So what with the snow, the sleet and the rain it really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

I have spent the day making kits for this weekend where I will be selling my tapestry kits, prints and homewares at Fabrica in Brighton.  Craftaganza are organising the event and from the recent post about the sellers I really know it is going to be a top quality event with top quality designers and makers.

I am very excited to be launching my new design which will be available as a tapestry kit, a giclee print, a canvas cushion cover and cotton bag. Alongside my new design there will be more of my tapestry kits and printed homewares.

Why not come down to Fabrica on either Staurday or Sunday this weekend 8th and 9th December and say hello and maybe stock up on some early presents for those creative people in your life.

Hi,

For the last few months I have been at Spitalfields market in London along with many other Designer Makers.  The Saturday Market always has something fresh and exciting to see, there are so many talented people out there.

Whilst I love going up to London it will be a welcome break for me on 8th and 9th December when I will be in Brighton selling my kits and homewares at Fabrica as part of Craftaganza.

I am currently stitching a new design which will be launched at Craftaganza, it will be available as a counted kit, there will also be a short run of Giclee Canvases.

So I'd better be off now to carry on stitching!

Morning

Today is a good day for me as I am going to meet up with my fellow artists for the 13 Women Exhibition which is run by I Love Art.  This will be my first foray into the world of exhibiting with other and it is so great that stitch is being recognised as an art form for this exhibition.

Take a look at least years exhibition http://www.iloveartuk.com/ and see why I am a little bit scared, the quality was fantastic and because it was held in Brighton library the comments on the work came from everyone not just your regular gallery visitors.  This was one of the main reasons that I applied because stitch is not just something that women do in their spare time it is ART.

Well hello again, I have been busy getting an order ready for Brighton Pavilion for their winter season.  Talking of winter season I have to tell you that I have some designs for the festive season and they will be on my website and selling sites by the end of this week.  I've gone all cross stitch for Christmas using my Welsh weave design to create some tree ornaments to stitch or buy.  I will be selling these at Spitalfields Market from October onwards.

I'll post a picture later this week but in the meantime here is a link and photo from Wendy Hope-Faulkner of One-Off Needlework and her Christmas decorations which I think are timelessly FAB.

You can find out more about Wendy and her full range of Tapestry Kits by clicking  the link http://www.oneoffneedlework.co.uk/.

Well another wet old day down here in Brighton town. I am finalising my new design which is based on a tile I saw whilst in France, this design will be different as it is only two colours and the choice is left up to the stitcher or they can always use my colours and buy it as a kit rather than a printed canvas.  There are two designs in this series so far (I've got loads of tiles snaps I have taken over the years!!!).  Anyway here's a sneak peak of the final designs.

I am thinking that I will screen print this design onto fabric and then stitch into it as well as getting the stitched tapestrys printed as usual.

Thanks for looking more progress soon.

Time to get my blogging boots back on the straight and narrow!

WOW it's been a while but after what I can only hope was the worst summer of my life I am ready to blog again!

Living in Brighton and having my studio in a little beachut is all well and good in the week of summer that we experienced this year but from here on in it's a bit of a slog.  Good job I have many projects and markets to keep me busy and warm.

I am st Spitalfields Market on 3rd Saturday of every month, I am manily selling my tapestry kits and also my printed cushions.

My new etsy shop Tina Francis Tapestry) is up and running and I am also selling on the JAG Gallery website very soon.  I am looking at other places to sell the kits and also getting my application ready for Bovey Tracey next year - so lots of things going on.

I intend to blog properly from here on in so expect more photos and general stitching shennanigans very soon

Tina xx

What a beautiful weekend!!!! Sun shining, people smiling and best of all a steady round of people visiting my Open House (over 300 for the weekend - a new foundry street record!)
It was great talking to so many people about stitching - there's a whole lot of talented people out there just getting on with it!!
May festival really is a great time to visit Brighton and check out the art and the many free events that go on around the streets of Brighton day and night - if you fancy popping down you are welcome and maybe see you at my open house at the weekends or down at Jag Gallery on Madeira drive during the week

Well the first weekend of open houses is over and i had a great time. 160 people came through the door and their reactions were all great - thanks everyone.  So now it's back to the gallery for the week to carry on with my new welsh kit design and to hopefully sell some prints and cushions and talk to more people about stitch!

May Festival - underway!!!

Well what a lovely day I have had talking tapestry to complete strangers all day!!!!!

More than 65 people came and viewed my work in my open house today.  It was really great to be able to welcome people into my home and talk about wool and the like.

Thanks to everyone who came along - looking forward to meeting more of you tomorrow.

Well time has well and truly marched on since my last blog!!!! Brighton May Festival starts this weekend and my open house will be open from 11:30 until 16:00 each day, at all other times you will be able to find me at my workspace in JAG Gallery on Madeira Drive in Brighton along with many other talented artists.  JAG is also part of the Open House Trail take a look  if you are down Brighton way.

It is all very exciting getting my house together for the festival, I am only using my very small front room and it is taking over my life I really don't know how people are brave enough to open the whole house!

Here's my Pavilion Tops tapestry print outside the Pavilion earlier today, see you soon!!!

One Stitch at a Time

Well I am getting very excited about my first open house in Brighton this May.

Every year around 220 artists open their doors and display their own and other artists artwork.

As this is my first open house I will just be exhibiting my own tapestry designs and kits in my very small (but bijoux!!!) living room.  On display there will be Brighton Pavilion Tops kit, Mini Welsh kits and the super large prints of some of my second-hand wool designs.

Over the coming weeks I will post pics of the designs and of the room when it is ready for business.

Looking forward to seeing you there at venue C6, 10 Foundry Street Brighton BN1 4AT.

In the meantime take a look at the venues opening this year in sunny old Brighton town

aoh.org.uk

Tapestry on the Beach