Thinking of Tiziana... thinking of some day hitting the road again

I saw this on another blog and I thought of Tiziana.
I hope she can watch it surfing the intermittent African connection, from wherever she is now.
And among all my current turmoil, like a little ray of sunshine, it made me think that maybe one day I'll be able to hit the road again.

On the move again

Quite unexpectedly, as from last Friday we are looking for a new place to call home...
Having recovered from the initial shock, I am now gradually getting my mind around the fact that in three months max. we won't be living here any more. I will miss my apple tree and my big brick fireplace. This has been a good house for us, we've been happy in it.
But hopefully we'll find an even better house.
When we moved from the high-ceilinged Victorian house in Strawberry Hill we never thought we could find anything so beautiful, but we did; different but beautiful.
So I am hoping that this time will be the same and that we'll find a house with good vibes which will welcome us and make us feel at home.
I am not looking forward to the actual removal, although last time we moved I managed to give away tons of stuff, which felt very liberating.  I'll try to do the same this time, I know it's better to travel light....

Another Valentine heart

And here is the heart I made for Virginia. The front is denim and the scrap of fabric with a flower pattern used for the little pocket comes from a shirt that used to be Virginia's a long time ago. The I found two lovely heart-shaped glittery buttons which I placed on top of the pocket; I've just realised, looking at the photo, that they look like two little eyes...
Then I had the insane idea of putting a frilly edging I had rescued - again from one of Virginia's summer tops - but in such a way that it would be between the front and the back fabric so no seams would be visible....

It turned out to be more difficult than I though, particularly since I did it all by hand as the fabrics were a bit too thick for my sewing machine. Suffice to say I pierced my fingers several times....
For the back of the heart I used some material I had kept from a beautiful Osh Kosh skirt Amelia (and then Virginia) used to wear years and years ago. This was actually the skirt Amelia wore that very hot evening we went, with Nonna and Tiziana, to the Arena in Verona to watch 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'Pagliacci', which made Amelia cry when people were dying as she thought it was for real...

Valentine

I never used to make much of Valentine's day but then I started making and giving cards to the girls because after all they are the biggest love of my life and will always be, such as is the love bond between a mother and her children. So that is how I now see Valentine's day.
Last year me and Virginia were in Costa Rica and such was the excitement and marvel at being in that wonderful part of the world that the day went unnoticed; we probably spent it swinging in our hammocks, or swimming with pelicans or maybe exploring the jungle up to the waterfall taking pictures of toucans and electric blu morpho butterflies....

 But this year here we are and so, after much plotting and planning, I resolved to make two soft hearts, one each for the girls.
So here is the first one that I made for Amelia, well in advance so I could send it to Brighton (I haven't heard from her, I hope it hasn't got lost).
I cut it out of canvas-coloured linen, added a small pocket in madras fabric in which I put a tiny card with a golden heart and a question mark, and finished it off with some lace.

The lace is on the back as well, as shown here on the right. Then I decided to do a beaded decoration all around which took me ages, although I enjoyed it as it isn't something I do very often. I had bought the small beads here in London whereas the big ones were given to me by Tiziana and come from Murano.
I am very happy with the result, although the photos are not as good as I would like due to the fact that it was rather overcast and I had to use a spotlight, which is always better than the dreaded flash I suppose...
As soon as I have a moment I will take a photo of the other heart I made for Virginia and post it.
All you need is love...

School textile dept. sale

As I thought I could not resist and came home loaded with yarns. The fabrics were mostly for upholstery so thicker than what I normally use but there was a big crate full of yarn for knitting machine with my name written on...

Lovely earthy colours, mostly wool, some synthetic fibre and one smaller cone of white cotton. The big oatmeal-coloured cone is truly VERY big and I had a job carrying it home in my canvas shopping bag. I had to ask my friend Chris to lend me another canvas bag. So picture yourself a deranged woman with bulging canvas bags hanging from each shoulder, a small rucksack on her back, trying to hold up the umbrella which decided to half collapse there and then, in the pouring rain.

Ah, but it will all be worth it!
There are literally miles and miles of beautiful yarn, projects are already spinning (out of control) in my head.
Apart from the big oatmeal cone, the other yarns are very fine, which opens the way to lacey textures and delicate design. Failing that I will use 3 or 4 threads at once.
Each of the smaller cones was 50p, the big one 3 pounds! Total: 5 pounds.
Considering prices for 100 grams of any yarn start at just over 3 pounds I am more than happy. Now, although the cones look very sculptural as they are on my bedroom floor, I think I really ought to find them a more permanent home until they are needed.  Which won't be long.....

Work in progress

And while I am in a blogging mood (and I have the time), here are a couple of photos of my work-in-progress; using the same technique as Virginia's rug I am shredding fabric (because to be honest I am running out of space and this week I am going to a sale of the Textiles dept. of Virginia's school and I know I will come back with more, much more...) and crochetting the resulting threads, this time in irregular stripes.

Much easier and straightforward, I can even watch TV while I am working.
I think I will probably put this rug in the bathroom as the colours remind me of the ocean and the sea bed and mountains...
I need to cut more material now before I can go on as last night I used it all up......

Finally, Virginia's rug

It has taken more than a year, give or take, but finally I have managed to finish the rug I promised Virginia for her room. I collected many T-shirts, shredded them making yarns and worked them into free-form tiles. It was not easy to join all the tiles given their different shape and size, but I like the irregular effect. And the fact that this rug was made using T-shirts that used to belong to Amelia, Virginia, John, mum, our dear friend Jane, me...

It is a riot of colours, a wonky mass of stripes, spirals and shapes that assault the eyes.
Underfoot it feels pleasingly rough yet sturdy.
It's like patterns painted by a Klimt on acid...
I think the irregular tiles and colours tell the story of the lives of the wearers of the T-shirts used to make them.
I hope it will last a long time.

A blustery night ahead

I am listening to the weather forecast on the radio.

They say it’s going to be a blustery night.

I like blustery nights, always have. Lying under a warm duvet, listening to the wind howl, the rain batter the glass of the rattling windows.

A strange thought flitters through my mind: blustery nights are better, cosier when lying in bed with someone.

Strange because it’s been so long but strange also because after all it makes no difference, although knowing that responsibility and decisions can be shared, delegated is a comforting thought.

Again this takes me by surprise as I have been the decision-maker for such a long time I cannot (and do not allow myself to) linger on what it’s like when more people are involved.

This has allowed me to walk forward rather than dwell on things, but it’s another brick in the wall, I know.