30 Years - In Search of the Beautiful Exhibitions this Month in the North and the South

Preview of my New Paintings Saturday 5th November 

You are Invited to an Exhibition of My Paintings at

Chantry House Gallery

 Ripley, near Harrogate HG3 3AY

5th - 20th November

Saturday 5th November will be the Opening of the Show 11am -5pm 

So please join us for drinks and nibbles! 

Wed - Thurs 11am - 4pm, Fri - Sat 11am - 5pm ,   Sun 12am - 5pm 

***  I will be at the Gallery every Saturday on the 5th,12th and 19th November.

Polly

People always say that life is a journey. Embrace the highs and lows and just gather it all in as you go. Where business is concerned everyone is encouraged to be positive and upbeat all the time, to say we’re all fine and that everything is fabulous, and sometimes that is a huge strain. However I prefer to tell it as it is. It seems more honest.

So I would say that after the 14 months of Polly being poorly I think we are all doing okay. Being creative has certainly helped me through the ordeal – from painting pots as a distraction on the Teenage Cancer Unit to painting for Chelsea and the two shows I now have coming up.  Having an awful reminder of the fragility of life undoubtedly makes you feel more fearful, but it also encourages you to treasure what you have and intensifies your love for all who are dearest to you. In bad times there is a great pulling together among family and friends that, when life is on track and running smoothly, we conveniently forget. We still have tidal surges of fear if Polly seems poorly for any reason, which we never had before, and that in time we will hopefully learn to manage. She has started at Edinburgh College of Art doing Fine Art Painting, which a year ago is the best news we could have wished for. When we dropped her off last month, she hugged us tight and whispered, “We did it”. It was hard to believe that the day we had all been hoping for for so long had finally arrived; the day when she would become a student for the first time and get to do what she loves. She has already had two commissions for book covers and other people are now contacting her for different things, so it will be so exciting from here on in to see where her journey takes her.

Painting  - Ireland, Italy and Aggressive Sheep!

I try all the time to pour feeling into my paintings. It’s a concept that our son Dave, and indeed Polly 

at times too, finds hard to grasp. Even I find it hard to explain exactly what I mean sometimes. No doubt when I try, I probably come over sounding all ‘arty and weird’! But if you feel things keenly, there is a need to try to convey how beautiful often the mostly seemingly inconsequential thing can be – from the light on the ground in the distance, or behind a rain cloud, to the furls and enveloping curls of a flower. Sometimes the frustration of not being able to realise the painting that lies buried in my head is immense, but hey, with the wisdom of age I know that at least even my bad paintings represent a step nearer to understanding how to do it better next time. As I said earlier, life’s a journey – not to mention a continual learning process!

So in this great rollercoaster of a year we’ve had, we continue to grab treats with both hands. We’ve been to fabulous Ireland, where we will definitely be returning. And we’ve also been to Wales, where we stayed in a yurt and I got chased out of a field by the most aggressive sheep I have ever met! It rained a lot so although there was less painting done than my friend Rebecca de Mendonca and I had anticipated, we made up for it by spending the time doing something just as pleasurable: eating and laughing. Speaking of Rebecca, she and I ran our first residential course in Devon this year, which was great. We will be running four residential courses next year, including one in Tuscany, Italy, and one in Cober Hill near Scarborough. If you want information and fancy trying something different for a weekend away then please go to   www.thenewpastelschool.co.uk

Aphrodite Original Pastel Rose from the National Collection

Hot Chocolate  Original Pastel from the National Collection 

Craft in Focus Show, Wisley  23^rd-27^th November

The Garden of the Rose, which I visited in June, was beautiful, and the paintings I did there will be shown for the first time at the two shows coming up. Apart from Chelsea I have not done a show in the South for years, so it will be lovely to see people at the Wisley Craft in Focus show. I have enclosed a leaflet for it with more details.

