Wind Me in the Sea : July Update

  As we're (more than) half-way through the year, I thought it was time I gave an update on my daily/train stitching project 'Wind me in the Sea'

 I started in January , stitching scraps of indigo to both sides of a strip of Japanese kasuri kimono fabric. Those of you who follow me on  Facebook have endured many snaps of  it's progress  on Javelin line trains  travelling between Faversham and St Pancras ( sometimes a bit further afield)  The   comfort thimble is on a piece of elastic as I lost it on the floor so many times  as are the spools of  thread ( which are now much reduced in size). A couple of weeks ago I had  to start using 2 tables (below) as I joined 2 strips together ( I've now started a 3rd new strip which is more portable)  

  In January it looked like this ( above)  and has now grown to  over 2.5 metres ( below)

 I'm starting to play around with how I might display it, I still like the idea of a continuous Mobius strip (it's double sided) but it's not quite long enough for that yet

Suspending it from fishing line might be interesting so it wafts around ( it looks best with light through it) or perhaps putting stiffened wire down the edges so it can be manipulated?

 Or rolled up and placed on a surface in waves?

 Meanwhile the basket of scraps is overflowing and I still get excited trying different combinations of fabric ,threads,  stitch and spacings ( I'm trying to leave more of the background fabric showing through). This week it's been tennis stitching

Faversham Open House : Old Grammar School and Old Pharmacy Courtyard

 Over the last couple of Saturday afternoons I've been stewarding  for the first time  in the Faversham

Society's  Open House scheme, (this is the 48th year!) .  On the 1st July I was at the 'Old Grammar School' which dates from 1587 ( and was in use as a school  until 1879).    

 It's now  a  Masonic lodge but the evidence of it  having been a schoolroom is in the centuries old graffiti carved into the wood panelling which has been preserved!

Seated at the entrance , I was initially puzzled by the number of people walking by with coconuts ( one man gave me a bag of 4 to mind while he went round the building!) .  Turns out they were won at the annual fete  of nearby Queen Elizabeth Grammer School ( the modern day equivalent )  In quiet times between visitors I made drawings in a folded pamphlet  of  the view from my chair.

 I did the same when stewarding on the  8th at the 'Old Pharmacy Courtyard' in the Market place behind the 'Yarn Dispensary' (a pharmacy from the 17th century until the 1980's)

 I'd often walked past this inconspicuous doorway between  2 shops, with it's red plaque with the white horse of Kent little realising what lay behind it.

Down a passageway lined with old timbers and doors that go nowhere  is a remarkably complete mid-15th century timber framed town house!  Almost every visitor  ( over 200!) gasped  at what they saw, it really is a hidden gem .

Not a straight line anywhere!  Stewards perks was a tour of the house itself afterwards  ( 2 flats  with original features lovingly restored  by the current owners).  

 I was particularly taken by the  metre high 'Alice in Wonderland' door which led to a bedroom, even I had to bend over to get through it!
This Saturday I'm at a house in West Street, as seen on our first visit to Faversham.

Drawing Tuesday: Camley Street Natural Park and Kings Place

I see the outside of Camley Street Natural Park  every time I come into St Pancras  train station  ( my main entry point  into London from Faversham)  so  as this weeks 'Drawing Tuesday' venue was at Kings Place, it seemed the perfect opportunity to explore. It really is an oasis of green between the railway tracks and Regents Canal.   I did a quick sketch of the juxtaposition of cranes and gasometers with the  lush green vegetation ( watched by a very tame robin) before the rain started   but I was enchanted by these figures produced by a  visiting school group.

 A lot of the area around Kings Cross is  still a construction site, with conversions of gasometers and development of the 'Coal Drops Yard'

Granary Square with it's fountains  is  very popular with children  and the  Regent's Canal has a lot of quirky boats, a shame this 'bookbarge' wasn't open.

 The Pangolin Gallery at Kings Place was closed  too but still lots of sculptures around to enjoy.  With half an hour before lunch ,  I  had a go at 'Perpetual Red' by Merete Rasmussen  in coloured biros, yet another Mobius  strip, it's becoming a bit of a theme at the moment!

  And afterwards , a quick look round the exhibition of self portraits, I particularly liked these based on a palette  and paintbox.

Drawing Tuesday ( and Thursday) : V&A 20th Century and Iron Wharf

 I  went drawing with friends   twice last week  - very different venues  but   both shared the  same  characteristics  of sketching in company and  just as important, wide ranging discussions over lunch in a congenial café !
On Tuesday there were 7 of us drawing in the V&A 20th century  design galleries ( finding your way there and to the members room afterwards even more perplexing than usual  with building work closures!)
 I  drew   Ron Arad chair ' Soft little heavy' in blue biro then attempted to capture the contrasting textures of a  'mobius' basket and pewter bowl in graphite.

 On Thursday I met up with Hazel   at Standard Quay in Faversham  and introduced her to the delights of Iron Wharf.  I've taken loads of photos and keep meaning to go drawing there  but having company gave me the push to actually do so. So  many boats in different states of crumbliness, it's very hard to  choose and settle down to draw. I'll be back soon with  bigger sheets of paper and my paints.