Laugh, it's OK!

I'm not, well not just yet anyway...... readers of my blog will know that The Material Girls have an event coming up at Horndon on the Hill. Just to digress for a minute everything seems to be going well for that, even publicity in Essex Life (fame at last).  Back to the theme of this post, I need to have things to sell in the shop, I'm not the greatest at producing lots of small pieces for sale. So far my collection includes  a selection of bowls  and two knitted felt bags, the second one I knitted came out a bit small after the washing process. So I decided to try another one this time I made it bigger used larger needles but the same yarn,  I washed it in the machine with a pair of jeans at 30C it came out no smaller infact it came out exactly the way it went in but wet!  Without another thought I washed it again at 60C with a hand towel and two bath sheets, when it finished the cycle I took the bag out of the machine I was over joyed, it had felted to a perfect size........ Oh, I thought I should let it dry over some sort of former...... But next.... Oh (excuse my language here) Bug**r the bag had felted it's self together so I can't open the bag...... Any ideas what I can do with a nice size lump of knitted felt? It's OK I have ideas. When Dave got home from work and I showed him he said 'Oh, Bug**r, you spent a lot of evenings knitting that'. Then he laughed, no I didn't damage him in anyway as I think it's funny too, I've knitted and felted quite a few times before and never had this happen, any ideas why it happened this time? Photo evidence I was so prepared I even used a plum to show the scale of the shrinkage, after the  DISASTER I ate the plum very nice too! I feel disappointed I had great plans of how to dye the bag and decorate it, never mind. As I said I have plans for the felt, and no not the bin, watch this space or better still come to the event. Pop over to here and see the list and times of the demonstrations.

Before

After

Saturday I was at the ERTF conference at Girton College, Cambridge, Chris gave a talk about the Bridging Waters Exhibition. She did a really good job, mind you she had great material, but then I'm biased.

Chris Spencer

Betsy is up to her usual tricks, she never stops, it's like living in a whirl wind most of the time. Today she's discovered a root that she had taken a fancy too, I have a dreadful feeling that by the end of the week the Camellia bush is going to fall down! Bless her..... I get a rest tomorrow I'm off to the British Museum,  research for the next Material Girls body of work and maybe a chance to have another visit to the Crypt Gallery and lunch, of course there's always lunch!

Betsy

I have a plan in the near future to make a page of photographs of the Quilts I've made over the years, I cant believe I made quilts and gave them away as gifts and never kept a photographic record? It's a project to get photos taken, Rachel jumped at the suggestion as she said the quilts she has at her house could do with a wash!!!!!! The joys of being a Mum.

Playing with Wordle

Take it easy!

A couple of weeks ago Betsy went to the vets, so no chance of pups,  after the operation she was supposed to take it easy for a couple of weeks. No long walks, that was easy, but the NO letting her chase around in the garden wasn't quite so easy! As she was such a good girl she has a new collar and lead and a couple of new toys, spoilt no not her......

It's lovely when the garden starts to show signs of the season ahead, it looks like my garden is all very pink this year.

The camellia is doing it's usual thing and is covered in blooms, the blue berry bushes are in bud so with some luck we'll get another good crop this year.  I haven't  many plans for vegetable growing this year, the part of the UK I live in is threatened with a drought, and from the start of April we have a hose pipe ban which will make everything more difficult. I'm thinking of only planting a few salad crops, also Betsy dashes around the garden at a great rate so anything to delicate would be destroyed in five minutes or dug up. Dave has put a small picket fence around the raised beds to help keep her off. I was getting fed up with her digging in the dirt and coming in covered in mud every time she went outside, every day was bath day! Never a dull moment here.

The plans for the next showing of Bridging Waters are in full swing, a few of us went for another visit to the venue this week. I've been busy getting bits and pieces made for the shop, so far I've made a couple of bags and a couple of bowls.  Also I've crochet a  Scrappy Granny blanket I'm not sure whether to put it in the shop, sometimes I lack confidence that others will want to buy what I make.

Scrappy Granny Blanket

Knitted Felt Bag

I've a few more things to make before the Exhibition, I'm sure that shop is going to have a huge selection of things for sale when the Material Girls put all their creations together.

The Material Girls had their meeting last week and Chris gave us our next project that is Cottenham 2014. Some time yet,  you might think but there's going to be a lot of work and research, our next meeting is at the British Museum in April. We are so lucky to have such good resources on our door step, how foolish would be be not to take advantage.

