A good [long] weekend!

Despite the weather.

A few good nights’ sleep helped, of course.

On Friday I managed to finish the new bag – it looks good, provided you don’t look too closely. And although it is only a couple of inches wider than the previous one, it holds all my gubbins comfortably – so much so that I am trying very hard to resist the temptation to put even more essential stuff junk in it.

So, flushed with success, I made another one.

This has to be the world’s quickest bag – a pair of bag handles, of which I have several, and a scarf, of which I have far too many.

So quick that I spent longer photographing it [using the camera’s different colour settings], than making it, and that included finding the scarf.

Instructions here. If you have a genuine Furoshiki, lucky you, but I made do with a bit of hand-dyed silk.

On Saturday we went to Chawton House, which was open for Heritage weekend. We went a couple of years ago and inspected the house, the horses and gardens, but the weather deterred us from doing more than the house on Saturday. Still interesting, though – and W waited patiently while one of the room stewards and I compared the relative merits of Colin Firth and Toby Stephens…

Saturday ended with a very enjoyable visit to see Babybel, Babyboy and their mum, dad and dog. We delivered the socks, and got a cuddle and some cakes – and other lovely food as well.

We also got to read most of this collection of Topsy and Tim books, which Babybel enjoys as much as her dad used to. The collection doesn’t include the book with the dinosaurs, though – does anyone know what the title of that one is? I can’t remember.

Today has been quieter, but a little college work has been achieved, in between the housework. 

This is a little sort-of-book of litter kaleidoscopes, inspired by this one on donna Meyer’s book a day blog. I’m still off the idea of making books for my final year’s work – but this treatment seems to make the most of the kaleidoscopes.

 

I’m afraid that my other college work this afternoon is also derivative – inspired by the work of Bonnie Epstein. I have a lot of photographs arranged on the ironing board, which is the biggest clear space in my work room, waiting to be sewn together.

I am very ambivalent about working so derivatively – it doesn’t feel right, but when I tried it with the work of Karin Wach, but then wandered off onto a road of my own. A dead end as it turned out, but still my own road – and I make revisits the dead end to see if I can find a path out. [This metaphor is getting a bit overstretched.] As something may come out of this, I’m persisting with it for now.

Despite the weather…

I’m feeling a bit more cheerful than I have for quite some time.

Partly because of this lot, made last week.They are more Unidentified Litterlike Objects – and a cat. [I didn’t kae the cat]. The ULOS are, clockwise from top right:

1. three bits of woven, ironed plastic bag;
2. Another bit of Japanese wrapping – rolled newspaper, twigs and plastic bag cord;
3. The leftovers from 2 of the woven pieces, used on my flower looms. [I don’t know why I have both a Clover and a Prymm one, but they do produce slightly different results.]

The odd photos were because I was experimenting with some of the different settings on the camera – this one is ‘pin-hole’.

The better reason for feeling cheerful was the lovely afternoon we had yesterday with Babybel, Babyboy, their mum and dad, Mrs and Mrs Cheddar and assorted dogs. [Quality Control decided not to attend.]

It had been a foul morning, but by the afternoon the sun had come out and we had a great time. We went along to cheer, baby mind, hold dogs, etc. etc. while Babybel and Babyboy’s mum and dad competed in a 4k race. Yes, I did say Babyboy’s mum. To save you backtracking through old posts and counting on your fingers, he was 2 weeks old on Saturday. And not only did she compete in the race, she won! [Well done. L!]

Needless to say, her role model is Paula Radcliffe.

Oh – their dad came fourth. Well done, R!

This afternoon, less excitingly, has been spent making several miles metres of wired plastic bag cord – and very slippery it is. This is for the purpose of experimentation in another Japanese Basketry technique.

I didn’t mean to disappear…

but BT had other plans for me. No internet connection. I had two different explanations from 2 different gentlemen in India, and finally got it back after 48 hours. For now – so I’m making the most of it.

Mind you, not a lot has been happening at Cheese Acres. Apart from the big thing, of course – although at 7lb something he’s a bit smaller than his sister was. 

Here he is at about 18 hours old

 

 

 

and this afternoon [counts on fingers] at 5 days.

The considered opinion is that he looks like Wensleydale, but with slightly more hair.

 

 

 

1. In the intervals between admiring babies and their big sisters, I’ve been:
3. 1. photographing sunsets [followed by pouring rain which knocks one old adage on the head],

 

 

2. playing with PostWorkshop [glad not all the photo-editing software I use is on line],

3. drawing squiggles to make Photoshop brushes – although I haven’t yet made the brushes,

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. doing some old fashioned embroidery on one of the pieces of needlepoint canvas I bubblejetsetted and printed,

 

And - of course -

 

 

 

5. watching the repeat of ‘The Killing’* on BBC4 at 10pm on most nights of the week. Just as gripping, just as brilliantly acted, but with the benefit of knowing whodunnit you notice nuances of his performance you didn’t spot first time round.

Speaking of which -  a belated anniversary present to W. 

 

* NB – the original, not the US remake, which we couldn’t bring ourselves to watch. How do you follow perfection?