The Art Tour

Despite the rain today we set out to visit some of the venues on The Art Tour. For five summer Sundays and a summer weekend the Network Artists welcome you into their studios, workshops and homes across Northumberland. Having discovered What Katie Did on her blog I decided to go and visit her as she is an exhibitor on the Art Tour. Heading on up to Langley into the rain clouds we were first given a warm welcome by Geoff in Langley Furniture workshops. The quality of the beautiful woodwork was fantastic and it was interesting to see the pieces they had made for an exhibition about Toad of Toad Hall at Seven Stories, the centre for children's books, in Newcastle.

Geoff pointed us in the direction of Kate in her pink shed. WOW! What a place! All of us sewing ladies should have a pink shed like that. What a lovely warm welcome and what inspiration. Kate's motto is recycle, reuse and reduce and what fantastic things she had produced. I feel quite guilty buying new fabric to make my projects when I see what she has done with second hand fabric. I bought these vintage buttons and some picture envelopes made from recycled books, it all came in a handmade Morsbag made from an old duvet cover, No plastic carrier bags here. She was ably assisted by the lovely Gloria another blogger.
Here is Katie in her shed

And my loot.

As you all know I can't go anywhere without a cup of tea so the next stop on the tour was The Garden Station. A restored Victorian railway station in a woodland garden was also exhibiting local artists. We must go back again in better weather and walk in the gardens but we were able to see a rabbit in the garden through the window.

More art across the road in Langley Village hall, where we met Mike Mcfarlane landscape photographer. His work was good too, showing off at its best the fantastic scenery in the beautiful north east of England. Mandy Pattullo's textile art was interesting too.

If you are at a loose end next Sunday set out, Explore the Northumberland countryside and be inspired by the local artists.

Oh and I have been doing some sewing too. A throw for my DS, made from this bright fabric Nantucket by Moda. The fabric is quite busy, so the pattern is simple just 5" squares stitched together to give a random pattern.