Pop up shop

My little area in the shop, not very good photos as taken on my phone. My camera chose that moment to run out of batteries. The beautiful bulrushes are by Hayley ? I must check her surname, her work is beautiful. The ceramics are by Renee Kilburn, these are also very beautiful but difficult to see. When I next go in I will try to get some decent photos.

Back in the studio

Sea washed shells

In progress

Waiting to be washed, purple carrot dye

I am so pleased to be back in the studio, we have had a heating malfunction and it has been very cold in there. I am making a few small pieces for the North Somerset Arts pop up shop.
As you can see I have also been doing a little dyeing, we only get purple carrots in the shops at Halloween though I did try and grow them recently without much success. A vast difference in colour, the darkest blue is nettle yarn, the palest silk and the purple/browny colour is wool. I am hoping they will keep their colour once out of the washing machine.

Pop up shop

I was behind the counter on our first day, it was an amazing day and although totally exhausted had a great time. It was extremely busy with a constant flow of customers all day, most of whom were very complimentary.
Although I didn't sell any of my own work it was great to see individual artists work selling so well.
I was so busy I didn't get a chance to take any photos but I am there again on Thursday morning so will try to take a few then.
In the mean time I am producing a few smaller pieces that usually sell well, just to cover my costs.

Weaving

Detail

Detail

This is a piece I am working on at the moment, I am still experimenting with eccentric weave and now with slits combined. When this come off the loom it will not lie flat, how exactly it comes out I will not know until I release it from being tensioned, I am very much enjoying doing these types of pieces and using up lots of small lengths of yarn at the same time.
I may have to put this on one side for a while though as I want to start on a larger piece. I have been invited along with my good friend Liz Hewitt to put on an exhibition at a disused quarry near where I live. It is now a nature reserve with artists studios and a cafe with gallery space. However this piece has been a fortuitous and invalable experiment into the style I wish to use for the larger piece which will be based on the cut face of the quarry.