For Barbara

A view of the piece of driftwood the nest is attached to and the beginnings of another piece of weaving on the same branch. This is all tied on to my upright loom so I hope you can make sense of the photos.
Mo and Grace both liked the way the hag stones looked on the nest when I was using them as weights, they will end up being part of another piece but I think I will try and make another delicate
structure, it did seem to work quite well.

Nest making

Using witches stones as weights

Finished nest

I am gradually getting back into making, this little nest was a right pain to make. I have made it directly onto a piece of driftwood and weighted the warp threads with stones. It is woven from the top down something I have never done before and although it is weighted there is no tension. Normally weaving is done under tension, it is also partly woven from grass. I guess for a first time try it was a rather stupid thing to start on. I probably should have experimented first but thats' not how I work, I have an idea I want to do it immediately. Keeping any sort of tension was hard, the yarn and especially the grass did not want to stay put the warp kept getting muddled and I was sorely tempted to just give up. In the end though its passable.
This is part of a much larger piece of driftwood so more weaving to come. I am making this for our exhibition next year at Weston quarry.

I am also working on another piece for the Festival of Quilts next year as part of a group show of the southwesttextilegroup.org this is under wraps for the time being.

Zoomorphic

Tell Me Your Secrets - Gladys Paulus

Detail

Moon daughter - Anthropomorphica

Of Root and Antler - Anthropomorphica

This week I went to an exhibition at Llantarnam Grange in Cwmbran. I wasn't sure about going as I am not really into human/animal combinations but my favourite doll artists http://anthropomorphicaartdolloddities.blogspot.co.uk/
It turned out to be an amazing exhibition and yes there were pieces I didn't like but plenty that I did. I didn't take many photos, as the light wasn't very good but here are my three favourites.
Anthropomorphica didn't disappoint, the delicacy of her work is beautiful. I was looking forward to seeing her larger pieces, the Moon Daughter's red belt is very long, down to the floor. If I could afford it I would have bought one of these, I have three of her small dolls already.
I had seen some of Gladys Paulus's mask pieces online before, it person they are stunning and beautifully made. The cat figure is tall, about seven feet maybe, the idea was that people tell her their feelings about their cats and these are stitched on the dress, very impressive.

Full Moon

Taken at about 5pm with my small camera, so no telephoto lens. The moon has been really bright for the last few days.

Winter arrangements

Inside, I love dried seed heads

Outside, our first frost

Still thinking about now this years projects, ideas slowly emerging.