Yep, that's the total result of the workshop--at least in terms of embroidery. And these women made shirt cuffs, towels and sheets all intricately covered with designs. Add the pleasure of seeing a small, but significant collection of domestic textiles--all done in indigo-dyed thread on unbleached cotton backgrounds--and interesting interaction with the curator of the exhibition, Peg Fraser and you'll know the workshop was worthwhile. But wait, there's more! A couple more hours having another good look at some details, like the various depiction of lotus blossoms, and sketching them in my notebook. Lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant frequented by Chinese international students. A train ride there and back. And the prospect of dinner with my friend A. It was a good day. I came home with lots of questions and ideas.
I don't think the walls of this place were painted hot pink last time I was there. The colours certainly had me thinking. Jade green, red and gold are colours I associate with Chinese decor. They were evident, as I'd expected. As I looked around at various items, I saw a fair bit of this pink and orange-red colour combination. I'll have to have a play with it some time and see whether I can get comfortable with it. Or perhaps happily uncomfortable would be a better goal.
