All the members of the Catching the Memories team had a day’s training in gathering oral history delivered by Colin Stott from the museum staff and how to work with people living with dementia given by Jackie Tierney from the Acorn Centre.
We had a really enjoyable and enlightening day and learned a lot. It was also a chance for all of us to meet one another. We practiced interviewing other with the digital recording equipment.
We spent the last sessions with the Wednesday group by revisiting some of the small items with cane.
Weaving a gorgeous God’s Eye.
Small baskets and plates
A beautiful array of small objects
For the new year we’ve been making small items from cane. These pretty coasters are of Eastern European design.
These are zarzo baskets.
We also made delightful little egg baskets.
We settled down to stitching on the sewing plates we made last week. We achieved that lovely state where we were stitching together in companionable silence.
We also made some new plates for future weeks which we left to dry on the shelf.
We had a splendid day stitching with children at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. Our sessions were an accompaniment to the Sampled Lives Exhibition. We made samplers ourselves, starting with our names.
Many thanks to Holly, Michelle, Claire, Vas and Francesca for making us feel so welcome and helping the children.
The Wednesday group made square zarzo baskets this morning; almost but not quite finishing – that will happen next week during our visit to see the basket collection at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse museum.
Everyone worked like the wind…
There was just about time for a break…
But companionable work mostly filled our time…
We spent this week making more materials to use in our samplers. More printing of leaves and flowers on to fabric, resulting in some stunning prints…
We’ve also been experimenting with rubbing
and using resists with paint, to great effect.
Some of the samplers are being assembled
with the fabric pieces glued down so that by the time they are dry they make a good base for starting stitching next week.
We had our last sessions together this week but lots in the group will be carrying on with their projects and starting new ones. We have our visit to see Lorina’s sampler next week to look forward to.
The pieces inspired by song lyrics are coming along.
The nature motifs in the prints are a popular element.
The tribute to wrestler Roman Reigns is finished with edging suggestive of ropes round a wrestling ring.
and someone’s even started some sashiko.
