Dragonfly Dance

This new piece is a celebration of the dragonflies that brighten our pond and garden every summer. Well, every summer until this one, it seems! Maybe it was the recent bad winters… I hope they’ll be back next year.

These dragonflies are machine embroidered, with delicate wings of Lutradur touched with silver. They float above the surface on fine wires, casting shadows that add to the dance.

Sample Diary–July

Month seven, and I’m still going (just). Can’t say I’ve felt spoilt for choice of inspiring images in the newspaper – each week there seems to be just one that might work, and sometimes that’s only found by rummaging in the recycling bin! 

 

Week 27 – Obituary of Cy Twombly.

Needle felting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 28 – Thailand stock exchange.

Cross stitch. Yes really, counted cross stitch on Aida! 

 

 

 

 

Week 29 – Umbrellas.

Ribbed Spider’s Web.

 

 

 

 

Week 30 – Eden Project biome.

Hand stitch with metallic thread on card.

 

 

Just realised – no machine embroidery at all! Well that’s what this exercise is all about, a bit of variety.

Blue Fingers

Yes, I’ve been dyeing… how did you guess?!

With a warm day to myself this weekend I took the opportunity to play in the garden with indigo. It’s a few years since I last tried it – for me, it’s one of those things where it takes a while to forget the pain and only remember the tempting colours and patterns.

So, there’s the alchemy of the bright green turning that glorious deep deep blue, and the magic of resist patterns… and then there’s the endless rinsing, washing, cleaning up the gear, ironing. Oh yes, and unpicking the stitched resists that were so carefully secured and are now too well camouflaged (yes I should’ve used something that wouldn’t take the dye – didn’t have anything strong enough). A few minutes fun and hours of what seems way too much like housework!         

But my new T is pretty spectacular, no? And I just love the arashi (pole wrapped) linen with its wavy patterns – I think that’s my fave technique, so effective but really quick and easy to do.

Of course I did dye some plain fabric, flax fibres and yarns as well – there’s always a point where I hate to waste the dye and nothing’s safe .  

Now, what can I do with it all? A shame to spoil the shibori patterns with stitching…