Very fruitful day.......

..........and it's only 4pm! Here in Dorset, we are very lucky to have Dorset Arts Week running every two years:

http://www.dorsetartweeks.co.uk/; in our village, we have three venues this year - the Blackmore Vale branch of the Embroiderers' Guild, a stained glass artist who does prints and drawings as well, and a very talented weaver. We set off out at noon today, Bean and I in the pouring rain to visit the venues. Started with the Guild, up in the village hall. I'd been got at by a friend up the road to join the Embroiderers for a while now, but wasn't sure what their work was about, thought it might just be straight embroidery. No, all sorts of textile work - quilting, embellishment of every kind, bags, freestyle embroidery, pictures,, figures, goldwork, the lot. Decided to join, so Bean and I will have another monthly textile-related meeting every month :0) They had an excellent sales table too, so came away with some rather nice fabrics for a quilt I am working on, plus some delicious purply boucle for embellishing the felted bowl I made this morning. Very pleased, very inspired, and Bean is now ensconsed in the kitchen with my machine having a go at free form embroidery........0) Next door to the hall is Rosemary Levy, a very talented weaver, with lots of rugs and tapestries on show, along with cards, postcards, etc. Lots of pinks and greens and smoky colours, purples, WIPs on the looms too; she is a friend of ours, so we stayed for a cup of tea, lots of talk about textiles, travelling and boats, and ended up with the offer of a free coop that will suit a broody hen and chicks admirably! On the way home, we dropped into Ann Whitehead for stained glass, prints and drawings; I bought a very pretty little stained glass flower for Bean. Ann's prints of local countryside are lovely - lino cuts, black and white, my favourites. Her actual studio was open too, for a look around, and I saw the piece she is currently working on at the moment.

Brilliant, inspiring, nice to know there are such talented people close by. So much I want to try and to do and create.