quietly, slowly

WEEK FIVE – (february 2-5)

In-between attending to other commitments I quietly and slowly whittle away my pile of paint chips – transforming them into feathers. I love this stage of a project when I am obsessed with wanting to get back to working on it, when I can lay inspiration to one side and get into the zen mode of repetition.  Week five and I am finally in that mode.

Part of the joy of this slow obsessive repetition is that it has me continually checking on my progress. I’ll walk into the studio to just fill and feed my brain with the current visual. This constant checking helps me to percolate ideas which will enable me to move to the next stage. So far I have way too many options. There are likely to be many works flowing from this little idea.

Alas, the computer is roaring this week instead of the sewing machine. I place great value in being involved with my chosen ‘communities’- learning and growing whilst (hopefully) helping others to learn and grow. This week, as much as I would love to be in locked down mode in the studio stitching feathers, is one of those weeks where my mind needs to be working elsewhere. It doesn’t stop me checking on the feathers though.

As a little aside, away from the computer, I’ll take you down south to our ‘little house’.
We bought this place the day our first grandchild was born, late 2013. It is a very humble abode on a rambling block and perfect as a place for the whole family to share, for the dogs to let loose, and for the bloke and I to get back into gardening, decorating and creating. We feel like we are working full tilt – just like we did as young parents/young homeowners – but we are of course older, slower and hopefully wiser.

Over the Christmas/New Year break last year it was all about clearing out the unwanted from the previous owners and getting to know the place. This year it was much more about relaxing and trying to finish details on the two rooms that we relined and painted during 2014. Time to install a new quilt….

For a very long time I have kept (and occasionally stroked) two of my Nan’s mohair scarves. I have also slowly collected other mohair scarves and rugs.
Our little house in the hills needs every bit of warmth we can add in winter and this corduroy and mohair king size quilt is a warm and weighty beauty.

Whilst I made circles that were NOT crooked – really weird for me –  I felt this was what the room needed. It’s weight and size did cause problems during construction. It became too big to view on my very large design wall and it outgrew my very large table space. The block placement happened on the floor. Quilting was a horror story on some of the jumbo cords – the drag was a real drag- and I refused to unpick as I was in the keeping it real mindset! All is forgotten in my love for the simple geometric visual and the tactile pull of the mohair.

I am yet to take a full front shot of the quilt but the details will give you the gist.

Is it a pattern? Not yet but maybe one day if I am prodded enough.