Do you have ideas of things you think BBWI should be doing? Or a burning desire to set up a BBWI group you? Bring them along to our AGM next week.

Our AGM is an opportunity to review the last year, vote on NFWI resolutions and re-elect our committee. We are always looking for willing volunteers to lend a hand to help run BBWI. We try to maintain a committee of around 10 members to share tasks and jobs.

As Jess mentioned at the last meeting there a wide range of jobs and things to do on the committee – publicising the meetings and BBWI, helping out on social media, running craft and book groups, finding interesting speakers, raising funds and helping organise socials.  We have some exciting plans for 2013 and it would be great to have more people involved.

The minimum commitment we ask for is that you come to committee meeting once a month (2^nd Wednesday of the month) and do some tasks in between. We know life gets busy and as a committee, we work out ways to share the tasks between us so that accommodate everyone’s different priorities.

It is great fun and we hope that we make BBWI a great WI to be part of.

If you are interested in joining the committee and would like to know more please drop us a line at boroughbelleswi@gmail.com or come to our committee meeting this Wednesday to see us in action. We meet at 7pm at EV (under the arches at Southwark Tube station). We would love to see you there!

BBWI x

Scarf, cushion and wrist warmers, all unfinished

Given that it is the beginning of May, it’s not really the right sort of time to be making New Year’s resolutions. Nevertheless, I am going to make a promise to myself. And that is to finish what I start, when it comes to craft projects.

A quick tally of my outstanding endeavours include some wrist warmers (one almost completed, one half done and slowly unravelling as it gets pushed to the bottom of the craft pile). There’s also a scarf, almost finished, except for sewing in the ends of the wool. It’s been like that for nine months. Winter came and went and I never wore it.

A cross stitch Christmas card wasn’t done in time to send out to a loved one last year. At this point I’m starting to doubt whether it will be ready in time to post it in 2013.

As if needed any more incomplete knitting, I’ve recently started making a headband, which yet again is about three-quarters complete but showing no signs of progressing any further.

And then there are the projects and sets I have purchased, or have been kindly given as gifts, which I have barely touched. Still, I insist on merrily going along my way, buying more wool and more fabric and more, more, more. Soon I think I shall have to open my own haberdashery.

I’m aware that I lack discipline and patience. But there really is nothing more exciting that starting on a new craft scheme. Looking through patterns, picking materials and learning new techniques are all fascinating.

But now I resolve to finish what I have started and not to get distracted from the end goal. Right after I’ve just begun this one new project…

Thanks so much for coming to our Lost in London meeting. We loved having Lucy and Tina along to talk about setting up the magazine and book. A few people were asking about the magazine and book so we thought we would add some links below.

You can buy the magazine directly from Lucy and Tina’s webshop or from a range of places including Natural History Museum, Magma books in Covent Garden, Tate Modern, Selfridges, Ray Stitch and Rough Trade East. (It really is a cult magazine Lucy!) and the book is available from all good bookshops. Foyles had a lovely display of them. It really is a beautiful book so do have a look.

We thought we’d just add a few links to some of the places & people they mentioned:

Foraging in London

Penny (aka The Peckham Pickler) came to speak to us in last year – our write up of the talk is here and contains links to maps of places that are good to forage in London. It also contains link to the London Orchard Project which Lucy and Tina mentioned.

Perivale Bluebell Wood

It is opening this Sunday as the only day of the year so we are planning to go to Perivale after our Sunday Brunch. Please come along, it looks stunning. We are meeting at Joe’s Kitchen at 11am.

Deptford Creekside Centre

The education centre where you can go wading and look at wildlife.

Peregrines 

I was really excited by the news that there are peregrine falcons on the top of Tate Modern and it is a nice reminder to keep looking up to the skies to see what birds are around us. Tina mentioned David Lindo the urban birdwatcher who came to see us last year and his fantastic book. Check out our blog post to see what we got up to with him!

Hope to see you on Sunday at the brunch and Perivale trip. Also don’t forget our next meeting is on 15^th May with our AGM and talk about Herbs