Painting the backgrounds.

 This is the finishing off process, which is probably my least favourite part but very important. These pieces are layered up with borders to set off the embroidery and little pieces of fabric are put into the side seams as colour references. (They look like feathers too.)I am painting on calico with acrylic and silk paint. They look like landscapes in themselves- so more ideas for new work.

 Here are the pieces on their backgrounds. Time for final embroidery stitches, fixing the layers together and any last minute changes.

Redshank finished. I now have 3 finished and 3 to go through these final stages.

Newark park, Ozleworth.

Yesterday a glorious day out at Newark Park (N.T.) Ozleworth to see the wallpaper exhibition and think about themes for the next BB show in June 2016. Some of the wallpaper was amazingly stitched- some by hand and some on a machine, which makes me think of experimenting with stitching and paper backings. Lovely wooden blocks for printing in the glass cases which makes me think of making printing blocks again. Always too many ideas and so little time! So rather than worry about work that could be done here are 2 pictures of peaceful vistas down by the summerhouse. The plaque reads 'Be still and remember Robert Parsons who resurrected this house and garden.' So I was and I did. Sometimes you just need to be still.

Feathers.

 A walk by the canal yesterday gifted these feathers. The drake tail feather was a real find with its curl and sheen. Such beautiful things.

Previous drawings of feathers.

Stitch magazine articles.

After months of waiting my articles are printed in the June/July edition of Stitch magazine. Issue 95.A very exciting day in this household!

The Brunel Broderers exhibition invite- my eider duck inside out envelope featured.

Redshank- finished!

Finished! I have been working on this for the last few days. As you can see the grasses have disappeared ( too distracting) Finished size of embroidery 20 cm x 12cm.

Redshank 2

Work in progress- Take 2

Quilt at Chastleton

Yesterday was my birthday so we had a day out at Chastleton House N.T. just over the Glos border into Oxfordshire, near Stow on the Wold. Some interesting textiles. One small room entirely walled in Bargello work ( also called Florentine or Flame Stitch)The stitching on this bed quilt took 15 years to complete. Beautiful tiny stitches.

Redshank in progress

Working on a redshank at the moment, from the captive bird collection at Slimbridge WWT. I got some very close photos which helps enormously with the detail.

Oystercatchers.

 It's been an exciting,busy week. I saw the lay out for Stitch magazine of my article on my Isles of Scilly sketchbook. I will say more when I know which edition to look out for. I had to write captions for the photos, so that took me back to this time last year and our lovely holiday.

 Those wonderful colours of turquoise and blue! I didn't really finish the work inspired by the holiday and recorded in the sketchbook. So I made a piece this week. Oystercatchers- I had a chance to study a pair close up at Slimbridge last Sunday, it is their piping call that is so evocative of the seaside.

It is a reminder of the holiday- same weather as now- bright and breezy, settling into blue skies and warmth. It will be on show at Nature in Art (Twigworth) in August with the sketchbooks.(11th-31st)