We've had a busy week getting the online shop organised (more later...) with not a lot of time for creativity. So here's a really quick and easy idea to help you make the most of every opportunity and record more about what you see on your regular walk. Wherever that may be - your garden, city streets, your local park or woodland, lakeside, canal or coast.
When I go for walks I often take a sketchbook with me so that I can jot down visual notes about what I see and experience. If I’m on my own I might have time to do a detailed sketch,
When I go for walks I often take a sketchbook with me so that I can jot down visual notes about what I see and experience. If I’m on my own I might have time to do a detailed sketch,
but often in the past I’ve been with someone else or it might be cold so the notes can be quite --- well, sketchy.
They might include a rough sketch, notes about colour (I’ve usually only got a fairly indestructible biro or fine-line pen with me), sounds, lists and anything else I have observed or how I feel. Sometimes I add colour once I'm back at home.
They tend to be, quite honestly, a bit of a dog’s breakfast. But they are invaluable to me – if I lost them I’d be more devastated than if I lost a textile piece – I can recreate a textile piece, but not all these records of time and place. I do take loads of photos too, of course, but often I need more information…
Sketchbooks, of course, tend to be quite bulky affairs (and if they’re mine they have all sorts of loose things which fall out of them every time you pick them up – ask our students!). So, although I have been known to take a pristine sketchbook on holiday (and sometimes even actually draw in it), usually I prefer to carry something pocket sized.
That’s where these little one-sheet books come in extremely handy. Folded from just one sheet of paper, it’s easy to make a few to carry in a pocket or a bag. They’re lightweight, and not at all precious – just what’s needed to encourage the recording of visual notes. If you’re a people-watcher they’d be ideal to take on a socially-distanced picnic or trip to the park.
Because the pages are folded rather than cut you can choose to work one page at a time or, as I do, across several at once. When they are full you can easily attach them to a larger sketchbook as reference.
How to make
All you need is a sheet of paper and a pair of scissors – and even the scissors are optional. I usually use cartridge paper because it’s stiff enough to hold its own out in the field. But any paper will do – earlier this year I forgot to take one with me on a very wet and windy walk on the beach in Lyme, so made a quick one from an A5 sheet of note paper I found in my pocket - that's it above.
All you need is a sheet of paper and a pair of scissors – and even the scissors are optional. I usually use cartridge paper because it’s stiff enough to hold its own out in the field. But any paper will do – earlier this year I forgot to take one with me on a very wet and windy walk on the beach in Lyme, so made a quick one from an A5 sheet of note paper I found in my pocket - that's it above.
1. Fold the paper in half long end to long end. Crease the fold well and open it out.
2. Fold the paper in half short end to short end and crease well.
3. Fold each side back on itself in half again. Crease well.
4. Open out the paper. There should be 8 sections. Re-fold the paper in half short end to short end.
5. Holding the open edges, cut (or tear) from the FOLD side along the horizontal crease. Stop at the intersection with the vertical crease. Open the paper.
6. Fold the paper in half long end to long end. Hold the edges of the paper and push towards the centre until you see a box formed. Keep pushing until all the pages line up.
7. Flatten the booklet, then fold it in half vertically to form a book. Re-crease all the folds - if your paper is thick the pages won’t line up exactly to start with but they will succumb to persuasion!
There are several ways you can attach these little books to your sketchbook once they’re full, ranging from the very simple to more complex. Here are some I’ve used:
- Put an elastic band or a tied thread round the spine of the book and slip some of the pages through
- Staple the book to a page or a page stub (a cut-down page)
- Stitch the book to a page or page stub.
If you enjoyed making (and filling) this little booklet you’ll find several other booklets you can make from a single sheet of paper on the internet.
If you have a go at this one, or find some others to try we’d love to hear how you got on … take a quick snap and post it over on Instagram using the hash tags: #institchescreative2020 and #institches2013. Don't forget to follow both us and the hashtags to see what everyone else is creating too!
On Facebook reply to the relevant week's post with your comments and images. And don't forget to actually follow InStitches on Facebook to see what everyone else is up to.
Until next time - keep the creativity flowing...
Terry & Hazel
On Facebook reply to the relevant week's post with your comments and images. And don't forget to actually follow InStitches on Facebook to see what everyone else is up to.
Until next time - keep the creativity flowing...
Terry & Hazel
Stop press!
Apologies for my mucky fingernails in the photos - it's not really dirt, it's dye. As Hazel has mentioned in her last couple of blogs we've been busy creating an online shop. So we've been dyeing and processing loads of threads. Not to mention the steep learning curve that is photographing and editing every colour variation so you can see them in their true glory, and learning how to use the shop software!
It's called InStitches Creative and by the time you read this post it should be live. Have fun exploring!
It's called InStitches Creative and by the time you read this post it should be live. Have fun exploring!
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