I found this song on youtube yesterday evening, I love it.

Another lovely day with Amanda and her team at the Maddermarket. Mending a tweed jacket and unpicking bits. I'd taken in a book I'd just bought (Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail by Lucy Johnston), and Amanda brought out a beautiful little victorian jacket that is part of the wardrobe special collection so I could have a good look at the real thing. And then, I was given the freedom to take a look at the rest of the collection upstairs. There were more racks of old, old clothes, packed fantastically tight, and shelves, and boxes, of boots and shoes, and lace, and umbrellas, and what nots. All very exciting. 

Today I started a couple of weeks work experience in the costume department at the Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich. Amanda Harrold, mistresswardrobe.blogspot.com, is the wardrobe mistress, and she set me to small mending tasks, sewing on buttons and repairing the ruching on an a black and white velvet and satin opera coat, very yummy. The wardrobe is packed with clothes of all different ages, a real treasure trove of vintage textiles, from hats to coats to buttons to beads to shoes to threads, to, well you get my drift. 

The atmosphere is one of quiet industry, no fussing, just quietly doing, which was lovely. One of the regular volunteers had brought in an original flapper dress from the 1920's, which we all swooped upon with squeaks of delight. I was amazed how bright it was, it seemed almost like new, also how heavy, and curiously soft that quantity of sequins felt to touch.   

 The last picture is of the ruffles on the blouse I was working on. I just liked them. And as I'm thinking a lot about ruffles, and making texture, I thought I'd post the photo.

Just lovely, a very gentle afternoon, in the sunshine, in the garden, unpicking seams on raggedy vintage clothes to use for this terms project. Birds were singing, and in the distance there was folk music, children calling and a strimmer strimming. I always love the signs of wear on scrap fabric, the holes where the stitches have been, the hidden bits of cloth that are darker because they haven't seen so much light, or lighter for being on a fold that was more exposed.  

Its been an interesting week. On Saturday I went to dance workshop with Celia and Gaelin Little. I have known Celia for some years as she is one of my favourite shiatsu teachers and her daughter Gaelin is friends with my daughter. They are both wonderful. The workshop was called Out of Nothing, and combined authentic movement, witnessing, contact improvisation and elemental chinese medicine theory as well as their own extraordinary way of teaching. I had been feeling a bit off centre, and although I am still trying to find my balance, the workshop was a step in the right direction.

Back to yoga on monday, with the lovely Lou Kitchener, thinking about core stability and opening the heart. It's good to be moving again, I'd missed going to classes last term, my body has been feeling stiff for lack of use. 

It's still term time at uni, I have too many ideas and longing for a little quiet space so I can filter out which ones are worth spending time on. 

Still, I am thinking about flowers this term as a theme for my self directed project. So I've been taking photographs of the cherry-plum blossom, which is out, tho' nearly over, in my garden. I shall pick a small twig and draw it this morning before I miss my moment I think. 

   

My prints for my second year project turned out quite nice. I had a lot fun playing about with dyes and devore and discharge paste. The design came from a scanned weave. I'd been thinking about forms of communication, walks with my boyfriend, dancing, poetry, music, birdsong, books. I liked the way the colours built up on each other, changing the line very slightly, the way stories alter with each telling