Wonky self sufficiency house

Wonky block number 2 for Paula 

Looking at the pic this could so with a better press but I am happy with it.  I did the garden free form and the house from drawing out a paper template.  My top tip is to make the block an inch bigger than you need to, even then when I trim it down it is often a teeny, tiny bit skant- only the tiniest bit I promise Paula!  I finished this before we left for a final holiday day trip to...

No photos allowed inside do landscape pics only! Located on the outskirts of the Georgian city of Bath, UK in the most beautiful setting and is a great museum, fully recommend a visit.

  

Family friendly, interesting, detailed and a whole load of beautiful quilts to admire.

Japanese Sashiko

Last Saturday we visited a Japanese Sahiko exhibition in Plymouth which has been traveling around the UK.  It was a rather dimly lit room and no photos allowed but I managed to find enough publicity materials to illustrate and whet your appetite!   Sashiko means 'small stitches' and at its simplest is when layers of cotton- normally indigo dyed and often recycled from other clothing- are stitched together with a simple running stitch horizontally for strength.  It was traditionally used for work clothing - it is hard wearing and warm- and the exhibition featured these garments alongside designer pieces influenced by the process.

Sashiko is seen as an example of Mingei where everyday items-ceramics, kitchen utensils, practical clothing- made by anonymous craft people  are "beyond beauty and  ugliness".  I love this, makes me think of the growth in handmade crafts today, people making potholders and tea towels etc for family and friends.   It was the domestic and smaller items that interested me rather than the coats and jackets made largely for men but the little things were not displayed as well and had less information.  There was even a dish cloth made of scraps of indigo cotton clothing and stitched sahiko style.  These are leg protectors.

Pre 1955 Work pants with lots of patches for repair and strength- it seems trite to say lovely checks but they are very decorative

You can read all about the hard lives of the women who stitched these garments and much more in a pdf from the  exhibition curator and look at great pictures of hand protectors, tabi and more.  There is a very quirky picture of pins and needles stuck into a piece of tofu like a pincushion!  This is for Hari Kuyo, a special thanksgiving memorial on 8th February for worn sewing needles and pins.  As well as laying needles to rest in tofu the user takes time to thinks of secrets buried deep and "too personal to reveal".  Fascinating.

A week of book posts is coming up, I have found lots of lovely vintage sewing and children's books and I have some new sewing e-books to review. All coming this week! 

V&A Quilts 1700-2010

If you get the chance to go - take it, what an amazing exhibition and it finishes 4th July.

No photography but there are great web links on the V&A website.  It was incredibly busy, you really need to prebook your ticket and then queue up and collect it well before your alloted time to make sure you don't miss it!  Your journey through the exhibition is themed so there is a mix of old/new, male/female, professional/amateur, group/individual quilts.  For more details click here for the V&A account of it all and lots of pics. Youc an also find curator Sue Pritchard's blog- good for more pics and info and fun stuff like design a textile or upload you own quilt into their big online display.  Quilts and sewing is an emotionally connecting activity, it was hard not to cry on some exhibits-

Grayson Perry's exploration of abortion with 'Right to Life',  

The HMP Wandsworth quilt commisioned for the V&A 2010, a floor map of the prison and embroidered with heartbreaking statements-'One man one portion', 'I miss my family'

Changi Girl Guide Coverlet made in Changi Prison, Singapore 1943 meeting once a week, all hexies and some embroidered with names in their handwriting style, a secret present for their guide leader.

   The exit from the exhibition was directly into the bookshop where all the fabric and quilting/sewing/art books are housed- v clever ploy, and a lot was v expensive- but  couldn't resist a bit of fabric.  One bit will be for my Modern Swappers. 

 I couldn't stay in there forever and my camera was allowed elsewhere.  This Tracey Emin bag designed for Lonchamp 2004 was in 'Fashion'

Incredible digitally printed Alexander McQueen dress, don't normally like a lot of designer stuff but the cut and finish was breathtaking 

This beautiful pieced dress by John Loss 1966

An exquisite appliqued and hand detailed Ossie Clark dress 1970, the year I was born

and a whole 'Textiles' gallery that I'd not been in before full of fabrics, samplers, lace, linen.

Sorry for poor pic, these are dimly lit rooms- I love text fabric and this takes it to a new level- silk stitched on linen by a young girl circa 1850 telling the story of her early life.

Gorgeous modern block printed linen but from 1913, Vanessa Bell

A dress maker's promotional doll mid 18th century, 

I never quite know what to do with myself in places like the V&A,  I have been twice before and I always feel like rushing up to people and telling them to make the most of it, look at it, don't walk by, I can never quite believe we are all allowed in.  

I hadn't been in 'Ceramics' gallery before and I do like a pot

this above and below, Eric Ravilions for Wedgewood 1937

Stig Lindberg, wow! I love his designs -Fairytale Country pattern 1951

and Bersa tablewares 1960

In the 'Modern' gallery, great fabric, 

and a simple and beautiful netsuke in the Japanese gallery

I am always overwhelmed.  If you haven't been to the V&A it is the most fantastic way to spend a day.