May, Take it Further

What a chapter of accidents! I have had to write this post in fits and starts. Many interruptions caused me to save and return to add more. The problem arose when I had more than one copy open in several windows (I still don't know how this happened). The result was that instead of publishing the final copy I saved the first! All the time and effort (well, almost all) was wasted and I have had to start again. Hopefully I can remember what I wrote, at least in gist.

I know it's June now, but I had actually completed the challenge by the end of May. As I thought, it was a holiday project, and here are my thoughts and results.

I gave the question a lot of thought because it goes much deeper for me than it would at first appear. My name is Welsh, but as soon as I open my mouth you will think I am English. It was a quirk of 'fate' that caused me to be born and brought up in England, but in spite of living here all my life I still regard myself as Welsh. I experienced Hiraeth long before I knew there was a name for it, and travelling over the border always makes me feel as though I am returning home.

In my working life I wear many figurative hats. I am a dyer, stitcher, artist, enabler (I feel that that is different to just a teacher). I work in textiles. My other hats include wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. At different times and if different places my 'title' needs to be different. With regard to my working life I consider myself to be a Dyer first and foremost. If asked 'what do you do' I always say 'I dye'. Of course, that could be for the impact, as it often raises a shocked glance as the 'y' isn't apparent in speech! I then go on to say that I'm an Artist who works in fabric and thread. I used to say that I worked in textiles. However, that seems to conjure up pictures of sheets and tea towels to the uninitiated, and I most definitely DON'T work in those!

Thinking along all these lines made me want to create something that harked back to my roots. Here is the result



This was made during our holiday. Fortunately I had an embellisher with me, and each layer was made using a different technique. There is also some hand-dyed fine viscose felt there, and some of the layers were made using an embellisher roll. It was good to make something from start to finish while still in the area. From first sketch to finished piece took about 3 days, but I certainly wasn't working all the time. It made me realise just how much I love creating, and how rarely I am able to fully indulge these days. However, dyeing is creative too, and I do LOVE mixing colour. Don't forget that you can see some to the colours I create on the website and also on Etsy.

March Take It Further

Where did the month go? I intended to add some stitching to the February challenge, but just couldn;t seem to find the right place or technique. I'd value any input.

Further details can be found here and here



March was to take notice of the little things.

Well, my stitching probably couldn't be smaller, but I really enjoyed making this postcard sized piece.

It is surprising how we 'move on' with techniques and totally forget something that we enjoy. I have revisited something I used to do quite often, so in a way it encompasses both February and March.

Tiny scraps of precious fabric have been stitched onto a backing fabric using mostly zigzag with a metallic thread. The tiny piece is mounted on a transfer painted Evolon background. Maybe this isn't perfect, but it is quite striking in reality.

Phew! Just in time for April!

February Take it Further Challenge

I'm still working on this, but very nearly there. I'm wondering what is in store for March. No doubt several of you can already tell me, but I'm avoiding looking until this is finished.

No pictures today, I shouldn't really be on the computer!

TIF or TIF?

We arrived back from Textiles in Focus late last night. It was an excellent show with lots to see, very good exhibitions, and an interesting selection of workshops. I taught a couple of hand-stitching workshops using water-soluble paper and you can see the sample here.



The flower was made from scrim and then applied. The next step is to spray the finished piece with metallic paint. It is too cold to do that today, the paint will probably freeze as it leaves the can, so I'll post another picture when it's finished. This is a technique that I love, and creates surfaces that can be put to a number of uses - including book covers and box tops.

It wasn't until I thought about this post that I remembered our abbreviation for Textiles in Focus is TIF. I could so easily be confused with the Take It Further Challenge!

February TIF Part 2

This is just a bit of preliminary playing along with my original thoughts. There's still a lot to do.

Take It Further:: February

True to her word Sharon posted the February challenge earlier this month. I have been thinking about it, even whilst finishing that of January

My family memories of the past are extremely good. This has been a real blessing recently as I have been able to reminisce with my mother about all sorts of things. My earliest memory is being taken for a ride in my pushchair while staying with my grandparents in Brecon, S Wales. As my brother wasn't yet born (I wouldn't have been in the pushchair if he had)and my mother wasn't even pregnant with him yet (her pregnancy meant she could no longer travel) I must have been younger than two.

I certainly don't want to commemorate that, however. I have been thinking a lot about babies, though, prompted I'm sure by recent visits from our newest grandchild. I have had two pregnancies and both my children were born in the Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital in Aldershot. Although this was a military hospital (it was closed a while ago) it was also open to civilians, and that's how I came to be there! Shortly before my daughter was born an IRA bomb was detonated close by. This meant that there was much security in place, and some roads in Aldershot were closed (and have never been reopened). This is not something I would like to dwell upon or commemorate either. My son, however, was born 4 years later in much more relaxed circumstances, and in the middle of a heatwave. To tie it all together I've decided that that's what I'll consider for my Take it Further Challenge for February. The heatwave!

