Four Days in Berlin

Four Days in Berlin

A shop in the antique quarter – how could I choose? I had rather random thing happen as a result of going to a needlework fair in Dusseldorf in 1988. It was the year before the Berlin Wall came down. It is a long story, but I was working a show in Germany and met an...
Bread with a difference

Bread with a difference

Special holiday souvenirs – probably not dishwasher safe! Bill and I have just come back from a fab trip to Uzbekistan, and I have brought home some special souvenirs. (I do try not to get carried away with shopping when we are travelling as I need more stuff in Pinks...
Textiles in Uzbekistan

Textiles in Uzbekistan

Richly decorated prayer hats. Each a treasure in its own right! I simply cannot tell you about my trip to Uzbekistan without talking about the textiles and embroideries – but I would really need to write a book on the subject! So this is just a taste of the fabric and...
The blacksmiths of Bukhara

The blacksmiths of Bukhara

You are going to hear so much more about my recent trip to Uzbekistan but for now this is about the blacksmiths, the storks and the scissors.  Let us start with the storks. We all recognise these large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills...
Fabulous plants – stitched and real!

Fabulous plants – stitched and real!

Back in May I shared a birthday outing with my chum Jenny. (Our Birthdays collide, although I have to bear in mind that I could actually be her mother! Ho hum.) Jenny had reminded me about the annual plant fair held on the lawns at the front of the Holburne Museum in...
A Dyeing Garden in Holland

A Dyeing Garden in Holland

One wall of the Dyeing Garden pavilion Last year Bill and I joined Arena Travel to take a group of stitchers to Holland for a week on a cruise on the inland waterways and to visit some of the beautiful villages by the canals. In addition to a few half-day trips to...