Charity Paintings Page on New Website

I want to continue to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust and the PPR Brain Tumour Foundation, and so will be dedicating a page of my new website to that. I will periodically add paintings and sketches to it, along with other items, the sale of which will contribute to these two charities, just as the work that I sold in my Charity Sale did last year. So please keep a look out for that when I launch the new site, as I know many of you missed out on last year’s sale as the paintings sold out very quickly.

Thank you once again for reading this. I really appreciate it, and I truly value all the support you’ve shown both to me, and to us as a family, over so many years.

Very Best Wishes

Nel xxxx

Art therapy and Polly Update

Well we are now many months on and here I am still writing this from hospital. Polly has had six months of chemotherapy and alas her recent scan showed that she needs stronger chemo so we are all in today with her as she's having a thicker line put in, in preparation for her chemo next week. Mark has just said Polly is now another step nearer to being a Cyberman... It helps him to relate everything to Dr Who! 

We had a great holiday in Suffolk and Dartmouth so glad that the chemo was over, so we are just adjusting to the fact that this journey is going to be a little longer than we all thought. 

I managed to get to the Festival of Quilts, where as ever, I met lots of lovely people and received lots of hugs. People have been AMAZING. The love we have received and continue to receive has been quite overwhelming. It holds us up it truly does.

Chelsea Flòwer Show was great again with so many customers coming to see me with presents, cards , hugs and good wishes . It was the best show I have ever done. The presents were partly because it was also our Silver Wedding that week too! 

People have wondered how I can paint through this very difficult time in our lives. The answer to that question is because it helps and because as Mark and I are both self employed we need to. On the Young Adult Unit that Polly has her chemo on we have painted pots on a regular basis as it just takes you're mind off it. I love that being creative helps people during difficult times.

I did the 10k Race for Life for Polly in July. Having never been a long distance runner it was a real challenge for me, there was a lot of sweaty, everything aching moments. Sadly I didn't suddenly morph into a svelt gazelle. But by some miracle I did it and even more amazingly thanks to the tide of support from facebook as well as complete strangers I raised £6215 !!! So such a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored me you were INCREDIBLY GENEROUS!

Autumn Exhibition Chantry a House Gallery 7th-22nd November

I'm currently painting landscapes and seascapes for my show at Chantry House Gallery Show up at Ripley Main Street, Ripley, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 3AY. I've also got stuck back into my oils which I'm enjoying. I'm hoping to be at the show each Saturday so it would be really lovely to see you all there. There'll still be florals of course this is Lilac Lake that I was particularly pleased with.

So we're now on the way home and Pollys doing ok she is such a ballsy girl. She said it was so bad as her biopsy and that the toast after was great. Another step nearer getting better. Thanks to everyone for reminding us many times over how wonderful people can be . Xxxx

Sending all our Love to our Daughter Polly xxxxxx

Well here I find myself with more time to write my blog but under circumstances that I wish with all my heart that I could alter. I could pretend and say everything is fine but it really isn't I don't have the emotional energy to pretend. We are currently sat in a hospital room awaiting a biopsy for our beautiful daughter Polly. Mark my hubby and her are discussing the tattoo she is designing for him. He is making her laugh as it's supposed to look a bit like an octopus and Polly has just said that she watched a series of videos of Octupi and it made her feel quite sick! It has been truly a terrible week as she has a tumour in her chest but we don't know exactly what it is until we have the results of the biopsy which may take up to a week or more.
So we're getting through each day slowly, literally slowly as she is worst in the mornings. But we now have a little routine of getting her sitting up. The day's extend like weeks until we know exactly what we're dealing with.
Our friends and family have been and continue to be amazing and we feel very well loved. Dave our son is coming back from Uni again today so he's here after her biopsy.
Painting as ever is a solace, as I see Polly drawing now so effortlessly, being creative is a comfort.
The sky is a beautiful blue and as we drove into the hospital this morning for 7.30 everywhere was frosty and the early sky a myriad of hues.

