'there's an angel floating round my house, floating round my house.......' *

Stained glass window at Westgate Chapel, Wakefield, on Xmas Day. Kate, the secretary asked me to commit to an exhibition next year. I've been feeling un-confident about my painting, and about my art in general. Feeling the slate has been wiped clean, and I don't know where to begin to start making again. Perhaps this is an opportunity to make a commitment to my muse, and put my toe in the water again? I'll consider it, and decide soon.  
Thank you to all those angels fluttering round me this last couple of years......

Angels bringing gifts! Thank you, 'angel-Loz'! I'm a lucky girl! This second book by India Flint arrived on Xmas Day! 'Tis beautiful, like her 'Eco-colour' book, which fired up my enthusiasm for dyeing with plants. Am looking forward to delving into this treat!

Jill, my felting-friend, made this needle-case; she said only we two would get the reference! Who would've thought Neil Young's song lyrics would have applied themselves so happily to a needlecase!!!!! Ho Ho Ho!

And Bea; who has generously given throughout this difficult year. Opening her gift, I unravelled a length of patterned silk! She knows quite well I don't use new silk, and so got me this! Needless to say, the dregs of the walnut dye-pot have a portion of this silk soaking in it. I suspect the dye-bath is exhausted by now, but, I shall leave it in, to just 'see what happens'.....as always when dyeing with plants; magic happens.

*Oh, and the lyrics; are from Kirsty MacColl. Much missed. X

Xmas Eve

A different Xmas Eve.
I went with Pauline to visit her Polish friend Gosia. We watched Polish TV (!) without understanding a word, though we did make out the carol 'Silent Night'! Gosia kindly made us a traditional Polish xmas eve meal; saurkraut; carrots; onions; cabbage; white mushrooms; cooked together, and yummy. Thank you Gosia. We drank tea, and wine. And exchanged gifts. Which we then opened! In Poland presents are opened on xmas eve, not xmas day, as here in England. We shared chocolates, and looked at our gifts. It was a lovely way to spend the evening. And fascinating to hear how other people celebrate Xmas.
'Have yourself a merry little Christmas..............time.'

s0LsTiCe

The winter solstice.
The dark of the Year.
The wheel Turns.
'We rend; We end; We return, again'.
The stars shine on.

churches & angels

The Annunciation, as depicted in a stained glass window at Penistone church. I love the image of the angel on the left hand panel of the window; the one seeming to balance on a olden orb. Looks like she's made of feathers, or maybe flames? Or perhaps feathered leaves? Maybe a relation to the Greenmen you find in churches? This one a leaf-angel?

And here's a stone angel! Found at Silkstone church, Barnsley. Very solid; and the stone pillar which seems to pierce the angel, adds an odd touch. Or perhaps I should see it as the angel emerging from the pillar, miraculous-like? 



winter; sunset & sunrise

 A couple of evenings ago, the sun set like this.

 One morning walking to work, the path led into mist.......

The sun was rising over the railway embankment, illuminating the grasses on the field.

The beck runs through this field; the beck that leads to the river Calder.

The sun is low in the sky now. Dropping down to the solstice.

'Irene's Emporium'

Last weekend I spent the day on a stall, selling hand-printed cards, prints, postcards, Xmas tree decorations; plus various bric-a-brac items. Some of the bric-a-brac I'd carried home with me from mum's house, perfumes etc.....not opened or used I hasten to add!

And I made a wee 'tree' to hang my fabric tree decorations onto; trying to make for a festive atmosphere! What I didn't sell, I'm sending to people instead of Xmas cards. Some are in the post right now.
My friend Jill had a stall; and I spent my takings on some lovely 'croched bunting'! Which will go in campervan Blanche soon.

crazy shirt

Back

Not quite a 'crazy quilt' because I've not done any padding/quilting on this shirt. But it is 'pieces' I've stitched over the shirt; the purple cotton underneath. I started it last winter; as part of my plan to keep warm throughout winter/s, and also an attempt to reduce my heating bills; in this country we have people having to choose between eating, and heating. So; having come across sashiko stitches, and learning from Saskia about 'Boro' and the way fabric and stitches are used in traditional Japanese working-class communities, I decided to 'just sew' and patch a shirt that I could pull on over my clothes, and layer up to keep warm. Because it's so random, and un-designed, it won't matter about keeping it clean, or neat, or tidy. I can just chuck it into the washer when it needs washing; I can just put it over layers, and put a fleece over the top of it if I want. It's cotton, so it's not too bulky; I can use it in the studio; in the garden; camping; it will be useful in all sorts of situations.  

