Etched Behind Eyelids | October 2022
Another year, another ivy photo at Winterbourne.
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Clearing the Allotment | October Half Term
I thought that I would keep a journal of what we accomplish during each trip to the allotment whilst we work on clearing the plot this coming week. There’s so much organic waste, nettles, brambles, rotten pallets, bricks, black plastic, and other shit buried at the back of the plot. “Out of sight, out of mind” is what I imagine the previous tenant(s) thought. They planted a huge clump of miscanthus and did their best to ignore the mess, and I suspect this week is the first time in a long time that anyone has tried to tackle the heap. The miscanthus itself is a pain in the arse and I’m dreading having to dig the roots out.
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Starting an Allotment | Our Plot
At the end of summer I contacted Birmingham City Council and asked to be put on the waiting list for an allotment. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but I held back because I knew that the waiting lists were long and I wondered if I wanted it enough to find the time for upkeep. Taking on an allotment is a big time commitment. The committee of my nearest allotment site have closed their waiting list. During the height of pandemic demand for allotments, it stood at eight years. Those are historic and really beautiful gardens, and I suspect the only time they change hands is when tenants die.
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Etched Behind Eyelids | September 2022
‘Alejandra’ Jumpsuit | Returning to Sewing
It’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally finished a project! I started sewing years ago, my mum taught me. Twelve years ago I made my wedding dress, with a lot of help from my mum who was a much more experienced seamstress than me. I’ve never really made anything else though. I have made simple things like cushion covers, and once I really tested my patience by making 228cm drop, fully lined curtains without the space to prepare the fabric properly. I’ve stayed away from sewing clothes, because I have never been that inspired by the 1970s style commercial patterns. Recently I have discovered that there are some lovely independent pattern makers, designing and making clothes that I actually want to wear.
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