Happiness!!

I did not like the double weave draft for caladium leaves and so have gone back to 3 in 1 and 1 and 3 twills. After a lot of playing about, I ended up with this. It will not be woven in 60/2 silk as the motifs would come out too small. I propose to use 2/12 cotton of which I have all the right colours and enough of each anyway. It has ended up as a sort of colour gamp. So onwards with the handspun cushions on the Megado. I can't wait to get started on this. And what am I going to do with the fabric? One piece 18 inches square will go into the Midlands Textile Forum's exhibition at Birmingham Botanical Gardens this September. The rest will be used as book covers.

The other happening which has induced cheer is that the V&A library has succeeded where the British Library has failed. I have wanted to get a copy of an article on Donsu in Japan and the BL has a copy. However they have been moving  their belongings for the last year and will not give a firm date for accessing it. So after two rejected applications and being told not to reapply until the autumn, I got onto a major library website and discovered the Bodleian and the V&A hold copies. Well the Bodleian thought it did until it looked and they haven't. The V&A has clearly gone to the bother of looking at the article and I received an email this morning saying I could have a photocopy in black and white for so much but colour (and there are four coloured pages) would cost extra. They want £11.80 for the colour version. This is a great deal cheaper than me going to London for a day. So I said yes please. Imagine someone has actually seen this article!!!