Monday 12 May 2008

interested in knitting, sewing or the creation of open-source software? ...plus, news of a popster after my own heart

would you happen to be interested in knitting, sewing or the creation of open-source software? if so, I have just the exhibition for you ...Open Source Embroidery:Craft and Code

The blurb says: "The project was developed by Ele Carpenter when working as an artist in residence at Access Space in Sheffield and Isis Arts in Newcastle upon Tyne" and it sounds fascinating, in a geeky kind of way (I'm allowed to say that you see, as I've done my share of software crafting in my day and so consider myself a kind of latter-day geek). There is an evening preview on Friday 16th and some knitting and embroidery getogethers to be announced...

Other random news is that I donned my old punk-rocker hat last Friday night and went to see Vic Godard and Subway Sect (Mr G is a major fan, and our daughters request some Vic everynight as part of the bedtime routine so it's a bit of a family thing now)...they were playing this tiny venue "The Arts Theatre Club" in Soho...there were about 50 people and Vic with four musicians on a stage I wouldn't have thought you could fit four mice on...it was hilarious. The music was great and Mr Vic proved himself to be a man after my own heart by interrupting the set to request........." a cup of tea"....well, that knocked the wind from the bar staff's sails so much that my dear Mr G had to step across the road to Bar Italia to get the man a takeaway cuppa...so there you go, my brush with celebrity and fame couldn't have gotten much better really...


The rest of our evening out was pretty great too - we went to see Duchamp, ManRay and Picabia at Tate Modern. An exhibition I could have missed to be honest, all that misogynistic posturing of certain strands of the 20th century art scene leaves me cold (though I do admire some of the more conceptual work by Duchamp in particular), but we did fit in a very pleasant drink in the bar afterwards, followed by some conveyor belt sushi in Soho at a tiny place we used to frequent a lot, some espressos and a shared nata at the aforementioned Bar Italia, then the gig and the last train home.

Our aim had been to somehow recreate the aimless wandering around Soho we did so much of a decade ago, and by jove I think we did it...and 'twas just as wonderful as I remember it being...

right, here are some sewing pictures...English paper pieced patchwork technique - I love it. My craftastic sister Marion made a whole double quilt out of our old summer dresses using this technique, I remain in awe to this day. I managed something slightly bigger than a coaster...


14 comments:

JuliaB said...

Wow, your little patchwork is lovely! I was wondering what that particular technique is called.!

Cait ni Clic et al said...

Here's to much more aimless wandering around sOhO for you and Mr G! Sounds like a tonic for both sole and soul!

Joanne said...

Oh I love Bar Italia. It does feel like a nostaglia trip now when we end up there, and considering it always felt like a nostalgia trip for something I couldn't actually be nostaglic for, that's a lot of nostagia.

Charlie P said...

Ooh, this post has made me want to go to Soho. Never heard of Vic Godard but any man who interrupts his own gig for a cup of tea sounds good to me! Might have to have a downloading session ;) Your little quilt is gorgeous and impressively neat- I'd love to see the giant one your sister made.

syko kajsa said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful night out! I wouldn't mind wandering around in Soho some day...

Apryl said...

sounds like you had a really good time wandering around Soho! I must admit to that being one of my favourite things to do in cities especially if its just my husband and myself, I love to wander around shops and coffee houses aimlessly, and people watch too.

the little patchwork is very sweet, I love the heart on the back.

Locket Pocket said...

I love your little patchwork - especially the heart on the back! Lucy x

Unknown said...

I just bought the papers to do this exact patchwork! I love yours! The colors are so pretty. More inspiration for me to get started!
~Emily

VSJensen said...

hi annie! i received my BEAUTIFUL sachet and tea today all the way from your neck of the woods! i can't even tell you how lovely it all is, thank you SO much. and the lavender is amazing. perfect timing, too, my three year old daughter was asking me yesterday what a "sachet" was, and i didn't have any to show her. when it arrived she said "now i will always smell pretty." :). again, thank you thank you THANK YOU!

Ayama-chan said...

hi annie, wow you had a good night out. :D i really like your coasters. i am still to make something from the hand pieced flowers i have made. bows head in reverence your sister. wow a whole quilt!!?? my pieces are begging to become a quilt. parts of it have only been waiting 20 years, what's another 20 years to it then??

angharad handmade said...

Sounds like a lovely evening out - I am especially jealous of the conveyor belt sushi! Cute patchworking too. I really like English piecing - and it has the advantage of being very portable - but I always seem to end up with small pieces of patchwork that I never end up doing anything with!

Things Hand Made said...

aimless wandering, I think I could do with a bit of that!

@GiftedHand said...

Hi annieb , long time since I caught up with your beautiful blog and heart warming blog. Im having a bad evening and coming on here , makes me sigh , one of those ahhhhhh nostalgia comforting sighs.

I used to go to college on Charing cross road, I had such a wonderful time when I was there , oohhhh some 17 years ago or so, Wow I didn't realise it was so long ago. Soho was our common room for lunch!

lovely to just be a grown up hey and have a wander sans kids sometimes.

@GiftedHand said...

oops me is getting all in a tissy with me words, blog and blog!