November is here! Bonfire smells and chilly toes This is certainly the time of year to get knitting, crocheting and generally snuggling up with toasty craft activities. We have had a lot of wool donated to Cody Makers and our Wednesday Makers have set about unravelling the knottiest bundles. We are busy knitting up squares for the picnic blanket and soon we’ll be knee deep in pom poms as we prepare for pom pom wreath making!

The River Lea weaving has come off its loom and has thoughts about the river woven through it. The loom is now free for another project to start!

For all the emphasis on wildlife and nature at Cody Dock, it’s also important to acknowledge the industry that surrounds us. Our garden area has amazing vistas of the ever growing architecture and of course the iconic arch that now boasts a stunning Madge Gill print as part of The Line art walk.

Armed with salvaged bits of wood and a handful of nails, I threw myself into some retro-string art. I have an old book full of instructions to create very intricate string and nail prices, but before I commit to stringing a beautiful heron or the signs of the zodiac (all in the book), I thought it would be useful to create a basic shape. The donated wool came into play and I created the Nail Heart:

A project that we finished last month, using scraps of fabric to appliqué and create wearable flowers!

We ‘slow stitched’ embellishments to the leaves and petals, taking our time with our designs and enjoying the process. Everyone’s sample was then stitched by hand to a piece of hessian so that we could display it on the wall in the gallery – a great team effort!

I love the idea of finding shapes and critters in the stuff that I have in the gallery. Out of some wire and old book pages, this little fat bird emerged. It’s only once you sit down and begin to play with materials that you can find what’s ‘inside’ of you and what the materials ‘want’ to do. Some days nothing works and bent bits of wire or stitched fabrics end up in the re-use box, other days – magic happens.

I tell people never to be discouraged about the art they make or feel they cannot make – we are all creative souls and it’s often the process of play that’s most rewarding, not the finished product! So do join me in the Gallery on Sundays to have a go at making something you never knew you could!

I am your Maker-In-Residence alchemist guiding you through our crafting journey. I ran with scissors from an early age, playing with timber, nails and discarded shoe boxes, painting and fixing the world around me.

As an adult I made stuff for Theatre, wrote plays and stories for TV and continued to craft. I have landed here at Cody Dock in order to re-wild my brain and explore how to blend found materials and sustainability with crafty techniques. Come and join me!

Instagram: @jitterbug65
Website: www.abibown.com