Looking back.

 After my blog of yesterday looking back at 1986, it seems like a good day to look back on work over the years to where I am now. So this is Winter textures from 1996.

This is from 2006- a stitch sampler of line stitches. This rectangle was a challenge to myself and my class to invent their own stitches. Difficult! I was playing with loop stitches. Which brings me up to date and my piece that I am working on now.

Sea urchin top for Mo.

 Little star top of a sea urchin - for Mo Crow - I love her sea urchin work.

This came from quite a large sea urchin from the Isles of Scilly ( Bryher) A diver gave me the tops because I was searching for shells with holes to stitch through. I stitched this piece a long time ago 1986! It is canvas work and is the island of Tresco in shells and stitch. I had a box frame made for it with a latch so you could open it.

A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Time to tidy up the studio, prepare for visitors and enjoy the holidays. This is my machine embroidery partridge in a pear tree and our Christmas card. I shall snatch a little time to draw and stitch when I can but it's good to take a break - ideas can have time to flourish. Merry Christmas to all and thank you for reading my blog and taking time to make comments.

Winter field - more stitches.

A little more progress, slow and steady down the furrows, an antidote to Christmas shopping, cleaning and list making.

Winter Sketchbook.

I am working on a Winter concertina sketchbook. Birds and footpaths, fog and frost. These birds come to the bird cafe everyday outside my studio window and keep me company while I stitch.

Winter field.

 A busy time of year so lovely to sit and quietly sew my way along this winter field.

 trying to keep the stitches uneven and random within the lines.

Short days so a little splash of colour and light at a dark time of year- chinese lanterns by the gate at Newark Park, Gloucestershire.

Winter field.

I remember a friend telling me that some small art pieces call out to be bigger pieces. This then is the sequel to that smaller piece posted last week. With new thoughts. It is a corner of the enormous field that I walk round often in all seasons - so this is Winter field. The running stitches are my or our footsteps. The herringbone is the ragged weed edge. All wildlife lives on the edges of the field. When you walk around you can find silence. I was listening yesterday to the radio about the project- one square inch of silence - I hope it has imprinted onto the silk and felt so I will remember. Yesterday it was foggy and I put grey chiffon over the field to take down the shininess of the silk.

Winter footpath.

A little piece of a frosty Winter footpath - 9x6cm. My signature technique- machine embroidery on felt.

Field corner and rook.

 I was looking back in my 2012 sketchbook and found this corner of the enormous field made in January. It has turned very frosty here- cold but bright - those colours just right for now. It got me thinking..........

 but yesterday I was working from this photo of a rook taken at Slimbridge on Sunday, from the Holden hide, who was so interested in this patch of stones and gravel.

 in my sketchbook,

on calico.I managed to catch a programme on Radio 4 about deep listening. Jan 29th 11.00. Note to self- remember that. Be quiet, empty thoughts, just listen.

Slimbridge WWT Sunday 27th.

 Back to Slimbridge WWT on Sunday morning. The Bewick swans are back. Huge numbers of ducks- all kinds, flocks of fieldfares and redwings feeding on the hawthorn berries. Much interest from the birders in a Lapland bunting. They are very kind and let us look through their telescopes, pointing out rare birds and interesting arrivals. 13 cranes together on the fields - well you don't need a telescope for those,

or for this bold robin.

Partridge in a pear tree.

And a partridge in a pear tree. A red-legged partridge because that's what I see round here scurrying along the hedgerows and verges. Machine embroidery for a Christmas card.

Alison Harper - Phd show

 Alison Harper- queen of rubbish, ex Brunel Broderer and soon to be called Dr! We went to see her final show at Corsham Court, Bath Spa University. Alison makes paper from those take away coffee cups that you can't recycle.

 Beautiful, delicate and meaningful.

 The pulped paper from one cup make these hand held birds.

 She knits with shredded crisp packets and junk mail.

So many butterflies from one coffee cup!

Sun Moon Stars finished.

It has taken some time but it is now finished. The sequin stars shine amongst the moonbeams, lovely in low light. I think mother cat is telling the kittens wise truths but they could just be having a quiet, silent moment. They could be in a window or on a roof. I hope stories will be woven around it.

Moonlit paths.

This tiny moon is now finished. It measures 15cm x 10cm. This week is for resting and finishing work.

 The great thing about this time of year is that the birds are back at the bird cafe outside my window and when I went for a walk yesterday - a huge flock of fieldfares were chacking above me. Just dots in the sky in this photo. The industrial farmers in the enormous field cut back the hedgerows to within an inch of their lives.

Luckily my neighbours leave theirs. The fieldfares were after the hawthorn berries and insects on the grazed fields.

Wonderful Autumn colours.

West Country Quilt and Textile Show, Bristol.

My feather work on show at The Quilt and Textile Show in Bristol- extreme left jug by Carla Mines.
A full day out with a workshop in the morning, stewarding on the Brunel Broderers stand in the afternoon, shopping and looking at the exhibits of course fitted in, then take down and pack up! Whew! I met lots of lovely people- the workshop was a joy because it was a chance to sit, stitch and chat. My last outing with the Brunel Broderers. I have left the group to go solo.

Kay Swancutt - seams.

 I had a real treat yesterday- we went to Corsham Court to see Kay Swancutt's work for her final Phd exhibition.

 Over 200 samples of pleats and seams- all hand stitched on various fabrics in different techniques.

 The samples were pinned sequentially

 in  long lines along a corridor gallery.

Larger floor piece.

 It was breath taking.

Wall of samples at the end of the long grey corridor. I feel very lucky to have seen it and have a friend like Kay.

Tiny Autumn Moon .

Stitching into tiny moon - there is a crease dyed into the fabric- I will live with it- stitch into it - we all have to live with those creases and they make us what we are. Small stitches - little bits of progress - Life and sewing.

Tiny Moon

Busy week with the Bristol Quilt Show coming up and Life things happening so I began a tiny piece, cutting up scraps rather like cutting up collages from my last post. Severe frost yesterday morning cooled all the colours turning Autumn into Winter for a hint of what is to come.

Playing with colour-Sue Dove, collage online workshop.

 I went to see my friend Carla who shared with me a workshop she had done with Sue Dove. It is all online just google Sue Dove. It is an exercise with collage and colour. I went home and got started. Wonderful to use bright colours and play. Great that I have the time just to play! The first ones I didn't theme just went for it.

 You tear some magazine pictures into shapes and colour around them. Then cut them up. See online or proper instructions!

 You end up with abstract pieces each one a little work of art.

 I was thinking Autumn colours and flying leaves in these ones. They can be interpreted in embroidery, quilts, canvaswork etc. A great way to design especially if you are too literal and want to go more abstract. Thank you Carla for sharing and thank you Sue Dove for putting in online for everyone.