Scarves and archiving

Just as I feel compelled to work in, and find expression through, the 'crafts of women' there are those that are drawn to working with the history and artefacts of our world and the people therein, to tease out the stories of where our lives have been. I find myself in the company of such people in being involved with this museum. It is not a dry, dingy, dusty place but full of life, the people of 'now' concerned with the stories of where we have been and giving a base to move on into the future.....

This last week I spent my time at the museum trying to ignore my 'summer' cold -
kindly shared around our household by my son, love him!!, and trying to finish a piece of weaving on my heddle loom. I really enjoy working with this loom, basic as it may be considered, but it does afford a great way to experience and explore colour and texture. Again I'd opted to make a scarf, something easily attainable! I had spun a hank of yarn many moons ago but didn't know where to take it next.... enter the wonderful little flower pictured below....

This little fritillary was braving the worst of North Yorkshire weather to flower its heart out - sheltered in the little garden plot that fronts the museum. There it was, the delicate colouring of the lovely spring flower echoed I realised in that mohair yarn I'd spun.

I wanted the weave to be delicate like the flower so I tried to keep the simple weave pattern very open with just a few 'ripples' of denser weaving to enhance the colour, being so open it does give a much softer weave and drape......

and being mohair with a silk binder its so warm and soft...

I'd set my weaving up in a lovely sunny part of the museum - by the kettle and coffee machine!!! doesn't everyone congregate around the 'kitchen'? certainly it happens here, volunteers and visitors alike!

A new aquaintance called in again - to volunteer help to the museum and to start some stitching. She wanted to work towards a patchwork 'bed runner' and just needed some pointers to set her off. It was a lovely idea of hers, to use material collected - favoured old shirts for example and I think its so good to re-cycle, re-use, re-invent and to love once again these materials - the true essence of patchwork.

For the rest of the afternoon there was the work of the museum going on around me namely archiving - sorting, checking, listing, tidying, trying to maximise the space in this small museum to the full and being the place that it is - loads of conversation, questions flying, people 'popping' in, visitors wending their way in and most important of all, of course, anyone want a cuppa? !!
Doesn't this start to change your view of how a museum might be?

Till next time....