Sunday, 30 May 2010
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Silkies here and Silkies there in sunshine and rain.
I am finishing off my last piece for the Ruthin Craft Centre's exhibition SMILE http://www.ruthincraftcentre.org.uk/ selected by Mary La Trobe-Bateman, the exhibition runs from 3rd July to the 8th September 2010. it's another big piece, well, big for me 22 x 45 cm. I am really enjoying making it. The piece is called, Silkies here and Silkies there, and it is a happy piece. Light blues and pale sand colours. All the pieces I have made for the exhibition have been about the sea, and the pleasure of being near the sea or in the sea and all the delights it holds. Four big pieces and six little tiny ones, all mounted onto pale cream mount board and framed in a light plain wood frame. I think it's a lovely collection of work and I hope it is recieved well.
I miss the sea very much indeed, and think about it at least ten times a day. My favourite colour is blue, and as I've said many times before if I could I would just make pieces about the sea, but if I did would I become board and tiered of my love? and so therefore loose my longing and the desire to make pieces about the sea all the time. I can't risk that option so I mix it in with other subjects I like, like gardens and being out and about in the weather, and keep it all safe.
It's raining today and although that's a real nuisance because its a bank holiday weekend and everybody (me included) wants to be out and about in glorious sunshine, there is nothing quite like the smell of the rain onto blossom, flowers and new leaves in bright green on the trees and plants. It's a sweet smell which only is smelt in the air in the summer months, with the swifts overhead screaming high in the sky it is, quite wonderful, and the promise of more sunshine too does ease the disappointment of current rain. I remember chatting to a Greek resident in a small town a few years ago whilst on holiday in Andros and he said how he envied us living in the UK because our weather each day was so changeable, he said "here, each day its always sun, everyday sun, everyday the same, sun."
I miss the sea very much indeed, and think about it at least ten times a day. My favourite colour is blue, and as I've said many times before if I could I would just make pieces about the sea, but if I did would I become board and tiered of my love? and so therefore loose my longing and the desire to make pieces about the sea all the time. I can't risk that option so I mix it in with other subjects I like, like gardens and being out and about in the weather, and keep it all safe.
It's raining today and although that's a real nuisance because its a bank holiday weekend and everybody (me included) wants to be out and about in glorious sunshine, there is nothing quite like the smell of the rain onto blossom, flowers and new leaves in bright green on the trees and plants. It's a sweet smell which only is smelt in the air in the summer months, with the swifts overhead screaming high in the sky it is, quite wonderful, and the promise of more sunshine too does ease the disappointment of current rain. I remember chatting to a Greek resident in a small town a few years ago whilst on holiday in Andros and he said how he envied us living in the UK because our weather each day was so changeable, he said "here, each day its always sun, everyday sun, everyday the same, sun."
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Henley-on-Thames Craft and Design Experience Fair seems like such a long time ago, but it was only last weekend that I was there with my Machine Embroideries under canvas in a well laid out marquee chatting and selling to clients textile enthusiast and friends. The only down side to the whole exhibition that is was so cold! not only in the day but at night too, camping is usually a wonderful outdoors celebration of mother nature and all her bounty's but not last week, I was too cold to notice the delights of nature, I'm ashamed to admit I longed for brick walls and central heating.
I have been and visited the Quilt exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum "Quilts 1700-2010" The exhibition was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the quilts.
Each quilt possessed its own beauty, whether through the construction and choice or fabric (or the fabric available to the maker at the time of making) or the quilts happy or tragically sad story behind it (if know). Most quilts at the exhibition were made by women.
One quilt in particular made me cry. It was still unfinished as the girl guides who were making it had been found out, it was made by internees of a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the second world war, they were making it for their girl guide leader. In the middle of some of the patchwork florets they had embroidered their names. I thought about those young girls, cutting up their own clothes to make a decorative and useful gift for their guide leader, all working in secret and the thought of this act of kindness and the making of something so beautiful and with so much love in a place of such horror and deprivation and the tears just streamed down my face as I gazed at their quilt.
I have been and visited the Quilt exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum "Quilts 1700-2010" The exhibition was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the quilts.
Each quilt possessed its own beauty, whether through the construction and choice or fabric (or the fabric available to the maker at the time of making) or the quilts happy or tragically sad story behind it (if know). Most quilts at the exhibition were made by women.
One quilt in particular made me cry. It was still unfinished as the girl guides who were making it had been found out, it was made by internees of a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the second world war, they were making it for their girl guide leader. In the middle of some of the patchwork florets they had embroidered their names. I thought about those young girls, cutting up their own clothes to make a decorative and useful gift for their guide leader, all working in secret and the thought of this act of kindness and the making of something so beautiful and with so much love in a place of such horror and deprivation and the tears just streamed down my face as I gazed at their quilt.
Sunday, 9 May 2010
I am still spending all my time sewing and still I am loving it!
I've been making little pieces, still unfortunately take ages to make but they are certainly worth it.
I go to Henley-on-Thames on Thursday to set up my booth at the Craft and Design Experience Fair. There are so many last minute things to do in preparation for the event, but, I have my trusty list on my studio wall, so nothing can can wrong or be forgotten! I am getting very excited about exhibiting the new pieces that I have made and in my head I know how I want my booth to look. My one big concern is I am camping and I hope it doesn't rain, anything but rain!
I've been making little pieces, still unfortunately take ages to make but they are certainly worth it.
I go to Henley-on-Thames on Thursday to set up my booth at the Craft and Design Experience Fair. There are so many last minute things to do in preparation for the event, but, I have my trusty list on my studio wall, so nothing can can wrong or be forgotten! I am getting very excited about exhibiting the new pieces that I have made and in my head I know how I want my booth to look. My one big concern is I am camping and I hope it doesn't rain, anything but rain!
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