At last, I am ready for the Material Girls exhibition called "Enchanted Garden" at the Maeldune Gallery in Maldon.
My journey started when we expected to exhibit at the National Trust Property Rainham Hall and then Covid came, because of lockdowns etc. I decided to work from my "stash" of fabrics, thread and bead boxes.
I  decided to use the colours of the seasons and flowers in my garden starting with Spring through to Winter so I collected all the fabrics that I had in Garden colours and tore a strip off each of them and then went through my thread and bead boxes. It was a challenge to stay motivated but during the lockdowns (no visitors) I could spread all my materials out and not worry about the mess.

Lockdown meant we would not be exhibiting at Rainham Hall but there was an opportunity to exhibit at the Maeldune Gallery.   The stitches are stitched, the beads are sewn on, my work is mounted, framed and wrapped ready to go.

The end of June brought a little outing for some of the Materials Girls;  for a few, it was the first time in a long while.  Our trip was to Chelmsford Cathedral to see the textile postcard exhibition; the results of a collaborative project between the Material Girls and Chelmsford Cathedral that tells stories of lockdown and the pandemic.  It was good to meet in real life with Canon Imogen Nay and, indeed, with each other again. 
 
The postcards told of the different experiences of lockdown; learning new skills, missing friends and family, facing fears,  thinking about life’s priorities and appreciating things that we previously took for granted.  Each one was a mini work of art, with a personal response to 2020 and 2021.  The words were very moving.   

It was exciting to hear, just this week, that a long expected box of postcards from friends of the Material Girls and fellow textile artists in Canada had arrived at last.  It would be lovely to venture out again to see the additions to the exhibition.  
 
If you feel that you would like to take a trip in the future it is certainly worth a visit. 
 
You could also head to the Maeldune Heritage Centre in Maldon, CM9 4PZ
from 19th August to 4 September: Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 4pm to see
​The Material Girls 20th Anniversary exhibition 'The Enchanted Garden'.