A Final Wave

The whole class of 2009, wave from the steps outside the dining room at Urchfont Manor. Everyone looks very happy at the end of a very successful Summer School. Who is that person wearing those very loud patterned trousers in the front? Surely it can't be your tutor!

A huge thank you to all the staff at Urchfont who provided us with such cheerful and helpful hospitality and meals that seemed more delicious than ever.

On to Ontario

Johnnene and Gail against a wonderful cottonwood tree alongside the River Thames in London, Ontario.

Daisy May, left, and Bobbins, right helped to make my stay with Johnnene Maddison and Dave in London, Ontario, a very pleasant and comfortable 'home from home'.

A decorative house in the town of Stratford, (Ontario) which has several theatres, a statue of Shakespsear and a River Avon.

Jackie and Eleanor on the pebble shore of Lake Erie. 60 miles across to the other shore!

An 'assemblage' on the shore.

A ground hog 'mom' enjoying the sun in the unniversity. Her three babies sometimes joined her for a run around on the grass.

A few examples of the resolved textile pieces as a result of the 'Assemblage' workshop from Susan, Johnnene, Gail, Maggie, Kathy, Leanne, Jackie, Betty and Ruth Ann. There were many other exciting pieces, too numerous to add here that used different methods of attachment to create assembled textiles, combining old and new materials, some dipped in a dye bath of potassium permanganate solution to help to unify the different parts.

Rael, a bursary student from the University Textiles Course, arranges her work for the evaluation session.

Students attending the Embroiderers' Guild Summer School in the 'Assemblage' class in one of the spacious workshop rooms in Western Ontario University. The 19 students gather to discuss their work at the last session of the workshop. Do any of you have any other photos?

'Assemblage' workshop, Colorado

A concentrating time in the 'dry' studio; Rain in centre.

Paper collage, coloured with potassium permanganate and discharged with lemon juice by Cynde. A fragment of paper lace in the centre.

Terri's colourful painted design idea relating to her stitched paper lace pieces.

Fabulous meals were prepared by Rain and Gary to replace the calories we lost in all the energetic creative work in the studios. I never got to take a photo of full plates!!!

Colorado Class

A happy bunch of students and tutor at Rain Klepper's wonderful studios in Paonia, Colorado.
Top from left: Cynde, Sian, Terri and Georgia: seated in front, Rain (left) and Cathy.

Here in Colorado

Morning feeding for the humming birds at Pitkin Road, Paonia, the home of Rain and Gary Klepper, my hosts for the week.The Black Canyon on the Gunnison River - tributary of the Colorado River that runs through the Grand Canyon.Exploring the vertical cliffs at the Black Canyon with Rain Klepper, my host and Distant Stitch student at the workshop Paonia, Colorado.

Aspen trees

Courses by Bobby Britnell - highly recommended

'Tread Softly'

Close-up detail below.

It's been a busy time for deadlines to produce my own work. I've just sent off 'Tread Softly' as a possible entry to the Pfaff Art Embroidery competition. [I was one of the finalists last year with a large piece using a surface of broken egg shells called 'Break an Egg to Save a Sailor' - see blog entry two years ago.]

The theme of this competition is 'Landscape, Let's Travel'. My piece is made of small fragments of personal photos and fabrics, stitched together to form a pathway, strewn with daisies. Water-soluble machine stitched 'feet', lightly walk over the path. The words 'tread softly' form the lacy stitching on the feet.

This quote from W B Yeats from his poem 'He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven' seem to echo my thoughts; "I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."