My explorations are going everywhere and nowhere very fast. I began with the image of an egg suspended. This is still in my mind. The idea of halfway between life and death, mixed with birth and family. 

I recently participated in a course with Alice Kettle (textiles) and Helen Felcey (ceramics). I played with all sorts of materials. I worked with porcelain for the first time and was amazed by its fineness compared to the workaday terracotta and stoneware that I had used at primary school and evening classes. I crocheted with fishing line (inspired by the dress that was in the Whatever floats your boat exhibition). I discovered photographing my work in ways other than trying to get a pure white or black background (which I am usually dissatisfied by) - in situ locations and using light and shadow.

Most helpful for me was the outside perspective given to me by the tutors. They were able to see the common threads running through my work. I am working in a conceptual way and its something to do with containment - when the container becomes the contained.

We'll see what emerges finally ... it may be something related to what you see here, the eggs, or something else entirely.

I have had a few wonderful days emerged in my project.

My idea comes from the Nordic saga about Kraka, who was challenged to by a Viking King to return to him ‘Not dressed but not naked, not in company but not alone, and not fasting but not having eaten’. So she returned wearing a fishing net, with her dog and she had bitten into an onion. I wanted to create a piece which is halfway between fabric and net with an ephemeral feel to it and also using the images from the saga.

I worked on the hanging seriously in February, and it has been more or less dormant since then. But I made a big leap forward in May when I went to North Devon for a few days, I found a piece of wood, weathered and also worn by the sea, that made the perfect hanging frame for the net/piece. This meant I could move forward with construction, sizing it to fit the branch with all its bumps, twists and turns. And then I started stitching, and I have spent the last three days creating the net-effect, which I now feel is complete.

I have reached an interesting stage, I hadn’t anticipated that another layer of colour or stitch would be needed, but looking at it, it clearly does. I am also toying with the idea of adding shells and stones, which were used as weights on fishing nets. So any ideas and comments very welcome.

A quick preview of Sandy's work in progress: 'Cloud Puppy'. Sandy is working on an intricate fused piece that is a development of her earlier small pieces about dragons. This is a quick post as a prelim to Sandy adding more of her own words about her piece - she has been very busy of late. (posted by Jane)

We spend a lot of time on the canals and I have hundreds of photos of the canals, the locks, the "furniture" around the locks and other items of interest. I really like many of the images I have saved but making them into a quilt has never happened before.

A while ago I painted bleach on some black fabric and it looked just like the wooden gates on many of the locks - so finally, I have made a quilt which is inspired by the canals.  The rusted strip represents the gap between the gates, where the water leaks or gushes through.

Black fabric, bleached fabric and rusted fabric.  The fabrics have been improvisionally pieced and then quilted by machine. I have managed to dove tail the abstract way I like to work with images that I love.

Looking forward to the exhibition - Chrisse