Can you tell? I've got my hair down, I dried it naturally and it's gone super wavy, which just makes me feel über girly. You can't tell that much in the picture, but it's a full head of mussy frizzy softly formed waves...Last night I went to see the Kills at the roundhouse wearing my mother's 70's maxi dress, and super messy hair, I felt a bit like Stevie Nicks.. But back on feeling relaxed. It's a gorgeous day which I've spent out of the sun - as it's bad for you other than in small doses. And I've literally leisured in not doing anything at all, which has become a rare occurrence of late, so I'm not complaining. Book, music, balcony windows wide open, hummus, salad, and plenty of squash.... have provided a lovely safe place to curl up in and enjoy the day from the safety of home, and not on one's feet. I've totally forgotten about the smack head who was shooting up, in our bottom stairwell this week (man with no teeth and just wearing socks) and I'm looking forward to perhaps having an evening stroll. I've had a couple of projects on the go, one I had to put aside to make time for uni work. So seeing as I've pretty much finished for the year, I want to keep my brain on the go, and pick it up again. Good news, I am going to be a weaver and not a stitcher/multimedia textiles as I initially thought, which is all good news as I am actually getting pretty excited about starting weave next term. Plus the onset of summer, getting out of London, and having a knees up in Manchester... Can't speak too soon, as thats not until two weeks away, and Work on Trial is due on the 4th July, which I am looking for artists at the moment to exhibit down at the Resistance gallery. I think I myself am going to do a little piece about the textile industry in the North, mainly Lancashire, and how the industry was the epitome of capitalism, poor factory workers in an industrialist society, but also probably making a comment about how manufacturing has disappeared int he U.K and moved to the South Asia, and the Far East, where labor is cheaper... I'll have to do more research, as I know fairly little about the subject at the moment, but it's something I've always had an affinity with. I remember the Quarry bank Styal Mill visits we had when we were in primary school, seeing the factory floors where children were employed and worked 14 hours a day. It's now preserved as a museum of the cotton and textile industry, a relic of the industrial revolution. It has most of the original machines still in situ, making it one of the best preserved textile mills in the country (that's what wiki says...but my textile historian tutor told us that too!) I went back a couple of months ago for a woodland walk... and really wanted to go on the weavers tour...but we didn't have time, so I might make it my mission to do that in the next week or so... Good stuff. Hopefully I'll have a better blog post than this one next time, but I'm quite happy to ramble on. It's just been one of those days. Have wonderful weekends!
You look utterly lovely.
Posted by: Rikki | Sunday, 05 June 2011 at 08:27 AM
wow wow wow, you look beautiful!
Posted by: Kirsteen | Sunday, 05 June 2011 at 12:38 PM
This is such a cute outfit, love your hair. :)
xoxo,
Addie
The Cat Hag
Posted by: Addie | Sunday, 05 June 2011 at 03:35 PM
I'm in a rush but just wanted to say that I think there is still an exploitative textile industry here in Manchester, with dubious knitwear businesses operating in Ardwick and Crusader Mill (behind Piccadilly Station).
Posted by: northwest is best | Monday, 06 June 2011 at 12:56 PM
Quarry Bank Mill is amazing :). If you go again make sure you check out the old schoolhouse too.
Posted by: Emily | Tuesday, 07 June 2011 at 11:01 AM
Right, Raisa - stop looking so goddamn beautiful all the time. and being so smart and feisty. I can't handle it ;) xx
Posted by: Mrs Bossa | Thursday, 09 June 2011 at 09:57 PM
Great print AND I think a little research into how cloth manufacturing moved from Europe to Asia sounds interesting taken from a more local, focussed perspective. Looking forward to reading it!
Arianne from A + B in the Sea
Posted by: arnique | Friday, 10 June 2011 at 03:52 AM
Thanks guys... I was in super chilled mode..!
Jacky - thats really interesting, and I agree, yes of course there will be many places in the U.K, where the trafficking of illegal labour means, sweatshop labour in the U.K, I'l have to look into that, cheers x
Mrs B - You're hilarious! :) xx
Arianne - Thanks! I'm going to be making a piece of textile art work.. but hopefully I'll do a post on it too!
It's a really interesting subject, because, textile manufacturing was always in the East... but I mainly want to tap into the idea of labor, of workers being not much more than slaves in 19th century Britain, to fuel capitalism, and now we see the transference back to the East, and people end up working in appalling conditions when the demand for goods is so high you need to be making *stuff* for the West round the clock.. to meet your shipping demands.... But yeah I'm ranting now! eee
Rxx
Posted by: Raisa | Friday, 10 June 2011 at 12:06 PM
Yes, I did go to Beyond Retro. They had lots of cute dresses but I was drowning in them! I think next time I visit (October, I hope!) I will try Brighton, which I heard is very good for secondhand and vintage.
What little I know about textile manufacturing comes from those old Penguin history books and one of the best miniseries ever, North & South. Sigh, Richard Armitage. You should check it out if you haven't seen it yet! :D
Posted by: arnique | Friday, 10 June 2011 at 02:13 PM
Yes, I did go to Beyond Retro. They had lots of cute dresses but I was drowning in them! I think next time I visit (October, I hope!) I will try Brighton, which I heard is very good for secondhand and vintage.
What little I know about textile manufacturing comes from those old Penguin history books and one of the best miniseries ever, North & South. Sigh, Richard Armitage. You should check it out if you haven't seen it yet! :D
Posted by: arnique | Friday, 10 June 2011 at 02:14 PM