A Woman's Work Is Never Done...

Be warned, there may be a number of posts here about the Bayeux Tapestry this summer! Some important facts

• It is not a tapestry [woven] but rather an embroidery [stitched]
• Although this 70 metre masterpiece lives in Bayeux, France, it was probably stitched by a team of women in Kent, England. Probably commissioned by Bishop Odo, half brother of William The Conqueror, who was Earl of Kent, and Regent in England when WtC was away
• It is a a wonderful example of the style of embroidery known as Opus Anglicanum [English Work]
• In 1872, a photographer from "South Kensington Museum" [now called the V&A ] travelled to France to photograph the work. Joseph Cundall's photographs were coloured by hand by a team of men back in London. These men also 'tidied up' the pictures, painting over things which may offend Victorian ladies - any exposed male parts on horses or soldiers - including adding underpants to any naked men
• There are 620 men, 120 horses/mules, 55 dogs, 37 ships, many birds and animals - and six women! The good ladies who worked the piece do not have their names recorded

A piece of work this significant must have been copied, surely? Well yes. A woman called Elizabeth Wardle, whose husband was a silk dyer in Leek, Staffordshire decided we needed a copy here in England. She went to France and made drawings, she borrowed the Museum photographs, and amassed a team of 35 women to recreate the Tapestry. 

They faithfully reproduced the stitching [including the Victorian Underpants] and each woman stitched her name on the piece. It travelled round the country, and is now in the possession of Reading Museum.

Six copies of the Museum photos were printed and coloured, and made into scrolls in the 1870s.One ended up in the possession of Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones drummer. [How? Why?] After his death, the Bayeux Museum bought it at auction for £16,000. It will be going on display sometime next year...

A man in Norfolk carved a half size replica, in wood, in memory of his late son. Jason finished his project in 2014.[video here]

Finally, here is Mia Hannson, a Swedish woman, living in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. She has been working on a full size replica since 13th July 2016 - and hopes to have it finished by 2027 [at which point, the British Museum will have an empty custom built Tapestry case because the original will have gone back to France] Watch her video here or check out her interesting website

Apart from Mr Cundall and Mr Welch, the original and the reproductions have all been made by women, and these were not speedy projects. The Norwich Friends Tapestry, which is in many respects a sequel to the original story, was seven years in the making [watch that story here]
I am in awe of their commitment to the task, like that virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:13, they "Seek wool and linen and work with eager hands"

Busy With The Ewoks

No, not this sort of Ewok, I mean the Egyptian Walking Onions from Kirsten. They have been quite splendid this year, rampant across the garden, escaping from the trough in the back garden into an adjacent corner, and marching across my second raised bed. Some of the Shedmen and another friend have requested bulbils so that they can try and grow them in their plots. I love their freaky triffid like appearance.

I haven't actually done  much with my ewoks except admire them, and occasionally trim some of the young green shoots to use in place of chives or spring onion tops in a salad.

There is a wonderful article here about their uses, so I decided to harvest all the ones which are taking over Raised Bed #2

I ended up with a bowlful of roots and stems, and a smaller bowl into which I trimmed all the bulbils. The bigger onions have been trimmed and gone into the fridge, and I decided to pickle the bulbils. I found a recipe online.

The whole process was very fiddly and time consuming. I picked through my bowl of bulbils, taking the largest, trimming and peeling them. It took nearly an hour to get to 6oz. The tub of 'debris' was large. As well as salt for the soaking brine, I needed sugar and white vinegar for the pickling solution, along with strips of lemon zest and lightly crushed juniper berries.

I ended up with one small jar of onions. These need to sit in the fridge for a week to allow the flavours to infuse. They should keep for some months.

Allegedly you can use these sweet/sour pickles in sandwiches and salads, as a topping for grilled meats, garnishing a cheeseboard or as cocktail onions [If you prefer your Martini with an onion, not an olive, it is called a Gibson. But I never drink Martinis...]
I will let you know how they taste

🧅🧅🧅🧅🧅

The leftover bulbils which were about the size of my thumbnail were replanted back into RB#2. And all the rest of the trimmings went into the compost bin.

One Step At A Time

This month's calendar picture seems good advice in this very hot weather.  It reminded me of the reworking of Psalm 23, published back in the 1960s and written by the Japanese poet Toki Miyashina...

The Lord is my pacesetter, I shall not rush.
he makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness
which restore my serenity.
He leads me in ways of efficiency,
through calmness of mind, and his guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to
accomplish this day,
I will not fret, for his presence is here.
His timelessness, His all-importance,
Will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal
in the midst of my activity
by anointing my head with the oil of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely harmony and effectiveness
shall be the fruits of my hours,
for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord,
and dwell in His house forever.

