bowl of soup for lunch, but just take a look at the cakes table (complete with candelabra)!
Two days ago (on a Saturday) I was working in the studio when the sounds of a brass band concert came up to me from the courtyard below. What a treat!
A week ago (on a Sunday) an event took place on the field next to (and owned by) Ushaw – the Durham County Show. I felt this was something I wanted to support so I took a table in the Crafts Marquee.
I was in good company: other stall-holders included cheese-makers, brownie-bakers, chocolatiers, bee-keepers, a painter of animals, a lampshade designer and the W.I. On the stall I had quilt and sewing patterns (which you can find here), fat quarters of fabric (which you can buy online here) and a few quilts for sale – I’m having to let some of them go, as we are running short of room! (By the way, there is free shipping of fabrics from Spoonflower until 28 June 2019 and if you order within Europe, your fabric is printed and sent from Berlin, Germany.)
I took par tin the County Show without knowing in advance what overlap there would be between people who came to watch or take part in the horse show and people who might be interested in what I do. The day included a number of interesting conversations, including with people who love sewing and some who want to give quilting a go, so I will be setting up some classes in the late summer and early autumn. After several days of torrential rain here in Durham, the day itself was fine and there was just one light shower, so all of the events which made up the horse show could take place – you can glimpse the horses at the end of the field in the photo below.
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This is my ‘Cheshire Cat’, cut-and-sew project. You just need a quarter yard of the linen-cotton mix fabric to make it. You can find the fabric here.
Thank you for reading my blog. Quilt patterns are here, Fabrics are here, Classes are here.