Tuesday 17 April 2012

Spring is in the air...

...which means not long until the Art Trail!

 But first let's talk blogs. March's meeting was a splendid effort. Who thinks Lindsay has a future career as a chat show host? We loved the living room set, and it certainly seemed to put our esteemed panel members at ease. They were fantastic speakers, and the subject matter was fascinating.

Thanks again to Josephine of Slummy Single Mummy, Bethany of Bristol Craft, Laura of Side Street Style, and Catherine of Bristol Parenting Cafe. Check out Alice's lovely photos for a visual round-up of what took place.

We've managed to unearth a few bloggers in our midst, too: Lou writes Little Green Shed, Moira is the author of Stuff and Nonsense, Gareth is the face behind Just Gai, and Lottie's blog is Oyster & Pearl. A talented lot indeed - let us know if you'd like to go public with your blog.

So, onto April's meeting - A New Taste of Spring - which a change to our advertised programme. Spring and early summer can be a big challenge for cooks making the most of fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Shannon Smith, an experienced food and cooking tutor, shows how to enjoy wild greens, salad herbs, and fruit leaves, in a cook-and-taste session featuring something savoury and something sweet. Nettles, sorrel and blackcurrant leaves are likely to be on the menu – along with other refreshing and potent flavours. Members are invited to bring samples of new green things from the garden, allotment, or gathered from the wild, for tasting and inspiration.

And back to the Art Trail. Don't forget to bring along any completed projects to the meeting on Wednesday 25 April. We'll also be taking down the names of you wonderful volunteers who will be manning the caff and making food for us to sell as part of your 'hour a year' commitment to Malago WI - thank you all in advance.

We're going to produce a 'save the date' email invitation for you to send round to friends and family - we hope our Stormy Teacup cafe will be as popular as our last Art Trail effort so any promotion you could help with would be ace.

Evening craft sessions - we've put dates in the diary for these, so if you can make any of the following sessions then drop us a line:
Wednesday 18 April
Monday 23 April
Thursday 3 May
Wednesday 9 May
Tuesday 15 May

For more details, email us - wearemalagowi@gmail.com

Does anyone have any of the following they could donate or lend for the weekend itself (19-20 May):
Furniture - small tables, stools, old chairs, random drawers from old pieces of furniture
Cutlery or crockery
A bell tent or yurt

Think that's all for now.
Toodle pip
MWI x

Saturday 24 March 2012

March meeting of the Malago maidens

Hello on this fine day, I do hope you're enjoying the sunshine.

Well, February's meeting was a hive of productivity. Fuelled only by cake, tea, and imagination, we really broke the back of the art trail crafting. With just 8 weeks to go until we open the Stormy Teacup Cafe, we now have a good supply of origami birds, beautiful embroidered canvases, wool-wrapped letters, and decoupage vases. If you did take your craft home to complete, don't forget to bring it back - either the March or April meetings would be good times to show off your wares. Thanks for all your hard work - we can't wait for you to see the caff in all its glory. Not long now...

Don't forget to let us know to add your name to the rota or if you're able to supply cakes or other foodie bits - drop us an email: wearemalagowi@gmail.com

And onto our March meeting. Back at the January 'Happiness' session, we talked a bit about ways to record the good things in your life, and the subject of blogging came up. We think this is a really interesting subject, and so we're dedicating the March meeting to the subject.

We've rounded up some of the south west's best bloggers to come and talk, chat-show style, in order to give us the low-down on blogging. It's a fascinating area but one that can seem overwhelming to a newbie, so our four panelists will demystify the world of blogs, talk a little about their motivations and what they gain from writing on the internet, and we can help out with any Malago members who are interested in beginning their own blogs.

Our four guest bloggers are:
Bethany - author of Bristol Craft
Josephine - self-styled Slummy Single Mummy
Laura - all the way from Cardiff, writes Side Street Style
Catherine - of Bristol Parenting Cafe

Do you read blogs? Which are your favourites? Bring along a list of any blogs you'd like to share with the rest of the group and we can begin our very own Blogroll!

See you on Wednesday,
MWI x

Tuesday 28 February 2012

February meeting :: Top secret art trail news

Hey Malago, still happy? Hope so. Our January meeting was a triumph - we hope it helped alleviate the gloom of January and that you are now spreading happiness everywhere you go, like the little sunbeams we know you are. Thanks to Liz of Happy City who helped us realise the important things in life after the excesses of Christmas, and thanks to the wonderful cake-bakers and tea-makers for all your efforts.

As part of the meeting, we introduced the concept for our Southbank Art Trail cafe, for which we will be a-making and a-crafting at February's meeting. So here's a little bit more to whet your appetite.

