27 July 2012

A walk by the sea…

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Wondering about the history of these old houses.

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Memorial to the fishermen who died in the 1881 great storm…though for me its a memorial to the women and children waiting for their men to return every day.

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Beautiful cliff walks and the pots on the harbour wall.

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22 July 2012

I knew I shouldn’t have gone into Florin….

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I also purchased a new bookcase… well, sort of a bookcase….. well, more a table that can be used as a bookcase…… erm…. it seems to have an item attached that reads “Singer”….. 

Need DH’s help to bring it home tomorrow.

Oophs.

21 July 2012

Summer (at last!)

 

Gave a lecture in Newcastle today on “The Story of Silk” – lovely group, lots of familiar faces.

I finally got my painted nails on display, my white trousers out of the wardrobe and a new tunic top - a snip from the Boden sale.

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And finally my hair seems to be long enough to do what I want with it.  I was about to chop it all off a few weeks ago.

The grass is cut, the garden furniture has been washed and the paths swept.

Not a bad day.

19 July 2012

Embroidery History

Stitching and blogging are rare activities these days as I read, read and read even more for the course I’m studying. 
Then its getting down to writing; 6 essays to prep in 12 weeks is rather tough going.
To say its going to be stressful over the school holidays is an understatement.

So for now, the blog is rather on hold.

But I would like to direct you to this excellent post found on Textile Blog about embellishment which it states:

“Collins Thesaurus makes an addition to the word embellish by adding: decorate, enhance, adorn, dress, grace, deck, trim, dress up, enrich, garnish, ornament, gild, festoon, bedeck, tart up, beautify.,”

Read about embellishment, decoration and tarting up here.

Imho there is nothing better than time spent tarting up using stitch and beads.

Also a reminder of my other website which details the History of English Embroidery, which you can find here.

Stitching starts again in September.  Normal service will be resumed – eventually.

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Don’t ask how I managed to get this “reflection” on the image.  I have NO idea!
Taken at Traquair House on Tuesday where I spent a wonderful day with Frieda Oxenham hunting out hidden artwork, playing with UV torches and eating lunch OUTSIDE.  Yes, lunch.  Outside.  In Scotland.  In July 2012.  An achievement in itself.

Great fun sharing the experience with a friend.  Thanks Frieda Smile

Right, back to middle-range theories and analogies of past and present…. or rather the present and the past……..

12 July 2012

“Like a circle in a spiral….”

 

“…Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning
On an ever-spinning reel
As the images unwind
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind…”

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Thanks to the Computer Design Textile Group for the information to create this picture – taken at Middleton, Northumberland last week.

3 July 2012

This green and pleasant land…..

The garden is just loving this rain.

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