Julie Arkell's I've Dusted The Farmyard Exhibition

NB long post!!

I've been a big fan of Julie Arkell's for about a year so when  I saw she had a solo exhibition at The Bluecoat Centre  in Liverpool I sweet talked Mr Lucey into a couple of days away.

We put the dogs into the kennels  and  set off early on Tuesday morning and headed stright  for  the centre, there must have been over 100 of her pieces there all absolutely gorgeous  and I wasn't leaving without one!!!

The figures were all beautifully dressed and they all had words embroidered on their dresses,

I adored the houses with their chimneys

and spidery, childlike writing on the side

all beautifully hand sewn,

and with little knitted paths.

Then there were gorgeous brooches, some were  pinned onto an old brown jumper

 others in a "house of dolls"

and even a whole bunch of  wild flowers.

Julie had made lots of trees, a little duck on a pond, toadstools, donkeys and beds, clouds and even ladders, after an hour and a half Mr Lucey said "hurry up and and choose one" so decisions decisions I narrowed it down to just four!

"A friend for Heidi"



"I've just found a pencil" (back left)

"I love wool"

and,  "Pretending to be some one else"

I loved them all equally so which one shall I have???

I thought I'd have to leave my "arklet" at the centre until the end of the exhibition but the lovely girls behind the counter said as I'd come a long way I coulld take it home with me,  I tell you that carrier bag never left my hand for the rest of the day!!!

So here it is, my gorgeous "arclet" who I've named "red riding woolf"

I started to write this late yesterday afternoon but as the night wore on I started to feel unwell and suddenly I had the most awful pains in my stomach as I went into the toilet I fainted then when I come round I collapsed and my mouth and fingers went blue so Mr Lucey called an ambulance (which was here within a minute) and after loads of tests I felt a lot better and declined to go to hospital. I felt like I couldn't sleep all night as I was thinking about had I "gone" what a shock it would have been for the family and what about all the things I wanted  to do. I'm feeling a lot better this morning and if you don't mind I'll take some better pics and post later when I've had a little "play"  and decide where "red riding woolf" is  going as I have a doggie with a fondness for dolls!!!

Lucey x  ".."