Distillation

It seemed that quilts weren't saying anything new to me. No doubt this was just as well -- I have journal-production fish to fry at the moment. In the workroom, the sewing surfaces are cleared and it's supposed to be all-go when the journal is out of the way. But ...

I encountered this frightening state of disillusion while looking through Quilted Planet, a 2005 publication found in a remainder shop. It's a historically and geographically comprehensive - and therefore, surface-skimming - survey of all manifestations of textiles, possibly pieced, of three layers held together by stitch. I still love the basic idea inherent in quilts - the creativity, focused labour, and the love (hopefully) of doing the work. Here are the images from the book whose whispered messages did get through to me. Distilling them and gathering them here has helped amplify them.

An 8th century (Buddhist) altar valance --
Chunghie Lee's "No Name Women '04" --Pauline Burbidge's "Feather Collection" --My favourite in the book, Katriina Flensburg's "Winter Half of the Year" (1993):
Helen Parrott's "Rivers VII" (1995) --
Dianne Firth's "Cosmos" 2003 (she is a landscape artist by profession) --Surprise choice: an Australian quilt from about 1930, by Mary Hannaford (rather "gee's bend"!) And this one by Lucy Boston (whose Green Knowe books I love) - made in 1974, when she was 82, by piecing over papers --In times of creative drought there are worse things to do than busily gathering all the scraps, make yardage -- towards something like this -- It's the act of Doing Something that gets those creative juices flowing again.

Nice lunch, splodgy drawing

Today's (hasty) drawing-a-day. Judith and others on the cqgb list inspired me to colour some sketchbook pages, and to get out my neocolour aquarelles -- but I forgot that fountain pen ink is affected by water, much more than the colours!

The menu (splendid leftovers brought round by Thomas): lamb shank in a *hot* sauce, dhal, lemony cashew rice, onion raita.

A crisp clear new year's day

The view south from Alexandra Palace -- over the terraced streets of north London, and the terminal moraine left by the glaciers of the last Ice Age, to the West End (theatreland) and the City (old financial centre)
and Canary Wharf (new commercial centre) -- with the Surrey hills beyond.The first television transmission was from here in 1936.
My family got a television in 1962, and I got a colour tv in the very late 1980s (still have it; it still works).

Lidl

My first visit. Visually fascinating!

From down under

Wrought-iron gate in Melbourne, and part of a stained glass panel at LaTrobe University.

Call me Penelope

Very slow progress, much ripping out of this pattern - it just won't stick in my mind, like patterns used to. And, unlike in years past, the graphic representation was so confusing that I had to write out the pattern, simple as it is! But my streak of sheer cussedness has kicked in, and I'll stick with this till the wool is used up (another 3 balls to go -- this scarf will be about a metre long).
The book is Barbara Walker's Charted Knitting Designs, published in 1972 - I used it a lot in the 1980s for making up my own combinations of cabled designs, real knitting from scratch -- where are all those sweaters now, the ones knit on the bus to and from work?

Hatty Christmas

Seasonal greetings

Carols in the courtyard of BMA House --cheery decorations round the corner in Woburn Walk --
and my own windowbox sprightliness --
But I miss my "fairy lights" round the walls -- took them down during the repainting in the summer, and put them somewhere safe, somewhere very safe ... and secret.

Raw state

Next one in the "moons" series ... maybe ...

Seen

Every day on the way to work.

Knitting ...

"Can you knit me this hat, Mom?" Sure, no problem - apart from the type and colours of wool on hand.
With Icelanic (Lopi) wool and 5mm needles, cast on 88 in the contrast, k2 p2 alternating colours every 2 rounds, decrease at 8 places, as shown. Then make another, and another... and a beret or two ...This week I've been obsessed with knitting hats, and watched a lot of tv while doing so. And read -- the book has to stay open on its own; knitting doesn't always need a lot of attention, but it does need two hands.

...and reading

Turmoil, dislocation, and a happy ending -- with sharp observations: "Lou Ann is making bold changes in her life: she recently got a job at an exercise salon called Fat Chance and now wears Lycra outfits in color combinations that seem dangerous, like the poisonous frongs that inhabit the Amazon" and the woman who, finishing a phone call, "backs up several stitches through her quilted thoughts".

To market

Through the Saturday traffic on the 236 bus, with Emma and Thomas, to Broadway Market.

Much yumminess in food ...... and fabrication -... and much people and dog watching.
And seasonal mistletoe-selling... and buying -

*k1, p1* repeat to end of row

95% done while visiting Jean and Brian in Hastings last weekend. Currently being worn (unfringed) by Tony in St Petersburg.

Browsing

Lunchtime walk ... to the remainder bookshop. Some amusing collage by Jiri Kolar--chopping board and dressed apple
and in another book an enormous foldout photo of a burnt forest in the snowtoo panoramic for my camera to cope with in one frame.

Thorn forest

Stamped strips used in "Midnight Garden"--
Self-assessment: not enough contrast, and the quilting doesn't work with the piecing.

Cranberry season

Cranberry-orange-ginger compote
300 g packet cranberries
zest and juice of a medium orange
125 g sugar
60 g crystallized ginger, chopped
Put these into the pan, bring to the boil, simmer 10 min (till berries pop).
Cool and add
60 g flaked almonds, toasted. Keep chilled.

Following the fashion

Once my favourite department store, known like the back of my hand, John Lewis Oxford Street has had an image update, moving everything around and putting escalators centrally. Fabrics (such as they are) and haberdashery depts are now on the fourth floor. There seems to be less of a range of stock throughout -- but rather more in the cosmetics/perfume area, which is ground floor centre front, just like in every department store. Well, you gotta change to keep up...