the patchwork dress

advent adventure!

Christmas must have come early, because suddenly all I have asked for during the year has come at once! Last week was exceptionally busy... and we are also, ahem...moving house in less than 2 weeks time.

Em,... let alone make Christmas presents, gifts, fulfill orders, pack, make more of these...

So I have decided that Advent could be a bit of an adventure, and that's why, from the 1st of December, on Saturday, I will be posting my Christmas Scrap Advent Adventure each day to lead up to the 25th.

I was inspired by looking through my old scrapbooks for this recent post, and thought it would be a good idea to share more of them. There may be an odd post dotted in there too if I can find my laptop during the move! (Very excited about that too, and more on that soon).

The Christmas ball above was inspired by page 64 of this month's Country Living. As soon as I saw these, I was desperate (choose from the dictionary meaning: reckless from despair; violent and lawless; extremely dangerous;needing or desiring very much) to make one! - this one is a bit rushed, as I just wanted to experiment and see what it would look like. Country Living suggest using old Christmas cards, but I used an old Quilt calendar that I'd kept - and the paper was just thick enough. I drew round a glass for the circles which makes quite a large finished ball... think I am going to try some smaller, neater ones and get my compass out.

bobbin' about

Popped into Oxfam today and seems like the craft fairies are busy again - found an old tin biscuit box full of crochet weight 'floss', including these on wooden bobbins for 50p each. Not sure what I will use them for - maybe strings for gift tags, or some future project.

The basket was another recent 'find'. I was joking that I seemed to be taking my cards round selling them on people's kitchen tables - so what better for door-to-door sales than a lovely wicker basket! Again, it was just sitting by the door as I walked in the shop... not to be missed! I love the idea of reclaiming these things and helping out Oxfam at the same time.

Can I resist going back for more of these?

Think I will need a bit more patience and practice before I'm ready to crochet this weight!

scraps

Last week mum and I visited Pollok House...

...which is worth a post in itself. But if you were ever a fan of Upstairs Downstairs (which I don't think I actually ever watched, but is ingrained in my consciousness) or the Duchess of Duke Street which I loved! - you will also love it here, because you can go down into the basement and sit in the old kitchen with it's tiles and old range, have a cappuccino and a piece of cake. "But only for 5 minutes mind, before you get back to work, clumsy child!" The remaining basement rooms and stores are given over to a Pantry style shop with biscuits, chutneys all that sort of thing, and a gift shop. "Not for the loiks of you!"(must've comeover all Duchess of Duke Street)

Sometimes I like what goes on behind the scenes more than the scene itself - and Pollok House doesn't disappoint with a cross-lateral corridor for servants, so they could access all the rooms without "..'anging about" the family areas. Coming out of the servant corridor where it crosses the main axis, you'd have to look both ways like crossing the street, incase of passing Gentry.

We were a bit early for the Christmas decorations, but they were decking the halls and fireplaces with holly the day we were there. If you live nearby and have never been, it is worth going at Christmas, as very festive but away from the commercialism of it all. They have a Mrs Claus for the children - which I like the idea of. The chap at reception was very keen to tell us that a house like this required 30 or so staff to keep it going. He then very kindly let us in for free! "...'ow will we ever thank 'ee, sir?"

My inquisitive nose is always out for the unusual, and I was immediately impressed by a stack of huge books, leather bound and gold embossed with the words Lady Maxwell's Scrapbook on the spine. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to see inside them, but later on found this case with one open...

... not a great photo (without flash), but to add to it all, laid out on a logcabin quilt!

Last week I also received my scrap swap package from Alisa in Canada.

Full of lovely scraps - just great... and photographing it this morning I thought of it as a book of scraps too...

...turning the pages to reveal another layer of colour and pattern...

...here is the logcabin card Alisa sent with the package. Reminds me of Lady Maxwell's quilt. Unfortunately Alisa has decided to stop blogging, but perhaps she will reconsider at some point, to share her quilts with the world.

Then, while looking for something else yesterday, I came across some scrapbooks I kept around the time I was at art college during the 1980's. I couldn't quite understand at the time why I had the compulsion to do this, but certain images would call to me, so I collected and composed them in themes and by colour... just like I do now with the recycled cards. Again it must be an ancestral thing, my Grandma was a colourist for a carpet manufacturer and one of her other grandchildren (my cousin) is now a stylist and set dresser.

