Thursday, April 10, 2008

Taking a Break/ Poetry in Stitches

Sometimes it seems I go three steps forward and two steps back - as soon as I do a good run of coursework, it grinds to a halt and I lose the thread (sometimes literally - the heap in the corner of the kitchen is getting out of hand again. Perhaps I should rename the blog Losing the Thread). Decoupling the school holidays from Easter means that all the adults were on holiday two weeks ago so we had the usual family visits etc then but the children are on holiday now. So not a lot of coursework going on. But I have finally made something I have been meaning to do for the last three years.

My youngest daughter's favourite poem when she was 5 was "Reward and Punishment" by Roger McGough which lists things that will be given if you are very good or naughty - we would read it night after night. My favourite line is the promise of "a pocketful of yes's" - I think it is a lovely image and I imagined giving her a handful of IOUs with yes on every one to make up for all the times I have to say no. I saved her favourite jeans when she outgrew them, intending to do something to illustrate the line but was only spurred into action when I came across the Poetry in Stitches 2 project being organised by the National Needlework Archive.

The piece had to made to a set size, so I cut down the jeans and made a patchwork background using leftover fabric from I quilt I made her a couple of years ago - it was a bit touch and go as there was very little left but we got there. I wanted to make the picture very special for her so I was determined to use fabric with meaning to us.

Now, what can I do for the other daughter to make it fair?

2 comments:

Garnered Stitches said...

What a lovely personal quilt. I like pieces with meanings and not just created for the pretty fabric.
Poetry gives great scope for imagery.

Vivien said...

Hello Jane,
You kindly left a message on my blog back in February and here I am, in April, just now sending you a reply! I apologize for my tardiness; I am usually not that rude or ungracious.

I too have the problem of completing a batch of work and then finding it so hard to pick up the threads again. I felt embarrassed to even look at my blog, as I had not been working on my coursework!

Looking at your work has been inspiring! I love to see the way you develop an idea and then take that idea to the next level. I enjoyed the ‘pin men’ work; in the last pieces I could see a couple embracing or maybe dancing the tango – maybe both!

Once again, my apologies for not dropping you a note before now.

Thank you for stopping by my blog.
Regards,
Vivien