I have Chelsea Flower Show to prepare for and the strike offs of my next Collection Orient have arrived so I have these things to fill my mind in the times when I'm not with Polly or doing things that need doing. I asked Polly if she minded me posting this and she said it was fine.

So in the meantime I'm posting some paintings for our fabulous daughter and sending a big thank you to everyone that has sent so many kind messages. Nel xx

Chelsea Flower Show Here We Come and Diary Dates for Where You Can Find Me I 2014 and News Of Memory Lane at Last and the Festival of Quilts!

Well I have been officially rubbish at keeping up with my blog so this is going to be rather a blast of news as there's a lot of it! I haven't been idle just too busy and it is the job that doesn't get done unfortunately! So here we go it's the beginning of show season again, kicking off with Chelsea flower show that starts on the 20th-24th May in London. I am getting ready for now, if you want to see much more regularly updates and pictures of the show and all the news then please go to my facebook art page  to see what I'm up to go to as I post on there far more regularly.

Art is     https://www.facebook.com/NelWhatmoreArt

Or 

For Patterns and fabric then go to https://www.facebook.com/Nelpatterns

This is my centre piece at Chelsea ( the one below) it's called Tender is the Light . It's done in pastel and is around 120 cm wide . It took me ages to do but I'm really please with it.

On the fabric front Memory Lane is now out which is exciting and I have just got the gorgeous quilt back from Trudy Wood who has done a fabulous job on it. So I hope to get  some pictures of it done this week. Memory Lane looks like this 

If you'd like to know where I am going to be in 2014 please go to the Diary of Shows on the news page  at http://www.nelwhatmore.com/news/

 I'll post more pictures soon but now we have a wedding to go to and I need to get ready!! Byee for now. xx

secret garden is starting to ship!

We're back from the Festival of Quilts, and it was a whirlwind! So many people, so many wonderful customers. More (much more) on that in a later post but for now, here's a picture (sorry - it's a terrible phone pic) of the 2 quilts made from Secret Garden that were hanging in the Coats stand.

There will be patterns for both of these shortly. You can now buy Secret Garden from Hawthorne Threads (In the US) and shortly it'll be in stock at the eclectic maker (in the UK). We'll keep you posted on more stockists as we find them!

If you are a shop or know of a shop that is stocking Secret Garden, please leave a comment and I can add you to the list of stockists.

10 minute make - pin cushion tutorial

The summer holidays are upon us and the children need organising and entertaining.
This simple pin cushion tutorial only takes 10 minutes and is a great way to encourage children into trying sewing, or you could make one for yourself to give you a breather when the summer break gets a little too much!

1. Trace 2 circles from fabric (I used a large mug to trace my circles). Cut them out at least 1/4" larger all the way round. use pinking shears if you have them.

2. Sew the 2 circles right sides together on the marked line, backstitching at the start and end of the stitching and leave a 1.5" or so gap for turning and stuffing.

3. Turn right way out and stuff really firmly with wadding scraps or polyfill/toy stuffing

4. Slip stitch the opening closed

5. Take a very long length (about the same length of your full arm or so) of embroidery thread and make a good knot at the bottom.

6. Push the needle through at the centre of one side, to the other side and working in a figure 8 wrap the thread over, pull tight, push the needle through, and then across the opposite side, pull tight again. Repeat this so you have the thread wrapped around in 8 places. Pull tight each time. Secure with a button and knot.

7. And there you have it - one simple pin cushion!

I used 2 prints from eden to make this version. You can buy eden from The Cotton Patch.

a bag from Eden

Hi, it's Katy from Monkey Do blogging for Nel again, with another project I've made using Nel's fabrics.

This time I made a reversible bag in Eden fabrics using the lickety split pattern by Made by Rae.

I have to admit, Eden isn't the sort of colours I'm normally drawn to, they're more muted than my usual palette, but I just love how they work together and now I've made this bag I'm actually loving the more muted colours!

The bag is perfectly sized for folding up and popping into your handbag for a trip to the grocers, or market. It's so useful. The pattern was fast and simple, and does include pockets (but I left them off).

