Spinning

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The last WI meeting was all about spinning. Not the healthy exercise good for you sort, but the sort that has been going on for thousands of years. Sarah Harris from The Spinning Weal came and told us all about the different sorts of spinning you can do - she even suggested sticking a skewer in a potato to start off with! It sounds really boring, but it wasn't, it was fascinating and funny!

Sarah made it look so easy!

She even told us a little about dying your own yarns, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. But I am tempted to get the drop spindle out and dust it off for another go!

I'm spinning around

Mini Make - Candy Cane Mouse

Candy Cane Mice

This month I have been asked to do a Mini Make activity with the WI ladies on the theme of Cheese and Wine. When I was asked, I thought of cheese and mice, but since watching Winterwatch I discovered mice don't actually choose cheese! But I stuck with the mice idea anyway!
This is really more of a Christmas tutorial, but you can be prepared, or give one as an Easter gift to someone who doesn't like chocolate (is that even posssible?!!!)
To make a mouse you need a small amount of felt, a candy cane, some fabric glue and some eyes. For my eyes I used black brads from here, but you can use buttons or just felt pen them on.I have checked, and candy canes are available on ebay if you don't have any left from Christmas.

Cut out a body, an ear piece, two inner ears (if wanted) and a nose.

Fold the mouse and pattern in half together and use as a guide to cut the two sets of slits.

Roll the ear piece up

Carefully slide the ear through the two slits at the head end, stopping in the middle.

Glue or sew ear patches on if you want - don't forget a nose!

Add two eyes you can use buttons, brads or even draw them on

Slide the candy cane through the slits in the tail and the loop created by the ears.

A wobbly template with sizes!

The Bees Knees

Eleanor Burgess

January's WI meeting was all about bees! We had Eleanor Burgess, from The Beekeeping Ladies, give us a talk about Bees and how we can help them as gardeners. I have met Eleanor and her mum Rosemary many times at various fairs and really enjoy their company, as well as their lip balm!! I found out that Eleanor is the local bee inspector and thought what a great job! So The Beekeeping ladies were invited to give us a talk, and it was fascinating. Did you know during WWII bees had their own sugar rations at winter, and that's where the role of bee inspector comes from, it was their job to check the bees really were getting their sugar! Eleanor was full of information, and no matter what bee related question was asked, she knew the answer!

The Beekeeping Ladies goodies

The problem is, my mind is now buzzing with bee ideas ....

Bauble Blowing

My Bristol blue glass bauble

A little while ago, I had the chance to blow my very own glass bauble!
Ever since watching Kirstie blowing glass on her very first handmade series, it's something I've wanted to try. So when my WI arranged a visit to Bristol Blue Glass I put my name down quick!

Getting ready

There was a chance to look round the (very small) museum and visit the shop and then it was off to the studio where we watched glass being blown and shaped by the professionals and had a short, interesting and informative talk on the story of blown glass in Bristol from James Adlington the master glassmaker. If you watched the Monty Don programmes where professionals taught their crafts, it was Jim who taught the glass blowing and helped them to make their chandeliers.
We discovered that the saying 'Don't grab the stick by the wrong end' originated from glass blowing, by not picking up the long metal tube you use at the very hot end!

Jim at work

I then had the chance to blow a Bristol Blue Glass bauble of my own carefully supervised by James. he told me I had very good lungs - probably from using my best teacher's voice at school all day!

I learnt that the kiln works at 1250 degrees Centigrade, which is very hot

You can see how hot!

and is never turned off, apart from maintenance, all the glass they use is recycled, how the twists and ridges are formed and how colour is added and taken out of the glass.

Beautiful glass for sale

Mini Make Jars

Chris from Heavenly Hedgerows

I have been asked by my W.I. to come up with some 'mini makes' for us to do at a meeting. Last Tuesday we had Chris from ' Heavenly Hedgerows' join us for a talk on foraging and some basic plants and ideas to make, I have to say the rose hip jelly looked beautiful - far too good to eat!
The mini make I came up with was a decorated jar, that you could fill with jam, or sweets, or pickles, or bath salts, or buttons or .... 

Mini make - jars

Each jar (from IKEA) contained a square of the Cath Kidston Rosali fabric from IKEA, a length of ribbon, some small pieces of felt, two buttons and a small strip of paper. I had made two sample jars to share using those 'ingredients' one with paper bunting tied round the neck with a felt label and one with a felt heart on top.
The fabric was cut into a circle with the edges scalloped. I then cut a heart and a small label from the felt. If you were giving this to someone special you could embroider their name on the label. Ribbon and button detail was added. To get the fabric circle to stay in place I used a rubber band first before tying the ribbon on. But if you're making this with someone else they could hold it for you!
The paper bunting was made by cutting little triangles out of pretty paper and then using a double thickness of sewing thread to sew it as a length and then tie it round the lid.
I have to say that I was very pleased with them and so were the ladies! I thought they would also make pretty presents for a teacher or teaching assistant at the end of term filled with sweets or paper clips or a voucher ...

mini make lids

I'm joining in with Handmade Monday this week as it's half term - see you there!

The chain gang

I'm excited - my first pattern in print! My April copy of WI Life arrived today....

April

and on page 71 is my knitted paper chain pattern!

and a name check too!

It is being used at the WI AGM at the Albert Hall in May for an attempt on the World Record for knitting together.
Am I sad for being so excited?
Jo x

Deck the Albert Hall

On Wednesday I recieved this email

"Hi Pickle Lily,

I thought you might like to know that I picked up your pattern for a paper chain on the internet...
I’m hoping to use if for a large event at the WI AGM at the Albert Hall in May...

Best regards,
Katy
Crafts Council"

How exciting is this! I'm waiting to hear some more from Katy, but I had to share!
Have a good week-end.
 
Jo x

Only 7 to go!

Only seven more followers needed and then Pickle-Lily can draw for the giveaway!

What you can win!

Thank-you for your lovely comments and now to business.
It's been a busy week - as always. Last Tuesday I went to the W.I. where we are making shopping bags out of old t-shirts. They are going to be sold and the money donated to Weston Hospice.

So easy to make

I used my son's old t-shirts as adult ones made ginormous bags that would drag on the ground if filled with shopping. So easy to make - sew across the bottom and cut off the arms and neck to make the handles. There is a demo here .

Ho-ho-ho!

I also returned to the lovely Connies in Weston to make a sock reindeer. Here he is guarding a basket of reindeer food ...

Socket

P has named him Socket - the antlers aren't quite right, they look more like horns so I shall have to rethink them. I met a lovely group of ladies and we had a super evening making our reindeer in a lovely environment. And of course P wants to make one now.

Have a good week - please visit Wendy at 1st Unique Gifts to see what everyone else is up to for Handmade Monday. I am looking forward to Coldharbour Mill Christmas Craft Fair this Saturday and not the hour appointment I have the dentist (again!) later this morning!

WoWWI !

Next week I am looking forward to my first ever Women's Institute meeting. It is something I have wanted to do for a while, but the local groups meet across the middle of the afternoon (2 - 4pm) and if you need to collect children from school or work, the timings don't work.
At a Knit Club meeting many moons ago I was discussing this with some of the ladies there who also wanted to join the WI and so they decided to open a WI of their own in Weston-super-Mare.
Next Tuesday is the first meeting - in the evening, so I can go! We have been promised lots of cake - and if it is made by Helen it will be very good cake - and the bar will be open (if you are not driving).
If you would like more information please visit their blog and I may see you there!
Have a good week-end.
Jo
P.S.  Women of Weston Women's Institute