Packing

Over the last two days, I have made and hung some of the studio curtains shown on the left. This is fabric from Tunisia - a small non-touristy shop in the souk at Sousse. There is an identical curtain at the other end of the windows. The shop clearly did not expect to sell lengths of curtain material to tourists!! And all conversation was in French. The fabric is russet brown with gold thread in the pattern sections. It is not wide enough for the whole window space but I have a red and gold sari in thick material which will be the other three curtains. I have over 6 metres of that.  It was bought in Little India in Kuala Lumpur.

Interesting that I bought both lengths with no idea what I was going to do with them - and now they make me happy as curtains!!

On the window seat below the curtain is a cushion covered in songket from KL which fits nicely in colour.  I have just realised that I have an artistic problem in interior decor. Cushions in wool just do not go with curtains in gold. Only this one cushion looks okay. A rethink is needed.

The last day or so have been spent sorting out paperwork for the States trip. I discovered late last night - on my way to bed - that I should have done something about filling in forms for flying to the States and, after completing them, found to my horror that I needed to get a visa for entry to the USA. Fortunately my application went smoothly and I am now all set up. I was so exhausted by the effort of an hour's filling in forms on the web, that I decided I would pay for choosing a seat so I did. I now feel as though I am all set up to go.

Except that, suddenly,  a decision has to be made about the flights for the Silk Route trip in spring 2013 and I don't think I can leave that till I return.  The trouble is that I have not decided what to do. I was idly thinking that I might stay on a few days in China as I would probably not be back but, apart from having a hunt on the web and not finding what I wanted, I have not even made a decision on this. Woe is me!!

I have little piles of 'stuff' around the house, all various categories, which I need to check and pack. In fact I must look for the red midsized suitcase. 

I am taking laptop, camera, cables with me and hope to be able to blog over there. My mind is so taken up with the journey  that I can't see to Thursday when the Complex Weavers Seminars begin. But no doubt when the time comes, I will be alert enough. The first seminar I am attending is on using Photoshop for drafting!!