Is anyone visiting Textiles in Focus next week? We'll be there so come and say 'Hi'.

Take It Further January

Well, it's finished. The colours are much closer in reality, but here is the initial design




And here is the finished piece.



I'm surprised that the stitches aren't more in evidence in the finished piece. I have layered scrim over a layer made on the embellisher, The scrim has been pulled into a textured layer. I'm quite pleased with it and enjoyed doing it - even though it is blue!

Busy, busy, busy

January has been out busiest ever. Although we are now into February we are still sorting ourselves out after our visits here there and everywhere! I also have to prepare for teaching at Grayshott on Wednesday and for a weekend at Missenden Abbey starting on Friday. Both are on the Embellisher, so I know they will be fun and that everyone will go home with lots of pieces.

It's during times like this that I miss having times to create as much as I would like. I still haven't quite finished my take it further challenge, but that is well on its way, and it should be finished by the weekend. The new challenge for February is already up, and I know what I will be doing for that, however, I won't share that here until the other is completed. Part of the delay has been caused by having to use every available surface for sorting. Wednesday of next weeks sees us heading off towards Cambridge for the annual Textiles in Focus in Cottenham. This is a lovely show, and it will be good to meet up again with friends and customers that we see regularly. I've been dyeing more of the Embellisher Rolls, we sold out of our stock over last weekend, and have been packing orders for these and other goods at the same time.

The above should have been scattered with photos and scans, but uploading isn't going to happen now, it would appear. I'll post this now and update the pictures later when things seem to be working better.

January Take it Further Challenge - Vulnerability

Well, the task that I have set myself is to become more vulnerable within my creativity. For that reason I am going to share the following poem that I wrote last year. I haven't shown it to anyone except my close family, so this is quite daunting in some ways, But here goes. Some of you may remember that baby Jack was born very unexpectedly 7 weeks early, this was written the day after he was born when we saw him in the Special Baby Unit, and for the first time. I am pleased to say that he is now thriving.



For Jack

Silent, you lie there,
Oblivious of the tubes and pipes,
Accepting and contained.
Your world is small
No noise except the cry of babe
Hungry and impatient.
No knowledge yet of deep maternal love,
Of father, standing by
With arms of love and strong protection.
No thoughts or fears,
Complete in self, yet so reliant.

Sleep well, sweet babe,
for in that sleep grows strength.
Surrounding silence intensifies the love
That soon will be apparent.
Take naught for granted, love is all,
And God is Love.

January Blue Take it Further Challenge

Well it isn't often that I am up with the 'trends', but it seems as though I may be this year! Here is an interesting item about blue.

Trying to Take it Further!

Gosh, this is hard. I didn't realise that I was such a coward!

I don't make New Year Resolutions. However, I have decided that this year I must work on making myself more vulnerable. It is going to be a question of small steps, and I will apply them to the Challenge as it progresses.

How will I start? I have decided to choose a colour scheme that I wouldn't normally use. I'm not sure what I will use yet, but that seems to be a step in the right direction.

Thanks to those of you that have left positive comments. It's an exciting start to the year, isn't it?

January Take it Further Challenge

I have rashly decided to take part in Sharon Boggon's Take it Further Challenge. I tried to do the TAST challenge last year, but once a week was just too much to add to other committments. Hopefully a challenge that only has to be finished once a month will be easier to accomplish. The challenge for January has been posted. I have thought long and hard about it, just whom do I look up to and admire? I have come up with two names.

The first is Ann Stone. I am willing to bet that none of you have heard of her. She was a friend and neighbour for nearly 20 years. I first met her when she and her husband moved into the bungalow opposite. For many years she had been a professional dancer, and now she was able to indulge in her passion for art. Her paintings were amazing, but she had many other skills including stitching, and she was the first person I knew who created art from textiles. Her work inspired me to have a go, and Ann encouraged me on every step of the way, always telling me that I could do it, even when I had serious doubts about myself.

The second is someone I met almost by chance about 5 years later. I was now fully seduced by textiles, but needing a new direction. I was introduced to Vicky Lugg by a fellow stitcher, eventually spending a number of years attending her Masterclass in stitched textiles. Vicky was a very supportive mentor and teacher, her support for all her students going far beyond the call of duty, and enabling each of us to call her our friend.

So what was it about these two ladies that is so appealing? What is it that I particularly admire and wish to emulate? I have to say that it was their vulnerabiltiy. Each was willing to push the boundaries and expose parts of themselves in their work. Sadly, they are now no longer with us, but their inspiration lives on.

I'm not sure I can do this in a month. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to expose my vulnerability! However, I have at least admitted that here, and if I keep working away at it I may achieve something by the end of the year. Thanks for the challenge, Sharon. I'm willing to give it a go.