tending/mending

It's almost completed, this one! Just the final few stitches to add, and then it'll be already. The exhibition I'm having will be in November, so I shall be busy completing everything for that. At the bottom, is a photo of the Chapel where I'm exhibiting.

I was in Westgate Chapel last weekend, when they were open as part of the Long Division Festival in Wakefield. Lots of bands to see; and some, performing in the Chapel itself. Here are some pews, and stained glass windows. Oh yeah...and some people! 

 

'bandaged heart'

 Close up; the 'heart' with loose threads.

 The complete piece. It's turned out like a small cushion.....so for the exhibition in November, I'm thinking to put it onto a chair, and just hope no-one sits on it!

I printed onto a bandage, and stitched the fabric/s together.

Layers; and stuffed with quilting fibre.

Then stitched onto denim, as the background fabric. 

This was one day in spring, in the very early stages of making, when the sun shone in through the studio door, and illuminated the procian dyed polyester! You can see the texture of the bandage more clearly in this photo.

Anglesey Stone

 Wrapped a stone with grasses.

 Quartz on the campsite grounds.

 Windmill querns to grind the flour. Here set into the floor of the windmill. 

 Stones set into the centre of the labyrinth.

 Holed stones used as weights for the reconstructed Iron-Age

loom in the recreated hut. 

Cottage walls, of what used to be the community baker. People would bring their loaves to be baked in the big ovens.

In the 17th century we didn't have our own individual ovens. We'd have an open fire on which to cook, or later on, ranges. 

Experimental Printing

Machine stitching onto blown plastic; with organdie fabric laid over it.

Inked up with fabric paint, and printed onto;

Above; printed onto an old road map.  

 Same print, on water-colour paper.

 Same print; onto fabric

Close-up; of fabric, with additional stitching.

I took this away with me this week, when I went off to Anglesey camping in my van. Sitting in the sun, beer in hand, stitching away.

Just playing, and seeing what happens.

What July brought.....

My niece, Helen, married Tim. Emotions ran high. We toasted Pam, her mum, my sister, who died in 1998. Helen looked beautiful; it was a fabulous day. We all cried! It was a wedding!

 I visited Sharon, my friend from art college days, who now lives in Milton Keynes. We visited the 'Breathing Room'.....and it really did 'breathe'!

Spookily so.

Sharon and I went to London for the day, to visit Tate Britain, to see the Folk Art exhibition. We were both slightly underwhelmed. The exhibits were fascinating; but they lacked any real context. It felt that it didn't live up to the promise. Ah well, glad I went.

And now; August. The evenings seem to be drawing in. Getting darker, earlier.

And tomorrow I'm away to Wales.

Spend some time beside the sea; spend some time in good company; spend some time in my camper, in a field. And ponder the future.

July has been a very intense month. A rollercoaster of emotions. Big changes.

It will be great to simply be.

'hands' #2

The stitched hands.
Used 2 different thicknesses of thread.

'hands'

This collagraphy print is on silk dyed with cow parsley. Since I dyed this, and printed onto it, I've added more fabric; and am stitching onto it. There are no hands in this photo, but the hands are emerging out of the stitching. More photos will be added as I work on it.