Thursday 5 June 2008

G.O.D and Eco brooches but not the fermented madder







Thank you for kind messages about the dear old dog sometimes called G.O.D -short for grumpy old dog because he insists on his dinner punctually -you can practically see him tapping his watch-"what time do you calls this?" he barks at 5.05 . You can tell from this that he is enjoying his life to the full and the few extra treats that have come his way as I have taken on board the suggestion that I pamper him a bit. A dear friend of mine, not the doggiest of people, emailed me to point out that he has been living in doggy heaven for the last eleven years-two walks a day & lots of company as I work from home. I am also reminded of another friend who said “when I am reincarnated I want to come back as one of your dogs".
Thank you for all you supportive comments both on and off list.

I was going to put up pictures of my fermented madder but they are not very good so I will try again tomorrow so tonight I want to tell you about the nice day I have had with my friend Anne. Anne and I have been making felt together now for many years and before that she taught me to spin and also the technique for rainbow dyeing fibres and fabrics which together we adapted to use with the extract dyes. We always find working together rewarding as we like each other's work very much but mostly because we not only inspire each other but strike creative sparks. Like two children we get very excited and jump around the room and so focused on what we are doing that we also find, like small children do, it hard to break off and go to the loo.
For many years we taught workshops together and last year we were going to teach felt at the biannual summer school for the UK Weaver Spinners and Dyers. Two weeks before this event Anne's husband Alex had a catastrophic stroke which left him completely paralysed down his left side and wheel chair bound. For a time it looked as for both of them that they had been stopped in their tracks. Alex from mountain walking, canoeing ,and most importantly painting ( he is a successful artist) and Anne now a full time carer from pursuing her textile interests which were and are a consuming passion. However slowly they have pieced their life together and today for the first time for nearly a year Anne and I had great fun making felt together .We made brooches- a new range of eco brooches using naturally dyed fibres and recycled silks. Here is a photo of the sum of our mornings work, pieces of felt on the way to be turned into brooches and a picture of Anne.


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