Signs of Spring

What a week we chose for a bit of time off! The weather has been amazing and nature has gone crazy.

A highlight was a trip to Farndale, in the North York Moors NP, where millions of gorgeous wild daffodils carpet the banks of the little river Dove and the woods and fields beside it.

    

Unbelievable (and worrying) to have temperatures of 23c up there in March; it’s rarely that hot in summer.

Another sunny day was spent at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve, where we enjoyed watching all kinds of water birds including a rare visiting glossy ibis, plus marsh harriers. Quite a few butterflies too. But the avocets are still my favourites, so elegant and dainty.

 

This picture was taken with a compact camera at x40 digital zoom, hand held! Not too bad? The birds weren’t still for a moment, and neither were my hands, apparently; this is the only photo where I managed to catch a beak!  

Today it’s cooler but sunny again, and I’ve seen wood anemones, violets, primroses and even bluebells in flower just up the road in Strid Wood, Bolton Abbey. Lovely, but far too early – I think I’d rather savour each stage of spring in turn over a couple of months.

Glimpses

I’ve had very little to show on here recently, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been totally idle. In fact I’ve made quite a few new pieces, including two finished this week, but they’re intended for exhibitions and I think visitors should get the first proper look.

So here’s a sneaky peek of two recent productions…

  

No, it’s not my lack of photography skills/patience (this time, hehe) or your blurry eyes – they’re deliberately soft focus to keep a bit of mystery! Full pictures and explanations after the Textilia III exhiibition opens at Farfield Mill in May. It’s called Earthly Delights. If you’d like an invitation to the opening on 5th May, just email me.

Sample Project 2012 – February

I do wish you could see the amazing photos that are inspiring this project, from Underwater Eden – 365 Days, by Jeffrey L. Rotman. Call me old-fashioned, but it doesn’t seem right to scan and post someone else’s photos that haven’t been made available by them on the web. So my samples may not make a whole lot of sense – sorry! But I do recommend getting hold of the book if you can, it’s gorgeous – so tricky to choose only one in seven of the photos to work with.      

 

 

Week 5: Spider crab

Embellisher, yarn and Wensleydale curls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6: Giant kelp

Bonded applique, machine stitch with built-in pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 7: Giant Pacific octopus

Background scrim and dyed wool tops Embellshed onto felt. Suckers - sheer fabric applied with satin stitch circles worked using Flower Stitcher, then cut back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 8: Purple anthias against knotty gorgonian coral

Coral pattern free machined, fish automatic satin stitch.

Winter Wonderland

Time out today, for a trip up Wharfedale while there’s still a bit of snow on the hills but the roads are passable. Glorious.