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Week 1: basic embroidery stitches.  Couched circles inspired by Richard McVetis' workbook on TextileArtist.org
https://www.textileartist.org/community-stitch-challenge-week-four-richard-mcvetis

That really is one week's worth of work.  They took AGES to stitch!

Week 2: Ainu embroidery.  There was a talk and workshop earlier this year at Japan House in High Steet Kensington.
https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/whats-on/2020/the-beauty-and-power-of-ainu-patterns-talk-by-igarashi-satomi/

Whilst researching Ainu patterns online I came across some examples of folded paper cutting of Ainu patterns, which is a great way to achieve the symmetrical pattern.  I developed some more templates from patterns I had found elsewhere on the internet.

So not much stitching in week 2 but I started stitching a pattern I had found on someone's headband:

Week 3: Kantha stitching.  Zero kantha stitching done this week as I was still doing my Ainu pattern and I had a RSN drawing class via Zoom on Saturday.

This was the unfinished piece I did in the autumn term and was intending to finish but it will have to wait.

Ainu textiles

(Apologies for the font size - Blogger is insisting on publishing this page in the very smallest size)

While researching Ainu patterns for my embroidery course I came across a book called "Textiles of Japan (The Thomas Murray Collection)" by Prestel publishing.

https://prestelpublishing.randomhouse.de/book/Textiles-of-Japan-eng-/Thomas-Murray/Prestel/e549631.rhd

The contents sounded very interesting and featured a far broader range of Japanese textiles than other books (ie not just silk kimono).  With an eye-watering recommended retail price of £75 it's not an impulse buy but I looked at online prices and it's easily available for around £50.  Slightly less eye-watering but for 520 pages of non-kimono Japanese textiles; good reviews on Amazon; and a selfless desire to support the economy during Covid-19, I decided to splash out and buy the book.

And I am very pleased I did!  The book is MASSIVE - more than 4cm thick.  The photography is excellent and the introductory sections and descriptions are very informative.  The book has three sections: the first on Ainu; the middle (and largest section) on mingei (folk arts - the more familiar type of garments); and the last on Okinawa (the most southern island of Japan).

So far I've only studied the Ainu section in depth.  It's very informative and felt like the lock-down equivilent of visiting an excellent exhibition.  I highly recommend this book!

There's a lovely summing up of Ainu textiles:

"To say the textile art of the Ainu is compelling is the grossest of understatements.

...

Designs that were intended to ward off malevolent spririts have the opposite effect on human beings; they draw us into their labyrinth in a manner that makes it very hard to look away."

Here are some examples of the Ainu robes.

Retarpe ("white things") made from nettle fibre, a natural white colour:

Attush (at = elm; tush = bark) made from elm bark fibre:

Chikarkarpe ("the things we embroider") made from cotton.  The robes in the book have brown base fabric that has a stripe or plain pattern woven into it.

Kaparamip ("thin clothes") made from cotton.  Note the different style of applique and that it covers the whole of the front and back:

Ruunpe - made of cotton with applique fabric in different colours:

Chijiri - embroidered directly onto the fabric with no applique:

The embroidery in this example is astonishingly accurate:

There are a few Ainu items that are not clothing, eg this apron:

And this is from the Okinawa section, to give an example of the colourful fabric that is so different from the indigo patterns we are familiar with.  The fabric is called bingata and although it is made of cotton it was highly valued and used for Ryukyuan royalty on Okinawa.

During lockdown ...

I made some masks for myself (well I do have a lot of fabric...).  They've now been through the washing machine a few times and aren't ironed so are looking a bit rumpled. 

One modelled by Ted:

 

And the others: one with elastic ear ties and the other with hair elastics (the third doesn't have ties yet).  The tied elastic you can cut to the right length and insert after the mask is sewn but the hair elastics have to be sewn into the mask while you're making it, plus you need to adjust the width of the mask so that it fits your face/ears (because the hair elastics aren't adjustable).

 

The masks are double layered and open at both sides so that a liner can be inserted (another piece of fabric or some interfacing - fortunately I found some at home so haven't needed to buy anything apart from the hair elastics).  I also attached a channel over the bridge of the nose so that wire can be inserted.

The pattern is a combination of these two:

1. from the Project Protect instructions (I like that it's cut on the fold along the nose so is actually one piece of fabric).  There's a pdf of instructions.

https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2020/04/face-masks.php

2. from TheCraftyQuilter.com.  Instructions on the page and also as a pdf.

https://thecraftyquilter.com/2020/03/versatile-face-mask-pattern-and-tutorial/

I combined the cut-on-the-fold technique from the first pattern and the side construction of the second pattern to allow for inserting a filter.  The second pattern has a channel for a nose wire but I prefer to add another piece of fabric to give more padding.  It took four iterations before I got a version that best fits my face.

Félix Vallotton - Royal Academy of Art (August 2019)

I had heard seen some of Felix Vallotton's prints and was eager to see his paintings.

Self portrait

Portrait of a friend.  The hands and top hat were very life-like.

The perspective/proportion in this painting seems off (the maid has stepped through the door but is level with the end of the bed) but the detail in some areas were subjects in their own right.

Interesting positioning of the subjects around the edges and leaving so much empty space in the middle.

Helene Schjerfbeck - Royal Academy of Art (August 2019)

I hadn't heard of Helene Schjerfbeck before this exhibition and it was a delightful surprise to discover her work.

Self portraits spanning decades: 

Other portraits:

 

Arundel Castle - September 2019

Arundel Castle, West Sussex

The castle creates a striking view from the train as it passes Arundel and at last I finally got round to visiting.  It wasn't a disappointment!  The castle is massive and a lot of fun to explore, especially clambering around inside the keep.

The Castle Keep

This display case was lined with crushed velvet:

Lots of patterns in the leaded glass windows:

The massive baronial hall

This would make a nice reading snug, although probably freezing cold for most of the year.

A portrait of Charles I by Van Dyck (who else?) with a beautiful sleigh(?) in front.

Mary Fitzalan, wife of the 4th Duke of Norfolk.  Always interesting to look at clothing in Tudor portraits.

The dining room

One of the bedroom toilets.  Presumably still in use, judging by the provision of toilet paper!