Dressmaking

A couple of busy days, out of the house from early morning till late afternoon.  What better time to do a spot of dressmaking?

I’ve given up making things for myself ages ago, but someone else needed clothes to match the new decor in the upstairs hall and I thought it was time for a change of style.  After all, it’s a long time since she was in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima…

Yesterday, I was having fun over the border.  The sun was shining, I was in great company and there were some lovely things to see and appreciate.  On the way back to the car, we smiled at this precious botanical specimen in the Physic Garden

Yes, that would be a “Dant y Llew”.  Correctly labelled in three languages.

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My favourite kind of week

After all the insecurities and uncertainty of last week, we’ve settled into a more normal routine again.  For me, that means I’ve enjoyed a few days doing this and that, never stopping for long but always enjoying myself and hopefully achieving something worthwhile along the way.

 

I spent one day in the company of a charming young colleague, opening envelopes and finding a winner.  It wasn’t easy, for there were many excellent entries to the competition, but our system worked and after several hours we’d drawn up a short list from which we chose the winning entry.  Can’t say what it was yet, but every one of those envelopes contained the proud brainchild of someone, somewhere who entrusted us to make a fair and considered judgement.  That we did…and driving home later that day, my head was full of the wealth of opportunities we’d seen.

What a privilege to spend time reading and imagining…

At work this week we’ve enjoyed the company of twelve visitors from the EU, working together to share ideas and experiences using technology in adult learning.  Totally humbling to work with people from Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany, all working happily and communicating complex concepts in English. I’m sure none of them would mind me describing them as ordinary people – by that I mean that they were not high faluting academics.  Yet they were able to communicate effectively in a foreign tongue and able to use terminology like employability, empowerment, open learning with apparent ease.  I believe I even saw the word “didactical” somewhere on the whiteboard…

Sadly, the view from the meeting room overlooking the Gloucester Quays on a rainy Wednesday afternoon wasn’t exactly inspiring.  I’ve had the same dilemma all week about what to wear, how to stay warm when we’ve had frosty starts and rainy afternoons.  Hopefully the impression of their English trip they take home will be the warmth of the welcome!

The sunshine came yesterday in the form of friendly company at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.  One of my online textile group, Penny, is heading back home to South Africa after five years of living in France and this was a last chance to spend time in her company for a while.  Six Artful Dodgers (and Penny’s husband John) had a splendid day out,  dividing our time between cafe and gallery, sharing opinions, news and concerns as friends do.

A few photographs were taken as well – though we didn’t get out our sketchbooks this time.  Maybe on our next visit, to the Pitt Rivers Museum nearby, we should focus on the drawing like the group of children there on a school visit, having a wonderful time as they made sketches in the Pre-Raphaelite Room.

It was only when I arrived home and uploaded my photos that I spotted this delightful composition which would make a great caption competition, don’t you think?

As usual, I found plenty of hands and rich textiles to add to my collection.  These are painted by Frans Hals and could also fall into the “attitude” category!

Finally, the little gem which might have found its way into several handbags – in our dreams.  The Qajar enamelled set was exquisite, beautifully lit and looking stunning against that velvety black background.

All too soon, fond farewells and all of that, because I wanted to be back in time for my WI meeting last night.  Our speaker had started work in 1951, Coronation Year, as a junior member of staff in Fortnum and Mason’s Haute Couture department, achieving promotion to the position of House Model.  She brought with her photographs and samples of fabric for us to handle, together with a couple of examples of the work which came from that workshop – exquisitely sewn pieces with the most minute stitching and perfect finish.  Of course, she also shared her memories and stories of that world – a whirl of glamour and deportment, film stars and debutantes, tea dresses and ballgowns.

You could have heard a pin drop.

Do we still have fingernails?

We stayed awake till 3.30am watching the situation evolve and waiting for news from our own constituency and those around us.  Finally, with the thought  of a 9.30am meeting this morning, we turned off the TV and gave in, still not knowing what the outcome would be.

The morning came and we still had no idea.

Throughout the day, I peered at my phone, awaiting a text message which would alert me to the results of a constituency nowhere near here but one which was of special interest.

We held our breath.

How much longer?

At 3pm friends dropped in for a cup of tea and a chat.  How could we tell them that we really would have preferred to sit in front of the TV, watching for that result which still hadn’t come in.  We left the screen in favour of sitting around the kitchen table but I spotted someone peeking at his iphone under it from time to time!

At 4pm, only two counts were outstanding, one of which was the delayed election caused by the death of a candidate.  Guess which was the other one?

Finally.  At 4.36pm we pricked up our ears as we heard the words we’d been listening for.  The result was in.  The very last seat was declared.

Geoffrey Cox QC held the West Devon and Torridge seat for the Conservative Party.

But most important, the Parliamentary Assistant in the family still has a job!

Today

Such a stern message to read with my breakfast coffee.  With the weight of our democratic responsibilities heavy on our shoulders, we stopped by the polling station on the way to the supermarket this morning and joined a queue to place our crosses in – we hope – the right boxes.

We can do no more.

No need for a further reminder!

As I put the fresh tulips into the vase, I had other things on my mind, for it would have been Mummy’s 85th birthday today.  My ears pricked up as I heard a conversation on Womans Hour with Daphne Todd, shortlisted for the BP Portrait Award, talking about the portrait she painted of her mother.

Of course, I couldn’t help myself but google…

and reach a very quick and positive conclusion that I prefer to remember my own mother like this.  The kind of memory which Daphne Todd’s extraordinary work provokes are best left undisturbed for now, because believe me, they don’t go away, however hard I try.

One thing is certain, she would not have wanted us to mope.  Time to get on with making further serious decisions…which pillow would we prefer when we are in Montreal shortly?

Art Installation

Look what we found in our garden this morning.

Left by an artist friend, we were delighted to find it there and thrilled to have such original artwork here. 

How come it’s taken us so long to find it?

Could be that it blends so well with the surroundings.  It sits quietly there, creeping down the back of the chair and along the seat – or is it growing steadily upwards with slealthy progress when we’re not looking?

Whatever.

On this sunny day, here in our garden, we sat back and enjoyed the view, including Paulene’s artwork which we very much cherish.

Thank you, Paulene.

We’ve found our installation here as well.  See, do you know what your garden furniture gets up to when you’re not looking?