Here's a selection of summery pictures......my ongoing weaving...a page from my art journal...dyeing....and summer scenes including yours truly enjoying a fine summer evening.  Having said that, I am at this precise moment sitting inside listening to the rain.  Oh well, good for the flowers!   As you can see, my little art hut is being put to good use....I don't do as many entries in this blog nowadays, I put a lot on to Facebook, so if you're interested to follow my daily musings, just search my name Alison Crosthwaite.  Have a good week x 

I've had rather a hectic couple of weeks - hence no blog. But here we are......I have managed to snatch time to weave and now I have two looms, I can multi task!!  The smaller frame is going to be used for scarves and the larger frame for garments (at least that is the plan!) The red/pink weave shown here is the first part of the next jacket.....and the blue is going to be a scarf.  Now the weather has warmed up - it works really well having my smaller loom down the garden in my art hut.  This afternoon I had an idyllic hour - sitting in my little hut, with my music playing...happily weaving.  I love summer!

Its been rather a hectic week with a lot going on, so I thought I'd share some of the happenings with you!  First of all we had another creative fibres workshop and here you can see some of the enthusiastic students being creative.  We had such a great time, and have been lucky with the weather considering our very dubious summer.  Then the local Embroiderers Guild have put on an exhibition.  There is a variety of extremely good work...impossible to show everything.  Last but by no means least, I have continued to spin and weave......the latest coat is progressing slowly.......

I thought I would add some happy home photos today!!  I love my little house and can't believe we've been here over three years....how time flies.  I've also given my little art hut a makeover, so its feeling very spruced up....  its amazing what can be done in a small space! This week has been busy but I have managed to get some creative time...art journalling and  weaving.   This is the beginnings of a new jacket (already been spoken for!) and I am using my new larger loom.  Today I have been spinning at the Smallholders Show here in Sussex - and, although I wasn't selling, there was a lot of interest in the woven jacket that I was wearing....maybe I should keep it on all the time and be a walking advertisement!

I thought I would share these photos of two days of fibre workshops that I ran this week.  We all had such a good time, and it was great to see people learning new skills, and indeed, to make new like-minded friends.  As you can see, afternoon tea (served in bone china cups!), with home made cake was an extremely important part of our day.  These were 'taster' days and students were given the opportunity, first of all to have a go at art journalling, and then to look at raw fleece (alpacas were leaping around the grounds!), do dyeing, spinning, weaving and felting.  I think I sent some people away with swirling brains....but no one was bored that's for sure!! By the way I have now , finally, got my larger loom .  It was obviously meant to be - not only did I receive a totally unexpected cheque in the post for the exact amount - but an hour after ordering it, my friend posted that she had exactly what I wanted for sale at greatly reduced price.  I hastily cancelled my original order and am now the proud owner of loom no. 2. I have just started a new jacket and will post pictures next week.  x

It seems ages since I last posted on my blog....but I have been travelling!  Had a good week in Italy, although sadly very little sun.  But it was really good to be with friends and chill out.  In fact I did very little except laze, eat and drink!!  Now back to the beach and home.  I have just finished this woven piece which has in fact been bought as a wallhanging.....(I take this as a compliment...)  I am now almost ready for the Creative Fibre workshops which start this week.  My loom is being warped up for students to have a go on - so I am loomsless.  Not for long however....I have finally persuaded myself that I need a second (slightly larger) loom which can live in my art hut for a lot of the time.  I am ordering it tomorrow....yipee!>  I have decided to save for a new, larger shed next year.  It means finding new home for bikes etc. but where there's a will, there's a way! By the way, I heard this week that one of my woven coats has been selected to go into a National weaving exhibition....can't believe it..... very excited!!

Summer seems to have arrived at last, so a lot of outside spinning....I haven't yet taken my loom into the garden.....see how the weather goes!!  My plan is, to save for a new, larger art shed.  I could then get a second (larger) loom and leave it in said workshop.  At the moment it is upstairs and rather an effort to keep on moving it.  As you can see, I am still weaving (another scarf) but my thoughts are on planning the next jacket.  Yesterday I went in to Brighton and bought some indian cotton fabric for the lining (and I haven't even started weaving yet!!) Talking about the weather, I am jetting off to Italy this week to stay with my friend  (we have been close for nearly 40 years and shared many ups and down in life!!) and the temp. is forecast to be 30 degrees.......yaayy!!! By the way, the other pics are of a workshop that I led during the week.  An enjoyable time was had by all x