Serviettes

 Since returning we have been busy. No real surprises there,we knew we had a few things on and of course there is always the joy of catching up with folk and gathering and chatting.

I have been reflecting a fair bit on how to make sure that art remains a part of my every day. And my everyday.  I am working hard to spend time each morning as I write my To Do List to ask myself the question - what art will you do today? Or perhaps What creativity will you do today?

I have known for a long time that it's never just about making the art; there is so much support work and admin that goes with it. I think that knowledge has somehow been a blessing and a curse as they say. I have often found myself doing art admin things, and saying to myself that is what I did for my art today. And because I am who I am and how I am, I often prioritise the admin and the jobs and the chores, over the making time.

So I switched my brain a bit and have set aside time on Mondays for Art Admin. For all those follow ups, writings, ordering etc that might otherwise steal time from making. Monday is already our chores and life admin day and I am trying to add in Art admin too.

And so I have been doing bits of this and of that where and when I can. Mostly I have just been scratching the itch that is serviette making! Laugh. These things buzz into my head and won't go away until I do something with them and so I have managed to get to work on them this week.

Some of our sheets had come in these nice linen bags. I spent an enjoyable evening unpicking them, and then ironing them.

I watched a YouTube video about mitred corner serviettes with hem stitching and set about cutting out serviettes from the remnant bags. There were some seams remaining in a couple of them and I thought I would still give it a go to see if they could hem stitched.

The answer is that they could, but the machine didn't really like it and juddered across the heavier seam and stuttered and got stuck and I had to jimmy it along and so the stitching is rather odd in places. See last photo.

But generally speaking I did OK. I did a different stitch on each serviette. I have made a pair and there are two more in this fabric to go; and a few more to be cut from the grey bags, and two more ready to go in some remnant linen fabric from a dress, so I will be able to go along quite well when I have time.

In typical Fiona fashion, I forgot to attach the dissolvable stabiliser to the second serviette - too excited and enthusiastic to slow down and remember the steps! Probably because the linen was a mid weight, it didn't make too much of difference thankfully.

And here they are washed and ironed.

In all their wobbly, recycled glory.

And just because it has been a magical week for the moon - here are a few photos of where I found it in interesting places...