finished fragment

 

keeping going!

Sometimes it is best to just keep stitching!

a little help with knots!

I have begun to work on another ‘inching along’ piece (the quilt challenge) and – how lucky to have some help and companionship!

Inspiration for this ‘beach’ theme from encrusted red-pink rocks …

and a few more little details on knots…. some seeding stitches, webs and french knots in silk and perle… I want to thank Heike again for the naturally dyed cloth and if you want to see the most beautiful, elegant work on knots see Karen’s work – (more on this another time) – skill, dedication and exquisite craftsmanship.. (and a shared love of knots of course!)

I said last time that, for me, knots are like thoughts somehow, a thought, phrase, verse, a tiny textile prayer or offering maybe – as I make the stitch and the thread turns and forms – and when I feel them beneath my finger-tips too, I sense a spark of connections to memories, ideas, thoughts..

inching along again!

I missed the date for finishing my little quilt fragment for ‘inching along’ but I am not worried – the theme was ‘rhythm’ and it took on it’s own pace and time…

The first phase was documented here

The base fabric is a fine turban cotton which I left out on the beach every night whilst we were away, tied to some rusting old boat bits so it soaked up and imprinted with the rhythm of the tides. The walking rhythms of the days…noticing the changes to the tide lines… have become stitched patterns and pauses. The rhythm of stitching the piece has integrated into the past couple of months and is a practice I want to continue.

Now I look at this I feel a strong sense that I could have stopped here – I love the texture and movement of the cloth. But I carried on, the thinking and process of stitching took over and I ended up

As a piece in reality it is more cohesive and integrated – maybe part of this is enjoying the way photographing the phases of a piece can highlight aspects and enhance them..

I also like the way images can magnify, draw attention to detail, dilate my view

Have a browse..

The fragments of colour are naturally dyed cloth from Heike – Gerdiary –  her inspiring blog is one I so enjoy – natural dyes supporting the natural world matter to me

Onto the next quilt piece, the next exhibition, and the next body of work….!

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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