Saturday 31 March 2012

A snotty week



 
It's my turn to complain about a cold/bug this week. I sometimes think I'm allergic to ripping fabrics & I spend  time stitching away trying to stop a runny nose ;( But this week it turned into feeling grotty altho I only had a gravelly voice for a couple of days ;) Extra tired & extra lethargic but I feel better now. Bit behind on things but with an excuse! Before I didn't feel like it we had our first kayak of the season. It looked a little like this


 I confess I took this last year, sunny but misty at the same time & totally calm.  I didn't take my camera this time,  it was 8.50 in the am for heavens sake! Glad I seized the opportunity, tho, well, the DH made me! (I'm grateful!)

Got my books to the art group 'Aos' meeting & I am on the committee it seems!  I've volenteered to be one of the studios to visit over the summer......a little bit of tidying to do! Made sure I wasn't the first, tho. What shall we do for the visit, to keep people interested in the studio, I wonder? Hmmm. We're also looking out for a place to have a 'pop up' exhibition, a new phrase to me. There was an idea to use an Estate Agents window, the 'shop' is bing sold, so sadly they didn't want any art cluttering it up . Good idea to try to find an end of lease place, or something.

There are 5 on the committee so far, me & these others, just for your interest!  - Caroline Dear, photographer. Emma Noble, printmaker  Margaret Fergusson mixed media. Couldn't find many images for Margaret but I did a Cyanotype w/s with her a few years ago. & Lesley Linley, watercolorist. Quite a diverse group, we'll see what opportunities we can make happen.

As I said, didn't feel like doing anything this week but as I've got a table with my arty buddy Jo at a 'Fayre & Square' next week on Good Friday I thought I'd better russtle something up. It's being run by NTS & Rag Tag n Textile in Balmacara Square. It'll be an eclectic mix of things, I think. I'll be doing an hour demo of textile bits & pieces which will hopefully encourage people to do the future w/s with me there.


So I decided I felt like cushions, covers for the blanks I bought a couple of weeks ago.
 The youngest said it was very neat for me & I think it's a little pale, well, I still feel a bit pale!



 I didn't want anything too strenuous so rummaged around in various drawers & found some silk painted fabric, added a bit more color & stamped using my wonderful Indian block. This is about 4" square., the cushion 14", or it will be ;) It's got gentle gold stitching & the evening sun shows up the stitching ruching but it looks pretty even! I bondawebbed it in place before I stitched. I've learnt my lesson. I may do some hand stitching during earth hour (as long as it doesn't interupt Casualty....I know I'm a sucker for a hospital drama!) Oh, it is earth hour here, I'd better finish up!



The above is something I used to make cards from a while ago, strips stiched, cut, turned & stitched cut & turned again a couple more times. I meandered about with my faithful gold metallic adding bits & pieces from a bits bowl - organza, velvet & silky pieces. Again I may add some hand stitchng & possibly beads if I can see ok. I'm no good with piping round the outside, oh what can I add to stop the denim looking too, well, denimey?!

I'll try to get more made in the week but the boys are home for the holidays which is lovely & B&B is hotting up too - we have our first 2 room booking in the week. I will get round to making a bed quilt for the 2nd rm...one day ;)

9 comments:

Katie said...

It would be fun to come see your studio. I love those tours!
Love these pics- the fabrics in that second one are gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

The cushion cover looks fab and I would love to have a nose around your studio! Seriously, you might be allergic/senstivie to ripping fabric. It throws up dust which could be irritating the lining of your nose. Just a thought!

Anonymous said...

Hope you soon feel better Emma - and great that you have a B & B booking! Gilli ;-) x

Anonymous said...

Glad you are feeling better, flu no good. Looks like you managed to get quite a bit done nonetheless. Interesting group there, will be great to see what you do here. xox

Maggi said...

I do hope you feel better soon. Love the idea of making cushions to match the way you feel.

Iz said...

I do hope you're feeling better soon, Emma. It's rotten to have a cold when you've got things you want to be getting on with and it sounds like you've got lots on at the mo! I bet the kayaking was fab - and no midges yet?!

Anne said...

Beautiful!! Lovely blog ~ I'm now following! So nice to "meet" you!
Best,
Anne ♥♥ (Hope you feel better!!)

Carole Reid said...

Emma, I can't believe how much you got while feeling snotty! I hope you're feeling good as gold soon. Lovely cushions! Pop ups are a fabulous idea that has been happening in Nanaimo every once in a while.
With so many businesses closing down I'm sure more will be popping up!

Heloise said...

Hope that you are feeling much better and that you get lots of B&B guests.