stitch drawing in progress!

I thought it might be good to show some stitch drawing in progress! It helps me think about the process and hopefully shows you what I am doing!

I had drawn a heron on one of the walks, in the trees on the opposite bank of the canal.

Drawn quickly, without looking at the paper roughly folded in my hand – it is all a bit of a balance and juggle!

This drawing I painted on once home whilst thinking and remembering colours, the ‘feel’ of the walk, anything that comes to mind and hand

Drawn lines on the dyed papers, and free motion stitch on the machine ..

Lines in hand stitch too, and some more painting…

I like the ‘there and not there’ quality – I hope it works!

The Exhibition this series of work will be in is by the group ‘Following the Threads’. ‘Reflections’ is in Bradford on Avon at the west Barn –  25 – 28 October….

Reflections – slowly, slowly!

Remember the start of reflections

Well..slowly, slowly – more walking drawings follow

A roll of paper, pens, walking the canal path drawing as I go..

Impressions, fleeting marks… colour as both observed and felt

Wondering about real lives, ways and illusions..

And then some collage – dye on tissue, layered down, depth

Pen and machine stitch, hand stitch, written reflections, wonderings..

 

In progress – in the making!

I want the viewer to look deeper and deeper – I think about childhood picture books

Of imagined worlds, imagined lives as well as glimpses of what I see, what I think I see..

rust kantha fragment

A stitched fragment

Rusted scraps of cloth and lace, skeleton petals

A slow stitch rhythm, thoughtful…

Small pieces separate yet gathered together

 

Liberty prints and Japanese Kimonos!

Recently I have been talking to my friend Hiromi Moriwaki

We talked about Sachiko stitch, about kantha, about boro, darning and mending,  and our mothers and grandmothers and stitching….

Afterwards I was looking at my worktable and my attention was caught by these…

This image encapsulates the dialogue really – Hiromi made these pincushions using vintage family kimono fabric and mine are from vintage family Liberty Lawn – and I use them every day!