Make smthing week seemed like a good time to engage with  Annie Albers call:

...we must come down to earth from the clouds where we live in vagueness and experience the most real thing there is: material (1937)”

Alison invited Sarah to her studio to help her with a Welsh blanket project. Sarah had some vintage  blanket squares from Jen Jones museum/ shop in  Llanybydder, Ceredigion

 

Jen finds, cleans and  repairs  vintage Welsh blankets and quilts, giving a new lease of life to these wonderful items and at the same time bringing much pleasure to the new owners as well as preserving these important Welsh historical items.  Quilts, and blankets which cannot be rescued whole are re-purposed into cushions and squares for and patchwork.

 

The first task was to cut the pieces up further so that the different styles could be mixed together,  integrated to create pleasing whole. Alison’s experience as textile artist is very helpful when it comes to doing this!

 

Next , piing then sewing together , keeping the rough edges exposed to add texture and also show the different colours used to create the patterns as well as to prevent bulky seams.

The next tasks will be to finish the sewing and then enlarge the patchwork into a knee rug by blanket stitching around the patchwork and crocheting into the  patchwork. Welsh wool spun in North wales and purchased in Cardiff market as well as Cambrian wool from West Wales. mountains will be used.

The next creative project involved needlefelting at a workshop at the Holbourne museum in Bath – an opportunity to make a Christmas decoration
                 

as well as a chance to find out if the raw Cornish fleece we obtained for the Repairacts seminar could be used for needle felting. It can!

The final creative activity of the week was Alison’s Christmas wreath-making workshop held at Alice park as part of Alison’s involvement in the community garden there. There was much making activity as well excellent soup and hot drinks to enjoy. Soaked sticks were shaped into wreaths and decorated with the community garden greenery. Many of those attending were having far to much fun to leave once their wreath was completed and stated making stars and even 2D Christmas tree and a star chandelier!

 

Experiencing the material is another way to ‘think’, to explore and to find ways to care for the world we share as well as being great fun!