It's Over and on to the Next Project

Seeking Artemis finished Tuesday at 4pm, I think it's right to say it was a successful exhibition 500 visitors viewed our work and gave all the work very positive feed back. Work was sold, none of mine  I didn't expect  to sell,  my work is not commercial enough.  Textile work to hang on the wall not framed and behind glass seems to scare the buyer. Maybe they worry about how to keep it clean.

The venue was in a very busy area of London between two stations Euston and Kings Cross / St Pancras, this meant that quite a few visitors were passers by with suitcases. Some of the visitors were even more colourful than my work!

I thought I would give a description of my work and close up images for those that are interested if your already bored switch off now.........

My Work

For me it was the idea of strong women that inspired my work.  Many women throughout history and into the present day whose strength is seen in a supporting role much as the caryatids support the fabric of this church. Using modern and traditional quilting techniques I created a body of work to honour such women 

Caryatids above the entrance to the Crypt

The Sign on the corner of Duke Street and Euston Road

I used the shape of the arches in the crypt to shape the top of the quilt, I then stitched the quilt including the three figures which I then cut out and filled the holes with textiles that can be seen through and used the lights to show it off  (the images below don't show this as they were taken on another quilt). Names of inspirational women were stitched onto the quilt using the sewing machine and added texture to the quilt with hand stitching and painted bonda web. When the whole piece was complete I used metallic foils to catch the lights. I was pleased with the results but there are things that I would have done different, we live and learn!

Inspiration Quilt

 painted bonda web and hand stitching

Used to fill the figures

Used to fill the centre figure

hand stitching and machine stitched name 'Mary Shelley'

The shapes  removed from the inspiration quilt were attached to three smaller quilts. I used machine and hand stitching on the quilts and as well as the cotton fabric I'd dyed and used in all the work, I included small pieces of silk, just to give a bit of interest. Again when they were completed I used foils and mounted the quilts on artists canvas! I was happy with these  the one on the left doesn't photograph well it was colour on colour (better in the flesh). These three were called 'The Jugglers', the reason is like all women they have everything in the air and occasionally something crashes to the floor.

Stitching on the figure

Machine, Hand Stitching and Foil

The lightest fabric is silk

The three final pieces where framed they were shapes foiled and  hand quilted keeping it very simple.

Hand Quilting, Painted Bonda Web and Foil

Hope your not dozing off!

Onto the next project now.....

All Set Up

Yesterday we set up the Seeking Artemis exhibition at the Crypt Gallery, this gallery is in an great position on the Euston Road, London. The Crypt is an ideal venue for the work we are exhibiting take a look at the Seeking Artemis blog for images of all the artists or the public Facebook page here, but in the meantime below is an image of the largest piece of work I have in the exhibition. It is a quilt with three figure shapes removed and replaced with either scrim or a cord which is woven and stitched together, the wall can be seen through the shapes. It was very scary cutting such large holes in my work after spending so long stitching it all together. Tomorrow is the Private View, I just have to hope that I've ordered enough wine (that was my job), mind you I don't think anyone will want to get drunk and fall asleep in a corner, they could get locked in and who would want to spend a night in a crypt?

It's All About The Flowers

The garden looks really lovely now theres been a balanced amount of rain and sun. I'm not mentioning the  bits of the garden or plants that Betsy's pulled up or eaten. Is it weird we still have  Narcissus flowering? I'm sure that everything in the garden shouldn't  be flowering at the same time, it is so who am I to complain.

Wednesday at the City and Guilds class we did samples of fabric painting I was really pleased with the way the paint spread on the silk fabric. I found the silk tucked  in a draw in my work room, it must have been leftover from Rachel's college days.  Lots of possibilities for this fabric, I wish now I'd spent more time on the green background painting. The blue sample wasn't quite so good, needs some work done I think. I'm probably going to over print with a block I have, just need the time to play now.

A Wave

I found a post in my drafts that I started writing on 10th April, I got side tracked..... it's so out of date there's no point in putting it up.  I must show the chocolate cake and apple crumble  I made and took to James and Becky's at Easter, Rachel made cornflake cakes.

That's all so long ago now and since I blogged about my list it grew and grew and.....then lots got crossed off! Phew!

Most days Betsy and I walk with a group of dogs and their owners of course, occasionally we go and feed the geese, ducks and swans. One of the ladies we walk with is Mary, everyone calls her the 'dog whisperer', the dogs all love her, maybe because she has a huge bag of treats with her every day!!! It's a lovely place to walk especially now the weather has improved and the ground isn't like a bog.

There were nine dogs walking this day!

During the Bank holiday Dave and I sorted out our wardrobes and have six bags of clothes waiting to go to the charity shop. I'm not sure if we were both hoarding or we were just being lazy, I had three black tailored suits leftovers from when I worked in a Ladies Clothes shop and smart was the order of the day. Had I been harbouring thoughts of returning to that sort of work, NO! But one thing I did decide to part with is this Aran Jumper, I knitted it about 30 years ago, I haven't worn it for years but have kept it because I still love it. Rachel is going to give it a new home, it's really baggy on her but I sold it to her as  RETRO it will be cosy on those winter nights when she wants to snuggle up. SOLD! And I have lots of space to fill with new clothes....... And I have an irresistible urge to knit something now.

Finally all my work for the Seeking Artemis Exhibition is finished and on Tuesday these will be -

Just a snippet

Another Snippet

hanging here or -

here.......

and there will be some of these. It is a really interesting space, there will be more images once the Exhibition is hung.

Meanwhile I've been working like a mad woman to catch up on my City and Guild work, lots of samples finished and two design folders almost completed. I'm using this photo as my inspiration for my first project, I took this photo a few years ago on the beach at Bamburgh, Northumberland. I've decided to do a table runner and I may even do some place mats to go with it later if I have enough fabric (and time) I need to get some samples ready to show when I go to class next Wednesday, Janice was happy with the design I've come up with, a relief.

At the weekend it seemed as though summer had arrived sitting in the garden eating dinner having BBQ's but today it's all changed. Hope it's Summer where ever you are.