Merry Christmas sparrow.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, a peaceful, relaxing time with laughter and fun with your nearest and dearest. Thanks for reading my blog and sharing my stitching journey. This sparrow is my Christmas card this year, a common, ordinary, brown bird from the garden that is everything but common and ordinary.

Looking back 2

 Some more winter work from my past. Winter footpath. Hand and machine embroidery on felt.

 Photos taken through the glass of the frame so a few funny reflections of colour here in the detail.

These winter seed heads also on felt - machine embroidery- lace applique, french knots and sequins.

Looking back.

 It's the usual bustle and busyness of Christmas preparations before the holidays and not much time for new stitching so I have been looking back at some older work. This one is gold machine embroidery on soluble fabric. It is sandwiched between 2 sheets of glass and framed that way. Created way back when I was making textile jewellery and little purses.

A couple of snowy landscapes and textures- both machine and hand embroidery.

This piece was a favourite so I kept it. I have kept the pieces that I thought were significant milestones and would shape future work. The New Year will probably bring further musings. Good luck with all your preparations. I am nearly there!   

Winter in the Enormous Field.

 This may be familiar if you are a regular visitor here ( thank you as always!) I started it earlier this year but now it is finished and in the right season and weather. This is the field beyond our garden that anyone can walk around and has so many changing faces. Bleak this time of year but usually interesting flock of birds around- redwings and field fares or sparrows or yellowhammers.

 I have used my own invented loop stitch. So, recently taking it out again after a long rest I backed it, added more running stitch footmarks around the edge - because it is very popular now with dog walkers- and stitched a little bright yellow green to lift the colour and refer to the peculiar colour that sometimes happens when the farmer sprays around the edges. ( yes I have put it in the furrows - poetic licence!)

I rather like the close up of the loops. It gives the 3d effect that photos tend to flatten.
P.S. snow here now turning to slush.

Snow in the Cotswolds.

 Sunday morning we woke up to this! It doesn't happen very often. It snowed all day.

 Our Lane under the snow.

 Yesterday it was sunny but cold.

Some blue sky over the hills. The school was closed and the children were out on their toboggans. This morning everything has frozen, our coldest night yet. The weather forecast says it is to get warmer today.

Real live reindeer!

 Just had to share these with you! Oh the excitement at meeting a real live reindeer. So furry and soft to touch- furry antler too! They came to our local farm shop " Jolly Nice" last night.

 We were allowed to feed them lichen, imported from Finland. They were very gentle and well behaved with the tiniest of children ( and the grown ups ) carefully taking the food from our hands.

Well they need to feed up for the big night a couple of weeks ahead. Honestly, I was more excited than the children present. What a treat!

Leaves underfoot - finished!

 This piece finished at last! It seems like a long time because I have made other things between.( 24 x 30 cm)

 The photograph, taken at Newark Park on our Autumn visit, that I worked from.

And these are some of the sedimentary samples mounted onto pages for a book or a beginning at least. It always feels good to make a little progress especially when the days are short and cold. The bird cafe is very busy outside my window and that is good company when I am stitching.