inching along

I am part of a ‘quilt challenge’ – a fragment piece every couple of months with each person having chosen a theme secretly and a blog to share work! I like the difference creative play on an unexpected theme gives – have a look at the first offerings here

the first piece – soft fine turban cotton layered with bamboo wadding, silk threads for hand stitch, charcoal free machined, pen drawing…

the feel of the layers, the slow smooth stitching together creating those textures

the drawing of grasses and earth showing through and threads cut, drifting in the air

hand stitched knots – flakes floating down

coral stitch frame for defining an edge and leaving edges floating

the memory of a walk

capturing an experience – the sound of birdsong, energy of small darting feathers seeking food, trickling water, sharp cold enlivening the senses

 

 

 

 

 

Pom Pom Tree

Just finished this today! Wrapping a Pom Pom Tree – So exciting – a real first so a bit glitchy but hey – what a learning curve and that is so creative!!  Have put in into the Pairings II Video Open see here

Credits to Alison Harper, Jane Barker, Victoria Carpenter and Susi Bancroft and thanks to Tim Martin at the Brewhouse, Taunton where the TFSW Exhibition Mapping the Future: Where Are You Now has just closed.

a little help!

In the sunshine, stitching…. I look round and who is gently snoring in amongst my threads!

I am appreciatively aware of him …. I whisper this to him quietly.

Family Days

A hand-made family day…

…having a nap wrapped in a warm, colourful hand-made blanket in the midst of family chatting and eating lunch!

Meanwhile – a hand-made present – drawing, cutting, stitching, making a bag to give …

We had been talking about sewing machines – along the lines of: ‘who showed you how to sew with a machine?’ … ‘ Ma did, my mother’ ….. ‘ who showed her how?’ … ‘ Nana, her mother, my grandmother’ … and so on and sew on….! Handing on these skills, the love of making and remembering – all so precious….

A little spring colour!

Sometimes I make…..

See my flickr photos by clicking on these in the side bar!

3 generations of hands

I like the way these are shadowy, layered, and how when Kay and I threw the piece gently onto a chair it took on it’s own shape and the images have turned and become something viewed differently than when it falls softly as a whole length….

the linking of hands

Today’s images are from a long, light, layered panel which was originally exhibited as part of the Brunel Broderers Exhibition Curious Drawers in 2010 as part of the festival events from Stroud International Textiles.

These for today are glimpses, facets – caught in the folds.The work is pieced with  drawings of ‘family hands’ from 3 generations, reaching out and interlinking – and some written phrases…

.. and a couple showing details of stitches that join, hold, connect

More to be revealed and unfolded…

Drawing, free machine, hand stitch on cotton organdie

Janet Haigh mentions this piece from a visit to the exhibition – have a lovely browse through Janet’s blog!

And – credits and heartfelt thanks to Kay Swancutt once more for the photos of my work

camera, stitch, action!

A follow on today in some ways – a flowing film… but a silent movie – no words needed… apart from the credits at the end!

Click on these in the gallery for viewing in close detail

Credits rolling to – my brother for the original photos which I altered, pieced, stitched – and to Kay Swancutt for these photos taken today for this blog – with my thanks to you both and to the wonderful stitcher as well!

Work shown in the Brunel Broderers exhibition Curious Drawers in Stroud 2010

water meadow snow walk

The same walk – along the water meadows early in the morning to capture the fleeting snowfall

After the silence there is birdsong and darting movement, the sound of snow melting, trickling then gently streaming

Crackle of ice underfoot, sharp cold that invigorates the senses

Observing the changes the blanket brings to the landscape

The urgency to catch the sights, sounds, feel of these moments before they disappear

A white little egret in a tree…

The sluice gate had a vibrant energy I wanted to catch into my creative process!

an in-between time

March and half way through the first quilt making for a little project called ‘inching along’ – more when this is ready to share…

An in-between place and time, a ‘there and not there’ place and a need to capture ‘winter’ (the first theme) in ideas and samples with the days growing lighter, warmer – though this may still turn back, and the mists are beautiful…

Thoughts – warmth, layers, snow-covering, comforter quilts, texture and touch, changing light, calm shapes and colours, half hidden under covers

And then, a walk in the snow

Snow that changed and hid part of what was there, and then melted fast

I did some drawings

And now, the warmth of special bamboo wadding from Kay, some fine turban cotton the bright white of snow – white silk thread to catch, hold and texture, layers (always layers), and charcoal to bring through the hidden ground.. and some threads loose and waiting..

samples towards a finished piece