Textile Collage

Having a self indulgent week in the lead up to Christmas just seeing bits and pieces together without any purpose .

Donkey Days

I love donkeys and Ned The Lonely Donkey was a favourite Ladybird book as a child. I recently purchased this very worn 1920s Egyptian appliquéd piece and have been using it as inspiration for an appliquéd donkey template. I meant to make several donkey pieces to sell for Christmas but life has just got in the way!

Colour Stories

As I say in my book "Textile Collage" it is better to muddle up your fabrics in order to get more exciting colour combinations happening. Today I have been doing just this and I am hoping these little piles will turn in to some new small collages.

Enjoy looking at my fabrics!

Montana textile workshop opportunity

I will not be coming to the States to teach in the near future but my British friend Donya Coward will be. Here is some information about a workshop she will be running in Montana. There are a few places left...
http://www.petuniagirl.com/hare-raising-workshop-with-donya-coward/

Red for Christmas

This Chridtmas I am going to bring more red in to my home. Turkey red fabric creeps on to my work anyway but this year I am going to decorate my walls with  red garments including this little red coat which I have been working on for the last couple of days.

Reveal

Unassuming but pretty quilt but as always I can't resist taking the scissors to it. Look what's inside! Can't wait to use that wearing away turkey red fabric for something.

Come in from the cold

Come in from the cold to our Winter Fair and Open Studios event at The Hearth this weekend 18/19 November. The studios of the 10 resident artists will be open and we will as usual be joined by guest exhibitors. The full list HERE

 I have been making a series of chilly animal pictures including arctic hares, foxes and wolves and of course the polar bear. Many new things to see in my studio, including new displays which I will try to share later in the week when I have finally tidied up!

Natural Selection

If you are in or around London this exhibition is not to be missed. Ever since my graduation show I have been obsessed with birds and they creep into my work at all levels. This exhibition looks at nests and birds nests - the locations, materials, techniques ( very textile weaving and knotting), birds eggs and the psychology behind collectors. You have to watch all the films to make it understandable but these are informative  and well presented. It has been one of the best exhibitions I have seen for years. There has been much interest in the exhibition so they have now extended it to November 26th. More info HERE

Archive

A quilt historian asked me for some images this afternoon and it was nice to look through my photos and pull these old favourites out. I may have published them before but here they are any way. Just noticed that some of them are upside down but maybe that will make you look at them more closely!

Farm Weeds

Trying some new wildflower samples for a course I am planning to run in 2018. I want to incorporate my textile collage with fairly traditional hand embroidery 

Death has quicker wings than love

I know many of you have followed my stories about maidens garlands over the years and I was privileged to be asked for some of my art work to be used on Marry Waterson's new CD/LP and in fact my glove is actually PRINTED on the Cd as well as being used within the lyric booklet. Marry came to me as she has written a poignant song about the Maidens Garlands so go out and get it! It has received very favourable reviews everywhere.
Here is a link on You Tube to the garlands song. Hope it works!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjrMvU1s05I

Little Donkey

Since the summer when I saw donkeys in the south of France wearing old bits of quilt under their saddles I have been a little obsessed with donkeys and indeed am working up pieces to sell and show at Christmas. Made a start with this little stitched drawing today on the Tilleke Schwarz workshop at Hope and Elvis today. I can't quite bring myself to incorporate counted cross stitch in to my work as she does so well but there are three crosses there in the picture! It was an interesting experience to be there as a student today but I will be returning to Hope and Elvis next year as a tutor if you are interested in joining me there.

X 4

4 new collages all using up bits left over from my French stay

Sewing World

Thank you to this magazine for doing a big feature on me this month,

Pot with orange spots

I have finished a piece based on Winifred Nicholson’s Flowers in a Pot with Orange Spots (1950). This was made for a special new friend in the United States. I don't usually let these go!

Blue Boy