Colourful White Christmas

No, I'm not going to show a photograph of the snow. I'm sure that just about everybody in the northern hemisphere has their own beautiful white world outside. I went for a long walk through the woods with a friend yesterday and I absolutely love this weather. I know, it's slippery, cold and once it all starts melting it's a right mess. Still, for me it's always a fairy tail come true. A beautiful robin red breast in the white snow sends me into raptures. I had a little book when I was a kid with exactly this scenario in it. Growing up with Christmas being celebrated with a barbeque beside the pool (I wish) I always dreamt of little birds in the snow. Well, actually the BBQ beside the pool was reserved for Boxing Day. On the 25th we used to rise and shine early to attend the church service at 07.00, then we visited an aunt who always had jam tartlets, followed by a visit to another aunt who baked the most delicious shortbread. This was just the warming up. Why we had to have traditional English Christmas lunches in that climate I'll never know. I could handle everything until the Christmas pudding appeared. I really loathed that but battled my way through a helping in the hope of finding one of the coins sadistically hidden in the pud. I hope people in South Africa are more sensible these days and have light salad lunches in the shade beside the pool.
Back to textiles by way of a short detour : I've sorted out my book collection (must be over 1000 books) into the different sections : South African, Dutch, English, academic, etc. A huge but very rewarding task. At least now I can find everything. There is also something extremely satisfying in handling the books which I read 30 years ago. Transported me back to when I could sit and read uninterrupted for hours on end drinking tea and (sorry to admit) smoking cigarettes. This was followed by intense dicussions with friends. Wasn't it wonderful to know everything, believe that you could change the world and just be intellectually active. Sigh! Back to the nitty gritty of my life now.
I've completed my two "inside out, upside down" quilts and am pleased with the result ( the pictures don't do them justice blah, blah).

Here 2 detail shots. Not, truelly, in real life the colours are very good. I'm now working on a series and will be back in the studio today.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone. Whatever you do, BBQ or Christmas pud, I hope you share it with loved ones. See you in 2010.

Present

" Every day is a gift, she told herself, that was why it was called present"

This lovely quote comes from Kate Atkinson's "One Good Turn". She was an unknown author to me when I read about her on someone's blog (no idea whose anymore). So, when in London, I bought a few of her books. I've only read this one so far and can certainly recommend it. Her style is very unusual, it seems light but there are a lot of subtle references to other novels and quite a lot of emotional insight. All in all a satisfactory read.

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to particpate in our Colours of Africa project. The deadline has passed, but if you still have a piece you want to send in, that's ok. We will be starting work on making the objects for the auction in January. We already have a few very good ideas!!! Please have a look at the virtual exhibition on our blog : www.colours-of-africa.blogspot.com .

I have been spending time in the studio printing fabric and, believe it or not, I have made 2 quilts! Will show them when they're done. The colours in these photographs are not good, but reading other blogs, I think that is a general problem at this time of year.
I started on Dijanne Cevaal's linocutting course a few months ago and haven't gotten further than the first lesson. Dijanne visited us on Saturday (Sandy and Joe were here from England too) and I had nothing to show her except for the first 6 blocks which I had cut. I printed some of them on this hand-painted fabric. Did the background fabric in blues and purples (NOT my colours) and promptly hid it with the linoprint in opaque colours. Then I decided to be less drastic and printed in darker purples.

Another linocut which I once used for invitations to a party. I have cut a few similar figures and busy working with them. More on that later.