Being reversible, you get 2 bags for the price of one! Even better!

I've just finished the quilt that will be hanging in Nel's section of the coat's and crafts booth at festival of quilts next month using the new line, Secret Garden (out later this year - I think around September time if all goes to plan with the fabrics arriving in the UK). Secret garden is completely my palette - it's bright, and full of purples, pinks and bold colours. Making the quilt has been an absolute pleasure, and I loved working with the new fabrics. I'll be back with another blog post soon to show you!

butterflies in the garden

Hi, I'm Katy and I blog over at I'm A GingerMonkey. I've been helping Nel with her preparations for the festival of quilts in August and playing around with some of the next fabric release, Secret Garden.

One of the finished projects is this butterfly cushion, with 3D butterflies appliqued onto it.

It was a really simple project to make, and I talk a little bit about how I made it on the Sizzix blog should you want to make one yourself (you can find the direct link if you click here).

I'm also working on a quilt and some more cushions for Nel so I'll show you more of those as I get them finished.

I hope you like what we're doing with the new fabrics - I think this is my favourite of Nel's collections so far, the colours are beautiful and the designs work so nicely together. There's a fantastic mix of scale with both larger and smaller prints, which is important to me as a quilter.

stitching up a storm

Preparation for this year's Festival of Quilts in Birmingham is well underway with some of the advance yardage of my next line for Free Spirit, Secret Garden.

We'll have a garden theme, as it seems fitting for the florals and the name of the collection.

The quilt that will hang in the booth has been started with some ideas for cushions to match...

And some of the leftovers from the quilt fabrics have been cut into butterflies (some of these butterflies may well be used on cushions).

I can't wait to be able to show you more as the projects are completed!

secret garden

My next collection of fabrics for Free Spirit was debuted at Quilt Market, in Portland Oregon earlier this month and I'm excited to now share them with you too!

We're busy with preparation for my quilts and cushions to display at Festival of Quilts in Birmingham in August (more on that soon), but for now here are some pictures of the collection and the inspiration behind the designs.

Secret Garden was inspired by the children's book of the same name that I loved as a child. It also has it's roots in a series of paintings I did many years ago that featured pansies.
There is something very upbeat about pansies, they always raise a smile and come in such a fantastic range of colours.

In the secret garden there was a fantastic walled garden, that is why the patterns try to convey the different elements inside the walled garden from a bevy of flowers to a trellis for them to climb up.

I hope this new collection makes you smile as much as it does me.

There are a total of 24 prints, broken into 3 colourways - pebble, denim and linen. They will be in stores in September and as soon as we know who will be stocking it we will share details.

My First 100 Likes on NelWhatmoreArt Winner and Chance to Chelsea Flower Show tickets!

I've just reached my first 100 likes on  my new facebook page for NelWhatmoreArt, so as promised the winner of the giveaway is

Kim Williams
Congratulations Kim please can you send me an email so that you can choose which 45 Collection limited edition you would like.

If you haven't already liked the page then here's the link NelWhatmoreArt
There will be lots more news as we approach the show and also other lovely things to win.

Next up I have two tickets for Tatton RHS show to giveaway for when I reach 200 'likes' so look forward to seeing who wins those.
Well it's not long until Chelsea Flower Show now although I keep telling people not to say that to me!
I can feel a rising panic, there is always so much to do, this year even more so as it is the 100th anniversary of the show, which means we have to be in period dress each day, I have chosen the 1950's.
PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TICKETS FOR CHELSEA I CAN STILL BUY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF TICKETS EVEN THOUGH IT MAY E SOLD OUT ON THE WEBSITE SO PLEASE EMAIL ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I have just been ordering carpet, plinths, lights, paint and all sorts of things it's like being in the apprentice! Coupled with the fact that Polly has her AS levels and the entire contents of the lounge is in the hall and other rooms, as we are decorating the living room, all this is code word for bedlam. I keep having to go to other friends houses to find a bit of calm.

