I wrote this 2 years ago and never got round to posting it! Its not finished or edited but i’m going to share it as it is because this is me! I can’t wait to get to some galleries soon.

Last week baby and me escaped the house with my granny for a trip to the V & A for the Frida Kahlo exhibition – ‘Making Herself Up’.  I know a little about Frida Kahlo and liked the strong colours and self portraits which I wish I could do!  I really enjoyed the exhibition easy to chunks to read and just enough detail.  The items were also well displayed.  I enjoyed rediscovering and finding out more about her difficult life.  I do now wish I had bough the exhibition book.

I didn’t realize quite how ill she had been all through her short life and how much that had impacted on her art.  I know I should not but I wish I was bed bound to be able to do nothing but my art.  It was the objects they had on display I found most interesting maybe as they are more easily absorbed when holding a wriggly baby or because I am the type of person.

photos of corsets (i now can’t find and this was pre IG account)

The idea that she had the guts to wear clothes that suited her requirements and not what was popular or socially the norm.   Long skirts to hide the effects of polio on her legs and large tops to hide her medical corsets.  Makes me wonder if I should have more confidence to wear what I like and not what is normal on just physically fits.  Obviously I need the time for practice making clothes, adjusting patterns to suit my body shape mainly.  I have been toying with the idea of making a set of long corded stays.  A mixture of  something which would go under a Jane Austin style dress and something made up in my head to smooth my double c-section tummy and nicely shape my huge post baby feeding boobs.   Anyway I’m rambling.  Look at these examples of Frida’s clothes.  ALL THE COLOURS!

I of course I saw a quilt pattern where only other quilters would, this time in the exhibition backdrop.

It was lovely to get out the local area and wonder round London.  I would have killed (not literally) to be baby free and be able to stop and sketch and do as I wished in my own time.  Baby was fairly good! She drew in the crowds everywhere we stopped and always smiled or cooed appropriately.

After Granny went home me and baby ventured on the underground by ourselves with the big buggy which was not as bad as I feared! We went to meet the hubby at his office.  on the way we walked through the Temple area of London.  Wow… I never knew that such pretty Georgian/ Victorian lanes were just over the river from Waterloo.  I felt like I could just step back in time.  I could imaging my swishing skirts and holding a much better posture in a corset especially having a quick look round the fashion gallery before I left.  In this heat it would have been unbearable.

After some baby appreciation at the office we walked to Covent Garden to go to my favorite restaurant – Flat Iron!!! If you have have not been you are missing out on the most amazing steak and chips.  If we are ever in town its where I always want to go!  Baby was very good until we almost arrived at our station and she woke up and ended up staying awake till 10 but the disruption did seem to help get over the bottle strike she has been on.

Overall a lovely day out combining my interests of art, architecture, costume, history and food! I must do it more often!