I enjoyed exhibiting at Eastside Gallery in November 2022, so I decided to apply to have a piece in another exhibition there – the Multicultural exhibition with the theme “It’s not about you”.

In order to apply, I had to send in photos of my piece (screenshots from WeaveIT) and an explanation of how my work fits with the theme. I decided to weave a baby blanket from cotton using huck lace (see Warp 34 – Baby blanket). This piece fits the theme because:
When I hear the statement “It’s not about you”, I immediately think “No it’s not about me – it’s about the next generation, it’s about the world around us, about the air that we breathe and the other life forms that we share our planet with”.  In this context, “It” to me is “Life”.
The piece that I have created for this exhibition ties in with this on every level:
1) Function – it’s a baby blanket and so represents the next generation
2) Colours – It’s sky blue and a deeper blue – these represent the air and the water that all life on the surface of the planet needs
3) Weave structure – Huck lace – the use of this structure was inspired by my recent observations of spiders spinning their webs.  This represents some of the other animal life forms that we share the planet with.
4) Fibre – Cotton – this also represents some of the other life forms (this time plant ones) that we share the planet with.

I called my piece “Natural beauty” and someone liked enough to buy it on the second day of the exhibition!