Thursday 30 May 2013

Blues, Greens and Reds


Today the man and I went to buy some yarn for future projects. He intends to make 4 cushion covers, 14 inches by 14 inches without the cushion in it.  We are thinking of charging £25 for one without a cushion and £30 for one with a cushion.
 

The colours are very rich and vivid. Eventually they will go for sale in the shop, when I set that up. As usual, the man will make them...I can't imagine that it will be long before I can post the finished projects.
 
Here is the red:
 

Here is the blue:

 
Here is the green:
 

Here is the green multi:

We have other ideas for making different styles of cushion covers but for now, we are making some sample cushion covers to see who they appeal to and who would actually want to buy them.


Tuesday 28 May 2013

Landscapes and Quilts


Landscape paintings never spoke to me as a child. The colours always seemed to be a sea of murky, dull, green rolling hills and troubled skies. They never seemed bright and vivid as the real world around me. The paintings seemed to be of far off places, places that in my mind, never really existed in the world I lived in.


I live in Yorkshire now and the sky is often white with clouds, lacking in any colour. I often find it too bright, sometimes it even hurts my eyes. I'm grateful for sunny days when colour returns to the sky. It is then I appreciate what is around me.


I have to admit, I spend a lot of time on the Internet, watching documentaries. I'm fascinated by the idea of crafts being passed down from one generation to the next. On one of my searches, that is where I found the documentary, “Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend”. To me, these quilts are landscapes, rich with an assortment of colours and patterns.


The quilts are not perfect, far from it. They were made by woman who utilised what they had around them. That is what makes them beautiful and unique. But what is more interesting is what the stories behind the quilts. You can watch the video here and tell me what you think.

Monday 27 May 2013

An Introduction


My reasons for starting this blog are many. I'm a great supporter of art and crafts. I believe art is fully entwined with crafts. I want people that craft and create art to be fully appreciated for their talents, skills and their contributions to society. We live in a society where so much of what is produced out there is mass produced, cheaply made and even worse, cheaply sourced at the expense of human lives. What ever happened to taking pride in your own work? Does everything have to be made overseas?


I have never been a follower of fashion. I preferred my own sense of style. I also believe in quality over quantity of clothes. My original background was in Visual Arts. I used to love to paint and draw. I learnt how to sew at a young age. You would think with such a background, I would be a more creative person. This is not true. Real life got in the way. Well, that is until recently.


I live with my other half. He is a “man who does” according to one of my friends. This is the most accurate description of him. He does not define himself by gender roles. He stays at home, he cleans and cooks. Most importantly, he crochets cushion covers, throws, phone socks and blankets. He likes to do something with his hands. He does not do elaborate designs, just simple stitches but with such precision and beautiful colours. To me, they are beautiful. He is another reason I am starting this blog. I want to document his work.


I knit. Not for anyone, but myself. I'm too slow, I work full-time and I am exhausted some days. If this was for someone, they would be disappointed by the length of time it would take to receive a finished project. I would like to be more productive. This is my other reason for starting this blog. To push myself further, yet again. I'm hoping for some inspiration to paint and draw again.


This blog might have politics in it, especially if it relates to the craft world. The government has recently proposed that crafts are reclassified as “non-creative”. I find this unbelievable. I have no words.  Want to know more, click here 


I hope to interview crafts people and artists and give them an opportunity to put their points of view across as well. I think its important to share their skills, their creativity and their contributions to society. These are my aims for my new blog.