A weekend on Skye

It's a long way to go, 9 or 10 hours drive up... hit the hay for a few hours had one full day meeting up with people and doing things, then drive all the way back the next day. We must be mad but we love it.

Not many hotels open this time of year so had to opt for something a bit more extravagant than our usual bargain basement accommodation. We stayed in a lovely suite in the turret of this hotel, the Cuillin Hills.

The hotel does indeed look across the bay to the Cuillin Hills, this is the view from the dining room, it's early morning so a bit bleak and misty looking but you can just see the colourful buildings along Portree harbour.

I like this hotel, they have a proper full veggie breakfast on the menu and it comes with veggie haggis, yummy :)

I also liked the hotel because it had that one thing I always long to find in a country hotel in winter, a roaring fire. I can honestly say this was the warmest I had been for weeks, maybe months and I didn't have to wear vests and long johns for 2 days! Plus, they have a most interesting and extensive whisky menu.

Now I'm no connoisseur but I do find the tastes and smells of whisky as interesting as single estate coffee. Just look at some of the prices per glass, we are talking rare and unique drams.Talisker is the local Skye whisky, we have some origins and tasting notes here

This is the cabinet of all those rare spirits.

There was a nice dusting of snow on the mountains with a windswept and interesting view around every corner.

I just had time to visit friends in Skye Batiks who I'm currently doing some more design work for and I picked up a square scarf with my design on. They had some patchwork packs of batik remnants, not the hand loom fabric, and I think you got 1.6m worth of fabric for £10. I think they had some hand loom fabric to buy per metre but I didn't actually see it which was a shame, I forgot to look, I was so engrossed with their other lovely clothes.

Back here and back to the cold conditions, hope it's not too cold or snowy where you are this week.

A design which has evolved into a skirt

Way back in 2009 or '10 when I was on the textile course, I doodled some plant like ideas using Honesty Pods as the theme. These became a stitched piece of textile imagery using threads, sheer fabrics and solufleece, see below

From here I then turned the work into a digital format which I made into a repeating pattern, see below

I'm not convinced that the repeating pattern was terribly easy on the eye and therefore I didn't develop it further but I did still like the overall feel of the Honesty Pod imagery.

So, last autumn I approached Skye Batiks with a slightly simplified version and said they could use it if they thought it would work printed in the batik style. 
To my delight they said yes and hoped it would turn into something for this years collection.

And here we are, only about 6 months later since the batik artists got hold of it and worked their magic, my design has evolved into a range of wrapover skirts in many colours. Last week I was over the moon to receive the purple and blue skirt you see in the photo.

Beautiful quality as always, thanks Skye Batiks.

http://www.skyebatiks.com/

Lovely things from Skye & Highlands

I like to support local producers wherever possible and on my brief trip north this is what I managed to bag in 3 days.

This hand woven scarf from Skye Weavers is created on a loom powered by a bicycle pedal, how groovy is that! Not for me this one but a pressie.

http://www.skyeweavers.co.uk/

A scarf for me this time, not made on Skye but somewhere in the Highlands from Jacob Sheep wool, I liked it because it is sort of a patchwork of different patterns.

Both the above scarves & this lovely wool were purchased in the super SkyeWorks Gallery

http://www.skyeworksgallery.co.uk/

In the same building as Skyeworks is the Skye Baking Co and they had these lovely treats will which find their way into the festive hampers I do for relatives.

http://www.isleofskyebakingco.co.uk/

Handmade on Skye, these lovely soaps, scrummy!

http://www.skye-soap.co.uk/

Next, my favourite shop, which has a few of my designs in, Skye Batiks. I picked up these festive, batik shopper bags.

http://skyebatiks.com/

Moving away from Skye our next shopping destination is Inverness and that important subject, chocolate!
A Belgian chocolatier named Fabienne used to have a little shop & cafe in Strathpfeffer called MAYA, but in the last couple of years she has moved to bigger premises in Inverness. 
Here you can see the most delicious chocolates being made and have a sample or two whilst you choose from the fresh counter. They no longer have a cafe but they do sell their legendary hot chocolate drink in little bottles which you can take home to heat.

I was in chocolate heaven, their produce is fabulous. I do get to sample quite a bit of Belgian choc as my sister lives near Brussels so she treats me occasionally but the Maya chocolate is equal to any I've had in Belgium.

The little bottle has now been drunk.

 I have 4 of these left. The pretty green flowery ones are jasmine, not tried those yet. I wish I could share them with you! You'll have to believe me they are delish!!

http://www.mayachocolates.co.uk/

More views of Skye

As you probably would guess my little friend Bob snook into my suitcase, he's never been to Scotland before so he was very excited and wore his kilt especially for the trip!
Below he is at Torrin.

On this day the weather was good so we took the scenic drive around Tarskavaig and down to the beach.

The purple heather was quite stunning. 
I got to fly my kite on the beach at Tarskavaig Bay.

A little further round this bay are some ancient woodlands, with the Rowan or mountain ash in full berries.

I tried to capture more purple heather in the shot below as we whizzed by in the car, it was a mountain I've seen many times before but never at this time of the year with heather.

Another day, and I took Bob to Portree, here he is looking across the harbour.

I then took him to meet friends in my favourite shop, Skye Batiks.

Unfortunately the picture below is the only one I got in the shop and is blurry but I wanted to give you a feel of how groovy the stuff is in there.

I delivered one of my textile designs to see if they liked it and it went down well and may feature in their 2013 clothing range, now there's a good excuse to go back next year and see if there's anything to buy with my design on! It is a re-working of an honesty pod design I did on my college textile course.

We finished our day in Portree at the Isle of Skye Baking Company for a delicious Earl Grey and bun in their eco cafe.

Skye Batiks - half price shirts, hurry!

If you are seeking something a little offbeat, original & ethically produced by hand, check out Skye Batiks as they currently have shirts at half price (approx £17).
I was in touch with my good friends at Skye Batiks the other week and was delighted with the 2 shirts which came winging their way down to Yorkshire.


These are the 3 button smock style of shirt and they wash so well and get better with age.

Skye Batiks new website - my design is on

Skye Batiks have launched a new website where you can buy lots of their groovy clothes and gifts online.
I was surprised and pleased to find the flowery poppy design I did them featuring in the skirts section of the site.


Here is the link to the poppy skirts but the rest of the site is well worth a look for those seeking something a bit out of the ordinary.
They have tonnes more clothes than they can feature on the website and they are happy to email photos if you can't find what you want on the site.

http://www.skyebatiks.com/ViewCategory.aspx?ID=60