Looking back, looking forward 2

Thank you so much for reading this blog, making comments both here and on Facebook and generally staying with me throughout 2024. I really do appreciate that you spend time with me.

I aim to post twice a week throughout the year - on Tuesdays and Saturdays. However this year I have written rather less. 

That said, I write my blog for me and only me. So if you find things of interest here, it's a bonus.

And next year (tomorrow!) I think I will aim to blog once a week with occasional extras when I've got something to write.  I want less stress and more focus.

I don't often look at the Stats but for the benefit of this post I thought I would. I wrote 75 posts including this one during 2024.

It's hard to tell which has been the most popular post this year because the Blogger Stats are weird and suggest I have had 8000-9000 views for some posts this year whereas Google Analytics says one post had 225 views. I'm pretty sure the Blogger Stats are way out.  

Assuming that Google numbers are more likely, it is still astounding to me that so many people are interested in what I do. Especially, as I've said, I do this for me. 

So thank you again to those who find me by chance, those of you that follow by email or by blog readers or my Facebook page. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Layering photos in Snapseed

 

So what is to come in 2025? More of the same really.

Photo tutorials.
Recording my creative journey, especially my attempts to finish 3 online workshop I signed up for with Fibre Arts Take Two.
The occasional post on mental health.
Photos of my travels – if I get to do any!
Journaling my Word of the Year 

Sometimes I wonder if I should change it up a bit. But if it isn't broken - why fix it?  

If there are things you would like to see on my blog, please let me know in the comments below. 

Thank you again for sticking with me
Bernice

Looking back, Looking forward 1

This is the first of three posts loooking back at 2024 and looking forward into 2025.  Today's post is a round up of the textiles I've made.  There are numerous posts showing the works in progress but this is the first time they've all been together.  Initially I thought that this year had not been particularly productive but then there's this!

They are in alphabetical order rather than chronological - just for a change.

Captivity, Freedom, Identity

Chaos to Calm

Conviction

 

 

 

 

 

Dancing in Fetters 1

Dancing in Fetters 2

Dancing to Freedom

Hollow

I Am Not A Number

Fettered/Unfettered

I'm excited to announce that you can see all these pieces at Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch, Worcestershire from March 19th to April 27th 2025.

Plus there were 2 river pieces not pictured here.  The Story of the River and The River Flows Out

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Happy Christmas

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

(C) Phil Botha (Unsplash)

This is a poem I wrote many years ago.

Night Watch

A cold, cheerless night
Star bright sky and misted moon,
Raw winds around the hillside
Chilling the soul.
My turn to watch,
Keep guard from ten to dawn.
Keep safe the sheep of other men
From predators - meat starved in winter.
Watch over the sleeping men
Who share my troubles and the cold.

So cold it was, high on the hill.
Below the town slept
White houses clutching the hillside.
No lights to brighten the darkness
Or the chill of the night watch.
I was a young man then
Not old and wizened as today.
So long ago, but in my memory
It stays star bright.

One star blazed,
A many faceted solitaire
Shone down, it seemed, on one poor place,
A stable carved from the rocky hill.
The light beckoned, called us forth.
The sky seemed full of music
Sounding a hymn of praise.

We shepherds left our sheep,
Ran down the hillside to the cave
Drawn by the beauteous sound
Of joy, until we reached the place
Where a baby lay.
We knelt before the child
Not knowing why, or who he was.
But we were filled with gladness
And returned to our flocks rejoicing.

So long ago. Thirty years, or more -
And yet it seems like yesterday.
What happened to the boy I wonder?
Is he rich and famous now,
Or a poor shepherd, like me?

Thank you for being here today.
Bernice

Onomatopoeia

In this week's zoom poetry workshop we looked at onomatopoeia.  Sara-Jane introduced us to three poems and after each one we were set a task. 

After the 2nd poem: The Field Mouse, we were set the following task: Write a poem that begins by naming a season or a month and tells the story of something that happened during that time. It could be a personal childhood or adult memory, or a local or global event or a mixture of personal and global.

This is what came to my mind.

Isolation

Winter days, silent as though night.
Late risen light through icy clouds,
shadowy outlines of stark, leafless trees.
Dull hours descending into gloom
before dusk’s grimy hand clutches
the day’s end and forces the night.

Sad days, the cheerless light
penetrating the mind already anguished.
Forlorn, the insinuating whispers
overwhelm the mind with negativity.
Snide words, disparaging talk
crushing and chilling the soul.

Late winter, when silent streaks of light
splinter the darkness with slender fingers
of luminosity, breaking the desolation.
Small glimpses of the Spring to come.
Snowdrops glistening in the frosty dawn
and hopeful thoughts assail the mind.

Thank you for joining me today.
Bernice

Just one photo or two

For the December theme for Snapshot Girls I asked the ladies to choose between one and five photos they had taken in 2024.  It didn't have to be from any of the monthly themes.  Just a few photos that they really liked.

This is mine.

Waiting for fish

Almost sunset

I thought I hadn't taken many photos this year.  But when I looked through my computer files I found I had taken more than I remembered.

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Spiralling

You may remember my last post where I showed you the spiral I had drawn and written.

It now looks like this:

The next stage is to put a wadding and a backing and then stitch.  What colour should I stitch the spiral?  I think it might be grey.

Come back to see what happens!

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Spiral

Last week I introduced you to my poem Hollow and the initial work I had done for the textile piece.  I'm a bit further on now.  I looked up on the internet how to draw a spiral without a compass.

I measured out the 1.5 inch and then 2 inch distances and made marks on the paper.  I used a thumbtack to hold a piece of ribbon and made holes at the right distances to push the pencil through.  It did get a bit messy at times because I forgot how to do the second set of semicircles!

However it all worked out in the end and I was able to cut the spiral out.  I mapped out the words of the poem using 3 different pens and two colours of Gutta.  The copper writing will need to be bigger but I didn't want to use too much on this trial in case I ran out on the fabric.

Next I needed to draw the spiral onto the calico, but first I had to wait for the Gutta to dry.

I drew the spiral on to calico.  I had to cut the spiral in pieces so that I could draw more easily.

Then I wrote the words with the pens and the Gutta. The copper coloured writing didn't turn out any bigger.  It was hard enough as it was!

I'm at Littleheath Barn for a Studio Day when I plan to paint the dye onto the fabric.

Thanks for being her today
Bernice