Just goes to show brown paper and ribbon never go out of fashion - on the left is a Christmas spread from Good Housekeeping magazine in 1988!... and on the right, I must have had a latent love for quilting, as not sure I was even aware there were quilts in this picture until today!

No wonder there was often a cry of "don't cut that up until I've finished reading it" in our house! - although I did always ask! Wonder if Lady Maxwell ever heard the same thing.

More recently I began collecting images again - this time I put them into plastic sleeves, although now I'm not sure whether to continue, or go back to glue and paper again. As you can see I'm a bit behind with documenting... another of my 'jobs-to-do'.

But look... what's this?

...remind you of anything? I've always LOVED this image, and only today when I was downloading the photos I noticed it says "Handmade...all part of the charm..."
...maybe not the fishnet socks though...

visitors in the garden

Caught!...on CCTV garden camera footage...not really,... I just have a terrible zoom facility on my camera - and you know how these little guys scuttle away when they know you've got them in your sights. Here he/she is attacking one of the fat balls I put out for the birds.

My neighbours cat, a large obvious colour male, was sitting at the foot of this tree on the other side of the fence while this was all happening. Do you think Squirrel was bothered? He just shook his tale and looked right at Cat as if to say "c'mon then, just you dare" after which he went back to gnawing the fatball. Cat turned his back as if to say "see if I care..." but you could tell by the look on his face, his Catliness had been offended.

This is the first year I've really seen Squirrel coming regularly into the garden. Mostly they have appeared in the desperate depths of winter, but this year I was able to witness the ritual as he buried all the bird seed I had put out, grain by grain, at various points around the garden. Digging a hole with his snout, the seed was dropped in, covered over with his paws, and then for good measure, if handy, a leaf was popped on top.

...and so I have been observing Squirrel Medicine, and doing some for myself (hence shortage of posts this week), putting out little freelancing seeds for the future, hoping some will take shoot, and trying to remember where I've put everything.

Later, as I was making porridge at the cooker, a female black(brown)bird jumped up on the cill outside the window and gave me a long hard stare. I felt quite honoured, as we are on the 3rd floor and they do tend to keep quite low in the garden. After she had given me her message, she darted off. Then the male blackbird's head popped up from behind where she had been standing. He also looked in and gave me a long stare, and I felt as if I'd been double blessed.

The wonderful alchemical blackbird with its orange-gold beak, and ring around it's eye. All that blackness alchemising to a voice and eye of gold. The creative process.

(one of my favourite albums, here Kate Bush uses the blackbird's song to create a 3-d landscape...enjoy)

Gillespie, Kidd & Coia

After the Creative Café on Saturday - a small turnout with just Christine and myself - everyone else seems to be dissipated all over the earth on various missions... we decided to totter along to the new exhibition of the work of Gillespie, Kidd and Coia architects at the Lighthouse in Glasgow.

I was drawn (excuse the draughtsman's pun) to the exhibition after hearing an interview on BBC radio 4 earlier in the week, where Andy MacMillan and Isi Metzstein - really the chief architects of this practice - were being interviewed about their Retrospective. I think the interviewer said they were both in their 80's, and I was taken by the fluidity, strength and intelligence of their discussions - still both sharp as tacks, and their interpretation of their own experiences and ideas about architecture were both fascinating, accessible and entertaining.

I thought, I could listen to these 2 for hours - not knowing that a large part of the exhibition consists of short films of interviews with Isi and Andy, which are charmingly fascinating. There are some clips of the films here which give you a flavour. The main film was a 'Slide-In' where the speakers sat infront of a small audience and were prompted by watching a series of slides of their own work, mixed with images from the history of architecture, and the discourse came from there. The film was made by director, and (I presume) relative Saul Metzstein, and is very well done - allowing the personalities of the 2 colleagues to come through at times rather like Jim Henson's bickering old men in the balcony (with all due respect).

By coincidence, I and many other freelance friends have worked on productions based in the GKC building of the former St Andrews College in Bearsden. GKC were responsible for a huge number of buildings for the Catholic Church in and around Glasgow in a period between the 50's and 80's, which also includes the now neglected and abandoned St Peter's Seminary building near Cardross.

The Seminary is probably virtually unknown to most locals here, but is listed in the World Monument Fund as one of the worlds "100 Most Endangered Sites"! This image shows the influence of Corbusier's Ronchamp Chapel - a history of architecture staple I always thought looked like a mushroom - in this picture you can SEE the ceiling looks like a scrubbed mushroom!

