2014 Here I come!!!

Time rolls on and here we are start of a New Year, time to think of hopes and dreams which may become a reality.  A reflection on previous year, thoughts of what to do better, explore further, yes even abandon or adjust, personally and art wise.
But I try to keep this for my textile life, so...

2013 saw a new development for me... a set of work, and not one but three, poss four, depends how you define a body of work!!
I always see my pieces as inter connected, but have never tried to make a cohesive group, so closely similar, before, nor to set out with the intent of X number in the set before a needle has been threaded.  And yes I did struggle with the spirit to keep going.  This is mainly because after making one, the itch is scratched.  One of these sets is 99% hand stitch, which will make some of my friends faint... they think I only use the sewing machine, whilst I think I use anything and everything I like!  Perceptions? Oh to see ourselves as others see us... scary.

To 2014 - and my arty plans

~ Exhibition for ERTF opening Feb - items already made, tick.
~ Exhibition at Textiles in Focus, Feb with The Material Girls - items 90% made, little tick!
~ Potential Art Trail submission, yes also Feb deadline, sigh.  Ideas, and possible items, not enough for even a tiny tick yet...
~ Further Art Trail submission, usually around May, ideas only.
~ Next topic for The Material Girls - in early research.
~ Me inflicted on my EG Branch - I've made lists!!!
(Look on the listing on the right of this blog for quick references)

If submissions accepted that will mean displaying work in June and Sept and any other adds ons as part of process.
There are other possibles... but at the moment I'm coming down on the No side.  I know I would like the project, can do the project, but think I need NOT to do the project!  Its not the doing of, or discipline needed, I'm finding hard, but the switching of my head from one thing to another, thought wise. I think I need to allocate time out and recharge a bit. Instead I need some fun input, things which really don't matter and provide joy in the moment.
After writing this in draft, twice in one day I came across similar ideas. One person said their New Year Resolution was

"Do Less - but Do It Better" 

Then there was the magazine article, taking the ideas from the 5:2 diet and applying to other areas of your life, restriction/cutting down on something for two days, be that internet use or watching tv.  Personally I can easily manage 5 days of cutting down on hoovering!  I go with the theory that if you squint you can't see the dust!  Heck just take your glasses off....
So to bring some fun, I made myself a Holiday project... and here it is.

A Boast of Bunting!

I hope you will keep me company, here or on my Facebook page, for another year of mixed media textile adventure.

Wishing You A Very Successful Happy Arty 2014
 





Tis the season...

for lost parcels - fah la la la lah, la lah la lah.
(In a time far far away I used to sing in front of people, now its a sound cross between crunching gravel and murdering cats)
The great parcel fiasco... well several actually.  A couple of small letter packets were delivered to the wrong house, not only that, the wrong street.  Then Monday, expecting 2 parcels, delivered 2 parcels, signed for 2 parcels.  Opened 2 parcels, 1 is not mine!  Very nice courier came back at 7.40pm to exchange for the right one!

One of my parcels was a light.... remember the saga of attempting to use the sewing machine at this time of year.  See this previous post.
Well I've strapped various lights to my machine, hung them round my neck, twisted angled, poised, and that's just me!
Now I have a new toy, expensive, but let's see if this is the answer.

Its an Ottlight (already own one which I have as a bedside light) The beauty of this is that its both electric and rechargeable battery.  This means I can put it wherever I want it, yeah!   No sockets where I sit in the lounge, which is partly why I never work downstairs.  It means I can easily move it from sewing machine to this table.  Next, needs testing, oh that means actually doing some work then?  Let's hope this is the answer, as seem to be gathering quite a collection of torches and lights etc.
This is why I need extra lights.... yesterday morning really thick fog here, this is the sun just trying to peep through at about 8.15 am.

