freiWorks is a signpost to my various areas of work.

Covid signalled the end of an era.

Hard Twist 14 – Entwined, the 2019 edition of the show I’d been co-curating at the Gladstone Hotel since I launched it fourteen years ago was over, and we were working on the next edition: Hard Twist 15 – Agenda when the pandemic hit. Like most shows and galleries, Hard Twist was suspended for the duration, with the intent of resuming once it was over.

Didn’t happen. The Gladstone had been sold, and the new owners intended to carry on with the arts programming while gradually renovating the hotel. However, as neither art shows nor the hotel part of the business could continue during the lockdowns, they decided to do all the renovations. Sadly, the renovated space doesn’t work with the sort of show Hard Twist was, so it’s the end of an era.

I’ll miss it, but fourteen years was a good run!

During Covid, I did a lot of research on sixteenth century Italian costume and the embroidered “crowns” of the English trade guilds. Fascinating stuff – major rabbit holes. At the moment, I’m studying the goldwork techniques used in the crowns, and relaxing by making a sixteenth century style mull muslin camicia.

Both of which are reasonably portable projects, necessary because I’m moving – which is a major, time-eating and surprisingly expensive project on its own!

Am curious what sort of work I’ll be inspired to make in my new space!

As well as curation, my work includes textile art, sculpture, costuming, photography, and writing.

For the textile stuff, have a look at fabriholic.com

And for pretty much everything else, redefininglittleoldlady.com

I also have the obligatory cats, do family stuff, garden, and play with the Toronto branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism.