Regular readers will know all about my love of text fabric. This is a beautiful example, Calligraphy fabric by Suzuko Koseki. I bought mine from Etsy seller, Lucky Kaeru.
I have mentioned my creative primary school education before. Calligraphy was a standard lesson and from age eight we all learnt to write italic handwriting as our normal script with Platinum ink pens. Sounds idyllic? It worked better for some than others; for those who struggled with the chiseled nib and ink flow, their work was always a blue smudgy affair I also remember going to the secretary's office to have cartridges refilled with a syringe.
This is my original work booklet- my mum found it in a cupboard recently. This was my bible and it gives me a big wave of nostalgia seeing it again.
You can see how this style of instructional imagery has influenced the SK fabric. I found some of my exercise attempts in ink and shock horror, biro- I think I did these at home. I didn't stick with the hymn long before going off on on a tangent.
This page would make a wonderful fabric print.
As I moved further up the school I did move on from my biro scribble. In my final year, age 11, I produced a book for a class project on Lindisfarne inspired by the illuminated gospels. We made books each year, I have my book on sheep and another on Victorians, great mementos of a lively education
I was so lucky to have such a creative education in the state sector, it's stuck with me and every time I choose a text fabric for a sewing project I am reminded and thankful of Mr Cowper and many others.
I also had to write with a pen and ink ( fountain pens we called them in Australia!) And can you imagine the difficulty I had being a left hander!!!! No fun at all! Your manuscript book is great, all the same!!!!
ReplyDeleteOne day you should bring out your own calligraphy fabric line :-)
ReplyDeleteDo as the boss says, destination Spoonflower!!
ReplyDeleteLovely childhood mementos x
I also learned to write with an ink cartridge pen. It was a beautiful blue color and I
ReplyDeleteloved how you had to wait for it to dry. My own children barely know how to write in cursive, everything is printed! I fear we are losing yet another part of our culture.....thnak you for some fond memories!
You could scan in your handwriting and get spoonflower to print it! And don't laugh, but I'm a total fountain pen geek, and I did postgraduate work in English language and literature so I knew exactly what Lindisfarne was. Geek alert! Your writing is sooo beautiful! And thanks for the link, might just have to get some. I've got a thing for handwriting fabric too.
ReplyDeleteIt is the bane of my existence that my two teenagers were never taught to cursive write. I should have taken matters into my own hands and made them do it at the kitchen table after school! I can't believe you did that book at age 11. That's very impressive. I went through a self-taught calligraphy phase around age 12 and enjoyed the discipline of it very much...or maybe just because it made me feel sophisticated!
ReplyDeleteLovely fabric... and beautiful writing! I've just bought both my boys ergonomic pens (I have one lefty, one righty!) and I can imagine their faces if presented with fountain pens! I used to love my fountain pen - I always used purple or green ink - trying to be cool!!
ReplyDeleteI'm left handed so writing is difficult for me but recently had a go at chinese caligraphy with a brush and ink - what a challenge that was!
ReplyDeleteI totally understand your love for printed words. Used to use a fountain pen all of the time, then life got in the way.
ReplyDeleteFood for thought - it often occurs to me that watching someone quilt is a lot like watching someone write with pen and ink. Magical!
I've taken calligraphy classes which I so enjoyed. Thanks for the fabric link. I really want some of that fabric!!
ReplyDeleteI did Italics at school too! And I still love to write with a fountain pen! (struggle finding the right chisel nib these days)
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lynne you need to be designing your own lovely calligraphy fabric. We used to do a bit at school but not as much as you did and I am sure we didn't have proper books.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful education you had. And the book is so lovely. I'm with Lynne, too, you should design some prints for spoonflower!!
ReplyDelete