Samuel - we lose such a special cat.

Seven years ago we were lucky enough to have these darling cats

born in our barn.

Their mother was wild so she went and we looked after them.

Samuel and Jacob when little.

Very sadly Jacob was killed when he was just about 18 months old.

Samuel missed his twin brother but gradually Tortue, another one

of our other cats, became almost a mother to him.

They shared the same chair at night time and would gently

wash each other.

On Tuesday we lost Samuel, just seven years old.

He was very ill and we he went peacefully.

When we brought him home from the vets we put his

darling body on the chair which he always

shared with Tortue.

Without prompting she got on the chair, gently

licked him and stayed by him until

we took him to bury him next to Jacob.

As I write this I am in tears and Tortue has looked again

on their chair but he's not there.

The chair stays empty but our hearts are full

of the happiness that Samuel gave us and so

many others.

Everyone loved him and he loved everyone too.

As one of our friends said, he was adorable.

Japanese boro textiles.

Recently I have discovered a form of textile 

that I knew nothing about before.

Always exciting to discover new things.
Japanese Boro was a way of making another fabric from what was essentially rags.

Boro is a Japanese folk textile that has been extensively “repaired” by patching and mending little scraps of other fabrics over worn-out areas or holes in the cloth. These textiles were ones used for every day—futon covers, vests, fishermen’s coats, mosquito netting—and handwoven of a plant fibre usually cotton, sometimes ramie, then indigo dyed in most cases.

Whilst I was in Nantes I was lucky to see a large display of these wonderful pieces
of fabric, I love them and now want to find more and more about them.

The irony of course is that these old pieces of cloth are now worth a great amount of money and many collectors are wanting to find them.

Essentially these pieces were created out of need by the poorest people in Japanese society.
Now in the 21st century we throw away all the time and often forget the beauty old things.

However for me the old things have a history and a feel that cannot be easily found in the new.

I have always loved textiles and over the years have collected old pieces,

 sometimes there are the frayed edges, sometimes there are holes 

 which have been darned and mended.

All tell a story.

I don't want to have botox or plastic surgery.

I'll go with the wrinkles, I'll admire the hands of really old people.

Hands that show their life.

They have a beauty.

Old textiles have a beauty and history all of their own.
I have a quilt, very simple which is well worn now but I would never part with it.
I remember being covered with it when I was little and not feeling well.

I'll have to look for some lovely old fabric to patch the worn parts so
 that its life can continue like these beautiful pieces.

This tiny red piece of fabric was like a beating heart of history for me.

Amazing pieces of Art by Barbara Keal.

When I was at the textile fair in Nantes last week I

was delighted to meet a young woman called

Barbara Keal.

The animal heads and in some cases there whole pelts are all made
 by Barbara using a needle felting method.
 She uses natural fibres from local sheep and llamas.

Barbara's husband, Richard makes furniture from old recycled wood and raw timbers.

Barbara is about 6ft 2 and so you can imagine how wonderful she looked !

They had a joint exhibition at Anthropologie in New York at the end of last year.

Barbara and Richard Keel are a couple to watch in the future.

I was invited to try one of the heads on, I now wish I had !

The goat head above was certainly one of my favourites.

I asked Barbara which head was her favourite, she especially liked
the two donkeys, a couple, the male on the right
  and his mate on the left.

Kaffe Fassett at Nantes, France.

Last Saturday I went to Nantes.

Each year there is a huge fair called

"Pour l'Amour du Fil"

Which simply means 'for the love of thread'.

It was the first time I had been  - what a wonderful, if tiring day.

Kaffe Fassett was there with his amazing work.
I love the colours that he combines and especially how
he changed the way people looked at embroidery and knitting.
Gone was the safe way and in came an exciting way of using colour and pattern.

Although I don't have any of these very bright colours in my home
 I do love the way he puts such colours together so that they 'sing'.

Kaffe Fassett sat doing some stitching whilst many of his fans came to admire as if the space was
a magical one with the wizard of colours in attendance !!

I took many other photographs whilst there so look out for more delights in my next posts.

Alchemy,monograms and linen.

Over the weekend I have been spending time dyeing.

The damask and embroidered monograms look wonderful

in their new colours.

I especially like the fact that

the design so carefully woven in the damask

shows so much more.

I have used two colours.

Here are photographs of the 

violet ones.

In my next post I'll show you two shades of indigo.

 Some of the napkins are in sets, some of them just an individual napkin.
To me a mixture of them works well, like I use different designs
of blue and white china together.

 All of the napkins will be going off to a big vintage textile fair next month.
However if any of you are interested in the napkins let me know.

Starting painting again - the creative process.

So, when I've not been busy sorting, laundering and ironing napkins 

I've started a new painting.

I haven't done any serious painting since being so ill
at the end of last year.
Starting a new piece is never easy after a break, for me
 that's four months.
Any of you who do art of any kind will know
 that the creative process is not easy.
The ideas must be there, if not it just doesn't happen.
Not with any meaning that is.
Its called INSPIRATION.

I know that some people think that if you have an artistic mind
 it just happens but it really isn't like that !

Sometimes for me that piece of blank paper or canvas
can be  unnerving.
I cannot produce work that means something at the
drop of a hat.
Something has to happen within me to make it worth doing.

The work I've been doing since last summer ( what summer ? ) has been
based on old walls, the decay and wear and tear
that to me are wonderful.

I love the layering that happens over many, many years.

Time and neglect causes damage and colours fade

 and almost disappear.

I keep a constant look out for old walls and paintwork that have suffered
 decay and damage, what is left is what I love
 I spend hours layering thin coats
of  colour washes over and over, rubbing back
 and working to get the subtle effects that I want.

This latest piece is based on an old internal wall
that has suffered from damp.
The wall had once been decorated but over the years
colours have faded and nearly disappeared .
Some attempt has been made to rescue bits but lots have nearly gone now.

So it will be on to the next piece over the weekend.
We have very cold weather here now and in fact
 it has ben snowing this morning.
Later the wood stove will be lit and the next piece of white paper
will be there in front of me.

.

Monogrammed napkins.

Today I have been sorting, ironing and folding napkins.

I have been collecting them for some time to

take to a vintage textile fair in May.

There are 3 of these.

Duck egg, white and red beautiful - 10 in total.

T

Four white with blue and yellow border.

Close up of monogram

Four huge napkins - beautiful.

This one I bought for Mr P - his initials.

Five of these - VA.

Four huge napkins - MG.

I've just realised that I've forgotten to photograph six beautiful 

napkins with a red monogram of BR.

I'll post a photograph of them in the next few days.

************

ps.

 If there are any here that you are interested in

please let me know.