Front

And it's on the final push! I've stitched almost all the way round the shirt, and am onto the left-hand front side. Gonna leave the sleeves as they are. The patches are a mix of bought fabric; gifted fabric; and fabric hand-dyed by me.
The stitches strengthen the fabric; they create increased insulation; they add texture; and each one made by hand!

As I'm typing this, R6 Tom Robinson show is playing music in tribute to Nelson Mandela, to mark his death. And tonight is the anniversary of John Lennon's death. Feels a dark time, as we lead up to the longest night.
Dusk fell early. I was out in the garden pottering about; watching a stunning sky of orange clouds illuminated from below.

black bean dyed

Left a piece of cotton/linen fabric in a dye-pot of liquid from some boiled up black beans. This was the fabric when I first pulled it out the pot. A lovely purple, with blue blotches.

 A close-up of the dyed fabric.

Rinsed and ironed the purple has come out, leaving a pale blue, akin to the colour of fabric I've dyed with woad. I like the mottled look of it though. I think that's some remnant of the mould that was taking over the dye-pot!

rend and mend

I've been playing with creating another collograph plate; this time printed onto the fabric I wrapped around the rusty pole, then over-dyed with woad. There's plenty of cotton fabric; it's an old, worn, sheet. So this is the first print; a small experimental print.
Now, I have to think what to do with it next. My feeling is to cut it into strips, and stitch other fabrics in between the strips.
Rend, and mend.
I've printed this onto some wallpaper from a sample book; that's come out interesting too. Just done that today, so I'm waiting for them to dry.
It's lovely sitting in my studio with the light going, and dusk drawing in. Sometimes Poppy, one of the cats, comes and sits outside, crying at me to let her in. And we sit there, enjoying being together, and watching the light fall.
I was out in the garden over the weekend, clearing round, sweeping up the leaves; and I'm on with the big houseclean all ready for the xmas holidays. It's going to be a strange one this year; no Lucy; no mum; no Ann. I'm trying to have no expectations, and just go with whatever happens. The weather forecast says snow is on the way. Oh well; go with the snow/flow.

dorothy caldwell

A couple of Thursdays ago, I went to the Knit & Stitch Show at Harrogate. I bought plenty of supplies & equipment. And filled my eyes with the artists on display.
The loveliest by far was the textile work of Dorothy Caldwell.
She was on her stand, and I managed to catch her when she wasn't busy, and grab a quick word. She was friendly, open, happy to talk. And happy to allow me to take a photo (top) of the huge textile piece. Which can be unusual at Harrogate, where there are lots of notices saying 'No photographs please' where people are displaying their artwork. I told her I'd read the article about her in the most recent edition of 'Embroidery' magazine. She liked it, as did I; it was my first introduction to her work. I asked about her friendship with India Flint, whose blog I follow, and books I read. We both expressed our admiration for India.
Dorothy talked about the similarity between inner Australia and sub-Arctic Canada; that both were 'deserts'. An interesting concept, given that one is baking heat, and the other is biting cold.

Extremes of landscape; something that I'm unfamiliar with, living in Britain. We have a very temperate climate; a blessing really. Although the last two years have been fairly extreme in our weather; 2012 was almost continual rain throughout the whole of the summer. Then we had a very cold, very LONG winter, which seemed to go on until April 2013.
This summer has been glorious sunshine; hot, warm, and balmy. But, interestingly, we've not experienced much of spring or autumn. We've had beautiful spring blossom, and fabulous autumn colours on the trees. Yet I've missed that feeling of moving through from one season to the next; it's been more of a sudden abrupt shift.