Catching Up with Textile Friends

Busy this week....it was my Embroiderers' Guild meeting past Saturday. We made a little bookmark.

Really enjoyable as we all made it in the afternoon - well I ran out of thread about 2" from the end so had to reverse stitch at home (pull it out) - but I did that straight away. Got in, got a cuppa and completed it. Lots of fun, laughter, a real teaser of a quiz. So glad I put off seeing relatives that day!
Tuesday it was The Material Girls meeting, including munchies. Can't believe how fast my time with them has gone by. I've not yet started my 3d piece based on water... sigh believe me this has been a struggle. Not short of ideas at all, just nothing seemed to gel with me. I've spent hours pouring over poetry, quotations, sayings, but still none of it shouted "this is THE thing to make" - spent hours on the sewing machine only to abandon that idea too. However, thanks to my friend, Anne's, casual remark - I thought that's it, go back to what's you. This is the problem you are trying to be what you are not, square peg, round hole. I have to take hold of this, because this trying to force myself into a niche, practically crippled me during CandG studies. I do like what others do... I love to see it, and on Tuesday I saw some truly beautiful things, skills I so admire - but for me to do that, its just not the right fit and it truly makes me anxious. A challenge is good, and that's part of why I joined MG, but I don't need to have anxiety over it and I do need to hold on to what is me - after all that's why they accepted me in the first place, seeing my work as it is....  It's MY mind set that is taking me back to these conventions, apart from subject matter and 3d, we've not have strict rules about it.  Its odd when you think you've mastered and sent away these nagging gremlins, and they come back to sit on the shoulder and nag in the ear!! I think the lime green post-its will have to come out - big reminder "stay true to the art that makes you... you"
I did see the rellies yesterday - 250 miles round trip, gosh the roads are busy - huge amount of lorries on the move.
Tomorrow its back out for the ERTF Essex meeting - more munchies... a different group of people to meet and catch up with, so that will be nice. Then tomorrow night I intend to crash out in a heap - my Xmas is done and dusted. Cards gone, presents gone, collected ours, people seen. I get a whole week to do nothing Xmassy at all, no other outings in the diary, bliss.  I've been loaned a paperarts book, and the latest Crafts magazine - so me, some relaxing stitching, nice read, oh... and poss opening the choccies early, and I can be smug and watch everyone else go mad.  Sounds like a good plan!