Paisley

I finally got round to visiting Paisley today, first we went to the museum to see the Matisse exhibition. The exhibition showed his cutout work which he did later in life when he could no longer paint. He took sheets of paper and cut them into leaves, flowers and abstract human forms, his most famous is the blue nude series. 

The colours were very bright and not altogether to my taste and I found them more appealing when viewed from a distance than close up.

Of course we then went to view the Paisley shawls and the loom collection. I have to admit to being a bit disappointed with the shawl collection, there were only a few shawls on display in a massive room, the cases were pushed up against the wall with chairs in the way and the light was very dim. I appreciate that the light has to be subdued but the lights at Kelvingroves textile exhibition is so much better. Labeling was poor making it impossible to tell what era the shawls were from and where they were made. 

The looms were lovely, a massive jacquard loom, dobbies and a "plain" loom. There were creels, a huge winding mill and a card punching machine for the Jacquard.

The highlight apart from the most delicious lunch in Ta Ta Bella's was Sma' Shot Cottages. This tiny tiny museum is wonderful. It depicts a weavers cottage as it would have been around 1750. With beds built into the wall and a separate loom room. What astonished me most was the stone flags removed for the foot pedals to fit into. 

Across the yard is the supervisors cottage, a nice two up two down affair.

Sma' shot was a cotton binding thread inserted into the shawls, because it was invisible the mill owners refused to pay the weavers for it. This of course led to unrest, eventually the weavers won their case and this is celebrated every July as Sma' Shot Day. Unfortunately this was last weekend, there is beating of a drum and the burning of a mill owner effigy and much celebration. So I'll try and remember for next year.

Mull

I was in Mull today, the weather was amazing, so hot, with hardly a cloud in the sky. The ferry was very busy. I'll let the photo's do the talking, I'm tired it's been a very long day.

 

The classic Tobermory photo.

General messing about

I've been photographing these boats for years, even as recently as last year the boat on the left still had its cabin but it's collapsed now.

Who can resist a peeling paint photo opportunity?

Two of the boats leaning into each other for support.

More messing about

Little fountain in Tobermory.

Duart Castle from the ferry

Getting Back to Normal

I've been trying to get the house back to normal since finishing the course, some serious gardening and tidying the loom room. There was The Highland Show and Woolfest to attend, I'm so pleased they're on different weekends. Weather here has been glorious for much of June, we've had one grotty week this week and today the sun has come out again, I can get the washing out, how exciting.

Two people from the weaving group and myself are meeting up at Lintons in Carlisle in a few weeks time, I'm looking forward to catching up with them. There'll be retail therapy and cakes. 

A couple of photo's from the Highland Show

And some from Woolfest

I've been making needle cases for my friends who have been so kind and tolerant over the last few years. I hope they like them, they're hand dyed using natural dyes.