hopefully normality is returning

well, I have had my two jabs with a horrendous reaction to the first which laid me low for weeks… I am still not 100 percent, but beginning to feel more human. I have spent most of the last fifteen months coping with cancellations, re bookings, and more cancellations… my solo exhibition in Groningen delayed from June2020 has just been staged as a virtual exhibition at http://www.quiltfestival.nl and my studio has just re-opened to classes. My own teaching will re-start in September and I am now getting ready for an exhibition with Studio21, and for the Festival of Quilts which currently is still planned to happen during the last weekend in July

I have run several challenges for my students during lockdown which I think they have enjoyed, and the final one is hopeully picking up speed now I am feeling more up to it

I have several new ideas for the coming year, so, watch this space

Meanwhile do pop by the stand at the Festival of Quilts … QIA28 and say hello

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Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Here we all still are, lockdown for the third time… I have now had the first Vaccination so feel as though progress is being made … I have cancelled all classes here at the Granary Studio until Easter when I will assess where I go from there. The up side is that I have had time to think about myself and my work .. I have spent a significant amount of time getting me and all my things sorted .. it may not look like it yet but I am three quarters sorted everywhere, so, hopefully by Easter it will be finished, before the garden properly wakes up. I have done a large amount of sketchbook work and am fired up to start on a whole new body of work. As I write this, the ICHF show is planned to run in June and my solo exhibition in Groningen is also scheduled for June and Festival of Quilts is planned for August.. we will see what materialises, but it does feel as though things are moving forward

A Cautious return to classes.

Well its been a very strange time this year hasnt it … I have on the one hand enjoyed having a bit more time to enjoy simple pleasures, but, on the other hand I have missed seeing my kids, and my grandbabies , and I have missed people coming in and out of the studio, students, tutors and general visitors…

anyway, I am planning to inch back to some semblance of normality and start to run a few classes, particularly those I can run outdoors … here are the words from the granary studio website……
I am planning to restart classes here at the Granary from the middle of July.. it won’t be all the classes I am afraid but where we can keep everyone safe, I will run the class.
We are currently rigging up an extension to the studio in the form of a gazebo …and where we can have classes completely outside, when the weather and the class permits… there will by necessity be some changes in order to be able to run the classes which are listed below … I shall start with the classes that can be run outside if possible , then look to start the full program of classes from the beginning of September.. I will contact all those booked on classes as we approach them to make decisions on viability
.. everything is subject to change of course …
I would please ask anyone due to attend a class to let me know if you are ill in anyway, this virus seems to have a vast array of signs and symptoms , this of course means there may be last minute spaces so do keep an eye on the website for details
Meanwhile, I am contacting tutors to rebook classes and will hopefully have the new program and leaflet out before the main restart in September

I will have anti bac wipes in the bathroom, and hand gel for each student.
There will be masks available when appropriate ..
I will endeavour to keep a 2 metre space between chairs even though Boris has dropped it to 1 metre
I will have the tea urn boiing but each student should bring their own mug and drinks as well as lunch..
I am afraid the class biscuit tin will be temporarily suspended…
Lunch may have to be at the workspace but wherever possible we will take lunch outdoors
Hopefully we will all be fine, we all have loads of common sense and with a bit of luck things will return to some sort of normal before long

stimulus and challenge

Hi everyone, I do hope you are all staying safe in these troubled and unprecedented times. Since the lockdown was enforced I have had many messages from all over the world saying how difficult it is to do anything creative, how the lack of stimulus and challenge is preventing you from doing anything meaningful and all are suffering from a lack of concentration. The only thing I can say is that everyone is feeling the same way

The only thing I can say is that nearly everyone feels the same way, but it will pass. For various reasons I am in my fifth week of lockdown and after the first couple of weeks I started to relax into it, get more focus, and am now quite enjoying the work I am doing …. the important thing is to keep doing something, this is one image from my isolation sketchbook, this is my current daiiy practice and it is really interesting to see the change in me as the weeks go past…

 

