Grasmere Retreat 2020 ( and Surface, Structure,Stitch homework )

 Last  week I was in the Lake District, staying at Glenthorne  Guest House  in Grasmere on my 9th NWCQ  retreat . Unlike  previous years , I didn't do very much  sketching  this year ( even falling behind  a bit on my daily drawing )  but a fair bit of  stitching.  Given the poor weather conditions I'm glad I did my  'Grasmere Cloths' last year, it would have been  very challenging this year! 

 The trains to Oxenholme  had been delayed/cancelled in the storms of the previous week due to flooding  so I was relieved that it was only 15 minutes late.   Karen picked me up and the driving  conditions in snow and flooded roads  were difficult ( these photos  near Windermere were taken out the window waiting our turn to go up on the pavement, the  water being so deep) 

Glad to arrive at Glenthorne, this was the view from my bedroom window  ( and below , on a better day , the view towards the guest house )

The studio  building among the trees  and the table space divided equally with masking tape between the 13 of us ( with the usual jokes about ' encroachment' when materials creep over the line) ) 

 The main project I'd brought to work on  were the different sections  of  #trainstitching work in progress  " #wrapmeintheshore" as I'm getting to the stage  of working out how to hang it/ display it.  I don't want to replicate exactly what I did for #windmeinthesea  so was seeking  advice  from the others  and I'm glad to say have come away with lots of  suggestions.   It looked lovely with the wintery light shining through it, shame it would be difficult to replicate  under gallery/exhibition conditions.

 As it was the 10th year of these retreats , we had several    shared activities to   mark it. We know each other so well now, it feels like we pick up where we left off , always lots of laughter  but also understanding  of each others  circumstances .

Besides 2 entertaining and informative  quizzes in the evening from Jean and Ruth and  a fun drawing  session  with Millie)   we'd each brought a piece of denim  which was sewn together by Judy to form a bookcover/ bag  for the photo album/ scrapbooks  that Millie puts together documenting our  activities. We took it in turns to add some stitching by hand and machine  

  The ' extension'  activity for those who wished to do so ( all of us  in the end!)  was to each bring  a piece of fabric/thread/ beads in indigo or red and make something with them ( we did a similar exercise led by Linda B. when we used paper  ) The rules evolved into  being allowed to incorporate 2 other  materials of our own and  leave out one of the  original if we wished.

 The resulting  works  were extremely varied, from a beaded tree; bookwraps;  mini collages; bookmarks; journal quilts   to my ' barnacle' . 

 I used a patched piece of the Japanese kasuri  from my  trainstitching   with  pieces of the fabrics with a mussel  shape cut out. My other addition was red thread   which I used to sew  13 lines  in kantha style stitching   

 I then gathered it up  into a shell shape ( using the indigo beads  to fasten it) ,  weighted with a wrapped cord made of  red and blue flowery  fabric  

  In between sewing sessions  went for  short walks in the ever changing weather conditions, going shopping for  Grasmere Gingerbread and  warm winter 'trews'  ( the trousers I'd brought  with me, even with thermals , weren't up to it ) .  

 We were  very well fed at the Guesthouse  with  cooked breakfast and 3 course evening meal   but still managed to fit in lunches of  delicious soups and cakes  at Mathildes  after browsing the  Heaton Cooper  art shop painting supplies ( buying more Pitt artist Calligraphy Pens in different colours) 

 Fortified by coffee and cake  I returned to work on my 'homework' for  ' Surface, Structure, Stitch' at City Lit ,  taking one shape and playing with it in multiples

 I took a mussel as my source shape, in 2 different sizes,  using  colourcatchers ( above) with  a spacer  bead between each shape  and   some indigo  and cream fabrics sandwiched with bondaweb  ( below) , with a few stitches to  hold them in position. Lots of potential. 

  We left at Friday lunchtime   under ominous skies with very wet snow. I was travelling with Judy , the spray on the motorway was dreadful , so glad  that thanks to her hospitality  I could make a more leisurely train journey back home on Saturday

 The view from the train between Crewe and Stafford  in particular was of a landscape of flooded fields

 Safely back home in Faversham , after an early dinner at ASK, appropriately enough  we had tickets  for ' Waterways ' in St Mary of Charity's Church.  The Sunday before we'd gone to 2 talks ( Mudlarking and  the way to the sea  at Faversham Literary Festival  with lunch  at the Carriage  Restaurant in between  so it's been a watery week ! 

Snowy Retreat at Rydal Hall

Last week I was in the Lake District at Rydal Hall on  my annual retreat  with North West CQ group  ( the 5th time  there).   As I left Faversham on the Monday there were already icy flurries of snow  which caught up with us on Tuesday. On  Wednesday there was more snow and on Thursday a bitter wind which  blew the snow around ( we didn't go out that day ).  I travelled back with Judy to Crewe on Friday for the preview of Cwilt Cymru's 'Traces' exhibition  and  stayed another night to travel back on Sunday as I wouldn't have got home given the train cancellations and disruptions.  We have had snow before at Rydal but not on this scale!

These photos were mainly  taken on Tuesday - waking up to see the view  from my bedroom (top) , while it was sunny I went out  ( wrapped very warmly!)  straight after breakfast to explore my usual haunts

No   drawings from the 'Grot' this time , too cold to take my gloves off! 

Back in the cosy ' Old Kitchen' studio I made thumbnail sketches  from the photos and had a frustrating day on Wednesday trying to convert  these into fabric sketches .  My excuse, despite knowing it would be snowy, I brought coloured rather than black and white scraps with me! 

On Tuesday afternoon I was persuaded by Pauline and Millie to  go on  a sketching expedition to  Rydal Water ( we had  such a lovely hilarious time last year) . We set off in the sun but as we walked up the track it started to snow heavily ( and we were questioning our sanity!) . But it eased off as we arrived and the sun came out

Not the best paintings I've ever done ( the paint took forever to dry ) but they captured the experience

I found a bench to perch on, legs dangling, Millie found a rock and Pauline  sat on a tussock of turf.
We were definately ready for our coffee and traybakes on  our return

On Wednesday after my frustrating morning, I was ready for a trip to Heaton Cooper in Grasmere( photos above)  in the afternoon .They now have  as super cafe as well as tempting art supplies.  

 In the 'after tea' slot  in a session led by Leah we put together books with reverse accordian piano hinges from sheets of paper we'd had a messy mark making session on the day before.

 On Thursday it was bitter and very slippy underfoot so I only ventured out for soup at lunchtime at the cafe and to  take back some of the  bits of wood etc that I'd collected to draw. Even then  my boots sank as  couldn't tell the difference between the path and the leaf litter. Others were more intrepid as the went up to  see the frozen waterfall.

 I  spent  most of the day collaging' impossible walks' , combining photos from a  copy of Pouchers 'Lakeland Fells' I'd bought from Fleur Bookshop in Faversham ( more in another post) and  excavating layers in a section of old quilt ( a very English 'Boro' )  

There were 13 of us this year and as ever the time went very quickly. I seem to do less and less while I'm there but just enjoy the surroundings and the company.