The Vyne

For those of you who like armchair travelling!

Last week I travelled to Surrey as I had been invited to teach my Hanging Book workshop at Wey Valley Workshop.  I travelled down the day before and stopped off at The Vyne near Basingstoke.

I walked up to the house via the walled garden.  I love walled gardens.  There's something about red brick walls.

I wish I could have captured the aroma of the sweet peas.

The poppy heads were gorgeous. And I love the little narrow doorway.

And this was the Summer House!!!!

I eventually reached the house. This was the side where you exit the house after walking round.

Outbuildings

The magnificence of the front of the house.

I found some lovely patterns.

I really enjoyed wandering around the house.  The room stewards were friendly and really knowledgeable.  Probably the best room stewards I have met in any National Trust property.

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Paper Play

Yesterday I spent the day at Littleheath Barn Studio doing a workshop called Paper Patchwork, Pockets & Pleats taught by Jennifer Collier.

We started by making paper versions of the Cathedral Windows patchwork/origami folded shape.

The centres were stitched down and the paper was scored and turned back on itself.  And finished with a button.

 

I machined stitched two papers together.

 

I also tried pleating with the sewing machine which I added to the papers above, with an added piece of wallpaper.  I had made a brown paper square and added another square to the 3 I had already joined together.

I may do some more hand stitching and possible cover up the green with paper that matches the wallpaper better.  I'll show it you if I do!

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Voices

The thread of the latest Write Poetry was exploring voices in poetry.

The first exercise was to write a poem that featured descriptions of a voice or voices.  This was inspired by the poem Voice by Ann Sansom.

Don’t 

Don’t use that whine-y
twist-me-round-your-little-finger voice.
It won’t get you anywhere. 

Don’t use that sulky
brattish tone with me.
It will get you nowhere. 

Don’t roll your eyes at me
uttering ‘mother’ in that uppity tone.
It will get you nothing.

Don’t bat your eyelashes at him
hoping your father will give in
to your pleading tones. 

What happened to please and thank you,
to pleasant speech and loving words?
They can get you everything. 

I didn't do the second exercise about writing in someone else's voice because I couldn't think of anything.

The third exercise was based on Answer to a Child’s Question by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  In this poem we were to imagine what a bird, animal or plant might say.  I'm not sure I hit the brief but I'm happy with what I wrote.  And that's all that matters in the end.

Underground

It’s sunless here, below the surface
moving the earth to form
a passageway. Eyes blind in the darkness.

Senses on high alert
in case an earthworm or a slug
falls into my earthwork trap.

The soil, aerated by my efforts
as I live my subterranean life,
lies unappreciated by those above.

The thuds and gasses show
their displeasure as I pursue
my dark journey underground. 

I hope you enjoyed today's words.  Thanks for being here
Bernice