Very excitingly though on Saturday I went to Bella Figura in Matlock to try on 1950's dresses , as they're kindly going to make vintage dresses out of my eden fabric. About Bella Figura I have to say that the dresses look fantastic on, and with a full petticoat underneath , well you just feel so like a girlie. I LOVE IT!!
Here are Theresa and Suzie Whittaker from the shop and me. Thanks to Gilly for being such a good friend and coming with me we had such a laugh and managed a lovely lunch too so it was all good.

You Can't Beat a Giant Pomegranate FREE Kitty and Cat Pattern too!

Right on this very cold snowy day lets have a bit of colour shall we.
 I have spent most of my day trying to combat drafts in our freezing hall! Don't you love DIY! Actually if I'm honest, I do, but crawling along by an open door drilling holes in the frame, for a bolt, wasn't perhaps on my top ten of things to do today. So rather late in the month is the March Cat Club giveaway (yeh!) I hear you cry.
I know I'm late again posting it but honestly if you'd had the month I'd had you would think I was actually doing quite well. To make up for it I've made it a good one and am going to give away a Sleeping Beauty Bag called Swag Bag ( not such a beautiful title actually). It's on the bag page at Nel Patterns, you can see the Eden version of the bag. It's lovely anyway and the top opens  in a starfish shape.

Have I mentioned I've just had a big roast dinner? Why is it about 15 mins after you've finished you feel as though you've eaten twice the amount. I feel as fat as this Pomegranate in Professor Plum and Miss Pomegranate a large pastel that will be on my originals site www.nelwhatmore.com this week.









Fabricwise what's knew? Well, Secret Garden is being printed...VERY EXCITED. Memory Lane that comes after  Secret Garden has had a few teething problems, hence also being late with this pos,t but sometimes the best things come to those who wait, as my Grandma used to say, so now I am really pleased with it.
In the meantime I am painting  for  Chelsea Flower Showas it's just around the corner, so I've been painting in full flow. Here is one of one I am particularly pleased with, 'Cherish', an oil that just turned out exactly how I wanted it, which is a rare things.
Please could everyone keep their fingers crossed as I am off to Norfolk mid week to go on a painting course to learn the techniques of the old masters and I am hoping that I get there as I have been looking forward to it for months. My Mum in Wolverhampton has called to say they have two foot of snow...groan, sad face.So happy sewing and painting until next timexx

Ooops nearly forgot don't forget to get your FREE Kitty and Cat Cushion

'Eden' My NEW Fabric Collection from Freespirit

For those of you who are not aware if you join the The Cat Club with every fabric collection I design, there is a collectable Cat Pattern and the chance to win a monthly gorgeous giveaway. This month there is a fat qtr bundle of Eden and also the pattern of the NEW Eden Cats, 'Benny and Blossom' that will be available soon. There will also be a NEW FREE pattern to download called ' Kitty and Cat Cushion'. So there are lots of goodies all the time and lots of nice things to make.

Where does all the time go! That's what I like to know. It goes slowly when you're little and positively races as you get older. I am currently 'racing' to finish all the new patterns for Eden, my new fabric collection by the time we go to Stitches the trade show at the NEC next week.
We had the photo shoot when it was freezing in the snow!! Not that you can tell from the photos but here is a sneak peak of what it was really like.

I have just been selected for Chelsea Flower Show again which is great as it's their centenary year. Evidently we all have to get dressed up in vintage costumes. So we're going to make dresses out of Eden , I can't wait! Hard to think of summer right now though as it is sooooo cold in my studio where I paint in Leeds. I have to keep jumping around and playing very loud music, well that's my excuse anyway. I think this will have to be short but sweet as I know Polly my daughter will be calling to be picked up from school in about  10 minutes and I promised myself that I would update my blog before I went to fetch her. So hope to post again soon when there will be more news of how the show went and the very exciting Little Designer Guides, which are little project based books that again will come out with each collection the first one of which 'Eden' will be published soon. Hope you're all well and not too cold xx