Perpetual journal / Nature Diary Feb

At last we have had some sunny warmer days and Winter seems to be passing. Here are my February days. The first spring flowers and a little more colour. The last picture is of a Nuthatch I stitched from the drawing on the first page. Hope you are all well out there and getting through this lockdown. We have had our first vaccine jabs and hoping the time will come when we can see our friends and relatives again. Much love to you all.

 

Westonbirt Aboretum Feb 12th

 Not much progress stitching this week because I have not been well. Instead the blue skies on Weds over the Aboretum and a rhododendron in flower. Everything is early this year despite the gales. In between two at the moment. So this the calm between storms. Two more birds for the journal - sparrow and bullfinch.

January.

 January- a time of dark,cold and illnesses. Been feeling tired all the time and aching in all my muscles. Just a time to take comfort in small things. Tea in your favourite mug, spring bulbs beginning to emerge and a little bit of stitching.

 At Westonbirt Aboretum the witch hazel is in flower and while we were looking at it, a tiny goldcrest came and flitted in and out- too quick for my camera but a real pleasure.

 We hit the jackpot at the bird hide at Westonbirt too. They had just been fed and there were dozens of small birds, a woodpecker and this jay. All you get is reflections in the photos but this gives you an idea. My colourful mittens featured in the top left reflection!

 We have been enjoying Alans Christmas present a wildlife camera - triggered by movement. Here is a fox.

Not sure if this will work on blogger but worth a try. Just keep your spirits up for a little longer and spring will be here.

Stitched Little bird to say Merry Christmas.

This is my Christmas card for this year. Little bird says Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Thank you for following or looking in at this blog from time to time. Hope you enjoy the holiday and have a relaxed, peaceful time with family and friends.

Little bird finished.

The Great Tit, holly and ivy is finished. It took about 11-12 days which is quick for me! I have worked on it most days. Now ready to get some cards done. I will get it framed eventually. The news is that The Glos Guild of Craftsmen are going to take over Rodmarton mManor again next Sept for a large exhibition and events, so I will start putting togther a body of work for that. It will take me all year and with the gallery in Cheltenham to supply that is enough to keep me busy. The recipe booklet is now going to the printers and we hope to have out for sale by Dec3rd. I have my cake pieces back ready to mount and sell on that date. The people who supplied the recipe get first refusal.

Garden bird - great tit- in stitch

 The cold weather has bought the birds back to the garden bird feeders- yes the bird cafe is busy with visitors! Great tits and blue tits are present all day so my next new piece features a great tit. Hoping to use this as a Christmas card which means getting on speedily. Well there is always next year if it takes too long!

Catching up.

A few things to share with you; two bird stories over the holidays - A perfect blue tits nest but a sad story because the bird died before it could complete it.

 A racing pigeon called in for an overnight stop over before continuing its journey. B&B here for birds now?

 Bluebell woods at Westonbirt just coming into flower.

 Tiny white stars of wood anemones beside a path through the woods.

And I am stitching the loop piece onto its background. This is going to stay simple and abstract. Inspired by crop growth in the field, stripes of light and dark with opposite light and dark stitches.

Field map finished.

 This has taken a whole month of concentrated stitching. It was still Winter when I started it so the colours changed to greens as the Spring arrived. It had ended up much busier than I first intended but very personal. With all those hours of stitching you can't but help weave your life into the story.

 The textures became mesmerizing as the grey fabric became ridges and furrows. (a lesson in voiding and looking at the unused space)

The skylark above the field singing it's heart out and watching over the field. 
If you want the whole story of it's development click on the label - field map.

Hedgerow Harvest finished.

I started this piece- Hedgerow Harvest at the beginning of Nov and finished it this week.(Jan- so that is two and a half months, off and on) It is 56cm x 8cm. This is a close up of a fieldfare to feast on the berries.

 I have photographed here in 2 halves- the whole thing is now my banner. You can click on the label below to see how it developed. I have suggested a little patchwork of fields and landscape behind the motifs but I felt too much distracted from the berries etc. Interesting that on Instagram it has been my best liked piece so far.

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.

Embroidered Skomer sketchbook page finished!

 At last the whole piece is finished. I have been working on the left side this week.

I put in some more sea chamomile and the puffin head,top left, that balances the bottom right work. The piece measures 40x30cms. Whew! Summer is definitely over then. Bring on the Autumn colour! Now I can start work on my next project.

Skomer- puffins- continued.

 The little book cover finished! So now I am working on the picture that I left half done last year. There were other dead lines to keep and I like this so much it takes courage to work on it further. Still I am determined to finish it. This is the right hand side.

 Details of the puffin in the grasses. Working on the left hand side today.

And the Autumn colours developing in the garden. This is my studio view. ( well yesterday in the sunshine!) I am so lucky.

A little rook business.

A  couple more small pieces finished this week- this rook (seen at Slimbridge WWT poking amongst stones for insects)

 and a very colourful applique patch with kantha stitching.