Hidden treasure.....

on my doorstep and I never knew......I have just spent a most magical afternoon at the Keeping Gallery.  The gallery is housed  in the home of Renate and Charles Keeping in Shortland, Bromley, Kent. This is the home of a wonderful  love story and amazing art.  Charles, who  died in 1988 was a book illustrator, born in the East End of London. He worked in pen and ink, mainly in black and white but in the children's' stories, he wrote himself, he works in glorious colour.     Renate was the daughter of a doctor, a refugee from Germany in the early 1930's. The story of how they met and their artistic lives together is enthralling. Renate's art has  wonderful paintings (see the Aging and Changing Room) and  textiles. Her Apple series,(make sure you click on the apples) which mirrors our own aging process, makes you want to touch and hold and keep.  You would need to spend a week (or a lifetime) to take in all detail in the part of the gallery which holds her life story, the explanation text is worked in tiny stitches.   I urge you to go and explore the virtual gallery  better still arrange to visit and be enchanted by Renate, her amazing home and the wonderful work they created.

 For anyone who has ever bought a dress making pattern Hoppo Bumpo has written this "Ode to a Paper Pattern"

This and that contd.....

Blogger is having somekind of hissy fit, it has thown me out twice without saving.

As I was saying...I am quite missing being able to pop over to Trafalgar Square and find out what is happening on the Fourth Plinth. Very often it wasn't much but Sky have pieces together a Final Highlights video here.

Last weekend I had occasion to visit Tonbridge in Kent where I found this dear little fire station.

Staight out of Trumpton

As the short days have arrived here is some autumn colour, also from Tonbridge.

Isn't this a pretty side street?

 

This and that.....

I came across Korak patchwork on Creative Diary and wanted to know more.  I located a site in russian which google offered to translate for me.
" I do not know when I heard something about " Korak". This is an old patchwork was made in Turkmaenistan, Uzbegistane and Afghanistan.. The act of women have a better malenkih pieces of pryamougolnikov of which are bent trugolniki with a large fold treugolnik, with two small fold treugolnik. These pieces and stirred straight strips on the basis of secret sutures. Very little is left of these handicrafts and one woman from Switzerland wrote to Ruth Tschudy khigu and wants to recover. Last year we conducted the course but I could not go to him. Of course all hands will become as we say this for bonkers!"
I have found that Ruth Tschudy has subsequently written a book, so she must have found out what a "trugolniki" is .I'm off to practice my secret sutures!

It's what date????

 Definitely time to post a card for Spain, especially with a postal strike looming.  Here is my Calendar Girls card for October. When Carol first posted her choice she put a picture of a detail which I have had in mind ever since.  This was the full picture

and this was the detail

and this is my card for Neki

I painted velvet for the draped background and I made wired leaves on organza, something I had wanted to try..  The beads are two vintage beads from my bead box.

My other little experiment this week was making felt with soap and elbow grease.  I watched a demonstration at the Knit and Stitch and just had to give it a go.  I made a couple of pieces of what can only be described as pre- felt and I don't think this piece is much further along but I quite like it as it is.  I think this all takes more patience (and stamina) than I have but hopefully I will try again.

Has anyone else found that there is no such thing as pale red?  Pale blue is still blue, pale green is still green but pale red is PINK!

My blog posts.....

are getting like buses, nothing and then three come along at once but Talking Threads sounds well worth trying to catch either on line or on TV(Sky). There will be a DVD later in the year.  Imagine textiles on TV!!!Thank you to Quodlibet for the link.

The Berlin Reunion

Thanks to Teesha for the links which led me to this amazing event in Berlin..  The background story and some wonderful pictures can be found  here

Knitting and Stitching.......

Ally Pallly,..... MON

I have just had a wonderful two days, being almost brought to tears by the beauty of peoples work, sharing laughter with friends and people I have never met before, spending money on exciting things (some of which I will probably never use, or will have forgotten their purpose by the time I next look at them), gazing into books, which I hope will inspire me or teach me to do the things I yearn to do. In other words my annual treat at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. On the downside I completely failed to meet up with Lynda, Digital Gran and Clare (Clare,  I actually accosted someone thinking it was you but she turned out to be called Anne) but on the upside I was able to watch Maggie  constucting a Tibetan/Peruvian Hat? whilst holding about four different conversations (I bought the book) and I was able to confess to Dale how behind I was on the Holey Moley couse,  she extracted money from me for Moonshadow Mists and Merino Tops  in penance!!   Today I had a great time helping  Diana Springall steward the exhibition of "TheArt of theStitch", there were many wonderful appreciative comments of this exciting exhibition but I think the one that sums it up for me was "It must be good, everyone is smiling".The will be just one more chance to see it at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate.    I didn't take photographs inside but this is the display in the entrance hall 

The view over London

and signs that Autumn is well under way.

Knitting.....

Gina was right the little hats for the Big Knit...see last post...are really quick to do.  One of the things I have always liked about knitting is that you can read or watch television at the same time.  Nothing like a bit of multi-tasking.  Here's what I made whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing last night.

If you want to see some really inspired hats there is a fun Flickr site.

The Big Knit..

Every year I come to this too late, this year, thanks to Gina I have about a week to join in The Big Knit for Age Concern run by Innocent Smoothies and Sainsbury's.