13 September 2014

More small changes at Cloud Cuckooland Studio

 The things you find! The plans you had for them! And - what to do with them now?

The bits of old pottery obsessively collected from the foreshore and (surprisingly) Hampstead Heath -
I had an idea about drawing or painting them, a la early Lisa Milroy...

Collections of threads for some project or other -
They'll simply go back into the thread drawers, projects terminated.

"Pens to sort" - which of them still write, and ... who needs so many pens anyway???
 A little project for a rainy day.

It's scraps that give me the greatest fabric pleasure - here, from a bag on the floor, we have some tulle, some wools (for rug hooking), and silks (for JQs and suchlike projects) -
 They need to go in separate places, and though my smaller bits of fabric are organised in a haberdashers cabinet of glass-fronted drawers, these don't fit into the classification - and reorganising that cabinet isn't going to happen soon. Plus, the scrapbox is rather full and it's not going to get sorted just yet either.

One thing I've learned is - what to leave alone "for now".

And speaking of fabric -
Can one person use all this white fabric in what's left of a lifetime? The dream was once to start everything from white fabric, dyeing or painting it as needed. There was also "the all-white patchwork" project, which never really got off the ground. Ah well, move on!

More paper! -
It's not good to keep paper rolled up, especially thicker paper. This will be rehoused soon.

What about the "portable projects" in their pouches?
These little books made of various papers will come along on my next trip, to be stitched with linen threads -
Boxes ... who doesn't collect boxes, who can resist a pretty container ... but what's in them that needs to be decided about -
It gets really trivial - a collection of thread ends!! These are from hand-sewing at the table-under-the-window; they just mount up. I've used similar collections for sandwiching between net and machining, a satisfyingly brainless activity, and we all have moments when a brainless, satisfying activity is called for ... but it would be easy and practical to simply empty the jar occasionally! -
Finally, another small delight - a reorganised area, under the table -
The press won't stay there (I plan to use it for printmaking, in a rudimentary sort of way), but its new location is yet to be decided. Meanwhile, moving the drawers closer to where the chair is makes that catch-all top drawer more accessible. Also, taking things out and looking at them made me think about getting a new cover for the portable ironing board,  about replacing the flooring with carpet tiles (red? orchid? not dark grey, not beige...), and about sorting out that sewing basket, bought in Oxford in 1982 ... last used last century!

With counter tops cleared, I'm ready to leave this alone for a while.


3 comments:

irene macwilliam said...

We have one of those old presses sitting on out landing for so many years and only been used about once. I know it will stay there until we move or fall off our perches!!! That is only one item that has no proper place.

irene macwilliam said...

My above comment sounds as if it is the only thing that has no real place in our house it is just one of hundreds of things that have no proper place in our house. Well I view them as having no proper place.

Stitchinscience said...

This looks like real progress to me Margaret. I hope you are getting some pleasure out of this task as I am certainly enjoying reading about it.