Marine Inspiration from Knit and Stitch

 Last week I helped out on the Quilters guild stand at the Knit and Stitch show at Alexandra Palace  and before and after my stint ( it was open until 7 on Thursday)  got to look round the galleries. A very good year, there was a lot of interest particularly with a  coastal theme. I  loved the intricate detail  in  the latest work ' Findings' by Alice Fox - I did  rust dyeing with her a couple of years ago and am doing another at  Eastbourne next June based on the seaside. She very patiently answered  questions on how she' d drilled holes in the limpets (with a Dremel )

 I spent some time absorbed in  the exhibition by Debbie Lyddon. I first saw her work at the Landmark in Teddington and have followed her blog ever since. The feeling for the landscape she's in  is integral to her work, I just love it.

 Also inspired by beachcombing and the seaside, the very varied pieces of work by 'UnFold' were so inspiring, reminding me of the 100 mussel shells I collected while in Puglia with Dorothy Caldwell  and also  ideas on how I might continue the work I've started using ' postcards in a more systematic way to explore textures and a sense of place.

 So  our  10th trip back to Weymouth staying at Mariners View is timely. Today after a very leisurely start ( we didn't leave the house until 12!)  We walked  out to the Chesil Beach Café and fortified by excellent lunch followed by coffee and Florentines we strolled back on the path of the old railway, beachcombing on the way.