Places

We’ve visited a lot of places this week, with my mother while she visits from the States, with the girls while they’re on break from school, and with just me and Darling Husband for some grown-up time together.

Which has me thinking about places. A few weeks ago I joined in the Stitchy Swap hosted by &Stitches, with the theme ‘Places’. Open to interpretation. I was paired up Jeanne from makkaroni art, who does colourful and eclectic stitching and quilting.

Rather than embroider a landmark, map or destination, I decided to interpret the ‘Places’ theme in a more abstract sense – and my brain conjured up a ticket stub.

What place did this ticket take someone? A film? A concert? An exhibition? I thought I’d leave it up to my swap partner to decide...

I used white linen that I stained with strong black tea, cut the fabric and frayed at the edge. I found an ‘Admit One’ ticket illustration, which I tore in half and used to inspire my doodle. 

The outline was stitched with two strands of charcoal embroidery floss. The letters used three strands. The tiny numbers on the side actually represent the month and year of the embroidery and used one thin strand of floss.

I backed the fabric with some brown felt to prevent further fraying (you can just see the charcoal floss and some frayed fabric along the edge). I glued it into a small wooden frame that I sprayed pewter. The ticket itself is maybe an inch or two – I do love my tiny stitching!

I hope Jeanne likes this, I certainly enjoyed making it! I fancy one myself, I like the torn fabric letting the background show through the hoop.

For me this week, this ticket could represent the Chichester Festival of Flowers, where we took my mother on Thursday. The theme was ‘The Music Makers’, and each arrangement (and there were gazillions of flowers!) was based on a piece of music, an opera, a musical.

The works were creative and breathtaking. Blooms hung from the ceiling...

That's an airplace on the right!

...rose from the floor...

...and spilled from pillars...

Fire and water:

Night and day:

The ticket stub also could be for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London – on Friday Darling Husband and I ran away to London for an overnight visit. We stayed in South Kensington, ate a most enjoyable and relaxing meal at an incredible Italian restaurant (Il Portico, for those who find themselves in the area!) and spent a few indulgent hours exploring the museum, which has treasures that interest us both.

I love the glasswork of Dale Chihuly, I remember the exhibition when this outrageously crazy-beautiful chandelier was installed...

And of course we had to get a few snapshots of all the medieval St George and the Dragon for our own dragon!

I can’t believe it’s all back to the normal routine tomorrow, girls back to school, my mother back to America...it’s going to be terribly quiet around here! But that will allow me time to bake and photograph for my next post: Grandma’s Fudge Recipe! Get your bowls and wooden spoons ready...

Chrissie x