Tree Cloths

The colours on the Arbutus Tree Cloth were showing a shift in colours when I did the July colour studies. 

The Arbutus is an evergreen but it sheds half its leaves over summer.
There is a shift from a yellow green to a low intensity orange.

The Maple is also showing a change - the chlorophyll is beginning to move downward.
There is a shift in colour from green to yellow.
Fall is coming.

New growth on the cedar has turned to a cooler green.

And, as usual, there is not much change in the Douglas-fir needle colour.
I am stitching a July band on each of the tree cloths in the colors I have observed.

Getting Things Done

Once I had put away all fabric and threads in their right places and my tables were clear again, I was ready to organise the many other piles of stuff in my studio. 

I started organising the stuff into different categories according to David Allen's system.

I am a David Allen disciple.

Lasagna Gardening

About a year ago my sister showed us how to convert lawn to garden.

On top of cut grass we layered: newspaper, cardboard, grass clippings, leaves, coffee grounds, manure + topsoil, and finally a top soil layer. 

\

Now I have planted a green mulch - comfrey.

I laid down a layer of paper around the plants to suppress the weeds until the comfry plants take hold.

A layer of Douglas-fir mulch holds the paper in place and also acts as a weed suppressant.

It is all an experiment.

Studio Tidy Up

Back in Victoria I decided to tidy up my studio.

First I put away everything covering my work tables.

I rounded up all the loose yarns and threads, sorted them by colour then put them away in my thread colour- coded boxes.

I did the same with all of the fabrics I had accumulated over the past year.

I have a set of colour-coded fabric boxes I use for teaching.

I topped up those with fabrics and put them in storage.

This is a good start to my studio tidy-up.

Otters & Cream

A leisurely walk beside the Otter River....

 

...ended with a Devon cream tea at the old flour mill. 

We confirmed this was the best Devon cream tea in the land.
I had mine with a delicious pot of nettle tea.

R & R On the Devon Coast

After a demanding graduation week in London, we spent a relaxing and rejuvenating week on the Devon coast, based in the idyllic beach resort village of Budleigh Salterton.
I like that the woman is wearing the same colours as the beach huts are painted.

 

 

 

Beach art using the famous Budleigh Salterton beach pebbles. 

The vernacular Devon boat

A picture-perfect village.
Again, those soft English colours.

Life Bucket Item - Check

One of the items in my 'Life Bucket' is to attend a production at Shakespeare's Globe as a groundling in the pit.
We managed to get tickets and met up with Bob and Ingrid after our day of exploring the South Bank.
Henry V is a play I don't know but it didn't matter. I wanted the experience and to know if Shakespeare really did write lines specifically directed at the groundlings.

We went in early and I got a place beside the stage.
It was perfect for closeup views of the costumes. At one point I had to lean back to avoid being swiped by the bishop's heavy felt cloak.

Bob got a seat in the heavens.
He knows the play so enjoyed the good accoustics from his perch.

Ingrid got the last seat in the house - in the gentleman's section, with a padded stool and erotic paintings.
She also knows the play and had the pleasure of the actors facing her when they delivered their more bawdy lines.

Meanwhile, Ron had to endure the pit. Here he is enjoying the intermission, the only time groundlings were allowed to sit. One young man beside me fell over during the performance - a wheel chair appeared and he was whisked away. I had the stage to lean on so the 3 1/2 hours flew by.
It was a wonderful experience.
I can take it out of my Life Bucket.

Southwark Cathedral

On the Queen's Walk beside the River Thames is Southwark Cathedral, the oldest Gothic cathedral in London. It has been a place of worship for 1,400 years, since Anglo Saxon times - says the sign out front.

 

 

It has the distinctive flint and sandstone walls.


There are lots of classic Gothic elements to admire.

And scary gargoyles.

 

One must always look up when being a tourist.

Tourists on the South Bank

We were disappointed to find the Fashion & Textile Museum closed for a month while the next exhibit is installed.
But we did find one of the Mayor of London's Art Boxes.

Telephone boxes have been painted by well known artists then placed throughout the city.

We found 2 more that day.

 

 

In Calgary artists painted cows and left them all around the city.
Here in Victoria painted orca whales are found in unexpected places.