Books, Bills and Worms

Will we ever have rain again? I am so tired of watering the garden and it is like dust again very soon after. However it has been great to have the dry weather while doing the kitchen. A large fridge-freezer arrived today and we just took it for granted that it could wait outside until this afternoon when the floor is (hopefully) finished. I don't know about being laid back about the kitchen JP - laid out might be closer. We are on the last lap and the wwsil is doing a great job of putting it all together - in spite of the apparent puzzlement.


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Just the carcases so far, so the pretty bit is yet to come. I have gone for a weird mixture of traditional oak and glitzy, shiny black and am now wondering if I was mad. I'll keep you posted.



We will probably have something watery somewhere in the garden, Heather. Smudge does like to watch the frogs. I shan't have fish - too upsetting, as the heron always gets them. We made fantastic compost at the last house but there is a severe lack of worms here so I had to order some on-line. The postman was horrified!

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I am working on my next book which is about using photos, photocopiers and imaging programs and by-passing the need for drawin. Not that I think we shouldn't draw (and there will be a lot of ideas for taking the techniques and boosting drawings) but some folks just don't. It will be called 'Your Cheating Art' and if it fails as a book it will at least have a chance in the country music charts.

The piece below comes from a photo of our mate Bill, much changed. Don't think he'd know himself in the pic below.

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I have printed it on fuzzy paper and started to stitch into it.

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Hope it will be one for the FOQ talk too, Gilby. It will be great to see you there and, if I don't recognise you, just shout.

Faces and Places

It's surprisingly hard work just getting 'normal' things done when you don't have a kitchen, plus the fact that I am very easily distracted these days. However I have to get down to some work as I have some new talks to put together and new work is needed. They will make their debut at the Festival of Quilts (NEC Birmingham) where we will have 'Face to Fabric' on August 12th and Art & Architecture on the13th. Last year, one of my talks was full very quickly and the other sold out on day one of the show so, if you're going to the show and would like a sit down, book early on http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/viewExhibition.aspx?id=31

I'm under Academy Workshops and Lectures. I'd love to see you. Here are some pics that I'll be talking about.

Below: Architecture of the Village - one of mine.

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This is one of my images which turned into an Ancient Face embroidery.

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Fabulous work from Jane Wild - the one below is a 'back of head' study but there is a face on the other side!
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Another of Jane's - suits the current atmosphere of romance since the wedding.

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I usually do some step-by-step photos in my talks so a new piece needs to be made. I'm getting excited about some ideas that have been buzzing the head for ages. We usually have mini movies in our talks, too - to demonstrate technique.

What else has been happening? Clive has moved a rockery - a bit like the labours of Hercules. he discovered an old pond underneath it.
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Buried in the pond where all kinds of things - like these dinky toys and a dog chew. It could lead to a series based on 'Those who came before us'.

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Smudge was no help but he enjoyed being a spectator from the summer house. he is auditioning for the pantomime - The Princess and the Pea - perched on top of all the chair cushions.

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Finally: this was spotted on the wall of the underpass at the end of the road that leads to the trailways (lots of cycling being done at the moment, my bike looks much too new and I'm trying to bash it up a bit).

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Do you think Banksy was here?

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