Christmas!!

 I nearly missed the date! 25/12/25.

I haven't done much textile work lately but I am hoping to do a couple of workshops in the summer school for the EGV and the HWSG. It is an attempt to make me try something slightly different - not totally different as that would be too daunting. 

The hollyhocks are flowering again - I am still collecting them - just need to actually use them!! I have a few days coming up with no appointments so, perhaps, I'll give it a go. 

It was overcast a lot today and cool for Christmas Day. It's supposed to warm up next week, so I'll see if I can get myself organised. 

I am also thinking about doing some sun dyeing. I saw a gorgeous plant in the garden a day or so ago. It is actually a weed and has thorns but it has beautiful, fragile-looking leaves.  So I rescued a piece from the green bin and it is waiting for me to get myself organised. 

I love thy way the stems  grow horizontally.

That time of the year

 It is coming to the end of the year - Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year, the summer holidays.

It's a strange time - trying to catch up with people. finishing off some regular things, getting ready for the big events, getting ready for a quieter time of year!

I have finished a small tapestry - not needed till February but I am going to do a tapestry workshop in January and will need to the loom, so it is done already.

The theme was From Above. 

My thoughts were first about messages from Above - thou shalt not kill, love thy neighbour as you would love yourself, etc. But, given the state of the world, I decided that I would get too depressed. 

So I have worked on a piece inspired by a photo taken while walking through the Fitzroy Gardens recently.

The water is coming from above - not very much above, it is not a very big waterfall.

It was good to be working on it as it takes all my concentration. But it is rather small, given the size restriction of the challenge. 

It is done and looks much better from a distance. The photos are more close-up than I would like but it is not too bad. Maybe stand back from your computer/iPad/etc and it might work better. 

                                                       

It isn't wonderful in itself but it did give me focus and purpose. 

Working on a small tapestry

 Thank goodness for groups that set themes and have due dates!!

I'm working on a small tapestry (no bigger than 20cm square) and I have set myself the task of doing at least half an hour every day. It usually goes to an hour but my body doesn't like it much - ahh the joys of getting older. 

Admittedly, I could do half an hour, do something else and then do another half, or even an  hour! But the impetus seems to leave me after about an hour. 

However, I am getting there. 

The theme is From Above. I had all sorts of ideas, many to do with messages from 'above' (love thy neighbour, thou shalt not kill, etc) but I found I was getting too depressed about the state of the world. So ... I have taken a photo of a small waterfall in the Fitzroy Gardens. I rarely go there but had the time to walk through recently. The gardens are wonderful - peaceful and restorative. 

Water is coming down from above!

I have taken a few photos of the tapestry as I have gone along - mainly to prove to myself that I am actually achieving something, 

I can't believe how many bobbins I use for such a small piece!!

Today I was across the room and saw it from a different viewpoint and am actually quite happy with it. There are some things that I would change if I had the time and energy but they won't matter much. I have done what seems to be my usual thing lately, make it up as I go! I am putting some marks on the warp from my images but I am not doing it prior, I am doing it as I go - it is rather an interpretation rather than an exact copy of the photo.