Probably most people confined to their homes and apartments in this stressful period are finding the pandemic seems interminable. Fortunately we live in a house with a lush garden around us that is so helpful. Mike retired a year+ back, so was already getting out of the ‘leaving home to go to work’ habit, that even when done voluntarily, required a huge adjustment. For such an abrupt change to reality to as happened in so many people’s lives at the outbreak of the pandemic must have been really, really hard.
We are well and coping with life within the parameters of the new normal for seniors in their 70’s. The Uruguayan government has managed the pandemic extremely well, and recent reporting including The Economist (June 13-21) and blog.independent.org recognises that a high level of citizen compliance with public heath recommendations from doctors and scientists has been one of the pandemic’s positives here. As restaruants closed but food shops remained open, we have continued to cater at home. Pre-pandemic we dined out in restaurants generally no more than twice a week, so catering at home is part of our lives, anyway. We have had visits with a few people whose reduced contact we trust, but though some restaurants have re-opened with new protocols, we haven’t dined out yet and probably won’t unless/until it is a nice day to sit outside. Such days do occur during winter, but they’re unlikely this week.
So not much has changed for us on the food and catering side of our lives. We’ve added a daily episode or two of a Netflix series we’re following, and we’re tending to read more. Mike has found one or two extra projects, and I decided I’d sign on for a series of stitchery workshops presented by TextileArtist.org as a treat for myself.
Beginning late in may, for a monthly fee, each month subscribers presented with three week-long workshops by a famous stitcher – video, downloadable and printable workbook and ideas book, live Q&As with the tutor each friday, online discussions and feedback. The monthly cost is a fraction of daily tuition fee alone for a one day workshop with one of these people, and every month for as long as I subscribe I have access to 3 of them (the 4th is a catch up week). You can bail out any time, but so far I am really enjoying this.
One of my favourite ever textile artists, Debbie Lyddon of UK was the first tutor, and her workshop was great. we designed and made containers for something that was precious or interesting to us – shells and stones, photos and small momentoes were commonly chosen – my effort was a container to hold a satin covered horse shoe that was drpaed over my arm for luck by my mother-in-law Dawn as we walked back down the aisle on our wedding day.
In week 2, Merill Cumeau, USA, gave a workshop on collaged fabric and stitch, with us researching and choosing a flower that we felt expressed something about our own personality. Flowers aren’t my go-to design motifs, but this was fun. I worked mine on clear plastic rather than the nylon tulle she suggested., because I have meters of the plastic I bought for some reason, and am now exploring some ideas about using it.
I have no project to show for the third week’s class, because I chose to sit it out. I’ve never been a fan of jacobean style embroidery, and the project was to work some motifs using plastic waste. The teacher Susie Vickery has a stong personal commitment to environmental causesa including recycling. There were some amazing things done that week, though mine was not among them!
This week the presenter is Emily Tull, UK, a prominent textile artist particularly known for her stitched portraits of people and studies of some animal life. The assignment is to use straight stitches in 4 tones of one colour to embroider mouths or lips in several expressions – and as uninspiring as I think my own lips are (I’m sure everyone says that) – I’m going with her suggestion to take pics of our own. So these are expressions that Mike says are typical – and I’ll choose 3:
