Off the Loom

I have spent the last few days weaving. I did it in 2 hour sessions with 1 or 2 hours break between sessions, ending up with weaving three napkins yesterday (Sunday). I finished at 10pm, applied Fraystop to the end and went to bed. This morning it was cut from the loom, zigzag stitched at the ends of the six napkins section and cut into two. 

The photo shows some of the card motifs. There is also a section where I repeated ad nauseam motifs for the napkins, all different.

Here is one of the napkins. All the ends have been sewn. in There were only two broken threads to be mended in the whole length. Now they are all in the washing machine. 

Still to be done are the cutting apart and hemming. But I am hopeful that I can get these off on Wednesday to the States.

I have done the occasional 'other' thing. On Saturday, I went to Wightwick Manor with the Midlands Textile Forum. This house was built by the Manders of Manders Paints and they were William Morris/ Pre-Raphaelite fans. I have to admit a weakness about the Pre-Raphaelites - I can't stand them. There is a gallery in the Birmingham Art Gallery devoted to them and I feel physically sick if I go in.

Wightwick Manor was totally redeemed for me by having lots of William de Morgan. All the fireplaces had his tiles and there are a number of bowls. plates and vases. Very desirable. I bought myself a book about William de Morgan from the shop there.

I was slightly surprised at the program for the group. I should read documents more carefully. We had a conducted tour (very good) of the house which lasted about an hour and a half. Then we retired to a private room and had a lecture!!! This was about Thomas Wardle (William Morris's dyer of choice) and the Leek Embroidery Society - a commercial organisation which seemed to have decorated all the churches in the Stoke/Leek/Stafford and Cheshire areas. The lecturer was very good and knew her topic intimately. A real enthusiast. She brought a suitcase of samples for us to examine. After that a late lunch of a sandwich and then back to the house to see an exhibition of William Morris patterns. And then back home to the Megado!

Now I must get off to the card making day.   Soon I must start thinking about packing! I am reminded of a rather humourless Project Manager at British Aerospace where I worked for several (happy) years. There was a big notice in his room which read ' As soon as I have a minute to spare, I am going to panic'.