October 2021 /2

Welcome to Stitching News at this, possibly the last, splurge of warm weather, late in October.

The photo to the right is of some autumn impressions of a selection of the plants in our garden. I printed these about a month ago now!

The clarity of colour and mark changes rapidly in some plants, but it is hardly noticeable in others.

I have been “out of action” for various reasons, over the last two to three weeks, so I have been chasing my tail very recently. I am almost back on track now, and making good headway with my list of jobs!! How would we manage without making lists!

“A Thread of an Idea”, Textiles+ exhibition is in the second week of November. A reminder of the details are at the end of this post.

My second Fantasy Jungle panel is complete and I have posted the first panel alongside the second below. I also made some additions to the first panel. I had had it pinned up for a while, and could see it really needed an extra ping of colour.

At the time I was working on the first panel, I had not dyed the very bright colours of thicker thread that I am using a great deal at the moment, and therefore had a more limited thread choice. Now I have an amazing array to chose from, and have used a space dyed orange/yellow thread and added it alongside the previous stitched marks, and it has made all the difference!

I also added a touch of coloured thread around the binding of both, to add interest, but in a calm and quiet focus!

I am pleased with the appearance of the two together, although they are brighter in true light than on the screen, and I am excited to plan and stitch a third panel over the winter! I actually prepared another two backgrounds right at the beginning of this project, and they look at me, every time I go into my sewing room! Let the adventure continue over the autumn / winter months!

I have spent some time looking through my sketchbooks of the last six months. I have had huge enjoyment and fun and realise that I have recorded such a wealth of ideas over a range of topics.

Every sketchbook holds inspiration which can be used with stitch, using either mixed media or traditional materials, or experimental media. Each piece I design and stitch inspired by them is totally unique, and I learn from every single piece. What more can anyone ask for. I feel very fortunate indeed to have such a resource to dip into and I am excited to move on and push the ideas further now.

I shall continue to create these “quick” sketchbooks. I say “quick” hesitantly because actually I have invested many many hours and days of work. But it is a wonderful way to be stretching myself, developing a palette of fresh ideas for the future and just to be creative in such a simple, very affordable and easy manner. Simple resources; one sheet of paper, some black drawing and marking pens, and a personal choice of source material to begin the process!

I have chosen some small sections from my latest batch of eco prints, to prepare a few more mixed media collage and and stitched panels.

I have already started with some simple stitch on these small sections… very little, as you can see, but the rest of the development will gradually build after I have mount them individually to their background.

The photo to the right of the selected small images shows a finished piece of work from September.

After the very bright and busy stitched work I have been doing recently, I really like the total contrast of this very limited colour palette, and the simplicity of this end result.

I shall be interested to see how these next panels will develop. When I see a unit placed onto the background I have an instant idea of how to get started. However, apart from that initial push the work becomes quite intuitive, and that in itself is quite liberating!

You may well wonder what has happened to the last unit of my embroidery course. Well, to be honest I had become rather drained of ideas, but I have had a complete break of 6 or 7 months now and I shall pick up the last unit again and complete it over the next few months. Coming back after a break, has given me fresh impetus and interest.

I am also in the throes of designing this years Christmas card. Ideas have been buzzing round my head, changing, and evolving continually, and I have now made my final decision. I shall get to work on it during November.

Watch this space!

Until next time, happy stitching!

October 2021/ 1

“And … who’s been sleeping in my flowerbed?” This male pheasant has been a regular visitor to our garden for several weeks, and has had a favourite spot to sit and “ponder”.

However, on this occasion last week, he decided to take his morning rest very close to the conservatory, allowing close-up photos of his beautiful plumage. His back is in bright sunshine, and his whole being suggests an attitude of indifference about his surroundings. However, when I zoom in on his head, I can see that he has his beady eye on me, for sure! I really like this second image, and feel an urge to reproduce it in fabric and stitch! It could make a fascinating study. Watch this space!! I feel another sketch book coming on …

Over the lockdown period I have used my old eco prints in many guises, and now my stack has been reduced to almost nothing, which is quite astonishing as I had lots! I have experimented with them in very many ways.

I have often said how my eco prints on paper really seem to improve over time. Quite unexpectedly I found six prints a few a few days ago, that I had totally forgotten about. They were made at least three or even four year ago, and were hidden in a box, probably put in there during my last “clear up” in my sewing room! (When ever was that?!) The prints have strengthened and I think the markings are now quite beautiful.

I haven’t done any Eco printing of plants at all since lockdown, or indeed for some time before that, and I have been itching to begin a fresh batch! When I visited a lovely friend, Rosemary, yesterday and I asked if she would mind if I took home some of the leaves from plants in her garden. She was delighted to be able to help.

We laid them on some kitchen towel, and she told me the names of some and looked up the names for me of those she didn’t remember. I wrote these names on the paper and photographed them in situ like this before I started the printing process, so I am hopeful that I shall be able to identify some of them when they are finished! I have shown just a couple of the leaf selections in the photos on the left. The top image is of beech leaves. The second image is of leaves from a witch hazel tree.

The photograph above was taken within 12 hours of the Eco process. Some of the papers are still damp. I am very pleased with the instant results and when they are dry they will have to be put away, possibly until after Christmas as the next three months are going to be very busy! It will be fascinating to see them again then!! So, the Eco printing equipment etc. will be put well away again, for the foreseeable future. I must try to apply myself to thinking about a piece of work which will be suitable for a Christmas card. These ideas really need time to evolve, and mature! I have a little thought which has been prodding me to get into action!

Stitching is always very dear to my heart. Recently it has all been hand stitching on paper, but my next job in the coming days is to complete the second jungle panel developed from my Henri Rousseau work. I have already hand quilted the background, I did this several weeks ago after piecing the background strips together. So it is only the applique I have to work with now, and that will be machined stitched, raw edge applique.

This was the last photo I posted of the panel.

As you can see, some of the imagery was just placed in position. I need to have another look at all of that, and prepare and stitch what is required to complete it.

I still have lots to think about but I am hopeful of finishing it by the end of next weekend.
I have been having a good turn out in my sewing room, and have realised, once again, that little and often achieves far more than trying to do a big blitz all in one go!!

Thank you very much to all of you who got in touch via the blog and by email to give me the name of the beautiful lilies coming up in our garden.

Until next time, happy stitching!

Di