Through the fog ......

 

I feel like I have been in a bit of a 'fog' since I returned from my trip .... a creative fog that is.  To overcome this,  I did some stitching.  This little patch for a friend got me started ... and once I started ideas began to form for a new cloth I want to make.  I am looking forward to the continuation of the Spirit Cloth Diaries with Jude and to an upcoming workshop with Roxanne of River Garden Studio ... that will get me back into my rhythm again.

 

I've decided to hand quilt this old quilt that I made for Norma many years ago too.  Sometimes when mulling over ideas for my current project I like to have something I can sit and simply stitch without thinking .... to do some meditative stitching.  I made this little quilt for my MIL a long time ago and was rushing to get it finished to give her for Christmas.  Thus it was only quilted sparingly...just enough to hold it together.  Now it will be quilted within an inch of its life...quiet time to think about Norma and projects I am working on.

 

Aren't these fabric snippets beautiful!!!  My friend Dot gifted these to me on the weekend when we caught up.  I have something special in mind for them.  Textiles, my favourite gifts!

 

I recently bought these two pieces of wool flannel in grey and mustard... and these locally made variegated threads (gifts to send to a couple of friends).  Aren't the colours gorgeous?

 

She keeps him company every day....  Oakey is old and sleeps most of the day, and most of the time you will find Minnie curled up with him.  Sometimes he wakes up and wants to go out for a short time....Minnie leads the way and watches over him while he is outside.  She knows he is blind and she has become his seeing eye cat.  Aren't animals incredible?

 

"I  DREAMED  A  THOUSAND  PATHS,

I  WOKE AND  WALKED  MY  OWN."

 

*CHINESE  PROVERB* 

 

 

Have a wonderful week.

 

Jacky xox

 

I'm back .....

I've been back home since the end of August.  My trip seems a distant memory already.  Lots of highs and a few lows,  but such a wonderful experience.  London, Paris, Belgium (Leuven) and Barcelona ... so many pics to load and revisit.

My husband Paul,  sister Lee and myself all made the trip to the UK to watch Matt and Watchi compete at the Games.  We stayed at Greenwich in a little unit,  walking distance to the equestrian venue.  It was great to be so close and to be able to catch up with Matt most days.

As well as taking in the showjumping events,  we had plenty of time to visit a few galleries.  Lee and I made use of the river ferries (clippers),  very easy travel, we were lucky to miss all the crowds.  We visited the Tate Modern (exhibition of Edvard Munch),  Tate Britain,  the V&A (our favourite) and of course a visit to Liberty.....how beautiful is that shop? 

 I love the printmakers of the UK and bought many cards and books of their work.  Came home with some treasures from a  Greenwich bric-a-brac shop,  fabrics and way too many goodies.  Some serious stressing when it was time to board the flight home, but got everything back and I am enjoying looking at them all now.

View of the London Bridge with the Olympic Rings taken from the clipper (not a great photo)

Taken on our first day,  catching up with Matt in Greenwich.

Matt and Watchi London 2012 

 

Unfortunately a disappointing start for the pair of them on the first day of competition,  but I was very proud of how they re-focused and went out the next day and did a super round in the Teams event.  They are both now back in the USA,  competing again (New York this weekend) and doing very well.  Both back in form which is wonderful.

Some cloth awaiting my attention....

 

And I am back home,  ready to get back into some stitching again with Jude and my fellow clothmates.  Maybe these two pieces I started before I went overseas will make their way into a cloth some time soon?

 

 

AN  EFFORT  MADE

FOR  THE

HAPPINESS

OF  OTHERS

LIFTS  US

ABOVE

OURSELVES

 

-Zorana-

 

 

 

Have a lovely week and hopefully next week I will have some more stitching to show you and news from my trip.

 

Lovely to be home again!

 

Jacky xox