The Stormy Teacup cafe will be open on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 May, located in the house of one of our members. The cafe will be a sight to behold: delicious and unusual food and drink to buy and enjoy in a beautiful, darkly-decorated, cafe. Hopefully the sun will shine once again (as it did for our efforts in 2009), meaning both indoor and outdoor seating, both of which will look spectacular.

We will be asking for members to make and donate food, and to work in the cafe over the weekend. And we'll put together a working group to make more beautiful pieces for the show outside of our regular meetings. For more information or to volunteer for either or both, drop us an email: wearemalagowi@gmail.com

Meanwhile, we will make four different types of decorations during our February meeting. These are:
Origami birds in dark colours with a flash of colour
Canvases embroidered with tattoo designs, woodland creatures and cross-stitch messages
Decoupage tins and jars, to hold flowers, cutlery and candles
Wool covered letters, spelling out the name of our magical cafe

During the meeting you'll have a chance to try your hand at any of these crafts, and we'll provide instructions should you wish to take them home and carry on your crafting.

*MATERIALS REQUEST!*
We're on the look-out for the following:
:: Jam jars
:: Tins of all shapes and sizes
:: Dark coloured wool
:: Embroidery hoops
:: Plain canvases
:: Embroidery thread
:: Needles
:: Old cutlery
:: Fabric - dark colours (black, grey etc) or bright pink

If you have any of the above, please bring it along with you on the night.

See you on Wednesday 29 February, 8pm.

Over and out
MWI x

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Happy New Year!

Well, hello 2012, you're looking mighty fine!

We had such fun at our annual Ways With Wool meeting back in November, and loved the pompom wreaths we made. Check out Alice's awesome Flickr pics for a flavour of our last meet of the year.

Malago WI is open for business, so if you'd like to join us then come along to our January meeting with a cheque or cash for £31.50 and that coveted membership will be yours. Likewise, you can try us for size, so if you want to see what we're all about first then come as our guest.

January is typically a bluesy kind of month, but we're going to beat those blues with an inspiring talk from the cheeriest people in Bristol, Happy City.

Happy City exists to spread happiness. A small not-for-profit organisation, Happy City helps people and their communities to focus on happiness, and put their energy into the things that support and increase it. Maybe you’ve got a bright idea and need help making it happen? Perhaps you’ve got a little time to spare or some knowledge or experience to share? Come along to find out how we can work together to make our city and its inhabitants better, brighter and happier than ever before. It should make for an inspiring and exciting start to 2012. Plus, of course, we'll be breaking our diet to sample Malago's famous tea and cake - mail us to get your 'hour a year' covered off early by helping out with refreshments.

If you want to know what's coming up at Malago WI in 2012, head on over to our Programme page. And we've got a new Committee - check 'em out, MWI, they're doing it all for you.

See you next time - Wednesday 25 January, 8pm, Bedminster Methodist Church Hall.

Keep smiling!
MWI x

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Happy Birthday - we are three!

You don't look a day over two, Malago WI!

We had a fantastic birthday meeting in October, swishing and sweeting with all those beautiful clothes you brought and the amazing sweet jars filled with party bag sugar. Deliciosa!

And in amongst the high jinx, we even managed to conduct some very formal WI business, including saying a very fond farewell to our outgoing president, Karen Bowers, who has served with dedication, generosity, hard work and a whole lotta love. She is missed already.

Moira delivered our accounts with aplomb - apparently she presented Malago WI accounts to the official WI bods at head office, who were full of praise, saying they were some of the best accounts they'd seen. High praise indeed.

Incoming committee members for 2011-12 are as follows:
President - Marie Wilkinson
Vice president - Lottie Storey
Treasurer - Moira Broadway
Secretary - Yvonne Long
Members at large (covering programming, membership, fundraising, artistic direction and events) - Emma Squire, Nancy Horlick, Lindsay Brazington, Alice Hendy, Angie Last

So, onwards and upwards. November's meeting is our annual Ways with Wool extravaganza, and this year we will be making some rather spiffing pom pom crafts, including necklaces, wreaths and lampshades. We'll provide wreath frames and some equipment and yarn, but if you have your own stash - even an old woolly jumper that could be unravelled and reused - then bring it along. The more the merrier.

If you're able to bring a cake, then drop us a line to let us know. We're laying down fat for the winter, so expect hot tea and great hunks of gateau - we can always do with more of the latter, and we know you lot are a dab hand at the stove.

And don't forget - we're opening up membership for this meeting, the last before Christmas. So bring along your subs for 2012 - £31.50 - and tell your friends. Malago WI is open for business!

Tiddly om pom pom...

MWI x