How do I love thee

Its THE week for romance so thought it would be timely to revisit an altered book I made a few years ago about one of the greatest love stories in literature, that between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. I worked in to an old copy of her poems. Many people do not know her poem "Aurora Leigh" but it is a bit of an early feminist masterpiece.

Stitched Hearts Course

Exhausted from teaching a Stitched Hearts course today. Enjoyed presenting the students with some lovely beads and trims in this old print tray. Have another pincushion on the go and hope to blog about it in time for Valentine's Day! 

Baboushka

 For some time I have had the urge to do some appliqué russian dolls. A way of using brighter fabrics and having fun with the faces and decorative embroidery. As always a bit of interesting quilt in the background. They are taking longer than the birds to make and are on to a more valuable bit of log cabin and  are a bit fiddly so shall I continue? Thinking of running a course on these.... I have put one on Etsy to just test the market for them.

The Year of the Horse

Happy Chinese New Year! It is the turn of the horse and since my studio is in Horsley and is surrounded by fields with horses in I decided today would be the day I would have a go. Here is the finished stitched drawing ( now on Etsy). More to come I think and a way of utilising all the white table cloths I am given. At the base there is the number 16  off a shirt collar but also referring to the height in hands of this thoroughly thoroughbred horse.

Sketchbooks - how to get going!

Several people have contacted me saying they can't really get going with sketchbooks. Sometimes I can't either but I think the secret is to have all the  mark making ingredients out all the time so that you pick them up and start. I got all my painty stuff out at the beginning of January and then just set myself the challenge of doing a double page of sketchbook each time I went to the studio ( about 3 times a week). Soon I will put it away and get the textiles out again but when there are not gardening distractions in the winter and it is not cold outside I think it is ideal time for sketchbook work. Do your sketchbook for yourself - just playing with textures, shapes and colours and marks will feed into other areas of your creative practice.

The main things I use are 

gesso, emulsions, bleach, brusho, stamps, oil pastels, wax crayons, PVA, watercolour crayons, indian and washable inks, acrylic, nib pen, sponges, brushes, rollers, collage materials incl papers already coloured and printed  by myself.

So there you are , nothing expensive there just get going!

More sketchbook pages

USA. I am coming!

I know that loads of people in the United States read my blog so I am very pleased to announce that I will be coming to teach in California in September. I will be teaching a couple of workshops for French General in Los Angeles. Hope to fly in to LA then travel up to Mendocino  and then back  down the coast to fly back from San Francisco. Would love any comments on places, sights not to be missed in the above itinerary particularly museums with folk art and quilts.
Information on my courses is beautifully displayed on the French General web site, hope to meet some of you there!