Wheat - a pencil drawing

This is a life drawing I did back in the 90's - so basically I am just showing off my drawing skills.  Worked using coloured pencil.

Gwen Hedley workshop with Embroiderers' Guild North East

Fabulous time on the north east Embroiderers Guild residential spring school with Gwen Hedley in Collingwood college.  The course was entitled 'Along New Lines' and we basically made our A6 sketch books look "very exciting" whilst learning new ideas on the theme of 'line'.  See below . . .

inked woven paper

chalk pastel edge and smudge over inked surface on paper

Evolon suede - printed with acrylic

my samples . . .

I loved every minute of it alongside a great class on 21 students in all - we were all very productive, very pro-active and very inspired!  Thanks Gwen and to the organizers of the North East Region Embroiderers' Guild.

The Bowes Museum

The Bowes Museum

paper and metal

This work is inspired by Islamic design and repeat patterns, but not a copy.  I worked it in a very spontaneous way, by just drawing in basic lines and tracing the shapes very naively, although I maintained  a certain amount of accuracy.

my working frame

how I work . . .

My frame as I work the Union Jack . . .

experimental whitework

experimental whitework

Experimenting with whitework techniques using pulled work and surfacing stitching ideas, worked on 25 count Dublin linen which is an open plain even weave fabric - lovely to work on.  There is a combination of threads and yarns, including linen, fine wool and cotton.  Another on going unfinished project . . .

the stamp

the finished stamp - showing detail of satin stitch and seeding

showing more detail and depth

The completed stamp was taken from an ink jet printed design.  My objective was to enhance the design with simple stitch rather than detract.  The whole design contains, couching, running stitch, seeding (single and double), satin stitch, stem stitch, using a tarnished 'passing' metal thread, stranded cotton, and a metallic stranded thread (which is a nightmare to use, but I am sure that is part of its charm!).  Design is approximately 12cm x 17cm and worked on plain cotton fabric.