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.

Field map - continued.

 The field map was getting very linear so this chap appeared in the corner. I was going to explain but perhaps best to keep them secret - there has been a massive cull in Gloucestershire -  I hope a few survive. My first title for this piece was Badgers used to walk here.

 Swallows return to the farm barns every year - another couple of weeks and they will be here.

Japanese Cherry- Tai Haku flowering at Westonbirt. I saw a Japanese gentleman bowing to this tree last year so I did the same this year.

Field map and no thread stitching.

 I am trying to be single-minded about getting this work finished for Quenington in June. I hope to have 10 pieces finished by Easter and I am very nearly there. So it is eyes down for this field map and progress is made. I made some more stitch lines for the furrows in the field. Some of that silk already had lines ( it is a piece of old parachute silk) I call this no thread stitching. I use the sewing machine to leave a trail of holes.

 Couln't resist experimenting with this this on paper (right) and fabric left. The holes only stay in fabric that is closely woven (calico) and I stiffened it with gesso too. I rubbed the surface with a soft gold waxy polish- rather like a shoe polish or soft oil pastel to make the holes stand out. Interesting? Could be useful in the future.

But back to the field- I am enjoying stitching this - through rain,hail, frost and snow this week and the plum tree is just about to blossom.......

Field map in stitch.

 This is slow stitching but I love doing it. Getting quite caught up in the ridges made when you put the running stitches close together.

 Late sun cast beautiful shadows too.

Spots and stripes.

 Last week I found a scrap of tape with spots on that I love and have used every inch of in the past and not seen again in the shops. So I made a card with a guinea fowl feather with a spotty theme. This week, lo and behold I found some striped red legged partridge feathers so am in the process of making a companion card.

 Also working on the field map piece slowly. Herringbone stitch is hedge, long running stitch -road.

winter field book finished and a new piece begun.

 The winter field book is finished ( I think.)

 As it is long these two photos show the front pages

 and the back pages.

 This is the beginning of a new slow stitch piece with threads. It is a map of the enormous field from above with a further field behind. The red stitching shows the original pack horse path, still a bridleway and official footpath. There is going to be lots of stitching on this for crop lines, unofficial paths and hedges. It is 3 layers of soft fabric - grey linen and tablecloth underneath all secondhand and well washed so delicious to stitch in its softness.