Baskets are on my mind at present...mainly because I'm having a Domestic Goddess moment...or two... I'm tired of being so disorganised. So, instead of a clutter beside my chair in the living room, I now have two large baskets. One of them is full of wool tops, yarn and threads, all of which have been untangled (so there!); the other has all sorts of bits and pieces, including the things I'm finishing off at the moment, mainly phone cases and felt things like little brooches. And an increasing amount of hand work. Propped up beside them are a couple of large lino blocks, which I intend to carve over the next day or so, to make hand printed Christmas cards, and perhaps little books, too. So, I'm tidied; just need the discipline to make myself tidy up every night before bed. I'm thoroughly looking forward to being able to find things. Well, okay...some things, sometimes...
As we get towards the end of the year, I find myself wondering what's next. After a lot of careful thought, I've decided not to teach at Festival of Quilts next year, though I have signed up to do a couple of shows with Grosvenor (Spalding and Harrogate, if you were wondering). Basically, I just can't afford to subsidise my attendance there. I'm seriously thinking about giving up art for public consumption. It's great being considered inspirational, and all that, but it doesn't pay for paint. People tell me they love my workshops, take the information away and ... nothing happens... I've given this my best shot, and perhaps now, it's time to recognise that I've failed.
