Back from Malta now and well refreshed after a
lovely break from routine. In holidays past, I used to cram my case with hand
projects I wanted to work on, in case I got bored. But not these days; I really
do have a break and the only thing I take is a camera, sketch book and pencil
to record things of interest in words and pictures.
And do I like Malta? Well, the Hilton hotel was
fabulous but the weather was mixed, from torrential rain and impressive
thunderstorms to bright sunshine. It is a while since we have had a package
holiday usually preferring to book things on the internet ourselves. But this
deal with Thomsons saw us seamlessly transferred from one place to another. We
were met at the airport and then directed towards our personal driver who took
us straight to the hotel and we saw or heard nothing more from Thomsons
although we knew they were there if we needed help. Although Malta is an island
in the Mediterranean, I would say it was more of a cerebral holiday than a
beach holiday. This poor little island must have had a wretched and chaotic
history because it was the focus of sustained attacks from every nation
imaginable so this break was learning all about that history. We wandered
around citadels and fortresses, viewed fortifications, war museums and churches
in the High Baroque style. A hire car allowed us more freedom to explore farther
afield so we feel we have done it justice and doubt that a return visit would
be necessary. Here are some decorative images that I could use for inspiration …
in another life perhaps!
Inlaid marble
Decorative table runners
Now I am chomping at the bit to get sewing again and
here’s the latest on the Cathedral wall hanging. I have been working on the
base of the hanging and the roots of the tree. I wanted to create a feeling of
depth so I redrafted the master pattern and prepared a stone step for the roots
to travel along and down. Notice how I have used the dark sections of the stone
fabric at the back of the step and the brighter sections at the front to
reinforce the depth created by the angle of the stones.
Foundation
I am pleased with the results so far and now I am
auditioning fabrics round the edge for the border, asking myself whether I
should take an easy option and just bind what I have created or add another
border fabric, or go to town and create a stone archway? It’s getting quite big
and I still have to quilt it so that’s another consideration! I have moved the
doves to cluster them together more, to leave a breathing space at the top of
the arch.
Potential border
Full length
I decided in the end that it needed a couple of
borders and this is what I came up with before we left to go on holiday. Now
comes the detailed stitching … that should be fun!
Final border
This time of the year it has become traditional that
I travel from cold climes to find warmth, a bit like the migration of the wildebeest!
I’m referring to my workshop which is part of the garage and try as we may, we
can’t settle on an efficient heating system. So the Horne table, sewing machine
and threads have been moved into the corner of our bedroom. This is wonderful for
me as I can see my day’s toil (toil? …I think not!) as soon as I open my eyes. This
move also means that I am more likely to get on with the Cathedral wall hanging.
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