Reflections and Recycling

 You  may well have noticed that there there hasn't been a great deal of output from here over the last few months!! But I haven't been skiving - I've been reflecting!!  While I was  up at Edinburgh on BGEN conference (demonstrating cauliflower cloning again!) I took the opportunity to take part in some of the workshops. I'm still not sure I understand the how 'Metasagas' work (at least  I can't see them in a lab situation) but the overview on learning/teaching styles was an eye-opener.

Also useful in reflective mode was putting together a talk 'Experiments with Layers' for London Quilters. They'd heard ' Sketchbook to Laptop' a few years ago so this was an update. Apart from them being a hugely welcoming and responsive group who asked interesting questions, it proved a way in to thinking about where I'm heading creatively.
After I finished honesty and door quilts, 2 major projects , I had a series of courses/ workshops- on paper lamination; watercolour painting; composition and indigo dyeing. All useful in their way and I'm still working through the implications and interconnections. One thing I realised  was sometimes it can takes years for particular subject matter or technique to surface and  take on relevance -eg  I've long been interested in crumbly doors and collected loads of reference material but only now is it beginning to gel when I have a suite of techniques and understanding. Likewise it can be old ideas that resurface and become relevant again.
I've been enjoying making more journal quilts again today, re-using scraps of scraps , not only of fabric but of long forgotten thoughts.