Housecoats and memories

November 25, 2021

For today’s post I’m sharing one of the exhibitions at this year’s Knitting & Stitching Show which took place at Alexandra Palace in October. This month my credit card bill is in and thankfully it’s not too bad. I know I left with some absolute gems and I’m looking forward to using them. Though there’s only so much you need, or rather desire and can use, no really there is.

One of my favourite parts of the whole show was the exhibitions which were dotted around the space. These housecoats by Maria Thomas were enthralling, and each has so much detail. Every time I look at these photos, I see something new, though for me these are way more glamorous housecoats than in my mind’s eye.

The accompanying information by the housecoats explained that these motherhood jackets:

Preserving her glamour after returning home from work, my mother often wore

a housecoat to do her chores. Not only a comfortable ‘round the house’ garment

it gave her a sense of empowerment and calm in knowing her outfit wouldn’t fail to flatter

as she juggled the tea time routine.

I will continue to be enthralled by these and pore over the work within each. If like me you want to know more about them and how they’re made the information alongside the display gives a bit more detail:

Paper ephemera, reclaimed cloth and haberdashery

Hand and machine applique and quilted patchwork

Just imagine the memories that just one of these would evoke, it makes me wonder what mine would include.

Creating my rustic barn

October 21, 2021

The workshop that I booked at the Knitting and Stitching Show was to create a rustic barn - and gave me the opportunity to experiment with the decorative stitches on the sewing machine and cut out fabric and use bondaweb to stick it onto a separate piece of fabric and then stitch it on to secure it. When you put it like that, it’s a strange kind of activity isn’t it?

But it was good fun. Even better I didn’t iron the wrong side of the bondaweb, fusing the interfacing to the iron’s plate, so that’s another win.

The two hour workshop gave the opportunity to use a ready made kit to practice the techniques, and free rein to do whatever the urge took. Thankfully mine was pretty restrained on the day, and I was so enamoured with the process that I did more to finish it off the next day, and have ordered some more bondaweb so I can carry on to my heart’s content.

The photos below show the progress with my rustic barn.

I was quite pleased with my progress in the two hours, so much so that I carried on the next day - first up was the door.

I also added the final window, I wasn’t keen on another animal window so made use of two shutters and a flower pot for a plainer version. Overall I think it’s turned out well.

Now I just need to work out what to do with it now. I may add some grass on the right hand side, but other than that I think I’m done with the decoration. I want to make it into something useful, I can’t see it as a cushion cover or a wall hanging which are the obvious choices. Maybe a bag, who knows? All ideas welcome!

Love this #94 Onome Otite's three dimensional figurative collages

October 14, 2021

For me one of the best parts of the Knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, which I visited last Saturday, is the exhibitions. The items on display are always of such high quality, and to me, are inspirational. These collages by Onome Otite were stunning and definitely caught my eye.

In the morning I’d taken part in one of the workshops and finessed my applique and bondaweb technique - more on that another day - so it’s not surprising I was interested in these. Add in the pattern, texture and colour, and yes I was lured in - there was no way I was escaping.