Trials and Frustration

A very frustrating weekend waiting in for (non) delivery of new mobile phone ( first of all they said that it was awaiting payment and when they changed their story , it was still in the warehouse and they would personally chase it up on Monday (yeh right!) . Then yesterday having tripped once too many times on the lino in the conservatory decided to take everything out (including v heavy washing machine) and reposition it. Now it's worse - can't close the door properly!!!
To make it worse, I had great ideas about having a creative time after being inspired at the Knit and Stitch on Friday which came to zilch. Just as well Sue came round returning some books and computer stuff with some apples - at least I could be semi-creative and make a big dish of comforting apple crumble.

So to return to Knit and Stitch. One of the main reasons for going was to pick up 'Creation Myth'  from Magie ( it had been loaned for photographs to be included in forthcoming book on African Wax prints.)
It has lots of hand quilting - I was finishing it off on the hottest day ever recorded in the UK with a fan a couple of inches away and applications of ice to wrists every few minutes. I rather like the back too!

 Some interesting exhibitions too - especially the 'Global Paper' and the glorious hand-dyed kelims from Turkey that 'Textile Techniques' had put together. I was rather taken with some of the works from group 'Hue' particularly the stitched curved paper of Elisabeth Rutt ('In case I forget' ' below) Reminded me to crack on with rebinding my Moleskine received as as part of the 'Sketchbook Project' I've had a go with putting better paper into another Moleskine journal and it worked pretty well apart from rounding the corners and I've a special punch for that now. I chose 'Inside, Outside' as my theme and had grandiose ideas of cutting doorways  and drawing interiors and exteriors to be viewed through these. Now,  I'm thinking about some of the exercises I did last year in my drawing class building up negative or positive shapes and inspired by tthis image, wondering about doing some of that in stitch. I love the use of variegated thread.

Part of my mission at Knit and Stitch was to test out some of the quilting machines - and I went prepared with samples including some stiff with gesso and acrylic paint to put them through their paces. I was initially disappointed as neither Husqvana or Pfaff had them on their stands (obviously more interested in flogging top of the range computerised models than a basic machine costing around £600) . However on the Juki stand , they were very happy to demonstrate the TL-98P and let me try it out on my paint encrusted pieces which it coped with admirably. I'm in love!! More expensive at £899 so it will mean trading in one of my Berninas - I'm currently looking around to see who supplies them more locally.

 The deadline for SAQA 'Beyond Comfort' having passed with the ideas for it nowhere near gelled, it's time to return to CQ Suitcase Challenge 'Childhood Memories'. I think I'm still going to go with the black and white photo-merge idea but was pondering how I could introduce some colour. Then I remembered all those day-glo fabrics from the 60's/70's and wondered about stitching with fluorescent threads. While the sample above is a charity shop find (thanks Sue!) I did have a dress not so dissimilar. Maybe  I'll use it as backing and stitch round some of those patterns? I feel a test piece coming on