THOSE COSTUMES ....

Here they are at last ..  many of you know that my dear Mum passed away just at the time the play was on,  for which I made these costumes ...  hence time has passed before responding to your delightful requests to see this body of work.   How Mum would  have loved to see them....actually she did see most of them on these and more photos,  the only person allowed that preview -   except for Deidre , the director,  of course -  it was fun to share that secret  through January  ..

I dont have a lot to say about them really,  it was a wonderful commission  ..  see my post before last for more  ...

I definitely intend to continue this thread of making upcycled clothes,  ideas are already brewing ,  so a new collection will be starting after the easter break ,  you saw it here first   ...   and I give thanks to all the creative spirits who whisper in my ear ...

here goes -  8 costumes   for the play  'Time's Fools -  the magic of maybe '                     at the Midland Arts Centre,  Birmingham  Feb 12-14th 2015 .....                                     (the white t-shirt under the 1st one isn't part of it -  just so it would show up )

HERE'S ONE I MADE EARLIER ....

And it came about through Carys Hedd of Wench Wear who taught & inspired me to start this upcycling fun .. ( see link below these posts)  
When she and Jade Mellor opened their fab shop Melfed in Cardigan last year, with Jade's delicious foraged foods & Carys's wonderful garments ,  (also see their Facebook page)  I won a raffle prize at their opening to spend a day on one of Carys's upcycling courses there,  turning old jerseys into a tunic dress ...   
Well I ended up finishing the garment at home,  and the skills I expanded that day came in very handy for making the costumes I wrote about on my previous post ....  

I hadn't photographed it,  but Pete was playing with my phone today ..  and here is the record of  what happened when a tibetan jacket I bought in Darjeeling nearly 30 years ago met a  jersey I have had a long time too ...   
I so recommend cutting up those clothes you no longer wear  :-)  This is so much more fun,  feels like new, and the old clothes aren't wasted .. win win.
Have a go , or ask me and I will enjoy doing it for you ....

unusual play costumes .... :-)

Its been longer than I realised since I last posted here - never mind,  I have something special to share ...
I received a delightful commission to create 8 upcycled costumes for a play that will be on in Birmingham the w/e after next ...

I have completed the costumes, but I cant reveal them  before the play,  but I can say that it has been a heart-lifting joy to make them,  and that the request was a direct result of the other clothing I have posted here before ...

I now work with a  mannequin which makes it easier to enjoy and play with the way fabric behaves ..  how it hangs,  stretches ..  puckers ...falls ..

They are all lovingly recreated from tee shirts,  dresses,  jerseys ..  items that someone somewhere had no further use for ,  and now they have new life,  which feels good ethically as well as being FUN !  and goodness (and others) knows we need to keep feeding our hearts ...

here are a couple of photos to show my 'pallette' , and some work in progress

my spirit helpers were looking over my shoulder all the time ,  as usual, in their ever unpredictable way,  and trusting the ideas that pop in -( really ? put that with this ??? )  - is part of the joy of making .  Also this work 'just happened' to come along at a challenging time, and has been the perfect counterbalance to other parts of my life ..  Oh thank you Universe I never cease to be amazed by the workings of love through our lives ...

I am all agog for that moment when I attend the play ,  and see who is wearing which item ( loose fitting - so not for me to decide ...!),  how they will look, move, seem unfamiliar, yet deeply known ...  As with exhibiting paintings I anticipate being a bit nervous ,  I never know how an exhibition will look when I go back in ...

WHY NOT COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF ?? !!

The performances are 

Friday February 20th at 19.30

Saturday February 21st at 14.30 and 19.30

Sunday February 22nd at 14.30 and 19.30

In the hexagon theatre - mac - birmingham  - in cannon hill park (opposite edgbaston cricket ground)

running time - 2hours (including an interval)

tickets: £10/6

from www.macbirmingham.co.uk or 0121 446 3232

I would so love to hear your reaction - see my email on this blog ...

blessings

Janey

THE OLD OAKS OF TYCANOL ..

