Reykjavik

We are back from our family holiday and I am gradually easing myself back into normality.

We were very fortunate to spend a fantastic week in Iceland.

Our accommodation for the week was on the third floor of this apartment block (you can see our balcony) in Reykjavik.

It was a relatively quiet street and at this time of year there is almost 24 hours of daylight in Iceland, so I enjoyed spending time on the balcony early in the morning or late at night watching the world (and occasional drunks) go by.

I spotted this little guy on the back of our street sign as we were waiting for an early morning pick-up for a coach trip. Can you see him?

Here's a closer view...

There was quite a lot of yarn bombing in Reykjavik as well as street art and graffiti- it is a creative, laid-back sort of place!

I'm not sure what the homeless situation is in Reykjavik, but we did see someone sleeping in this hammock which was just up the road from the apartment, though it could have been a traveller! The economy is gradually improving, largely due to tourism and there is a LOT of construction happening in the city.  Many hotels are being built to accommodate the rise in tourism. I really hope they get the balance right and don't change the nature of the city, particularly for those that live there.

We were so lucky with the weather. apart from a rainy day on the Monday, the rest of the week was mostly sunny with beautiful, vast blue skies.

You know how I love to use houses as inspiration for my textile art. Many of the buildings in Iceland are functional, concrete blocks, but there is a lot of corrugated iron and some amazingly vibrant colours, which may just be featuring in some patchwork in the near future.

We saw so many wonderful things so I am going to make several posts over the coming days- pop back often! I'd love to hear some of your summer adventures too....

From Black Holes to a Gaping Hole!

Last Saturday saw the start (or should I say "blast off"?) of the Barnaby Festival in Macclesfield; 10 days of events celebrating "Space" including music, talks, art installations and performance.
The Festival kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a space-themed parade through the town and the good people of Macclesfield rose to the challenge to create costumes and floats.

There will be events taking place all week until the grand finale of the Barnaby Festival on Sunday 26th June when there will be a special Treacle Market, (always a treat), a "Big Brass Bonanza", music and art.

                                               Treacle Market

On Saturday 25th, the cool and talented Marc Jackson from Makers' Place will be hosting Macc-Pow Comic-Art Convention in the the Old Sunday School Macclesfield, celebrating comic art from around the world. There will be some big-names from the world of indie comic book art so it will be a great opportunity to meet some of your super heroes!

The Makers' Place (where I work alongside fellow artists and sell my pieces) will be open in the Old Sunday school for the duration of the Barnaby Festival and beyond.

There is also a lovely, friendly cafe - The Tea Kitchen- serving great food so you could make a day of it!

Don't miss visiting this hub of culture and fun! I really enjoyed taking a break from stitching to watch the parade go past.

After a productive day, I was fast asleep in my bed on Saturday night when we were woken by an almighty crash! We dashed downstairs and were confronted with this sight and water dripping through the kitchen ceiling!

 It took several moments to comprehend what all the mess on the kitchen floor was and to register the gaping hole in the ceiling! It turns out there had been a build up of water leaking through the bathroom floor and with no warning it suddenly burst through the ceiling. Not the best start to Father's Day for Mr Dotty!

The dog sleeps in a crate just to the left of all this debris! Thank goodness it didn't land directly on top of him! As it happens, he was sitting very quietly in a wet, rubbly bed and he needed drying off and a cuddle. We turned the water off at the mains and had a calming cup of tea before settling the dog in another room and heading back to bed (not that we slept much after that).

Sunday was mostly spent clearing heavy, wet plaster and dirt (3 bags full) and mopping  and cleaning the kitchen. I guess the rest of the week will be spent dealing with insurance, plumbing and builders.

As I lay in bed on Sunday morning though, I really did think how lucky we are. Many people are suffering the effects of flooding to their homes and many more have no homes at all. A temporary lack of water can't compare in any way to the thousands of displaced people who are having to cope with poor shelter and little sanitation.  I am going to remain cheerful, counting my blessings in spite of the gaping hole and damp-plaster smell pervading my home, (well, at least for now!)

The rest of the week has to go better, right? Hope your week goes well....

 (He's fine!)

Chicks And Classic Cars

Boy is it hot!

