Antibodies and Armchairs

Thank you for your kind wishes- I am on the mend now! My little pal has been keeping me company while I was sleeping on the sofa.

 

He hasn't complained about his shorter than usual walks, nor has he pestered to play in the garden.

He was happier this morning, walking further in spite of the rain.

 

Today I should be working on my Ten Plus textiles pieces...I am thinking about it, honestly. This is where I'm up to so far.

 

 

My embellishing machine has finally seen some action, needle felting strips and blocks of fabric onto wadding. It takes a while, but I find it really therapeutic and I love the texture it achieves.

 

 

The armchair was machine appliqued onto the background and I'll be adding newspaper print text, but I need to experiment with resizing the letters. I've been inspired by some "abandoned" garden chairs I see on one of my dog walks along the canal and I began collecting phrases from the memorial benches along the walk. I've been thinking a lot around the image of a chair where someone habitually sat, after they have got up, gone, the impression of them having been there and their lasting presence.

 

 

Well, I better get on so I can have more to show you. Have a lovely weekend xx

 

Bugged!!!

I'm under the weather today, some kind of virus has invaded my joints and throat, sapping my energy! I've spent most of the day in bed, but I got really bored and dragged myself up to try and do something constructive. I'll try not to pass the bug on to you!!

I wish I could have gone to my meeting at Ten Plus Textiles as I wanted some feedback on my new work for the coming exhibition at Bankfield Museum. I'll show it to you after I get a few photos.

Instead, I've been looking through my pictures from Lisbon.

 

I'm hoping to print this onto fabric and see where it takes me.

 

 

These colours and shapes could translate into patchwork. I love that a little plant is growing out of the graffiti.

 

 

More colours and shapes.

 

 

The cat makes me smile.

 

Well,  that's all for now. Hoping to be back on form tomorrow......

 

Moment to Moment

I'm trying to find a new way of being, experiencing where I am now,

accepting my pain

living each moment as far as is possible

being kinder and not striving.

I'm trying to let go of the stream of thoughts of what needs doing next,

of what others think,

the "should" and the "ought to."

I'm trying, (but not too hard) to feel the sun on my face,

 the wind in my hair,

 birdsong,

 the taste of each mouthful,

 fear, sadness, happiness and peace.

I'm hoping to live in this moment, the only moment I own.

The Colours of the City

More from Lisbon...

We came across plenty of vividly colourful graffiti. I'm hoping to be able to use some of the images in my design work for textile art.

 

Many of the larger pieces (and these were huge!) had a political message and the textures they created were wonderful.

 

 

We even found some yarn-bombing!

 

More to come soon......

Lisbon

We have just been very fortunate to spend a wonderful week in Lisbon.
I have been very aware of how precious these family times are as the children grow nearer to flying the coop!

 

We walked miles, saw so many wonderful sights and of course, took time to sit outside with a drink, watching the world go by.

 

 

 

It is amazing how much good a little sunshine and blue sky can do!

 

I was really excited by the sight of orange trees growing in the city.

 

        They taste so lovely when they are glowing with sunlight!

 

 

REMEMBER

Ten Plus Textiles are having an exhibition at Ordsall Hall in Salford. Some of the members have also been working on a community project with a local youth group to produce "creatures" which may be lurking behind the wattle and daub of the old building. Ordsall Hall is beautiful and well worth a visit.

 

 

My new work, "Remember", is on display. It combines many elements of my recent work- fabrics printed on the computer, graffiti and applique. The background was pieced, then needlefelted with an embellisher machine to distress it a little. The tree was cut from fabric that I had put through the printer to print an image of graffiti. I liked the idea of  blurring the boundary between a natural element like a tree with something more urban.

 

Thin Ice

A lovely brisk walk along the canal. Beautiful golden sunshine lifting my spirits and making the dusting of snow on the towpath sparkle. Birds chirping and the dog, off lead, giddy with the joys of Spring, snuffling along the bank and skipping along. That is, until he decided to chase the ducks across the ice.......

 Normally, he is wary of the water- he can't swim that well and often barks at dogs swimming in streams to warn them of the danger. But today, the water was solid; it must be -those ducks were walking on it, after all.

He got almost halfway, with me yelling at him to come back and willing him to be feather-light, when the ice gave way. There was a cartoon pause, while he registered that the water was in fact liquid, then he started scrabbling desperately. Did I mention that he can't swim? I was frantic, calling "Alfie come" and his eyes were pleading, but he was getting no closer to me. There was ice in his way. He was too far for me to reach. Very quickly he tired and looked dangerously close to slipping under. He wasn't moving forward, just paddling to keep his head up. I couldn't bear the thought forming in my head. I couldn't stand there shouting, reaching and watching while he drowned. So I waded in.

I know, I know! I've heard those stories too- I've told my own children-"Never go into water after the dog". I figured the canal couldn't be that deep. I was very careful and thankfully, by the time I was in above my knees I could reach out and grab him by his harness. The relief!

We then had a 25 minute walk back to the car- thank God it was sunny. After a good shake Alfie seemed full of beans again, but I kept him very firmly on his lead as I squelched along in my sodden wellies!

We got home eventually, both had warm showers and now that we have both stopped shivering, Alfie is asleep on the sofa. I think we may be going for a road walk tomorrow :(