Our "shack" is actually a cute 1950s house nestled in the heart of a river town. It's owned by our son and daughter-in-law who live in the USA We care for the property and often escape to it as our peaceful retreat. Me more than anyone. The back of the house opens up to a lagoon, while the front overlooks a river. The area is a haven for a wide variety of bird species, creating a a chorus every day that provides a tranquil escape, especially during the weekdays. It’s a place where I can unwind, cook for myself, and be alone with my thoughts, I have a small well stocked studio up here, so for the past few days I’ve been painting, slow stitching and working on the computer. I can also exercise more and watch what I eat. I’ve had three phone calls from my family, “Mum, what are you doing, you’re up there for a whole week”? It was let to tenants for several years and they totally destroyed it. They left it in a disgusting state, so I ended up with the job of redecorating and setting it back up again. We’ve had to do it on a budget. Most of the things are re-purposed and it’s decorated in my style, !!!! A style that is relaxing to me. I was going to add more quilts from the Birmingham show in this blog, but seeing as I’m up here, I’ll share the projects I’m doing. I found a delightful image

Creating a textile portrait can be quite challenging, as it requires a high level of skill and patience. Selecting the right fabrics, cutting and arranging them to form the portrait, and sewing them together requires a great deal of precision and attention to detail. Additionally, achieving the desired shading and depth in a textile portrait presents its own set of challenges. Overall, it's a complex and time-consuming process that demands both artistic talent and technical expertise. I decided I would attempt to design a simple way to create a realistic portrait in a day. #block-yui_3_17_2_1_1725254203521_4041 .social-icons-style-border .sqs-svg-icon--wrapper { box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px inset; border: none; }