Waking Up in San Francisco

I was just falling asleep last night when I was woken up with a jolt. It felt like someone pushing the bed really hard, or something falling, but with no sound. An inaudible thud. Then all the coathangers in the wardrobe started to rattle along with the bottles on the dressing table. Then stopped. Extremely weird sensation. The cat leapt into the air and off the bed (an audible thud this time). I got up and crept about, having visions of REALLY LARGE burglars, before accepting the reality that I had just experienced an earthquake. In rural England. Waited a while for aftershock and opening credits of full disaster movie, and then climbed back into bed. Not under it. Did consider sleeping in the wardrobe just in case, but realized it would not be particularly good protection against a whole upper floor of falling bricks. Cat hid somewhere. Traitor. I have just checked on the news, and apparently it was a 5.2 with an epicentre in Lincolnshire (about 50 miles away). How exciting, and also a reminder that stuff can come from anywhere at any time.
And that God will never let me down.
'God is our strength and refuge, our help in trouble, so we will not fear, even if the earth shakes..
Slept like a log. Now for strong tea. I am off to test drive a new (to me) car later this morning. Will post picture.
Note to British readers, I have a secret yen to be 'Stigette' on Top Gear. Except for the tight fitting white leathers.
Pink is more my style.

Textile Tuesday

When I looked at the counter map yesterday, I realised that people have been visiting even though I have not been blogging. I need to be more disciplined about writing as well as reading blogs! And I thought that a forum / challenge might be quite fun. And it is Tuesday. And I love textiles. And alliteration. So TEXTILE TUESDAY is born. For today, post your favourite Textile Tip. In future I will ask you for museum, technique and so on. Feel free to suggest other categories for this challenge. Welcome to Textile Tuesday

Paris Photos

I probably should warn you that I do not photograph the things that normal people do on the whole. This is a small belvedere on a bluff in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, a scenic park created from an old quarry. It was rather chilly, but the view took in Sacre Coeur to the south. The railings and such looked like rustic wood, but were made from sculpted concrete.


This is a well gargoyle in the courtyard of the Musee de Cluny, where the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries are displayed.
and this is a detail from another mediaeval tapestry, the folds of a gown.
And finally, for now at least, a beautiful piece of abstract art:

Actually it is part of the wall at George V station on the metro. I saw it from the train as I went through, and got off on the return journey to take photos. Strange looks from people on platform, but I am getting used to it.

I Love Paris in the Springtime

Oh I do. Have just returned from a five day, textile filled trip. Highlights include the Lacroix exhibition, Gobelins tapestries and the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries at the Cluny Museum. Also to a trade fair. Have sore feet, and swear that am 2 inches shorter than used to be. Boost to ego as was chatted up by Frenchman. Needed the boost I can tell you! Have just realized that cannot post images as they need to be downloaded from camera. Await with bated breath dear reader.

Web Weirdness

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milady the Right Reverend Louise the Potential of New Invention Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

How apposite is this? I need a tiara. One like Cate Blanchett was wearing in 'Elizabeth - The Golden Age' which I saw last night. Interesting film, if a bit LOTR towards the end. And geographically rather off. Loud guffaws from The Man and I as a Scottish castle (Urquart on Loch Ness, I think, with mountains) was captioned as Fotheringhay (which is in England, by a river, nearest mountain 200 miles away!) The joys of artistic licence. Great costumes tho', and Clive Owen can bring me potatoes anytime...

Alarums and Excursions

On my way to Uni this morning, via the shortest possible route through the Crown Court grounds and I came face to face with two armed (to the teeth) policemen. Noticed another five round the corner, lurking furtively (which I suppose is what they are supposed to do!). Quickened my pace because I was pulling my new shopping trolley (Warhol's Marilyn 18 inches diameter on the front) ( or is it the back?) and I did not want to be mistaken for a well-disguised terrorist. Would a terrorist pull a Marolyn Monroe trolley as good cover? Would it carry the weight of semtex? These are the questions that I need Horatio to answer. Was particularly keen not to be searched, as said trolley contained a pair of clogs and a skull. For drawing practice. Called The Man when I arrived in the Gateway Studio and asked him to use his contacts in the underworld / legal profession to find out which trial was being protected so heavily. No sooner had I arrived, than the fire alarm went off. Troop downstairs, wait in cold, troop back upstairs again, thank lucky stars am on second and not seventh floor. Went to CAD class in neighbouring building, two hours later set off back to studio, to find occupants of Gateway strewn all over the road. Second fire alarm, but this time not a drill. Allowed back in, so collected Marilyn, left the skull, and headed back to the station. Only two armed officers visible this time, though did detect some rustling in the bushes. "If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now" may be OK for Led Zep, but these are different times. Decided to be brave and asked one of them what they were guarding so assiduously. He told me the court number, but not the case, and said it would all be in the Leicester Mercury soon enough. I then felt emboldened to ask about his machine gun. A Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle apparently. Scary looking piece of kit. I have never been that close to a 'modern' weapon. Did not ask to take his picture. The Boy has borrowed my camera for his history trip to Germany / Poland. Probably wouldn't have asked anyway!

"She got legs, and she knows how to use 'em"

Saturday was truly a frabjous day! England won, and I got my legs. The two events almost coincided, as I was in IKEA when The Man sent the text to tell me the rugby news. I almost wished I had stayed to watch, but had been so sure of an Aussie thrashfest that I did not dare. Oh me of little faith. Had large (and rather loony) grin on face for the remainder of my trip round Swedish designerland, Birmingham. Rather out of kilter with all the other shoppers. And I was travelling counter to the crowds.
And did not care.
Best of all, I put the legs together yesterday afternoon, so have a slanting worktable like a real designer .
So, as promised, dear reader, some photos of my new studio. The only problem is that I no longer have any excuse for not doing some work. I have a list for today:
Oil Monoprint
Ink and Wash drawing
Stitch draw
Photocollage and stitch
Background collage
Make bread (for harvest supper, not project)

Has anyone else noticed that the posting time on blog posts bears no relation to any temporal time zone, Greenwich or otherwise? Either Google time exists in a parallel universe, or all their clocks are wrong.

Knock-Kneed-Kn***ered-Old-Nose-Bags

This phrase (from a 70s sit-com) sums me up perfectly! I have just finished the first week back at Uni, and am so tired!! I slept until 11.00 today (after The Man got up and went to Men's breakfast / walk at 7) I wore my funky boots on Tuesday and they gave me blisters, which made me walk strangely for the rest of the week whatever footwear I adopted. I realised, even in my dopey state that the wearing of slippers, although uber-comfy, might cause alarm and despondency among my fellow travellers / students / passers by / CIA satellites. We are going to be so busy this year, my head hurts already. But the new second years seem cool, and the old third years were as pleased to see me as I was to see them. I had become a bit of a recluse in the last months, apart from when good friends dragged me out by the hair, so it will be good to be resocialized. If I can strike a balance between comfort and 'not actually hideous' to quote Antique Mommy. I am one of those too. Although The Boy looks more like The Man than the cute darling he used to be, the one who designed the cartoon above.
The Man has just returned from cooked breakfast and energetic walk, and I am still in my PJs. Shock! Horror! He is getting me more tea. And lunch by the sound of it. He is a star.
It is England v Australia this afternoon. Too stressful. I shall go to IKEA and buy new legs.
Not for me. For the worktable in the studio. So I can work standing up instead of lying down. And then post photos of the finished studio.
It will happen.
I promise.