I’m participating in #marchmeetthemaker2020 on Instagram

This came about by chance in the aftermath of the exhibition.

It started simply enough

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I'm joining the #marchmeetthemaker late. Today's prompt is Reducing Waste. I hated the ends of sewing threads and small fabric offcuts being thrown out. So I stared using them to stuff pin cushions. I now always have a half made one sitting next to me while sewing so I can fill it as working. This one is made from a left over piece of eco dyed raw silk embellished with a eco print on felt. #marchmeetthemaker2020 #ecoprint #ecodyeing #handmade #handstitched #reducereuserecycle #reducewaste

A post shared by Natalie Billing (@natalie_billing) on Mar 6, 2020 at 1:20am PST

Then they became progressively more elaborate

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USP Well that prompt was difficult. For a start I had to look it up. A sign of the times, "Google it" has replaced "look it up". I made the choice to use the second. Now I wonder what "look it up" replaced. ( I have an @therealmargaretatwood audio book playing in my ear. I suspect she is influencing my narrative) Anyway, (that's def me), back to the prompt and the pic I chose. My Unique Selling Point in regards to textiles is that I am coming at them from the artist perspective rather than that of the seamstress. I am only saying they are different, not one better than the other. The description/tag I use on business cards and my website is: Installation Artist + Eco Dyer + Memory Archivist The example I have chosen is an exhibition piece, "Dancer and her Curtain/Cloak" The dress I call Dancer was created in a workshop where I was introduced to Subtraction Cutting. For months afterwards she languished, draped over the neck of a mannequin out of reach of the cats, awaiting the finishing on the neck and arm holes. This finally happened when the exhibition was fast approaching. It took me several hours to reinvent the wheel but finally it was done and I was rather pleased. At the exhibition a couple of folk commented on the puckering. I thought: "Puckering? That's what my hand stitching always looks like." As a result I really appreciated that when the Professional visited she didn't mention it. What am I trying to say with this long winded text? I think: when you receive one of my pieces you get an item created with the artistic impulse of "Let's do this! It would be cool!" unconstrained by institutionalised rules. Having gone on somewhat I will not go on to Curtain/Cloak which extends Dancer's story. If you are actually interested remind me when I forget to come back to it… Short attention span. #marchmeetthemaker2020 @indigo_black @debby_fen #slowstitching #handstitched #handstitching

A post shared by Natalie Billing (@natalie_billing) on Mar 13, 2020 at 3:57pm PDT

I don’t write in my journal anywhere as much as I used to.

I’m enjoying the writing.

And the associated thinking.