Walking the tree trail at Newark Park.

 Sunday, a glorious, sunny day- Alan and I walked the tree trail at Newark Park. There are 17 trees on the Parks list. This is the Maidenhair Tree or Ginkgo, which is one of mine to make a leaf for. 

 The chickens are very friendly and came to me when I took their photograph. Watch out for them if you are having a picnic! The gardeners have left swards of long grass for wild flowers to grow.

Some leaves of a variety of Japanese Maple brought back to identify.

Walnut leaf.

As part of the exhibition we are making a tree trail, highlighting some of the more unusual trees in the grounds with some information and hangings. There will be a sheet for children (and adults!) to fill in leaf shapes and they will get a badge if they complete it. This is my first leaf. The walnut- I couldn't get much writing around the outside as I had hoped, I really wanted to say that walnut dye is made from the green husks but that will be on the info laminated label. Liz Hewitt is making the bulk of these tree hangings. I am making three. Carla's mushroom trail was so successful last year at Nature in Art we wanted to make a fun but educational trail again. My husband is an arboriculturist so trees have always been important in our lives.

Falling feathers- finished!

Falling feathers- finished! I took it outside to photograph on the Cotswold wall.

Falling feathers- adding the backing.

Putting the top layer onto the felt backing- I am hand stitching down some of the seam lines to fix securely in the right place, there is more control and I can ease it together by hand. Then I can machine down some of the seams to finish. Nearly there!

Free machinery embroidery.

This is my view this week, machining the edge of the Falling Feathers Hanging. I use a darning foot on the machine but I don't need a frame when working on felt. I go over the pebbles twice, then I can trim the edge. Eyes down again today- one track mind. Well it is a pathway and a journey.

Falling feathers.

Back to work this week on the backing for Falling Feathers. I am machining the edge with my signature pebbles stitch. It is a path with drifts of feathers spiraling down it.

painting feathers.

Last page in the Large Feather Sketchbook.