Nature Table

What better way to announce that Spring has finally arrived than a nature table!  This collection of snaps was taken on an early morning walk at Hardcastle Craggs.  The bright sappy greens and delicate flowers just make my heart sing.  :)

Tea time

Those who know me also know how much I love tea, especially Yorkshire Tea.  It seemed only fitting that my contribution to the Skipton and Grassington Embroiderers' Guilds, StArt in the Dales project should reflect this passion.

My 10cm square is machine appliqué on linen using scraps of patchwork cotton (I never throw any fabric away!).  I chose to hand stitch the lettering - it took ages because it the uneven weave was difficult to work with.  I unpicked it a gazillion times and it's still a bit wobbly but maybe people will find it endearing. 

A bit of fun

Continuing my last blog post here are two more ideas for simple stitched pictures.

It uses the ever-so-versatile Bondaweb appliqué technique with some simple stitches in bright contrasting colours.  Both projects will be available at free workshops on Saturday 5th and 12th April at Craven Museum and Gallery, Skipton, 10:00-12:30.

Simple stitches

I've been trying to devise a simple, fun and quick example for a forthcoming workshop.  It has to be easy enough for beginners yet flexible enough that with a few tweaks it could challenge a more competent learner.  Oh and completed within around an hour.  Not too much to ask then....

Using a basic outline of a sheep (well this workshop will take place in the Yorkshire Dales) I worked spirals in different stitches, a kind of sampler if you will.  It's a bit busy so I repeated the process using just a running stitch and variegated thread.  This was easier but the lighter colours of the thread were lost on the pale background.

I took them to my sewing group this afternoon for some critical appraisal and after discussion, both designs found favour, but we decided they needed to be scaled up so they would be less fiddley to stitch.  

The workshops will be held on 5 and 12 April at Craven Museum and Gallery at Skipton Town Hall as part of the Skipton Embroiderers' Guild exhibition.  They are free and open to all ages and will run from 10:00-12:30. 

Laughing with the lapwings

The return of the lapwings heralds the start of spring for me.  These crazy birds spend their days practising ariel acrobatics over the fields, showing their delight with a chorus of whoops and whistles accompanied by the rhythmic beating of their wings.  It's quite show and always brings a smile to my face.

I tried drawing with biro this week.  It requires rather more detail and care than I usually invest in my work but it works well for this study because the fine lines mimic the combs of the feathers.  The downside is that the monochrome palette hides the glorious rainbow of colours that are found on their wings: iridescent blue, purple, green and red.  

Little treats

An unexpected treat of a night away gave me just enough leisure time for a quick sketch.  This was the view from my window at the Black Swan Hotel in Helmsley.  I settled myself in a lovely deep window seat and watched as the market square cleared on a rather drizzly Monday afternoon.  

Lucky me, I had a hot bath and a nice glass of something cold to look forward to!  

Transformations

Two bunches of daffodils appeared on Saturday - tight green buds with a promise of Spring.  By Monday, the warmth of the house had coaxed them to bloom, bringing some much-needed cheer.

I found some oil pastels on the table and decided to give them a go. I soon discovered that I needed to be much more confident with my mark making and that layers of colour had to be built up slowly.  I was definitely out of my comfort zone!  The most surprising thing was the transformative power of grey in this mix.  It added shade and definition to the yellow blooms and toned-down the vibrant green stems.

But when I moved my sketch book to the window in order to photograph my work something very strange happened.  The drawing came to life - the flowers had real depth and a luminosity that was unforeseen.