Slipping Into A Pattern

Kirsten and I are constantly amazed at the synchronicity between us when we are crafting. She too decided that she wanted to do a slip stitch pattern for her latest square. One of these days we are going to both settle on the same pattern, and exchange identical squares! Her choice involved a 2 row stripe [mine was 4] and slipping alternate pairs of stitches. This resulted in a much denser pattern, and a beautifully thick square. She did one with A= cream B=blue, and then reversed that for the second square. Here is the back view

Ignoring the start/finish rows, these look very similar.  But when you turn them over...
It is amazing how different they look

I think this would make a beautiful pattern for a winter jumper for my beloved, as it would trap pockets of air and be remarkably warm. It is also a very easy stitch pattern to remember so relatively fast to knit up. One of these days I will knit Bob a new winter jumper. In 47 years of marriage, I have only knitted him one jumper  and that was eleven years ago! 

This is #24, Ridged Blocks, from our book of squares. Mine is the cream one on the left. K's package came with a postcard showing a picture of Baobob Trees in Madagascar [looking very hot] and a lovely pen pouch for my handbag, made from recycled leather.

HAPPY 4TH JULY 
TO ALL MY FRIENDS
IN THE USA
GOD BLESS AMERICA

There's Many A Slip

Slip is a word with many uses, some with quite negative connotations. 

You slipped up there, didn't you?

The pavement is icy, be careful not to slip and fall!

The burglar was able to slip in unnoticed through an open door

If you slip me a tenner, I'll sort out the problem

It has slipped my mind for the minute
    And then there are other definitions of the word

A slip is an undergarment aka petticoat 

A small piece of paper is a slip [eg payslip]
A young woman [slip of a girl]

Clay and water slip mixture is used by potters

"The slips" are the collars worn by greyhounds as they wait to run
"The slips" is a specific fielding position in cricket

Slips are men's briefs

And in knitting there is a technique known as 'slip stitch' where you slip a stitch from left to right needle without actually knitting it. [often you wind wool round needle twice in previous row, to give a looser loop]

I can’t remember when I last did a slip-stitch pattern. Here is my latest pair of squares for our collaboration. In the book it is pattern 201, "V-stripes"

This is simply a regular 4-row stripe in stocking stitch, with slip stitches used to create contrasting V-patterns I used maroon and pink. First square I began with the pink, second I began with the maroon.

Whilst this is OK for a decorative item, I would never use this on a child’s jumper, too many loops for them to catch on things! The colour not in use for each stripe is carried up the right hand side. I don’t think I did this very neatly. I must work on that!

 

I'm A Poster Girl!

We went into a coffee shop, and I went to the counter to order while Bob found a table. He sat near the window where there was a display of leaflets. The 'what's on in Norfolk' type of thing.

I ordered, paid, and went to sit down. And thought "Hang on, that's ME on that leaflet"

June last year, I went and helped at the annual Voluntary Norfolk event in The Forum in Norwich, trying to interest other people in volunteering. VN people all have bright pink teeshirts and red lanyards- unless they work with VN for the Community Health Trust, in which case they have plum coloured polo shirts and blue lanyards. And there I am, right in the middle - looking like I am in the wrong uniform. Well fancy that! 

Restored!

 Bob spent £2 on a pair of chisels at the fête on Sunday. They were in dire need of restoration [my word for this year] The blades were blunt and rusty and the handles were grubby. One side read "Marples", the other "Wm. Marples & Sons, Sheffield, Eng,." with a shamrock logo.

Bob had recognised the brand when he first saw them, and did further research when he got home. Marples were reckoned the foremost tool manufacturing company in England for 200 years. 

These ones are from the mid 1950s and feature the distinctive " split proof" red and yellow plastic handles introduced then. If you really want to know more about the company, this site will tell you every minute detail! The Hibernia Works were amazing. 

Bob cleaned and sharpened the chisels, now they are useful again

A before/after shot. The guy selling the stuff [cleared out of his late uncle's garage, he told us] clearly just wanted to get rid of things. He asked if I minded my husband picking up old rusty chisels and things? Did Bob have to conceal such purchases, and hope to smuggle them home unnoticed? 

I said no, I have no problem with it. I know he will fix things then find a good use for them himself, or give them to other people who will use them. And furthermore, as I have four sewing machines, and associated equipment, I cannot  complain!

My embroidery machine is being serviced at the minute, but my main one has been in use this week. Pictures will follow!