And a very warm welcome, firstly, to new subscribers – thank you so much for joining us here. If you’re looking for a quiet restful space, where nothing much happens except some hand stitching and gentle reflection, then you’re probably in the right place.
On the subject of which, I do enjoy my quiet Sunday mornings. At weekends my husband likes a long lie-in, and I don’t. I’m generally wide awake and out of bed the second I wake up, usually driven downstairs by hunger. I have the metabolism of a hamster and need frequent refuelling. Once the need for breakfast has been met, the rest of the morning is my own and I can stitch away in my workroom until lunch time. I call it a workroom – actually it’s the spare bedroom. Maybe I should go all Proper Artist and call it a studio.
This quilt, originally a (Time) Traveller’s Blanket as part of an online class with Dijanne, has become a celebration of winter, my favourite season, and maybe it will be finished in time for next winter. It certainly isn’t anywhere near done at the moment. The top and back are hand-dyed silk noil, with some soft flannel (brushed cotton) as the middle layer.
This little tree is an experiment in making branches with blanket stitch and so far I like it. I’m using hand-dyed cotton perle size 12 thread, on a scrap of hand-dyed Swiss cotton fabric applied to the quilt top. I really like the way the woven dots in the fabric look like snow.
The rest of it seems enormous, but it’s only about a metre square.
I’ve added a layer of sheer fabric to some of the patches. This one is simple embroidered tree pictograms on hand-dyed silk organza, and then I’ve layered a piece of painted dotted tulle over the top. It’s impossible to photograph, but in real life the dots create little shadows on the organza beneath.
I always think this multi-layering is one of winter’s best gifts. It’s the season that most brings time to reflect, to look beneath the surface, to embrace the shadows, to see in the dark. To see through the dark too, because it doesn’t last long. It will be spring before we know it, and if you’re on the other side of the world it’s already summer. If that isn’t time travel, I don’t know what is.
I learned about you from Ann Wood 🙂 I learned about Ann from Anne Butera. A web of beauty and inspiration!
Aha! Thank you 😊
Me too from Ann Wood. Love your missive on winter. Thank you
Ah, thank you so much 😊
Hello Karen, I am so glad to have discovered your blog from Sara of Fiber Trek. I just finished taking Djanne’s last online workshop and it’s been a revelation. Did you possibly participate?
You look familiar to me as soon as I saw you!
I’ve been able to knit in bed but I’m recovering from Covid the first thing I’m doing hopefully before the new year is to prepare that stitching diary, Thank you so much!
Thanks so much, how lovely to see you again – yes, I did take Dijanne’s class and enjoyed it very much. So sorry to hear that you’ve been struck down by covid, and hope that you’re soon feeling better. Happy stitching for 2023 🙂
I must admit that winter is not my preferred season, but having had a lovely walk in bright sunshine today, I am a little reconciled to it for today!
And I do love your trees!
I prefer it from inside if the pavements are icy – what was fun as a child is now the terrifying prospect of a broken hip in middle age 😆 I do like the quality of the light in winter though
This looks like a very interesting piece of craftiness – you can imagine a story with each piece. The layering up of fabric and your reflections on winter are beautiful, very profound and yes Spring is just around the corner.
Thank you, yes it’s turning into a little short story collection. Time is flying so quickly.
Love the blanket stitch tree. I am sure that I could manage that! Love that you enjoy your quiet time during winter. I too enjoy doing more creative works. Bernie
Thank you Bernie, always good to set aside some quiet time
I don’t do that enough.
You must! Good for the soul.
I very much appreciate the precision in your stitching (so thank you for the close-up photography that gives insight into that) … and at the same time, there is such a sense of spontaneity in your cloth … a wonderful combination that keeps me coming back for more
That’s very kind Liz, thank you so much. Likewise love seeing your beautiful work 🙂