actually stitching

It been awhile since I sat down at the sewing machine and put together a 
small quilt.   It has to be said that life has intervened over the past months,
often in shovelfuls.    Onwards and upwards.


At the end of last year I found I was involved in a group hanging of quilts
based on paintings by Kandinsky.   No pressure then, if I didn't take part
there would have been an ominous space.    


I dyed up a pile of fabrics as my palette, and made a start.


So, sunglasses on please, here is my interpretation of Kandinsky's
concentric circles.     He heard colours in music and saw music in colours.
This is interesting.    Playing some of my favorite Indian music did indeed
aid, or subconsciously suggest, some pretty interesting colour combinations.
The squares are 10cm.   The circles are freely stitched raw edge applique.

Difficult to show the true colours here.   It's ready for the next stage of surface
stitching.  I'm looking forward to that.   Hand stitching to be done as and when,
bearing in mind the deadline is middle of April.   


Now for a quick tidy up in my workroom.  It's going to be another gorgeous day
for more indigo dyeing.

a touch of blue

today is warm enough to make up a small indigo vat 

and plant seeds of indigo, dyer's chamomile

and marigold (dried from an Indian garland)

out of the vat   

I have a line of blue cloth waving in the breeze

I also have blue feet 

the weather forecast is for higher temperatures

during the week  - wonderful

early morning walk

Mother's Day was celebrated on Tuesday as Nic, Will and little Ben were staying 
with us.  A big bunch of lilies, now open and smelling gorgeous. A trip on Sandbanks 
Ferry to Studland.   It was autumn cold.  A brief walk on the beach before lunch at The Banks Arms where we warmed ourselves by the open fire.  


Today dawned sun shiny bright so down to Sandbanks early, only a few dog walkers at 8.00am.   The sun was deliciously warm.   

piles of shells

flowers for Mother's Day

On Monday I took a workshop at Hansons Fabrics  in Sturminster

Newton.   The Dorset countryside looked just gorgeous, decked

 out in the colours of Spring.

There were ten lovely students, who all managed to get a good 

way on the embroidery, learnt to stitch shisha mirrors with my

failsafe way so they don't fall out!   They left with instructions on

 finishing and making up the Book Bag.   Radka has completed

her bag and it looks great.  You can see it here.

Dandelions

shibori dandelions from my sample book

Gilli of http://textilecottagestudio.blogspot.com  has posted pix showing the wonderful
shibori pieces she created at Saturday's workshop.   All those little bundles that left the
house now revealed.   You might like to take a look.


Thank you Gilli.

Flag

or, rather, a detail of a flag folded sample

demonstrated at yesterday's Shibori Workshop

The thing is you never know exactly what will appear when

the cloth is opened out.   This piece reminds me of looking

through a kaleidoscope, and the colours of the spring

flowers appearing in the garden

Maria, Gilli, Liz and Lyn tied, stitched, wrapped and clamped

in a wild frenzy.   They each opened one piece, just to see,

at the end of the workshop. Fantastic results.   As ever, too busy 

to take photos!  

It was a good spring sun shiny day, full of fun, laughter and

colour - what more could you ask for?

something nice to look at

which is more than I can say for most

of this week

the washing machine has broken down

it was going to be fixed tomorrow

the man has a cold, delayed til Monday

a trip to the laundrette is needed to deal with 

the large pile of washing that has accumulated

over the week   Nic and the Paper Cinema have

landed after a successful three week run at

Battersea Arts Centre - see side bar - even

more washing and finding space for 

Paper Cinema paraphernalia

group project on hold see above

managed to dyed thread - which was good

too cold this week for the hopeful indigo vat

on the other hand, my man took me out

to the cinema to see The Most Exotic Marigold

Hotel - set in Rajasthan with a stellar cast

brilliant  celebrated with a bar of chocolate

we stayed in the haveli a couple of years 

ago, two days after they finished filming

amazed at the transformation

should you go along to see the file you might

like to take a peep at Keith's website and

check out his photo's of Rajasthan and

Ravla, Khempur - the Most Exotic etc.

time for a glass of red