Not fossils this time ,  but ancient living oak trees..  We went walking in Tycanol  woods last w/e and I promised more photos to friends who don't see my Facebook posts -  here they are :-)

It was one of those perfect early spring days -  we are a little behind you folks in England - with early flowers & lambs,  and also when the leaves are still small enough that light pours down among the trees too.  It was a surprise to see where wood sorrel can grow ... 

This wood has such a magical atmosphere,  very beautiful,  and time gets vague ...  but I think  it would take some courage to stay there after dark too ..

We went up to Carn Meibion Owen,  the rocky outcrops on the hill above, from whence the overview can be seen, and along an ancient sunken track between fields,  and the pic of me was in a clearing carpeted with celandines ...

I look forward to going back soon for the bluebells ....

Please click on these to enlarge them,  the little thumbnails really dont do these great spirits justice ...

5,000 year old Trees !

I had such a positive response to the photos I put on my Facebook page ( yes, you can find me there ..)  I thought I would post some more over here..

Taken on a walk at Borth last w/e,  where these ancient ones were exposed after the recent storms removed many tons of sand.  At the new moon low tide they were all visible ..  in a long strip above the low tide mark. 

Who has walked here before,  long ago ..??

It felt very special and out-of-clock-time  to wander along there in the glow of backlit clouds before rain ..  didnt want to leave,  except that the rain did come in some force ...

UPCYCLING STRIKES AGAIN ...

Its been a long time ,  I know,  but life &  training as a One Spirit Interfaith Minister more than fills my time at the moment, -  and I was intending to write about that  here too - another time.
When turning some clothes out recently  I thought about how I liked bits of them .. and then the penny dropped - there's another garment lurking here.  So out came the scissors,  and a much missed tingle of energy,  and a big smile...
This 1st photo is of what happened last,  another image of a heart breaking open,  which, those of you who follow me here will know,  is a symbol I have painted quite a few times ...  well  I rather like it in fabric,  in fact I have had such  a positive response going about in this top that I might make some more with these happy hearts on.   We all need a bit of that.   The heart breaking bit isn't happy ,   but you don't get to the sparkles  without the growing open.  Doesn't work like that ..  Oh ,  and a big thank you to the friend who gave me the packet of heart sequins.  I'll just have to get some more now .

And now I cant see how to get away from the centre - never mind.  

So it will come out like

this.

I have so enjoyed the process,  following those hunches the spirits whisper in my ears,  if they aren't being more forceful than that..  And I still get such a kick from something lumpy & filled with pins turning into one fluid piece of fabric.  Magic.  Gets me every time.  Thank you thank you ..

That's enough foreplay -  here is the garment,  4 old ones into one.  It was really fun to make,  and it likes the view...

The back was fun too,  saved the best bit of a favourite t-shirt,  and now I have discovered fabric pens too ..  more & more possibilities open up ...

Hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoy wearing it ..  Big thanks to Carys Hedd  of http://www.wenchwear.co.uk  who started me off on this & shares her skills & enthousiasm so generously.

See you around !

Tree Prayers

I'm thinking how much I am looking forward to my regular shamanic peer group meeting here in our beautiful barn tomorrow,  and looking out at the big Ash tree which watches over us here,  & this prompts me to share some photos of it - of the view from my kitchen window,  at various different times,  photos that have accumulated..  some from the end of last winter,  some from August.

With this come thoughts of how lovely it has been here this summer ( to have had our 1st summer for 3 years..!)  and big gratitude for being in this beautiful place.  I do feel so supported by the Spirits here,  so held in my spiritual practice,  whether its meditation,  chi kung, gardening, prayer,   making paintings or textiles or whatever comes each day...  so these photos are to celebrate that .. and thank the Trees & the Land that holds and teaches us.