Looks like Summer has arrived and it is lovely, though my brain seems to have turned to mush. That is partly because of the baby birds who are growing up in my chimney pot, waking me up at 5am because they are hungry! Their parents arrived late in March and since then there have been weird scrabbling noises and lots of squeaking at unearthly hours. I like birds, but I am beginning to wish they would hurry up and grow feathers, learn to fly and go off and find their own worms! As soon as that happens I'm getting a roofer over to cap the chimney pot! Weirdly, this hasn't happened in the 20 years we have lived here, but there is a lot of major road construction going on locally so the birds have probably lost some of their habitat.

All because we humans like our cars!

We visited Tatton Park in Cheshire at the weekend to see the Classic car Show.

 It's amazing to me just how much some humans LOVE their cars.

 I do enjoy the convenience and freedom my car gives me, but to be honest, I am a bit car-blind. I have been known to walk past my own husband in our car and not recognise that it was him. So it was all a bit lost on me, but Mr Dotty does like to take photographs (mostly of the people with the cars).

 I enjoyed sauntering around in the sunshine, taking in the sights.

 We haven't been to Tatton for a couple of years so it was a treat to mooch around the gardens.

It is difficult to see from the photo, but this lady was wearing a beautiful floral dress and hat that perfectly matched the oranges of the flowers.

The Italian garden is very beautiful and has a view that reaches beyond the garden itself. It would be a fabulous venue for a cocktail party and I like to imagine sweeping down the steps in a floaty gown and banging a dinner gong to call the kids in for their tea!

I was a bit worried that this lady was going to topple over the wall as she looked quite precarious and had already almost fallen into the little box hedge as it wasn't strong enough to be sat on!

How have you been enjoying the sunshine?

Busy Stitching

I have been busy stitching at my studio space at Makers' Place Macclesfield. I'm enjoying the productivity, being among creative people and chatting to the public.

But boy, am I tired! It has been a hectic few weeks with family stuff and I'm still learning to balance working and being away from the house with all the jobs that need to be done at home, trying to build up my running again and finding time to see friends! Though I don't miss the distraction of the washing machine beeping to demand that I hang out the washing, it is amazing how quickly the dirty laundry builds up! At least it has been a great few days for drying!

"Home from Home"

"Inspired by Skye"

"Come Rain or Shine"

I'm also looking forward to Artisans in the Palm House at Sefton Park, Liverpool on 29th & 30th May. It will be a fantastic weekend, especially if it is sunny- come on over!

Hope you have been enjoying the warmer weather.

My New Venture

I am delighted to tell you that I was recently accepted to take a studio/ selling space at the Makers' Place at the Heritage Centre in Macclesfield.

It is a bright, airy space where a number of makers create and display their work and there is also a museum, shop and a lovely cafe.

I began to set up last Thursday. My space is between two corner spaces and has a big windows on either side letting in lots of light. I have acquired a lovely big unit with plenty of storage space for my fabrics and a good-sized table to work on.

Much as I love the bright stripes at the front of my unit, I think it calls for something a little more neutral, which I hope to put up this week.

I will be selling small textile artworks as well as larger quilted wall hangings.

This is part of my work space. I will be there on Thursdays and Fridays and also some Saturdays. I also aim to be there on some of the Sundays when the Treacle Market is held in Macclesfield as the cafe and Maker's Place will be open.

 This is my view as I sit working, looking through the doorway to the cafe. I am enjoying chatting to the public about my work and people are often interested to see what I am up to, especially when  my needle-felting machine is clattering away (must find a way to reduce the noise pollution!)

 I plan to be really productive on my studio days. It will make a big change to go out to work and to get away from the many distractions that present themselves when working from home. It will also be amazing to have other creative people to talk to- I have felt increasingly isolated at home recently. It also means that on my days at home I can enjoy doing things there without feeling resentful!

 There are still a few more things to do. I'm going to make a sign for the top middle of the wall and possibly a shelf .

                                       The view through to the shop.

So, if you fancy a trip out to Macclesfield- you could combine it with a look around the Silk Museum- do pop in and have a chat with me, have a cuppa and a browse. I'd love to meet you.