Theme Poetry

This week's theme on the zoom workshop was the Guiness World Book of Records.

photo by Erik Jan Leusink

Whilst Sarah-Jane was doing her presentation I had already thought of the subject for a poem and wrote this first one whilst she was still talking.

Stone 

Along the water’s edge
heaped pebbles, in various shades of grey,
Making it difficult to identify
the ideal stone. Flat, smooth edged
Fitting perfectly into the hand
Ready to skim into
the cold, clear water.
Easier into a river than the sea.
Practising since childhood.
The frustration of never getting past
three bounces. 

Practice makes perfect
so they say
And years and years of practice
brought Kurt Steiner, the so-called ‘Mountain Man’,
to the world record of skimmed bounces.

A magnificent eighty-eight.

You can see footage of this record on Youtube.

I also wrote this poem during the zoom session

I really enjoyed the topic even if as often happens I went a bit off-piste.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

More Celebrations

Last month I told you about my birthday celebrations and that they would continue in September.

My lovely friend Vicky hosted a dinner party for me. Vicky, her husband Steve and our mutual friend Ange worked hard all day to provide a meal for 12.

There was an Italian theme to the first two courses.  A tomato salad starter and a main course of salmon poached in white wine.

These were followed by a choice of chocolate bread and butter pudding and/or cheese and biscuits.

This was followed by a chocolate birthday cake made especially by Ange.  Underneath the chocolate cake on the cake stand, there was a vanilla sponge cake.

Most people asked to take their cake home.  Vicky miraculously conjured up party bags - admittedly with Easter rabbits on them!

I had a fabulous evening with those friends I consider to be my family.  I am very blessed to be able to call them family. And thankful to have friends like Vicky, Steve and Ange who went all out to spoil me.  Vicky had also arranged for Andy to send a video from the Hopper Juniors.

The other thing I did in August which I mentioned before was to buy a quilt made by Leah Higgins.  I've decided it's my birthday present to myself.  And at long last it's up on the wall.  I see it every time I sit down to watch the television.

The ducks represent Roger and I, my son and daughter-in-law and the three grandchildren.  Each duckling was bought when each baby was born.

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Satin Stitch

Last month I told you I was going to work on the piece I started at Summer School.  I had machined all the pieces together and was then trying to decide what to do with it.

I thought I would put the three words I had used in all the printed fabric onto a photo.

The fabric is much darker in the photo than it actually is!  I was thinking of cutting the letters out of fabric and bonding them on.  However the printed fabric was done in my handwriting, so I used an italic Copic pen to write my three words on tissue.

I used satin stitch with a dark grey thread for 'captivity'.  And an ochre thread for 'freedom'.

Then I needed to decide what colour to stitch 'identity'.

I chose the variegated skein.

So now it's back to thinking about the other pieces I've already started!

Thanks for being here today
Bernice