Year 7 weaving project

This is the lovely weaving the year 7s did with me this week.

They picked the colours really nicely which made it really easy to mount according to tone. I was surprised about how enthusiastic they were towards the end of the project, and seemed disappointed when I told them they were only allowed to take their weaving home at the end of the year!

I'm hopefully going to go back and do another project with all of key stage 3 before Easter. For the school as well as my creative project.

Jessie Chorley

I'm really enjoying the work of Jessie Chorley at the moment, especially her embroidered books and altered journals.

Its pretty relevant to my current project as she embroiders lettering, but in quite a different way to how I'm embroidering the recipes.

Jessie Chorley runs a fun little shop in London with her friend, I'm going to make an effort to go when i'm next in London for CAL.

Wednesday at Lyndon

Well first thing this morning we opened the kiln and were greeted by some beautiful shiny pots!

The colours were so lovely and vibrant and the translucency of the glaze really picked out the texture in the pots. The tiles are really lovely too. I was surprised at how much I liked the vibrant orange and mustard yellow, I'd been a bit apprehensive.

The larger green pots were my demonstration pots and the big group pots image is all of the pots we made between us over the week.

This was all based on my mould making project last year and seemed a really simple quick project to do with the year 8s.

They've not seen their pots yet but i know they'll love them. I'm so proud of my groups - they have all worked really hard!

Week 3 - Residency at Lyndon

I've gone back for another week at Lyndon School.

This time I've been working with year 7s on a weave project. I have found them are harder to inspire than the older students, but we've had a good go. Some of the weaving they did is beautiful!

I asked them to pick a colour scheme, e.g. Seascape, Sunset. Or a colour to shade and tone with within their weave. Some of them really responded well to the instruction..... Other's decided to go for a free-er approach! Here are some little weaves. Not too bad for 50 minute workshops I think!

Also, some of the lovely little slab pots we made last time had been fired and a few of them glazed whilst I was away. Yesterday I glazed the rest and put on a firing! I was so desperate to crack the kiln and have a little look today, but it hadn't cooled down enough to open it!

First thing tomorrow morning I'll go and see the pots!

The colours are going to be quite vibrant i think. I chose greens and oranges and blues and browns. They looked quite chalky and pleasing pre-fired!

I'll let you know tomorrow how the other pots have turned out!

Newborn Knitting.

I've been commissioned to knit hats for newborn babies for The Finishing Touch Photography which is owned by my mum's best friend (my God Mother).

Newborn photography is clearly a massive area, there is so much online!

They were a bit of a mission actually, they were on 3 1/4 needles with Sirdar Crofter yarn.

Crofter knits up lovely, it gives a beautiful fair isle effect without the intricacy!

Only one more to go. but maybe more, i've quite enjoyed knitting them!

Embroidered Recipe Book

Preservation and the woman's role within the home

I'm feeling really stressed about this presentation i've got to give on Tuesday. Normally i find it really easy to talk about my work, but this time, i seem lost for much to say. I guess, in my mind, i'm translating the recipes from Grandma Jessie's book into stitch, and it is what it is.

I think i'm going to have to really play on the idea of preservation. Preserving her memories, handwriting and all the things that were important to her (providing for her family, and being mother) in stitch. I guess the problem with that is that i could have just as easily photocopied the pages of the book and stuck them in a folder, and they would be better preserved than in my falling-apart old book.

I'm always drawing on the idea of traditional female processes and the role of the woman within the home. I feel that i can't get away with talking about the same subject again. Although it is really relevant, and i can bring 'The Subversive Stitch' and the oppression of women through traditional textile processes into it.

I don't want it to come across that my Grandma was oppressed by her role in the family. Perhaps she was, but I wouldn't like to think of her like that.