(Artist Alex Hartley who I mentioned in this post also based one of his photographic pieces on a climb he did over this structure.) - ...we have er...stumbled upon it too (climbed through the hole in the hedge...) but it is actually off bounds to trespassers, ...and now has a rather creepy atmosphere!

The exhibition extends over 2 floors and is packed with information, handdrawn technical drawings (sigh,...a Jedi art), photographs, models and 3-d computer models of their work. What I loved best is the personal touches such as photographs, Andy MacMillan's sketchbooks and Isi's studio smock in amongst it all to give a feeling of how their work and lives have been connected.

Afterwards, Christine and I climbed the Mackintosh tower - which I had never been up before. The panoramic views of Glasgow from the top are just amazing, along with vertigo-tummy... another day when I forgot to take my camera.

If you are nearby, you'll just have to see it for yourself.

The exhibition runs until 10 feb 2008, and is well worth £3 entry.

quick make

Last night I had the urge to make an oven glove.

The idea came from Lotta Jansdotters Simple Sewing which I got a while ago.

In the end I made my own pattern from drawing round an oven glove we already have, and followed Jansdotters tips for quilting it with the wadding freestyle, before cutting out and sewing together. It took just over an hour, a little longer because I handstitched the bias (made from same Ikea fabric) round the cuff, rather than do her wide cuff. It was great just to make and finish something really quick like that, and it's unique and much nicer looking than the burnt one that hangs out in our kitchen.

I had some leftover polyester type wadding from an old project - but I would recommend being very careful with fabrics and fillings if you are going to do this... I haven't tested mine yet, but it's worth being aware of flammability,...just in case.

clearing space

As part of the spaceclearing this week, I uncovered a box of stuff I was 'keeping good' for a future house - where I felt we would have more space to give it justice. My cousin had mentioned a South-West corner, and I liked the sound of that!

... these are very cherished things I brought back from my trip to New Mexico...in 2004! Just when was I thinking it would ever be the time for them to come out? So decided here and now is good enough.. or maybe this is the time I've been saving them for!

The rug and cushion come from Ortega's weaving shop in Chimayo, New Mexico. The Ortegas are a family of weavers going back 8 generations. Entering the shop you can see through to the looms in the back where they still work. Every item is woven slightly differently and the colours are gorgeous. There are piles of rugs, blankets and mats in all sizes and colourways, cushions and a large display of Navaho style turquoise and silver jewellery. You really feel this is the real, special thing!

...there's that Thunderbird again, from the painted adobe walls outside the shop.

I love the old stripey Pendleton blankets you often see in these colourways, tucked under a western saddle in old photos - and aspire to owning some/one! of these! Beautiful.

The enamel cup, saucer and a matching bowl came from Serendipity in the town of Angelfire - how's that for a name - for a pioneering coffee swilling pre-hike out to the studio type breakfast. Kind of Cath Kidston - but not.

So after wondering why I've had them hidden away all this time, and what that has to say about me... they now have place in my home... the blanket actually fits snugly over the 'workbasket' I salvaged a few weeks ago, (keeping the wool warm) and covers the mess of projects going on in there... like the colourful lid on a cauldron! And the cowboy enamelware? ...looks like beans for breakfast...

abundance through the letterbox

I've been busy having a big clear-out this week, and it seems to be taking a lot of my time, but it's really good to do! Loads of old clothes I never wear - I've been in this process of spaceclearing for so long, I honestly didn't think I had anything left to discard - but oh yes! Wearable things I've sent to the charity shop, and the rest have gone in a bag to be recycled fibres.

The main point of the clearout is also to create a more harmonious storage arrangement for my card making supplies and a more fluid process for production. Rather than just move things around, it takes a reassessment and I find I end up pulling everything out, rather like a Kerplunk game, the rest seems to come tumbling after... Then I can reassess, throw out, group together and re-store. It's feeling much better already.

In amongst this and winter storms, I managed to catch some daylight today to photogaph some 'inspiration through the post' which came over last weekend.

These scraps of Japanese fabrics came from the lovely Sally Anne as a gift after I mentioned the quilt in this recent post. I just love all of these fabrics, and yet to have a clear enough head to think what to do with them...hm, watch this space.

My second surprise was from Meg Jewell of Dolly Dillettante, who won a gift package in the autumn mini-giveaway.

