Summer Project

I have been working on the title "Shreds of Evidence" for my summer project. We have been asked to choose three subjects with different colour palettes.

I love looking at distressed surfaces and wonder what the subject was like in its former glory. Iron railings, lovely old doors, fading cloth and paper. I live in a big old Victorian house which is now split into three dwellings but in its heyday it was a grand home owned by a Mill Owner built in 1860. I want to find out more information about the house and its gardens when I have time! I found an old pipe in my garden whilst digging and I like to think that the gardener was taking a break and had a smoke, obviously resting his pipe but loosing it - lost until I found it. It now rests of a window sill.

Have been experimenting with burying cloth and paper in the garden - one experiment failed when my chicken Matilda dug it up so will have to re-do. Have also left out fabric with nails pushed through it to rust.

Summer reading is India Flint's book which is amazing, she gives information without preaching and it is visually beautiful.

Back to work!

Festival of Quilts, Birmingham

Travelled down on 20th August to see my good friend Fiona Wilson exhibiting at the Festival. There was a wonderful selection of creative work there and I particularly loved Chunghie Lee, "The patched Pojagi" (which is Korean Traditional Wrapping cloth). Another favourite was the paralleltextiles ladies - Christina Ellcock and Sarah Welsby (see link). The Committed to Cloth ladies were there but busy doing workshops so didnt manage to speak to them, hope to see them at the Knit and Stitch in Harrogate. Dionne Swift was showing her super devore work (plus kits to buy) and her new work which attracted a lot of attention.

I think I have always thought of the quilt festival as old fashioned but I was wrong! It was about design, exploration and freedom of creativity all on cloth.