What a compliment

I popped over to Rachel's blog today to find that she had very kindly put me up for an "Outstanding Blogger" award. I'm sure she must mean someone else really, but as I have been offered the honour I shall respond. There are five questions to answer, so here we go.

What would my perfect holiday be?

Well that's a rather difficult question to answer. I would love to be able to take the sort of holiday my very fit cousin takes, walking somewhere wonderful and remote for days and days, with a comfortable place to stay at the end of each day. Not being particularly fit, I will stick with the somewhere (reasonably) comfortable. I have a great hankering to go to Japan both to see their beautiful Zen gardens, and their textiles. Having done a little bit of Shibori in the past I am in awe of the way the experts in Arimastu create stunning fabrics with their nimble fingers, beautiful designs and careful dyeing techniques. So that is on the future plans list. 

A little "moon over the sea" shibori

I would also love to go back to Bhutan, every time this picture comes up on my desktop I think, "gosh, I took that, I really was there". 

Those are, of course, travels to distant parts, but for the most part our annual holiday is taken in the Lake District, in a self catering lodge near Ambleside. After 15 years going there I still look forward to it every year. As Autumn approaches my heart lifts and I think "not long now", so perhaps I already have my perfect holiday, the one I take every year; its perfection in recognising that I don't need to go very far to find happiness

Where is my favourite place to walk?

Lockdown has inspired me to walk more than I have in the past (despite best intentions). For the most part this has either been around my local streets or on our lovely seafront. This is a great pleasure, the view across the sea to Beachy Head as the sun goes down never fails to raise my spirits. 

But, if I were braver, and fitter, I would love to do one of those long walks across the South Downs, finding a hostelry to stay each evening, and glorying in the rolling hills, the song of the skylark above, the wind rippling across the hills and valleys, and views, views, views in all directions to set the soul free. And, of course, that sense of long past human activity in the patterns of the fields, the clusters of tumuli on hilltops and, at times, the things we have engraved on the landscape. I visit them occasionally for short walks, and they always make my heart sing.

What inspired me to start a blog?

When Mum died in 2010 and we moved to our current abode I felt bereft and in need of something to keep me going. I started my blog "Of Gardens Grandmothers and Gleanings" just as we were getting ready to move. The first post really sums up my reasons for starting - it was called Beginnings. Since then I have explored many of those things I hoped to explore, joining the Embroiderers' Guild along the way, developing new and treasured friends there and learning so much of value. I've also found many interesting and inspiring blogs to read written by artists with tremendous skill and talent. I have been very grateful for the way the Internet allows folk with like interests to share their artistry and to connect with one another. As the blog continued, I made the decision to bring all things textile over here. It seemed to make some sense to take this interest, which has grown so much, to a new place and continue with my other ruminations back there.

What did I miss most during lockdown ?

Apart from my daughter's lovely long cuddly hugs, to be honest, very little. I am quite a solitary soul. Our stitch group and the textile classes at Studio 11 kept going online so the inspiration and connection was still there, though the pleasure of meeting with the rest of the group was a loss. It will be wonderful when we can all meet up in real space and time once more. The other loss has been that of spontaneity. We have both missed saying "lets go for lunch at the Lamb this weekend" or "do you mind of I trot off the the British Museum next Saturday", little pleasures which we are beginning to enjoy once more.

Darling daughter looking pensive in St Paul's - 2008

What was the last book I read?

The last book I thoroughly enjoyed was The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, a delightful mix of history and fantasy, so beautifully written. I am currently engrossed in the sequel, which is bringing equal pleasure. I read far too much fiction, and always have, and am sure I would get a lot more done if I banned novels for a month, but where would be the fun in that? In between novels, I have also been reading Art of the First Cities, one of many I have read about Mesopotamia. They feed my interest in this distant time and provide visual references as I try and express, in textile form, the things that inspire me about this dawning of history. 

a sampling of layers and stitches and a small bit of cuneiform

When I still lived at home with Mum, and was working in the lending library, I could never pass an interesting looking book by. I remember her dismay one day on coming home from work with yet another novel to read. "Honestly Kath, this has to stop. I've just had to pick up 40 books from your bedroom floor just so I could do the vacuuming"

I have shelves now, but there still may be a few books on the floor here and there!!

And finally, my nominations - all three lovely blogs which are visited by me regularly for the pleasure they bring

Fiberrainbow

Stitchery Spellbook

Tanglewood Threads

No obligation of course, but it would be fun to see your responses. Thank you Rachel for the nomination