She very kindly sent this package with some of her work - 2 little patchwork pouches, a lavender bag made from her own garden, embroidery pattern, postcards of St Johnsbury, Vermont where she lives (I bet it is beautiful in autumn!), little xmas gift tags, vintage xmassy buttons and all wrapped up in a piece of lovely colourful fabric.

She is a very skilled seamstress and embroiderer, you can see the quality in her work. I now have a patchwork pouch for my crochet needles!

Thank you both very much!x

It felt like an abundant leaf-fall this weekend, as I also received both of my subscriptions to Selvedge and Quiltmania magazines, which I know I've mentioned before - but Selvedge is particularly feasty for winter eyes this issue...

...and I liked this quilt from Quiltmania. It looks fairly simple and very effective, and just the thing I'd like to curl up in this season. I think I would make it without the centre panel, just the simplicity of the contrasty stars works for me.

I'm never sure if it's ok to reproduce pictures in a blog, but if it inspires you to buy the magazines, I'm sure they won't mind!

blogarhythms

I've been very aware that over the last few days the patchwork dress was one of those annoying blogs that hasn't changed, even when checking in daily...I kept seeing those tags in my mind's eye, so will wean you off gently with some more photos taken on the same table!! I expect there is a system where you can get notification that someone has updated their blog (is that RSS?), but somehow I feel this is a slippery slope, so until then, I am content to do the daily rounds.

The 'crafternoon tea' on Sunday was a great idea organised by Cheryl to raise funds for Breast Cancer Awareness... I'd expected a little gathering in a living room, but we each had a 'pitch' throughout the house like a proper craft fair. I immediately got a bit nervous about how to arrange my 'stall', as still getting the judging when to stop making/start presenting timing right.

...these were a fun little extra made to supplement the cards. Tealights made from secondhand china cups! Each has a tealight candle sitting in some (optional) lavender & rose herbs - so as the candle melts in its tray it will heat up the lavender. The bigger cup/saucer is a Wee Willie Winkie type affair - you hold the saucer as you would an old candlestick, and the cup has been super-glued to it's base.

I loved the autumnal pattern on the cup/saucer, and although it was a minor sacrilege to glue and decommission it's teacup status, this was outweighed by it's second life and reuse as a tealight. I often see lovely bits of china, but know I'll never use them as a teacup, so this gives an excuse for a new purpose.
The labels were made using a photo of the lit tealight to show the warmth & prettiness missed when they're unlit. (I've still got some small ones and the autumn cup left)

I picked up the Christmas mitt stamp a couple of weeks ago at Craftology and could see it in red as an emblem for 'handmade Christmas'. On Saturday I popped into 'Hobby Heaven' in Helensburgh for a red stamp pad, and saw the alphabet kit 50% in the sale.. had a lot of fun stamping up these pricetags and labelling some handmade items. It reminded me of college days when i shared a flat with a graphic student and they still set type by hand. There was one computer they could use once a week to print out their text, and then it had to be cut by hand to space and arrange and be photocopied into an original. I can see how computers revolutionised typeset graphics!

These 'winter' cards were something I tried out at the sale, and proved very popular with only one pack left at the end. I've created them as a set of 4 cards of different designs but matching theme... the labels show the 4 designs. In two themes...

...frosty flowers (hoar-frosted hydrangeas and leaves)...

...and snowy trees...

These trees were so heavy with snow, I thought they looked like a Japanese block print. I may still do more with these photos, or wondering if it is worth putting some packs in to the shop.

been makin'

...some eco xmas tags from 'second use' magazines, for a little charity craft sale at someone's home this weekend.

Here they are, sorting them into piles of 6 before their ties go on..

I really don't know where the time goes, in between my plan for world domination (thinking up suitable careers for myself) I seem to spend too long on some things (like these). But you know what? I really enjoyed making these!

I really like these (my favourite)...

Here they all are, in their packs (which I also named things like 'come all ye faithful' and 'deck the halls'...I really do have too much time on my hands)... but looking kinda patchworky.

In true Blue Peter style, something I made a little earlier...

...more Christmas style recycled cards, which I've done singly as it's harder to get a whole pack together. Some of my Christmas cards already went to Entrading, so I've just used what I had magazine wise from last year. To be honest, I still can't get my head quite into making for Christmas this early. Perhaps I should think of them as winter makes.

...and the backs...the envelopes.

A Quilt of Christmas Winter Cards.