off to work over the channel again

Off to work in my lovely peaceful studio in France,but without the usual sunshine-expecting snow there too tomorrow!Can't get away from it!! Should be a good chance to prepare for our exhibition at the Washington gallery-more of that later.

exciting card swop

I've taken part in a card swop via Lawendula's blogspot (type Woven Letters into Google) and have just opened my parcel this morning, from my partner in the swop.These lovely little drawings are by a 20s/30s Southern Belle and tell a complicated story ,which I'm looking forward to including in an altered book.This will be something quite different for me and just the challenge needed for the new year,It's good to be pushed into a situation which is different -hope my parcel has ythe same effect on my opposite number!The second image shows more of the swap,all equally as inspiring.It's like peering into someone elses life!

Card swop

climate change exhibits.

These are the finished pieces for the International Feltmakers exhibition, which starts its progress through Europe at the textile museum in Prato,Italy.My pieces are based on Flood Famine and Freeze. In view of recent weather and the disaster in Haiti, I could have used all kinds of other images for the digital part of the felt, but as it was,I used the flood in Gloucestershire, which filled our ground floor up to work top level.The freeze element came from research into the Little Ice Age and there are ,sadly ,always imges of famine from somewhere in the world.All this leads up to the horrible cliche that 'nothing changes'.

The weather

This is my garden-too cold to go in the studio today, but the village is very peaceful.No shops open,no bread,no post! Doing lots of work on the computer ,thinking and a bit of my daily drawing, with stitching tonight in front of the TV.

Finally finished a lot of work!! And got the computer back!

This is a blue version of the white piece I posted earlier-much bigger and with more varied felting techniques used.It has mostly been naturally dyed and uses applied fabric in the felting process-some of the scarves are from my mother who died recently as a sort of memorial.I've also used fabric picked up on my travels so it makes a sort of journal for me.I can still add to it, but I'm trying to stick to the re cycling idea,using old samples and old fabric-upcycling really, as hope it ends up improving the lot of the fabric.

This felt vessel has been waiting to be finished for quite a while.It has layers of rust dyed fabric,woad dyed silk,digital print and surface print using thermofax screens and natural dyes.These are my favourite combinations.Inside is rust dyed fabric too, and below is a detail.Hand stiteched again,with paper string.
Happy New Year  ,anyone who is listening.

A Christmas Carol

C

I've had a great deal of difficulty this week with computers in general-the large PC won't let us in and has been taken off by our expert to be sorted.Hopefully I won't have lost all my work,including a half written article which I neede to finish before Christmas.Yes,I know you are supposed to back up and I'm going out to buy a portable hard drive asap.Doing this post on my husbands lap top which I hate,but beggars can't be choosers!Also using a brand new camera because the old small one went bananas and would have cost as much to repair as a new one-could do a grumpy old woman rant here, but won't.

This altered book is my festive effort-based on a copy of Charles Dickens classic,with pop-ups and a white theme.My studio is cold at present so I am cheating and working in the indoor office.Having difficulty with things drying in the real studioand fingers going numb!