Helen Cowans ~ Designing - Creating - Inspiring

Honister Pass, Lake District.

Lilburn Hill (just over the road and up the hill)

Somewhere in the Lakes.

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The ones below are drawn onto watercolour boards – just waiting for me to paint them.  The lines are very faint and the only way I could get them to show up involved this blue cast.

Berwick upon Tweed

Hadrian’s Wall

I only wish it wasn’t February and freezing – would love to get out and do more of these. Sketching out of the car window isn’t quite the same, you don’t “feel” the landscape.

But you can put the heater on!

Yes I think we are! 

Everything that should be in storage is now there.  It looks a bit grotty, but its been cleaned, is dry and safe (and free). 
Access is easy and its only a few minutes drive away.

 

Peace of mind with a padlock on each door.

Here’s something I photographed on the 22nd Jan but haven’t got around to post before now…. these are Indigo dyed fabrics from the African Fabric Shop.  I just had to stop moving boxes for a day and do something creative.

It started off with a “wax print adventure pack” supplemented with indigo dyed damask, some shibori dyed fabrics and a few extra pieces.  I didn’t have a plan, I cut up a few pieces, cut up a few more, placed them on the floor and filled in the gaps.  Being so carefree and intuitive was great fun.  The fabrics are all so different, but have the indigo dye as a theme so it all works together.
Now to hand stitching – more about this soon.

I had to prepare a CV and “photograph”, well how can you chose one photograph?  So I started playing with collages in Picasa and came up with this.  Inspiration to get me “going” again.

A surprise find in an old sketchbook.

One of my favourite places of all time – Castlerigg stone circle near Keswick, Cumbria.

Note the date – I had time “to sit and stare” then.  DS came along the next year.

Yes without a doubt we’re making progress.

Another two car loads today and more ready for the tip.

Almost have the downstairs of the house sorted back to “normal”, upstairs needs another days work.

And more of the white stuff over night and more expected tomorrow. 

Welcome to February, boy it’s got to be better than January!

February started off with a really wonderfully day – I had lunch with friends I hadn’t seen since November (due to snow and sick children).  Lovely lunch and good conversation.  Perfect.

Here is the summary of January taken from my other blog NE71 2010 you can follow it here. 
I take a photograph every day and I’m really enjoying it.

Today was another day of moving boxes and rolls of fabric.  Four car loads moved by the end of the day.

The disadvantage of buying in bulk is that when your studio collapses you have wholesale sized rolls of fabric to move.  But I do feel as if we are getting there, slowly but in an organised fashion.

This is where I’ll be working – the row of units is really odd – I have a porch and a herb garden!  Wouldn’t it be good to see some bulbs in there.

All the units are different sizes and shapes.  Some have clear glass, some frosted glass, some have a porch, some don’t.  Perhaps they were made to individual specifications and now those people have moved on?

It’s only a minutes drive away, you pull out onto the main road and its not worth getting into third gear before you have to turn off.

The back room is still looking empty.  That table is a temporary measure until I get my replacement Horn cabinet.  Its all uncluttered in there atm, but the table will fill the space almost completely.

Had I moved here before the studio I think I could have happily fitted into the space…. but I’ve erm, expanded.  Bit like my waistline *sad look*.

Two more car loads were delivered after this photo was taken (below) so that left wall is now stacked high with boxes.  But that’s OK, I can see all my fabrics and my hand threads are now filling that white bookcase.

The art and dyeing materials are all sorted out and put away.  DH thinks he can connect the sink to the drain for me which will be useful.  I usually store papers and card on the shelves in the desks, but I’ve decided to keep all the papers at home – they’re just too heavy to keep moving around.  Besides the shelves are now full with paints, printing blocks and dye powders.

In the kitchen I’ve removed the centre of the table to make some room – boxes that are being sorted ready to move.  Yesterday we managed two full cars – some to tip (four bin bags are you impressed?) and the rest into storage.  Today it’s moving boxes to the business park.

It felt quite good until this happened…… one box slid, another fell….and that’s when you want to give up and scream.

There are boxes and baskets of “bits” that were pulled off the shelves in a real hurry, these need sorting out and boxing up.

But you find some nice surprises too.  Anyone remember these?  A postcard swap on ThreadEnds 2002.  As you know all but one postcard / ATC was ruined but these were safe and sound in a box.  DS had made up a collage on a notice board for me to take across the road.  Looks beautiful. 

Journal Quilts 2009

September

Hand dyed silks. Mulberry silk threads.

Yes, I like this one.

October

Artista stitched motif on hand dyed rayon, with hand dyed silk and silk velvet.  Mulberry silk threads.

November

Tea dyed silks and silk velvet. Mulberry silk threads. Nope, ditch this one.

December

Tea dyed silks, silk velvet, lace and braid. Mulberry silk threads.

Oh yes, let run with this one….. now where’s the lace???????  In which bedroom?  Which box? 
I’ve got the teabags!

Just as a reminder here are all 12 JQ’s

Leica M& limited edition by Hermes.  Only 100 in the world.  Only $12,950. 

That’s next Christmas sorted then darling!

"If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster."     Isaac Asimov

What a good attitude to life.

Meanwhile I am trying to upload a proper post with JQ pictures but the internet connection keeps “dropping”.  A problem we’ve had for many weeks now, and getting worse.  BT aren’t hurrying to get it sorted either.  Why does that not surprise?

Hopefully get you some pictures soon.  (Hopefully this post WILL upload!)