So,what to do about this… my isolation book now has images like these I am relieved to say, but if you feel as though you would like some direction, support, whatever, through these weeks I have a challenge for those who would like to take part. A few of you will already have started a challenge with me this way before, but this is intended to be a bit more structured, and I do think there is no harm in re-visiting a starting point.
This will be a series of sessions with time in between to complete the tasks, possibly once a week and we will see where we go with it. This is a new exercise for me, so, hopefully you can send me information that I can share with the whole group.. no pressure to complete, maybe just an investigation to keep your mind occupied. If you fancy having a go, with an optional exhibition at the end of it , possibly next year, I would like you to email me on susichap@hotmail.co.uk please, and I will set up a group for those that wish to take part

terrible times

What terrible times we are going through at the moment, I hope everyone is staying safe. On the bright side I am busy working on catching up with myself, not least of which is to bring this site back to life… now I am confined to barracks I am hoping to get my new body of work finished ready for when the exhibitions are back up and running, I am writing a book to accompany it, and hopefully that will soon be finished, I am on the homeward straight at the moment .. and I have plans for the next one!

Although this is such a dreadful time, and I am missing seeing my little grandchildren as well as my big kids, this is an opportunity to re-evaluate … I do actually relish days at home, whether I will fee that way after several months, we will see

I am keeping to my daily practise of writing and drawing into sketchbooks, I am now working on my ‘isolation’ book , as well as my ‘lost faces’ and my ‘roots’. So plenty to do … I know many creative people are struggling to concentrate on creative pieces, and i feel the same way, but having a daily practice with no responsibility to produce masterpieces is my way forward..

I am planning to chart my progress through these next months and to stay in touch. Take care everyone, and keep safe xx

happy new year

Happy new year 2020 … I have great plans for this year… I am currently re jigging my sites so please bear with me …. my teaching at the Granary Studio is forging ahead with thirteen of us teaching there this year ..  and I have an exhibition at the fabulous quilt festival in Groningen, northern Holland from 12-14 June.. I am busy making a whole new body of work and also writing a book to complement the work… exciting times…

I plan to give you an insight into my progress this year, a little bit about me and what floats my boat! watch this space….

new program of classes at the granary studio

the new program of classes for 2019/2020 and a couple in 2021 is almost ready, just waiting for one of the three new tutors to give me title and dates and the newsletter will go out to my granary studio mailing list ….the website is updated if you want a peek

knit and stitch shows

Just closed a successful knit and stitch show at ally pally.. I was part of two group exhibitions, ‘Colour Notes’ with Studio21 and ‘Missing Elements’ with Room6, these exhibitions both now move on to Dublin 8-11 November and then onto Harrogate on 22-25 November… I will be stewarding at both these shows … with Studio21 in Dublin and Room6 in Harrogate, so please do pop by and say hello

I have several exciting projects in the pipeline … so watch this space !

Hampshire Open Studios

Just back from a fantastic Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham, nearly unpacked, and now getting ready for Hampshire Open Studios… I will be opening the doors of the Granary Studio with Room6, with whom I will be exhibiting at the knit and stitch shows this Autumn.

In the book we are on the last page of the Winchester studios, no. 118. Do please pop in and see us, we are open from 10-5 on Sat/Sun/Mon 8/19/20 August , and then again Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun 23-27 August, closing on Bank Holiday Monday at 5pm

There is plenty of tea, coffee, and cake and a friendly table to sit round, and of course lots of lovely things to buy! Different members of the group will be there to chat to, and I will be there all the time

Dayschools at the Granary Studio

As well as the longer courses that I teach at the Granary Studio, I am now offering some short, dayschools. In response to requests from my followers, I have titled the series Dayschool Fridays., which just means that they all occur on Fridays, you can book onto just one, or you can book them all, no problem!

If you would like to see something else offered, please do let me know, then I can either teach it, or get a tutor who can. Hope there is something you can find to do in this list.

I am still getting all the information pages together, but I wanted to tell you about this venture before the festival of quilts so you get a chance to book onto your choice of days.. when the course code is blue, click on it and you will go to the information sheet, I am still workingon any that are not so please come back later

Dayschool Fridays with Susan in 2019,  10.00 – 16.00.   

£50 a session to include most materials

Each session is bookable independently

19 October             SC012   An introduction to Patchwork
26 October             SC013   Slow Stitching, Kantha stitched Collages
5 April                    SC014   Know your Sewing Machine 1, an introduction to basic machine skills on your sewing machine
12 April                  SC015  Know your Sewing Machine 2, an introduction to free machining and learning to draw with your sewing machine
3 May                      SC016  Using Thermofax Screens, an introduction
17 May                    SC017  Paper Lamination, an introduction
31 May                    SC018  Simple Folded Books
21 Jun                     SC019   Simple Stitched Books