Yesterday in the studio

A parcel was due to be delivered - this book, which I ordered from the US just over a week ago, after blogging about Hedi Kyle's blizzard book. I found out about the Festschrift from one of the websites encountered while researching the link to her work - and when it came I thumbed through from middle to end and beginning to middle. What an interesting mix of ideas it contains -
The little red book was a little black, cheap, convenient academic year diary that cried out for a cheerier cover. While clearing up the studio (CUTS) and waiting for the post, I found a bag of leather scraps and crudely glued a red chunk over the black plastic cover. It's hardly fine binding, but when it gets tatty I can simply re-cover it.

CUTS also turned up these strokable pieces from Karina Thompson's workshop at the CQ summer school last year - if time permits (or the mood strikes me), I'll add some fabric (wool?) round the edges and make them into cushion covers ... yet another project... -
Also seeing the light of day was "Searchlights", a small piece made for a regional day challenge, way back when. It's hand pieced over papers (one piece of paper cut up, carefully labelled to help with the putting back together) and is about 18" tall. I still like the idea but can quite understand that people might find it "enigmatic" or even "baffling". Maybe one day it will become a book cover? -
What to do with my headless Korean costumes - they use my first-ever microwave dyes, which Ann D showed me how to do - many subtle colours due to overdyeing. I also made some with tall collars that look (slightly) less odd. Perhaps they can be pincushions, or would that be too voodoo?
CUTS included much sorting through papers - like these leaflets left after a visit to Barcelona several years ago - I can recommend the maritime museum, Palau Musica, Miro Foundation, Pedralbes monastery with part of the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, romanesque art at the Catalan art museum, the Picasso museum - lots to see. Also the science museum, way up Tibidabo hill, is excellent, as is the aquarium.
How easy it is to get sidetracked...

While the studio is being rejuvenated, I've set up a sewing machine and laid out the project in the front bedroom -
It's the japanese quilt, and in between bouts of CUTS for a change of pace I'll be working japanese style - pretty close to the floor, or maybe even on the floor.