Probably the most interesting for the blog reader at the moment is our next Material Girls exhibition. As usual with my group an initial simple idea has exploded and became much more involved. We are now tied very much into working with the National Trust to create an exhibition to accompany the refurbishment?expansion? recreation? of Rainham Hall in Essex and it is proving a fascinating venture. The trust have facilitated all sorts of meetings for the group and last Tuesday we met up with an expert in 18th century trade expert at the Docklands Museum. We were so lucky to be able to pick this lady's incredible bank of knowledge towards our research. Then on Wednesday it was back to the property to take another look around the garden they are creating for another part of the project. This weekend its a trip up to the National Maritime museum at Greenwich to track down images of 18th century ships, then off to the V&A after Easter, the Geffrye museum, Kensington Palace .... all in the name of research.
I am currently researching 18th century embroidery techniques and costume in connection with all this and when I have a sample to tease you with I will. At the moment its all note taking, drawing and photographing.
But I do need to travel a little further back soon as I am about to undertake another small project which takes me back to 16th century Scotland . And then hopefully another which takes me to 1916 France...
But for now I must pop back to my time travel machine as I also live in hope that it will fast forward me to this evening with all the housework done!