See the house behing the telegraph pole?  Yesterday fogged rolled in and I couldn't see the house, not even an outline.  Another foggy day today, not so bad, but no hint of decent light yet, more hanging out of windows to take photos though....
Oh talking of windows, ha, via my personal Facebook page I'm adding a daily pic of  doors and windows for Advent, as I do seem to 'acquire' them - sky pics could last the whole year...... have just one or two, cough

Senior Moments and Junior Pic

Oh dear.... think I might have hit the "senior moment" era.
Computer has had an update... so that's why I spent about 30 minutes trying to find things which should have been under "My computer" - stupid machine has changed it to be called "This PC" - huh, why?  Look its doesn't take much to confuse my poor old brain.
Thought, running out of white felt, need to get some more.  Now this was always part of a ritual for me.  Back "home" visiting the old fashioned fabric shop which has been there for eons.  I used to buy felt there by the metre, and its the only place I knew I could get it by the metre.  Now I've no family in the town, returning home is difficult, not been back in a long time because simply not ready for it.  So... where to get some felt.
Easy get it via the internet.  So I did, and immediately an email to say despatched.  Errr so what's this big folded up piece of fabric sitting here then?  Ooops.
And I've promised myself NOT to spend without thinking.... so that's why last week I sent for some more paper to play with, which I don't need, and is in colours I never use.... heck the colour option is called Neon! Its hot pinks and oranges.

I'm bursting with ideas for an EG afternoon I'm teaching... considering its about 8 months away, little premature, and of course by the time the day gets here it will be, what was it?  Lists, and more lists, heck use my new neon paper to flag up where I put the list!

Now time for an animal update.  I've worked out that despite trying very hard to be a "proper" artist, sincerity, integrity etc - actually on the internet I get more responses and views when I add photos of kittens!!!  Hang on, just got to go to This PC to find them, tsk.

This is about a month ago, Bandit laying on top of Spike, look closely and you can sort which legs belong where.  Ssssh they have an appointment with the vet next week, what an early Christmas present to give them!!!

Excellent Talks

I've attended a couple of lectures recently.
The first by Rachel Gornall on her work and how she layers fabrics to make colour.  She was lovely, very enthusiastic, a good speaker.  It showed how pursuing a technique can produce endless possibilities.  And.... ta dah, she also uses elements of paper, so that pleased me too!

Then I had a day conference on restoration/conservation with Jackie Hyman.  Not really my 'thing' but I'm a huge detective/mystery fan.  So it was not only the historical information on the particular pieces in the talk, but also the how of unravelling the story, which intrigued.
Second element from Jackie was about conserving/looking after our own textiles.
As a conservator she said never ever lace embroidery when mounting it up. It creates strain points, where the fabric is likely to rip.
Well I was almost there with a high five, racing round the room yelping, OK there was an underbreath YES! I hate lacing work, I am no good at it.

photographed on black background

This piece is my headache.  Made way back in 1995 as part of City & Guilds studies.  It was an 'extra'.  The tutor wanted us to make a panel, of our choice, but within a timescale.  So I made this, laced the cream fabric to a board, and she failed it!  Not that there was a section for this task.   It failed because the base cream fabric was not on the straight of grain all along the edges of the board, the thread line waved, not much, but it did. However with a ruler the small surface panels measured equally to the edge. So I was made to dismantle and do it again, not much more successfully I might add.
Its not my only attempt at lacing, but I always seem to get the wiggle!  I see it now on other pieces, so I guess the lesson was learned.
However, I do now (partially) commit another sin for the textile restorer.  I use sticky tape.  Let me tell you, there's no wiggle now!  But its not something the restorer likes of course.
BUT in my defence I use sticky tape from the world of scrapbooking, where creating longevity of memories is the essence of making.  As such the sticky tape is acid free.  So I like to think I'm trying my best to be aware, not that I expect my work to exist in 100 years!
Oh and yes I mounted the piece above, again... this time using sticky tape, determined to get the grain lines straight, which it now has... not acid free tape at the time though,  but there's no seepage of glue, 18 years on.  Ssssh don't tell Jackie!