Glass fusing workshop

Today was spend very pleasantly indeed at a talk and workshop given to Thistle Quilters by the well known glass artist Emma Butler Cole.I've been a long time admirer of Emma's work which can quite often be found in the Dancing Light gallery located within the nearby Whitmuir Organic Farm.The farm is where I retreat to when our own internet connection plays up.

During the morning Emma talked about stained glass in general going back in history and her own work in particular. The talk filled me with a strong desire yet again for those lottery tickets to come up and deliver so that we could install some of her stained glass in our house. I already know exactly where!

But failing that I will have some small glass pieces to display soon that I made myself in her workshop during the afternoon.  This was all about glass fusing where pieces of coloured glass are layered on top of each other and then fused together using extreme heat in a kiln. Emma has taken our pieces away with her, use her kiln to do this, and will return them at the Thistle Quilters meeting next month when I will show you these exact same pieces again in their fused state.

The one at the top is approx. 4" square and the one on the bottom 2" which I hope to use as a cabochon and surround by beads and use as a pendant. But that is something for in the future!

Patchworking with glass is a lot faster than sewing and it was amazing to see all the different variations that were produced during the workshop. I can't wait to see them fused!

Loch Lomond Show 2012

I'm sorry I didn't write this blog last night after I returned from our trip to the Loch Lomond Quilt Show but I simply ran out of time. Isn't it surprising how tired you get just being driven around in a bus to visit the various venues of the show? And there was still more to do when I came home. It was a very good show this year and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit, specially as I didn't have to worry about anything. My only contribution was the above Memento Mori A3 sized quilt about which I told you in an earlier post. It's now on its travels as part of the 2nd Scottish Suitcase collection, so it was someone else's responsibility to get it to and from the show. The highlight for me was Helen Cowans exhibit,, although sadly we missed each other by minutes as she was just gone from her exhibit to look at some of the other bits of the show when I arrived at her spot!

I'm always wary of posting other people's work on this blog if I haven't asked them for explicit permission so I refer you to the Loch Lomond site for more pictures, but I couldn't help taking some more photographs of stained glass. The West Kirk has a glorious display of these. Above a very traditional religious image.

And here is a very un-traditional stained glass window but it can also be found in the West Kirk. Yet again this is a grave monument in its own way as the text reads: In memory of Agnes and Campbell Brown. Thy Way is in the Sea and thy path in the great waters. Of course Dumbarton is right by the river Clyde, where many great ships were build in the past!

Greenbank Church Stained Glass Windows

It was the Scottish Regional Day of the Embroiderers' Guild today and time to catch up with both old and new friends. We were also treated to a lovely talk by Kathleen Laurel Sage on Extrav-Organza which was inspirational as was her work and I deeply fancied one of her jewellery pieces. I also indulged in some retail therapy, concentrating my efforts on yellow fabrics and threads for the series of yellow Journal Quilts I'm having to make over the coming months. For once I was very, very good and didn't buy a single book. I've made a new resolution which is that for every new book I buy I need to let go one from my existing collection. I know I'm going to find this difficult (and I'm going to make sure those let-go books aren't worth a fortune) but things are getting out of control in this house!

However what I most enjoyed was the sight of the fabulous stained glass windows in Greenbank Church. You can read a bit more about them on the church's website (go here and click on history). The one above is dedicated to St. Cecilia (I think!) and was donated to the church by the daughters of Joseph Bennet and Eliza Harper, their parents, who died in the early part of the 20th century. What a way to be remembered after death. So in a way I'm also back to grave monuments!

This is a detail from the saint's face, and isn't she simply lovely? It also became my blip for today.

And here are some details from the other stained glass window that was amazing in its details. This too was donated to the church and features knights and their deeds. Just look at all the details of the garden in the background. Delicious!

And here a dragon is slain, while some menacing personages look on. I think this scene has some connection with the Book of Revelation but I would have to re-read it to make sure. According to the Greenbank Church website this might be one of the windows designed by William Wilson