This music is not the "lyrical" genre which is 'easy to listen to'. Rather it is more difficult. I can hear Bartok and influences from other composers and I had to sit and really listen because of the 'discord' in the melodies. But, Margaret Sutherland had her own voice which isn't often heard. Like so many other female composers her gender has sidelined her from being recognised.
And it wasn't from concerts or recorded music that I located her work. Rather, it was from a book about her life.
Along with the music if found this book really interesting.
I can report that I am moving on with my knitting. Hopefully another week should see this finished BUT NO. I Just found a mistake so I have spent the morning ripping it back to the armhole join. When I knitted the sleeves I went up a needle size to allow a bit of movement and forgot to reduce the needle size when I joined all the pieces, and, I only had 20 rows to go before I was finished. I could have 'made do' but would have not liked the outcome. So we move on.
And the applique on my quilt back is slowly progressing. I think I should have just 'stenciled' the words and applique on the backing. It is really difficult to stitch and I'm not sure that I will get the result I want.
I have had a few visits to the Doctor so that has taken up most of my time and will mean another day lost to stitching because I will be in hospitals for more tests. But, I have been trying to keep up my French lessons as well. Slowly, slowly.
This trade show was held this year, 2023, and there was some wonderful work on display. (There are actually 3 days of image highlights you can look at.)
It centred around knitting and crochet but most of the thread manufacturers were there as well.
I found the link to it through a report from Arne and Carlos on their You Tube channel,
and they have a walk though of the displays. How I wish I could have seen some to these.
They also have a number of interviews with designers (all the links are on their channel) and I was very interested in the one with Molla Mills. She is Finnish and has that design aesthetic. I have added her new book to my wish list.
Why the interest in Crochet? My grand daughter, Jasmine, is turning into a crochet fanatic.
I constantly hurl verbal abuse at my sewing machine, especially when I am the problem, not the machine. But I was interested to read what other 'ills' the machine has been blamed for since it's inception.
French Tailor Barthelemy Thimonnier had the first patent for a functional sewing machine and it created a chain stitch. He opened a garment factory in 1830 and won a contract to sew uniforms for the French army. But when the tailors discovered they would be replaced they burnt the place down not once but twice. The inventor died in the poor house.
Fast forward to the 1850's by which time the machines were in full use and it was women doing the stitching, not men. Now the pumping of the foot pedal on the machine was causing sexual problems in women. (This was Reported by Eugene Guibout to the Paris medical society.) In 1895 another Doctor, Kraft-Ebling, said that the machines were turning women into lesbians.
Seamstresses in 1904 (Pubic Domain.)
After reading all this I feel quiet sorry for my machine and have decided that I need to be kinder to it. It isn't the machines fault, just those gremlins that live in it!!
I know that I am just one of many who love this concerto but this young man, Vinkgur Heidar Olafsson, has magic in him. He has enraptured every musician in the orchestra, including the conductor, Ashkenzy, and pulled them all into one entity to perform this music. I can hear Grieg applauding from heaven.
The link below is to an interview he gave before the release of one of his recordings. He is very interesting in his thoughts about the direction of performance.
I was going to fill this brick wall with graffitti BUT I have changed my mind. It takes so long to draw the pattern and then reverse it,
trace it, fix the 2 sided adhesive, cut it out and then stick into the fabric.
The words took the longest, 2 days solid work to get them on the fabric.
Now I have to sew it all in position. I will need to use a very fine needle in the machine and get my zig zag down to 1'8th of an inch width. I have managed that before and it gives a good finish, just takes time and patience.
After mastering twisted stitches there are a couple of books I think I need for my library.
Firstly "Twisted Stitches Source Book".
and secondly,
I have borrowed both books from the library but there is so much in each of them that I think I need copies of my own and not just Kindle versions. I need hard copies that I can refer to all the time. For the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible I am going to have to learn how to read those charts. But Oh to be able to knit a collar like this.
The Norah Gaughan book has sample swatches of all different patterns.
I could just trial all the patterns and make a blanket and not feel guilty that I was wasting time.
Ah Ha!! I have just had a thought. What great Mother's Day presents they would make from my children!!
These scissors have made all the difference when cutting out small and intricate shapes.
After breaking my wrist, numerous times, I find that I haven't got a lot of strength in my hand and nor do I have the range of movements that I used to have. But with these scissors I can manipulate the pieces and achieve a good level of accuracy. I can't even remember where I bought these or even why I bought them but I'm glad I did buy them. I am working on a cat applique for the back of my Graffitti Quilt and there are so many small pieces. But, I can see the finish line looming.
Sometimes you come upon a musician who can see 'inside' the music. Vinkingur Olafsson is one such performer. He is from Iceland and perhaps that landscape and environment helps him 'see' what others have missed. This is his transcription of Rameau's Les Boreades, which he calls "The Arts and the Hours". He has stripped away the ornamentation to show the 'bones' of the music, and it is beautiful.
(If you are interested the notes and comments, on You Tube, about this video are enlightening.)
I just love the room which he recorded this in, which is in his home. Once you get past the wonderful views out the windows and start looking at the details there is the embroidered cushions on the sofa and on one wall it looks like an embroidered Icelandic wall hanging. I wish I could look more closely at this. This music has got 'stuck' in my brain so I went in search of the orchestoral version and I love this as well.
Vinkingur also recorded a "Tiny Desk" concert in 2020. In this concert he talks about Rameau, Debussey and Bach. Only someone who lives intimately with snow could play Debussey's "Snow Dancing" like this. I am finding that I really love Rameau's work. He was composing at the same time as Bach and like Bach composed for the harphsicord. I find the piano transcriptions so much better for my 'modern' ear and I can identify with it. But, after listening some more to this music I am finding the original beauty when the work is played on the harpsichord or by an orchestra.
This is the last week of the Easter school holidays and that marks the end of summer. Sometimes the weather can be cold and wet at this time of year but this year it is fine and warm, with a bit of a breeze blowing, but not really hot and humid anymore. But it is time to get a blanket out of the cupboard to put on the bed.
This year the island is packed with holiday makers and day trippers. All the clothes lines have swimmers and towels drying and people are celebrating with family.
All the BBQ's and tables are taken.
The ferrys and barges are packed. (I'm glad I got a parking space on the mainland.)
My own family went away this Easter so it has been a bit lonely.