There are a few things planned for the coming months, Dave and I have tickets for the Lucian Freud exhibition, I'm not sure I would have chosen to buy them but Rachel bought the tickets then realised she was doing something else that weekend so we are doing her a favour, she's bought herself more tickets for another day. The things we parents do for our children.....I've book myself onto a weeks Shibori course with Janice Gunner in July that's in Walthamstow, not far from home so I can drive there each day. I did a similar course with her a few years ago and had a fantastic time. I've ordered my fabrics already so I'm very keen as you can tell.

On Saturday Dave is flying off to Kuala Lumpur to work for a week, a long way to travel for  a week, I could have gone with him but decided  I would rather stay at home and get some textile work done. He'll go off to the airport with a list of things I'd like from the duty free though. I did mention to him last night that he could look out for some batik whilst he was in Malaysia, but trying to explain what sort of fabric I'd like...... I wont expect to get any.

Has anybody been having trouble leaving comments on blogs?  I get the comment typed  then when I try to put the two key words in nothing happens. So just to let you know I have been reading blogs but the comments are very hit and miss.

So this is next?

This is very exciting it is the next event where you'll be able to catch the Material Girls-Articulation exhibition
- Bridging Waters. It is promising to be a brilliant event with lots of textile artists coming along to demonstrate their art! Hope to see you there.

Bridging Waters

This is what I've been working on for over a year, not only this,  there have been a couple of baby quilts, knitted items and various other things, but these three  have been occupying my mind. So that's over and now my mind is occupied with the next project, that's how I seem to work. I've enjoyed working on this exhibition, I think that the extra bonus of the wall hangings travelling to Canada to be exhibited with Articulation has made it extra special.

All the Material Girls made a 3 D piece inspired by water. The Mariners Rhyme started to run through my mind.

Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink.

So that was it, my 3 D inspiration! It just left the problem of how to put it into practice, never one to avoid a problem I set about constructing a jug and glass from threads and a soluble medium. It has turned out not to be  the easiest thing to photograph.   In the gallery it is suspended from the ceiling, the jug is  see through without a backing it disappears into the room. I'm pleased with the overall effect of it  and I'll get a better image of it at some point! (thanks to Chrissythreads for this image)

It was also decided that as our inspiration for the Bridging Waters Exhibition was the River Thames we would each make a Thames Barge, we each picked a name from a hat, all are genuine Thames Barge names. I thought mine was very apt 'London Belle' and decided that it should be a party boat. When I worked in London I did go to plenty of office parties held on 'Party Boats' sadly never a Thames Barge.

The exhibition is centred around  the wall hangings, Articulation took their inspiration from the Bay of Fundy on the East coast of Canada and The Material Girls took inspiration  from the River Thames.  I took  inspiration from the locks on the Thames, I didn't use any particular Lock just an overall impression with a lot of artistic licence.

This stage of the tour ends on Friday. Then the complete body of work will be shown in May at a textile event and in September in Maldon. Then the hangings will be packed up and couriered to Canada and will be exhibited in various locations, I believe that it will be travelling for two years. Who knows I may even get to visit one of these shows???

Water, Water

London Belle - London Sky Line

Machine Embroidered Sail  Top Hat Dancer

London Belle Thames Barge

Lock

In the meantime life carries on,  this morning I took a deep breath, took the plunge and changed hairdressers. With everything crossed I went in for a haircut and a colour (I'm not brave enough yet to let the grey show through) I always find changing hairdressers traumatic, I've had a few disasters in the past. And, yes I know it will grow again but who wants to be forced to wear a hat for six weeks until it grows again. Anyway  I'm really pleased and I've found a great hairdresser just 5 minutes away from home and a good price too. My previous hairdresser was a very well known chain and very costly!

The Material Girls Private View

For a short review of the Private View of Bridging Waters pop over to here

Bridging Waters - Ready for PV

This morning the Material Girls met at the gallery and just like magic the exhibition was up on the walls, and then I woke up......  I do have to say it looks good. I hope that you get to see the work in the flesh so to speak, always better than just seeing images. Last week at the MG regular meeting the press arrived, with a photographer,  I think the saying goes all publicity is good publicity, well this is good publicity if slightly wrong , well you cant expect everything! Have a look at Chrissythreads to see the article. There will be a lot of images on this and the Material Girls blog on Friday, it's the Private view on Thursday evening and I don't feel it's right to put images up until after that.

Tomorrow I'm having a trip to London with Dave we're off the The British Museum to see the Grayson Perry Exhibition and also to the Crypt Gallery to see a photographic Exhibition and who knows a nice lunch and maybe a bit of retail therapy. The trip to London is no change for Dave as he makes the journey to town every day it just means he'll get a lay in, oh yes! and my company. Betsy gets a treat too she's going to spend the day with her Mum, she loves it!