Why do I blog?



Why do I give myself the challenge of regular blogging?  Especially as at the moment I am going through a phase of being rather blocked and un-creative?  And then I get a bit worried that I cannot even blog properly.

Well, it’s easy really.

1. I have a stimulus – I don’t belong to a regular group and I don’t do frequent classes.  Having a blog gives me a reason and a purpose to do stuff – without it I might just lapse into doing nothing which would then just add to my frustration.

2. I meet people – when I set out on this blog journey I had no idea how people would find me (or indeed if any ever would) but now I have regular followers and people who comment on my blog.  And I feel I am becoming part of a unique creative community (and not just one in the UK – Kit pops by regularly and she is in Canada)

3. I get feedback – I put something up and people give me a bit of feedback – and I really welcome the constructive criticism.  I don’t show regularly (I haven’t really been very brave) but this is a way of dipping my toe in the water of getting my work out there

4. If I have found a technique I want to share it – adult training is part of the ‘day job’ so I guess it is in my make up!

Just writing this down, makes me feel better.  Right Whippet X wants a walk and I have books to do for Son No1 (all reasons why I cannot be creative!  But valid ones – not housework).

But sadly I couldn't - not today.

MOSI has a conference venue, and that's where I was headed.  And I have to say it was a good day - but we talked about apprenticeships, the funding issue, QCF, functional skills etc. etc.

And frustratingly elsewhere in MOSI there is a whole textile industry history to explore.  Another time perhaps, but if you are in the area it might be worth popping in!

Explore MOSI | Explore MOSI Themes | Industry & Innovation | Textile Industry | MOSI

I have textile heroes and heroines (and more likely they will be heroines) all around the world.

But one such is pretty close to home - I am a real fan of the wonderful Annabel Rainbow and her life quilt series is stunning.  I have watched the development of 'Life 4 - Hello dear, what did you do today' through her blog.

As well as being one of the artists showing in the Orientation Exhibition at Redditch she is also arranging an exhibition  at the Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum, from 18 October 2012 - 13 January 2013.

You can read more about the forthcoming exhibition here, and see a pic of Annabel and her wonderful quilt! 

Through Our Hands, an international quilting exhibition - Quilt Shows:

JUNKAHOLIQUE: DIY BABY - Part 7:

This lovely crafty lady has been charting the preparations for her (very vintage) baby.

Now, I am sure that many of you will not necessarily be into this, but she does take lovely pics and has some lovely things in her life.

The reason for sharing this little entry with you is just the sheer genius of using the inside of a kinda egg to hide a bell into stitched toy block!  It's definitely a  'why didn't I think of that' moment (not that I make many toys - since my babies are now bigger than me!)

Worth a peek if you are sewing for grand children etc.

Golly - but I am feeling blocked!

Maybe it's because I am having a grim time at work trying to get to grips with the joys and delights of Kitemarking (don't ask), or maybe it's because I am behind on my book keeping duties for Son No 1.

What ever it is, the creative juices just are not flowing at the moment.

However, all is not lost as I have, I think, managed to finish one of the velvet based garden pieces. (i started this little journey back in July with the wonderful Angie Hughes at the Bramble Patch)

I had stitched the organza onto the printed and painted velvet and blasted some of the organza away with a heat gun, but it still looked a bit, well, flat and drab.


So, I got out my inks! (not the brusho inks, but some acrylic inks I already had - honestly some of the girls in the office have a shoe addiction - I think I have an arts materials addiction.  This has to stop, but that is probably another story entirely!)


And I did a bit of touching up.  Very light and subtle - I don't want it to look painted.


I hope you can tell from this photo, but the arch way in the middle of the image and some of the leaves are brighter.

Better I think.  Now I just have to finish it's partner (started at the same time, but the stitching isn't finished yet).

Ok, so maybe not quite so blocked!

A couple of posts ago I said that Birmingham was the centre of the universe (and for any readers from across the pond, I didn't mean Birmingham Alabama!)

Well, the axis has shifted - just a bit - to Redditch to be precise a few miles south of Birmingham. Redditch, or to be strictly correct, Bordesley Abbey and Forge Mill Needle Museum, is now the centre of the universe.



And why, I hear you cry, should the whole time/space continuum thingy be turned on its head?   Simple, dear reader, simple, because Bordesley Abbey and Forge Mill Needle Museum is hosting the fabulous 'Orientation' exhibition by Six and Friends.

If you have been concentrating you might know that these ladies have been working on the Orientation Exhibition for some time, and (when they are not eating - goodness you would be forgiven for thinking that theirs is a foodie blog) they have charted the various progress of their work on the Six and Friends blog.

