whooosh!

did you see that?

two weeks went by just like that. But i am still hanging on.

updates to follow!

Doll Corset - Structure and base

Blogger has been down for a few days, so just a quick posting of covering the base of the structure

corner

bottom

top - with pins to remember where the holes are.

and how it looks complete... At this point I hadn't sewn round the top to keep the dowels in, nor stitched the back opening closed. I am also gluing the dowels into the base.

This photo shows how the light shines out from underneath a bit like a lampshade.

Looks like it may find a permanent home in the end in my lounge as it goes very well with our new furniture!

Looking forward to seeing all the work from everyone else tomorrow.

Doll Corset - Structure

I have finally been able to get to the structure of the large doll corset.I am using 6mm dowels in the main boning channels. This is sort of a reference to the reed boning used in one of the doll's corsets from the SLough Museum. The dowels are sticking out at the bottom and are stuck into a large piece of upholstry foam.

Here are views of how they will be stuck in.

I had to go back to the DIY shop for one more dowel to get enough to have the support I wanted. A few channels I had made a bit too narrow with the hand stitching, so I had to remove a bit of the stitch. So, I just have a few places where I need to go back in and sort it.

One good reason for using photos for your work is that it helps you step back, so to speak. I had it arranged in what I thought was a good shape, but when I looked at the first photo, I realised I really wanted it straight in front. So, I will use a few kebab sticks to push it forward.
More photos of the new arrangement.

And a photo of the detail of the support sticks, which I am quite pleased with. A surprising aspect of the support I hadn't considered.

I plan to cover the base with more of the cream muslin, but also some burlap mesh, which you can see laying next to the base.

Visitors

From time to time we get asked to be a sort of inbetween station for people, who know people, who were told we might, by some of the people we used to know. This is because we are near enough to Heathrow and have plenty of rooms to make it possible. In fact, it was one of the reasons we looked for a house with plenty of room. It means you get to meet some interesting people and make new friends.

So, this past weekend was one of these times. I collected a young lady who was heading to Oxford for a summer course in Anglo-Saxon poetry and another in Norse mythology. She is interested in medieval literature, and plans to study it in graduate school.

Sunday evening we went and had a quick round trip around Surrey and Berkshire with Windsor as the centre point. We pointed out bits and pieces you could see from the road, like the Greek temple ruin folly at Virginia Water and the fascinating architecture you could see through the trees for the Royal Holloway. We drove through Runnymead where the Magna Carta was signed and came round the back of Windsor Palace into the town. It was interesting to walk around when it wasn't crowded with tourists and shoppers. and I didn't take the camera, but oh well.

So, now she has been safely delivered to Oxford. It will be interesting to see how she got on when she comes back through in late June.
and how she gets on with cooking British in the accomodation! this particular girl seems like she will be able to adapt better than alot of Americans who come here though.

a photo taken on a previous trip to Oxford.

Through a hedge backwards

a dog that has been enjoying the weather...investigating neglected corners of the garden.

So she had a 'face wash' and then got to play with the towel as well.

Now though, she'd be soaked if she went in the corners.
Finally, we have had enough rain which should put out the fires in the forests near to us. They have been threatening the village down the road.

Doll Corset - Large

detail view of the back of the large doll corset.

It seemed to want some 'patches'. They aren't really needed, but cover places where the stitches were a bit long and too shiny. and a few places where I couldn't bury the knots well.

Exhibit in Henley

Thursday, I went to Henley on Thames for the private view of the exhibit that Delia Salter and Lynne Seaman are putting on. It is called The Music in My Mind. The pieces are inpired by songs that stay in your mind and surface now and then.

The exhibit is on at the Old Fire Station Gallery, behind the Town Hall. It is on from the 6th May to the 11th May. from 10-4 each day.

Here are a few views around the exhibit.

And here is where I wish I had a bit of money to play with to buy something!

Watching dog

Pepper...

on duty keeping the pigeons from eating the grass seed. Very subtly hiding so they don't know she is there til she bursts out the door.

Doll Corset - Large

detail of the stitch on the large doll corset...finally finished tonight. Edge work tomorrow.

Doll Corset - Large

Over the holiday I have been making progress with the large version of the doll corset I am doing for the Slough Museum Project. This photo was taken yesterday, but tonight I am nearly done with the stitching.

Then I will do a bit of tidying the edges and may stitch some more raw edge strips on the surface.

I have planned to put sticks in some of the boning channels and mount them into a base making it a bit of a Moses basket shape to sit on the floor. But I am not sure if we were getting too many 3D and not enough for the walls. I may develop a way for it to hang instead.

Rain Bird

Well the gardens need some, but not this kind.

Also at Virginia Water!

Out and About tree home

One of my photos from Virgina Water was a fascinating tree hole we saw. It was right across on the other side of a pile of felled trees and branches, etc.
I zoomed as much as I could to get a good photo and then cropped the photo to see better.

Crop even closer?

Looks like someone is home!