Autumnal walk and brambles finished!

 At last finished this yesterday! All those leaves took time by hand but the variety of thread and colour was worth it.

 I am pleased with my raggedy line of growth to draw the eye in...........

and the birds flying out because winter is coming ( and it balances the composition!) ...........but really they are Fieldfares and Redwings that fly in for the Winter and feast on the berries. They are there in that corner of the field at the moment, they chatter noisily and are after the hawthorn berries.

Keeping on with the bramble leaves.

 It has been a strange week, with a funeral which was joyous, then a neighbours burglary, decorating the lounge ( still ongoing) and the Armistice Remembrances. Who steals money from a frail old lady in broad daylight on a Saturday morning in her own home? Someone who has been watching and knows she is vulnerable. Depressing all round. So I just keep on going with my leaves.

At least the birds are back at the bird cafe. This coal tit a frequent visitor with a mate. Oh yes and we locked ourselves out of the house yesterday morning trying to be so careful about security. We moved here 40 years ago and no one locked their doors. I think I am maudlin this week. Luckily I am reading nonsense poems with my new pupils- time to set to sea in a sieve I think.

A little bit of progress.

 Long thin hedgerow harvest (55cm x 8 cms) Now has 3 different fruits.

 Rose hips close up. Needs some more fruits or nuts and then- deep breath- some colour!

But mostly been working on this piece this week - a raggedy line of growth along the footpath here in loops and knots. Needs all the leaves finishing yet.

Hedgerow harvest - a beginning.

 Here are the blackberries, I just had to add some tiny black beads for a shine.

 Sketch book drawings- I began with the sloes.

 On Friday I had a whole day to myself in the studio - bliss! So I decided to begin a new piece. My first idea was to make a long concertina sketchbook in fabric. I started with a strip of calico and bonded (bondaweb) pieces of paper and fabrics to it for various textures.

 Silk, scrim, paper. I put some white free machine embroidery over the pieces to anchor them.(not shown)

 Now from here I began with an autumn leaf which I didn't like so covered over with more layers of fabric!

 But  I did like the sloes. So I decided to make it Autumn Hedgerow fruits or harvest. Collected more fruits, made the drawings above and yesterday put in the hawthorn berries. It will be a framed piece I think rather than a fold up book, so this way up.

 The hedgerows I collected from in the Enormous field. All part of my project to study a few fields near my house in detail. When we first moved here, 40 years ago there were more hedgerows. A lot were grubbed out to make the Enormous field. All the wildlife live in these edges and hedges. The more species the better and a clue to how old the hedgerow is. ( my shadow there taking the picture!)

Lovely sunny Autumn day.

Autumnal walk in the Enormous field - in progress.

 So back to this piece that I began in September before my holiday. I drew in some brambles to create a foreground.

 I really was going to keep the colours very muted, black white and brown, but it seemed very dull.

 So colour crept in! It is a mixture of hand and machine embroidery. Lots more to stitch.

Detail of blackberries now very much over but this remember this was started in September, leaves turning, misty mornings and fruitfulness.

Tiny landscapes.

 We have had misty mornings and then bright sunshine for amazing autumn colour. I have been working on a few tiny landscapes as a beginning for my new project on local landscape.

 These are on paper- the bottom one tissue paper over watercolour paper.

 This misty one on fabric, painted calico and machine embroidery.

 We had a beautiful day out at Lacock Abbey ( National Trust) on Friday. This is a tulip tree in the walled garden.

 Leaves - to see the tulip shape. Wonderful colours in the bright sunshine and against the blue, blue sky.

Lacock village in Wiltshire is very picturesque. It has been used in a lot of films, costume drama and Harry Potter. Whenever an unspoilt country village is needed for a film! This is inside the tithe barn, the sunshine streaming in through the windows.  I bought some beautiful chrysanthemums from a cottage door step, all the colours of autumn.

Hedges and Edges detail and a new piece begun.

 Some close up detail as promised of Hedges and Edges to show the 3d detail in the stitching. I have begun a new piece- foggy and autumnal- see below. Will be away for a bit now. Going to the seaside.