Chaos update

My Chaos to Calm piece is coming on slowly - mostly because I haven't really buckled down to it.

Since I last posted about it I have stamped some unreadable text on the dyed calcico using acrylic paint.  Because I wanted some of the cord to fall off the edge of the piece I put the partially dyed calico onto a piece of felt with black cotton poplin backing.  It's rare for me to think about how a piece will be finished before I even start!

Once the back was finished it had enough weight for me to be able to stitch down the thick cords.

I wrapped some of the thick cord with torn fabric and stitched that on over the top.

I placed the small fragments I had made.

I made some different thicknesses of cord using the zigzag stitch on my machine.

I stitched the fragments on using cross stitch.  I have now started adding the thinner dyed cord.

Once the thinner cord is attached, I shall be adding more fragments and then the thin machine cords.

I'm really pleased with how it's going.  I've set myself a deadline of April 11th to finish the piece.  I'll let you know how that goes!

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Maps & More new work

After several sessions at Littleheath Barn trying out techniques and processes for the Maps & More workshop, we are now looking at making final pieces.

One of the things I've wanted to do this year is challenge myself to make different work from my usual cut it up, sew it back together wall hangings.

So this week I tore up fabric I had dyed and printed and bonded the strips to a piece of calico - not really such a different process!

However this time I made a curved piece based on the shape of the Grand Canal on a map of Venice.

I had used breakdown printing to print this large piece of fabric.  Instead of putting thickened dye on the screen I had only used Manutex through a stencil of a map of Venice.  I used a coloured thickened dye to print the screen.

I cut a matching curve from the background fabric and machined the edges together.  (Sorry the photo is a bit blurry).

I had to hand stitch the small inner curve as I couldn't get it under the machine foot.

Then I cut the curve for the other side and machined the pieces together.

I put some felt and a backing fabric and machined down the 'canal'.

I haven't decided how to quilt the rest of the background so I've put it on one side for now and have returned to working on Chaos to Calm.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Authentic and Courageous

Courage and authenticity are two of the key values of the church I belong to.  Fortunately I count them as two of my own values.  In my planner as part of One Little Word project I have this:

Over the years I suppose I have been courageous.  I wrote about it in a blog post in 2017: RISK.

However looking back on the 3 months of anxiety I think God was talking to me about being courageous, but in the sense of being more vulnerable and letting people in.  Taking down the barriers that I have surrounded myself with.  Taking off the mask of 'fine'!  It's been a tough journey but I have to say it has been so worth it.  Being vulnerable is part of being authentic.  Showing the whole of you not just the bits that make you look good. 

During this time I have found real depth in friendships that I value more than anything.

So in light of this, I'm going to share a poem I wrote in January as part of the online zoom workshops I take part in. We were asked to write a poem from a child's point of view where something happened to change their perspective.  This was an incident when I was 10 and it severely influenced how I felt about childbirth which led to pre-natal depression when I was pregnant 27 years later.

Bordon Hill
The view from the top of the hill
went on forever. But turn around
and one small single-storey home
sat in the midst of an acre of
meadow flowers and orchard trees.
Chickens pecked at fallen plums.

The child, too young to have been kissed
romantically, wandered through the
fruit laden trees. Glad to be out
of the city as she recovered from
the kissing disease. Her grandparents’ home
a place of solace and recuperation.

And yet, there was still medicine to take.
Large pills for so small a throat.
Forced to swallow despite her cries.
'Ungrateful girl. Your mother almost died
in pain and labour. And you won’t ease
the worry of your health'. 

On the same zoom poetry day we were asked to write about time passing.  This happened in August 2022.

Passing
The doors slid open
to welcome the man
to A&E.
And closed behind him
shutting out the world
shutting out his wife.

Her phone rang.
'Go home. Go home and wait
for me to contact you.
Go home and wait'. 

Lunchtime passed but no food
passed her lips. She was home
and waiting. Time slowed
and still she waited.
The phone rang.
A woman’s voice. A pause.

She waited.
'Your husband’s had
a heart attack and surgery'.
Another pause – lingered long.
'You may visit now'.

I sincerely hope you have people in your life who you value and who value you - 'warts and all'.

Thank you for joining me today
Bernice