There’s nothing like going back to a place where you know the people and share an interest with them. It’s a bit like music camp was for me when I was young. Everyone there loved music as much as I did and we got to do it all day long – I thought it was heaven! At Lovestitch everyone loves embroidery and we do it all day long – what could be better than that?

While I knew some of the students from when I’d been before, I didn’t know everyone. That’s what’s so great about sharing a passion; you have something in common right away, so getting to know one another is so effortless!

It was especially great to see Kelley again – her effervescence is contagious and her teaching style is perfectly suited to my learning style! – and Debs Wilding. Debs is almost finished with her Future Tutor’s studies and has been working with Kelley. Debs has given me help when and with whatever I needed. She’s going to be a great RSN Tutor!

The studio at Lovestitch has two large rooms with loads of workspace and loads of embroidery supplies. Cotton, wool and gold threads, silk and cotton fabrics, flannel, kid leather, needles by the drawer-full, frames…it’s a little shop so, if or when you need something you don’t have, it’s to hand.

Kelley also has a number of glass display cabinets filled with her work and the work of her students.  The beautiful peacock fabric and creative gold work piece on the second shelf was done by Debs Wilding. I’m afraid I don’t remember who worked the darling snail on the top shelf – but it’s wonderful isn’t it?!

Thank goodness I had arrived early because Kelley and I chatted away for at least 30 minutes before I got down to work.

Next time, my first foray into silk shading…including something about silk threads!

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This time we decided to stay outside of the greater Bristol area, in a small village called Wick. We’d found an apartment/gite on Air BnB that looked great and, when we arrived, we realised how lucky we’d been to book this place for both this visit and our visit at Easter.

It’s only a 10 – 15 minute drive to Lovestitch, Kelley Aldrige’s studio, and there’s a great local pub, open countryside, and warm, friendly people.

And then there’s the site. Rarely does one stay in a place that’s fitted out to a standard as high or higher than one’s own home, but this site is exactly that and not super expensive!

The entire apartment is tiled in beautiful stone and some of the walls are of the original stone of the building. Below, you can see the hallway, with the door to the living/sitting room at the end, the bedroom in the middle and the bathroom immediately on the right. The photo is taken from the door leading from the kitchen into the hallway.

The kitchen is first class- AEG appliances, including an induction stove top – and beautiful cabinets filled with everything you could ever need. Just outside the picture is a round table with four chairs for meals.

On the table we found a bottle of local beer and cider, both brewed by Bath Ales, a small bag of delicious baked goods from Marshfield Bakery (which we visited later and can say it is wonderful!!) and a basket of eggs from the owners’ chickens.  What a lovely welcome!

Whenever I travel for an RSN course, I hope the place I’ve chosen to stay is both comfortable and provides enough space and light to do the inevitable stitching homework I’ll have between days. This place is perfect and we can’t wait to return at Easter!

Next time, it’s Welcome back to Lovestitch Bristol and the beginning of my steep learning curve that’s silk shading!

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It seems that everything I’m stitching is full of flowers lately! I love it – so pretty and so spring-like in the midst of a very long, very grey winter here in Berlin.

The pink honeysuckle flowers on Anna Scott’s piece are almost finished – only the little golden stamens to do. They look so lovely with the fat pink buds and pale pink and yellow flowers. The touch of green french knots in the center lifted the pinks and make the flowers come alive!

The threads used for the flowers are variegated, so they’ve come out looking very natural. I don’t think of using variegated thread myself so every time I do use it I am thrilled with the results!

Up to this point in the project I haven’t done anything too “stump work like”. The next parts will be completely new as I learn how to create leaves that float above the fabric and a little bee buzzing around! I can’t wait!

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