Life always gets away from me in the summer when time away (lovely as it is) means twice as much work to fit into the weeks afterwards – and it’s not long before we set off again, this time heading down to Cornwall. In between, a little space to draw breath and share what I’m up to.
Our visit to Tiree was momentous, to say the least. Alan’s on sabbatical next year and we’ve decided to seize the day and do something we’ve been thinking about for years – to live and work in a small community on a remote and windswept island. So we went there looking for a home – and found one! We’re now jubilant and terrified in about equal measure. The move won’t be till November but there’s going to be plenty to do before then. We have two daughters starting uni this autumn too, one moving from Cornwall to Liverpool, and one just moving round the corner in Birmingham, but both will need help with their stuff. I’ll need to work hard to keep time for art among all this excitement!
While we were on Tiree I at last joined in with the World Beach Project.
And I did a bit more sampling of gathered fabrics while I was away. The ones in the middle will end up being dyed, I think.
I got fascinated by the effect of visible stitching…
and tying…
Tomorrow I’m going to a short workshop with the intriguing title “Kendal Green meets Shibori Dyeing”. I think I’ve mentioned before that Kendal’s town motto is Pannus mihi Panis – “Cloth is my Bread”; and the arts centre is having a festival to celebrate the town’s heritage with lots of textile events. Kendal Green is an old dye colour mentioned in Shakespeare, but I think we’re going to use a modern version! It should be fun, anyway. I’m just wondering if I can take my gathered samples along and throw them in too!
And these are some pics of Tiree I’ve put on Flickr, colours of sea and sky, rust and sand, light and water.
1. Gunna Sound, 2. rocks at Caoles, 3. light and waves, 4. Balevullin, 5. light, waves and seaweed, 6. fences at Balevullin, 7. cows on the beach at Balevullin, 8. rust and lichen, 9. Crossapol beach, 10. oystercatchers, 11. rusty machinery on Crossapol beach, 12. sunset, 13. clear sea, Gunna Sound, 14. rusty metal at Hynish, 15. Crossapol beach, 16. Balevullin
The photo of the world beach project is glorious,makes me feel happy, all the best with the move
what a beautiful place – what an exciting move. i like your fabric samples too
I hope you will be very happy here on Tiree!
What a wonderful move..most of us only dream of such places…hope you both have a wonderful journey
Jenny
great plans ahead!
and the beach piece is very evocative. your stitching pieces are very exciting.
you might enjoy this book
fabric reconstructed by lois ericson ISBN 0-911085-03-4
neki desu
Your website gives me so much to think about, love it. We moved from Cornwall to Crete, scary, but it’s great.
I’m just starting to work with fabric
It looks as though Tiree will be an idyllic adventure, full of inspiration, wonderful light and explorations, and I hope it will be blissful. Enjoy Cornwall, too: one of my favourite areas, which I need regular fixes of: I’ll need one soon, in fact. However, we’re going to N. Wales next weekend, a new area to explore.
Those pictures of Tiree are haunting my imagination, now!
Lovely pix. Good luck for your move and all best wishes that you find your idyll. The Eden Project in Cornwall is incredibly inspiring – I’m still working pieces from photos I took years ago – worth a visit if you have the time.
Thank you for the Birthday greetings. I hope we get to meet face to face before you move. I love the look of Tiree and always fancied visiting, but how can you bear to leave Kendal? That would be my dream hometown! Isn’t it funny how the grass is always greener?
Fiona how wonderful you are coming to the islands, I having been wanting to go to Tiree so now I will have even more reason too,
I love stitched dye patterns too have you ever come across Yoruba work there was an exhibition in the 1990’s in Trowbridge which I went to, the work was wonderful, pattern and colour,