Generally, my private workshops at the Atiu Fibre Arts Studio (http://www.atiu-fibrearts.com/workshops.php ) are booked well in advance. This is important, because I have a busy schedule and need to plan my time carefully. The beginning of the year is a hectic time for us filled with stocktaking and office work. It doesn’t hurt, though, to make exception and I’m glad I decided at a moment’s notice to slot in a two-day embroidery workshop with Di. The result were two days of fun with fabric and threads for student and teacher and a high-quality frame for the Studio’s new sign board.
Di had requested to learn embroidery stitches. I suggested she prepare a sampler which she would then be able to use for future reference. That way she could make the most of this limited time.
I enjoyed her choice of happy colours and the ‘get up and go for it’ approach of cutting and arranging random shapes on her strip of background fabric. Her sampler reminded me of Matisse’s paper cuts. Matisse is one of my favourite artists. Di did not know his work.
Even though Di sews her own clothes, embroidery was a total novelty. The first day, I heard her start most sentences with “I don’t know”, expressing her insecurity in the new terrain. As her confidence grew, her expression of self-doubt changed to happy laughter and “who would have thought”.
The most used sentence in my previous workshop had been “I understand”. It made me reflect about the power of words and how recurring phrases can give clues about a person or a situation.
Chatting away while sewing, Di told the story of how she and her husband Peter had gotten lost when looking for the Studio. I can’t blame them: The signboards are weathered and old .
The one by the main road even points in the wrong direction after having been erected wrongly when the wind blew it down. I had had new sign boards made already. All I needed now was finding someone to build a proper frame for them to put them up.
“Peter can do that”, Di said. Like my quick decision to accept Di’s request for a workshop I did not hesitate to accept this unique offer. Arrangements were made to borrow some wood-working equipment. Peter had a look at the signboards, told us what he needed and brought along a young German tourist to help him and our friend Nooroa.
For one busy morning the three worked well as a team to finish two fantastic frames. They will soon insure that the visitors do not get lost anymore when they want to visit my Studio.
We concluded the two busy days with an enjoyable time around a big pot of spaghetti. My wall hanging will remind Di and Peter of their visit to Atiu. I will remember how good it can be to be flexible every time I pass the signboards once they’ve been erected – I will have to paint the frame first...
No comments:
Post a Comment