A break from print work
This summer weather heats up the print kitchen too much for comfortable work, and so I spend my time mostly in the sewing room which stays cool. One summer task I embarked on yesterday was stripping the lavender. I had forgotten what a long job that is! Thank goodness for Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra which accompany what might otherwise become somewhat tedious. Yesterday I spent too long on the stripping, so I shall break up the work a bit more today. The idea is to make some more lavender bags as the clothes moths seem to have increased of late - so the smell of lavender will pervade the sewing room for some time; definitely better than that of naphthalene which I remember from the huge chests and wardrobes in my grandmothers' houses!
I take tremendous delight in choosing threads, and love rummaging through my bowls for the right ones. This ceramic bowl (a present, made at the Cley pottery in Norfolk) holds my Stef Francis fine silk threads which I use not only on silk pieces, but also on fine cotton lawn. (Note the lavender heads around the bowl - they get everywhere!)
This piece, with temporary titles until now, suddenly named itself Salad days. It can now be added to my evening stitching pile.
I have also got round to resuming work on Patched Pastime 2. It is a warm fabric to handle, but this stage is mostly machine work. The final quilting will be done once the weather turns.
I find it fascinating that you work on so many different pieces at the same time. I imagine this helps you to stay 'fresh' with each piece and that thoughts as you work on one feed into the next? I have at the most three at any one time. Maybe a different approach might allow me more thinking time and give me a choice according to my mood ... Something to try through the winter after our next exhibition in November.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I find it second nature to work on several projects at once since that is how one has to work in publishing. But I've never found it difficult, and yes thoughts, ideas, perceptions, and experiences spill over throughout. It is also a great way of avoiding having to do the same thing for so long that it might become tedious.
DeleteYou probably already do some multi-tasking this this way anyway - sketching, attending a workshop, taking photographs, etc.
I do indeed - sketching outdoors, photographs, working on techniques in my sketchbooks, but I think having several stitching or weaving pieces on the go in parallel would be good and would certainly avoid any sense of tedium.
DeleteHave fun with your experiments with parallel working.
Delete