Linda Powell Pattern Cutting

It’s been sooo long since I’ve done any sketching. Too nervous to put pen to clean sheet. Sitting in the members of the RA these two puppet heads looked like puppet heads balanced on…… the high table dividing our seats. Hope to do more.

Been giving a lot of thought to clothes and how we choose ‘what to wear’. Meanwhile had an opportunity to pop into the RA for the Rose Wylie exhibition of paintings. Loved it. Bought the book. She’s in her 90s so her imagination covers a long history which I could relate to. Lots of pink, illustration type paintings with words. It’s appealing to a muddle in my head that I hope feeds into my textile art and feelings about clothes. I think I’ll have to come back to this thought and develop it further.

Pink. Not a colour I ever considered. It’s definitely a kind gentle colour and we could all do with some of that. It’s a colour that is popping up on my feed. As and and messages .way Ive even chosen it for tiles in my bathroom. Though I plan to add a sunshine yellow. It’s also a 30s colour palette. Ah well. Please swipe for other pics.

Friends keep asking ‘how’s it going?’ So here goes. It’s been a few weeks since I got the keys to my new home/flat. It’s in a beautiful 30s block but was looking very tired. Family and friends have rallied with their expertise. Our builder went in first and dismantled the kitchen and piled it tidily in the living room. He’s back next week. We also got the boiler checked and the gas fire disconnected- not having the beige fireplace. This week the electrician prepared phase 1. Hence all the wires hanging about waiting for a tidy up tomorrow. Meanwhile I get whisked off to Wren in Enfield to choose the kitchen. It’s a brilliant showroom and it helps seeing the variations on screen. Next stop choose some tiles for the bathroom. To say I needed guidance is not an understatement. I’m too practical for my own good. Binge watching interior design shows has helped. As well as all the art n colour I have enjoyed. The beautiful glass door is to the kitchen. Will post periodic updates dates.

What fun it is to have artist friends. This sketch is from Suzanne. We met on a train while traveling in Greece. She has an exhibition of her travel sketches at the university where she teaches. This sketch relates to her last stay in London when I had an exhibition in my front room. It was also the room she stayed in. I love the bubbles ‘Linda said……’ I have since moved out and I’m staying with another artist friends while my home is being decorated. Staying quite close to where I used to live helps me to keep in touch.

Been binging on interior design progs, thinking about colours n decor for my new home, and Yanke finds an old sketch she’d done of me back in 2015. I brought it home with me. .way

Was awake soo early decided to get out and go sees some art before arriving for teaching But first a quick nip into Uniqlo in Oxford street to get some black trackies. From there it was a walk down Bond Street. Hockney and Picasso at the Halcyon gallery, a fab surprise. Then down to Piccadilly for the RA and Mrinalini Mukerjee and the story of south asian art , amazing how influences are both similar and different. Then back at Morley gallery for the Adrian Bartlett Retrospective. All very satisfying. And through it all the sun shine and there were few crowds. Still early for class I was welcomed with a cup of tea as I waited for the previous class to end. Nice day.

Before Xmas I’d packed up my home and workroom and moved into my friends house. But work called and as my new home is in the throes of being ripped out and prepared for decorating, my machines and some bits were pulled out of storage and delivered to my son’s house. Soo last weekend, ready to get going, as I was threading up my old brother overlocker a little pipe deep in amongst the loopers came away in my hand. With the help of a domestic sewing machine zig zag stitch I could get started, but not finish. I needed an overlocker or repair for this one Quick. I made local enquiries, asked students, eventually I was given the name of Mark Maury in Hackney. After talking he recommended the Jack - never heard of it. It seems there are mixed feelings with this machine. There are those that love it and those that seriously don’t. With all this in my head I went to see for myself refusing to let a deadline dictate my choice. Well as you can see I bought it And it was delivered this morning. When your old Brother 5 thread machine was bought second hand in the 80s, I needed a run through of how best to use my new 4 thread. Mark was patient, answered all my questions, and I’ve been working on it since this morning and it’s feeling like mine already. Fabulous. Thank you the scrubs for are getting done

Been staying with a friend while completing on my new home. Been good including the extra walking, except when caught in the rain, arriving home cold, damp n aching. The Andros bath salts had been made with salts collected from a family holiday to the island. They’d been mixed with all sorts of lovely oils and given to me as a present. Needs must, feeling achy I ran a hot bath and finally got to appreciate the value of good bath salts, both on my skin and emotionally-I slept really well last night from quite early. Many thanks and to those who know me I now have the keys to my new home.

I love wearing cashmere socks but have to admit they need repair periodically. I look in my scraps wool or embroidery threads bag to see what colours I fancy working with. I also keep a blunt end sewing needle to weave with. All part of taking care of the clothes I love.

Completion on my flat is hopefully at the end of the month. Soo a little trip to the paint shop to discuss colours and pick up some sample pots. Back home 4 sheets of cartridge paper got two coats of each colour ready for when we get the keys. EXCITING. When it comes to fabric and colours for the body I am on it. Colours for walls and rooms are very very different. There’s light to consider and how the room is to be used. How it makes me feel being working sitting in the space. So much to consider. It’ll come together. I have a lot of help.