So I rocked up on Saturday (which it turns out was probably the last glorious saturday of summer) to have a look.  Some of the artists were there and it was so nice to catch up with Hilary Beattie and Steph Redfern - last seen at FoQ, meet the fabulous Annabel Rainbow and Edwina McKinnon for the first time in the flesh (though through the delights of the blogosphere they both felt like old friends) and see Linda Kemshall again, who I have not seen for a while.

Some members were absent - Catherine Nicholls had flown back to Canada and Laura Kemshall had other things on her mind (and can duly be forgiven for being a bit of a party pooper in the circumstances!!! )  I am not sure why Ineke was not there.

And I have to say I was blown away - by the work, by the setting and by the generous way the artists were prepared to talk about their work and share tips and ideas.





Detail from The Keeper of  The Keys by Laura kemshall.
Stephanie Redfern's enormous piece dominated the end of the room.  It wasn't made to fit the space, but you would be forgiven for thinking that it was.

I love Steph's technique of layering up paper.  She used rag paper as the white 'framing' background for each element of the panel.


.Detail from Steph's piece is shown below. 





Linda's orchids were hung together.  The brickwork really complements the pieces and it will be interesting to see what they look like in other venues, for the exhibition will be travelling - the Bramble Patch and the Minerva Centre next year.

This piece is one of three by Annabel Rainbow, a real textile heroine.  She had created little haiku poems for each of her three pieces.












Another piece by Annabel.  This one said

"Pine needles on high
reflecting the  sunshine's warmth
Whispering of life"












"A small dragonfly
 this way,that way, this way, that
and it passes by"





 Above  - Ineke's Red Kites, drawn and printed using thickened procion dyes on vintage linen.




Catherine's stunning tree peonies (I think).  This reminds me of a magnolia tree in a garden in Dorset - the flowers were like vast pink hankies hanging off the tree.






 Edwina's pieces were influenced by sushi.





Hilary Beattie had produced a stunning triptych using the most vibrant blue backgrounds.




 And if I didn;t know better I would say that they were not discussing art, but the ultimate brownie recipe.


Above, a beautiful hanging by Edwina using Korean patchwork known as Pojagi.  You can do a class at the museum later this month to learn about this.


 And finally a lovely collection of work in progress from Marie Roper, one of the Six and Friends who sadly died earlier this year.

 So, if you are anywhere near the Midlands, can I be so bold as to suggest that you pop along.  You will not be disappointed.

And then inside, the rooms are lovely.
However I was rather blown away by the bedroom.  Look at these chairs, matching fire screen and sofa.  And also the tapestries - which are probably slightly faded from their original glory.





And then, in the less glamorous part of the house there are a couple of rooms set out for servants.

And of course there is a lovely little antique quilt.

And if you look closely at the tiny squares you could see that the papers were still in place and in a couple of areas, where the fabric had worn a bit, you could even see some print on the papers.

And then in the kitchens there was a 'rat'!

And a 'mouse'!

And just across the field, the parish church.  Not your average church, but in fact all that is left of the original monastery (hence the name Canons) which at one time was a pretty impressive building.  As with many similar establishments, it met it's end at the hands of the religious police during the reign of Henry VIII after his spat with Rome.

Definitely worth a visit (and the tea room is fabulous!)

I have to say I am hooked on the Paralympics.  I thought I might be in sport overload after all the olympic hype, but infact, on reflection I probably have not overdone it.  I only dipped in and out of the Olympics and pretty much missed the Tour de France, even though Bradley brought the yellow jersey home.

Anyway, the likes of wheelchair basket ball and Oscar Pistorius have been a bit of a distraction but this evening I was determined to have a bit of a play.

I was very restrained on the shopping when I went to FoQ but I did treat myself to a set of Brusho powders and tonight thought they should come out to play.


I was introduced to Brusho when I did a work shop with Brenda Boardman at the Bramble Patch a couple of years ago.

I have tended to use Procion dye powder for inks, but I know they can be an irritant.  There was an offer on at FoQ, and I succumbed!  (Do I really need any more inks?  Of course I do!)


I just made a few back ground papers.  First of all I used yello and leaf green.  Using a candle I drew leaves onto the paper, then 'painted' on water and then dropped the powder onto the paper through an old tea strainer, kept solely for this sort of purpose. (where it did not dissolve easily I gave it another blast with a spray of water)



Then I did blot it with paper towel, which has reduced the intensity of the colour a bit.



 Then I used lemon and scarlet.  (But with no wax drawing on the paper).



And then I used turquoise and orange, having drawn a squiggle on the paper with the candle first.



And again blotted.


These are just background papers but a good session - quick, simple and needed after a bit of a flog up and down the A34 for the day job (I was on the road at 5.45 am! )