Blog

Welcome to my new blog, I initially started back in 2014 writing about my embroidery, book mking and printing, and have continued to regualry document my exploits ever since, so make sure you bookmark the page.

Moving Forwards – 8th April 2024

I continued working with the print mentioned in the last blog and created two new books. The first is simply called ‘Refolded Cloth’, its made from Indian Cotton rag paper, a real favourite, it is 15cm tall with a line of red silk running stitch through the centre of the pages. The second book is…

Work in Progress – 13th March 2024

I have been working through my thoughts around Alterations and Adjustments and the idea came to me that you couldn’t alter etc unless you unpicked seams. So I combined these ideas with the thoughts about postcards that had been bubbling around my mind. I designed a new plate directly from Baroque woven silk, there is…

Small Steps – 8th February 2024

Over the past few years I have been compiling a sample book from the previous year using the plates that I had designed. It’s an idea that I quite like and somehow regret that I hadn’t thought of it earlier! The small blind printed fragments are in groups of six with two machine lies between…

Book Six – 15th January 2024

Fiona and I have exchanged the sixth and final book in our collaboration. We sent each other a bundle of papers in September 2022 and since the beginning of 2023 we have sent our books to each other across the world. The timings have been somewhat erratic, mostly due to the postal services but these…

More Adaptations – 8th January 2024

Following on from my last posting I have completed the third adapted book in the series ‘Adapting the Design”. Working from left to right the books are 11cm x 8.5cm, 6.5cm x 15cm and 13.5cm x 7.5cm. I then went a little further and added another section. I feel quite involved with this design and…

Making Progress – 4th December 2023

I’m pleased to say that I did make my postcards, it felt like a small positive creative move. I’m still engaged by the standard paper shapes that we have around us and in the small differences that each culture has. Something to develop further. Over the years I have chanced across words that have lead…

Adapt and Alter – 30th October 2023

Lately life has been a bit complicated and not quite under my control, but that’s OK, however it has meant that time in the studio has been short and unpredictable. I have found that I have not been able to devote enough time and thought to a body of work, so I’ve been jumping around…

Book Five – 9th October 2023

The fifth book in the collaboration with Fiona Dempster has just taken place. There is one more when the books will be posted off early in January 2024 Within my bundles of papers from Fiona was a piece of card 25 x 30cm with bold calligraphy all over one side. This book took a lot…

Following up Ideas – 11th September 2023

Although I am retaining the idea of Alterations I have found myself following up ideas fairly randomly. It has been relaxing just going where an idea takes me without the focus on presenting a body of work. I did however in this haphazard fashion complete three books between playing with folds of paper with an…

Book Four – 18th August 2023

The Collaboration between myself and Fiona Dempster in Australia has been ongoing throughout this year, but because of our various commitments the exchanges have not been regular, but that doesn’t matter it is the spirit and commitment between us that is vital and joyful. See here and here. Fiona will, I’m sure write about her…

Alterations – 11th July 2023

I’ve been thinking much about alterations recently, it’s a theme that has often been considered during my years studying antique textiles. Today, much thought given today to up cycling textiles and clothing and the mending of clothing to prolong its life. Being a post war baby these ideas have always been there for me, mending,…

Chasing Ideas – 19th June 2023

My work has always focussed on my collection of antique textile fragments, but sometimes an idea surfaces and when there are no deadlines to meet, it’s interesting to follow it. Back in April I purchased some loom punched cards. Out of the research into these the Memory cards book was designed and made, see previous…

Memory Cards – 16th May 2023

Again I have been concentrating upon an idea that has been rolling around for a while and was activated by the purchase of a loom punch card at the Antique Textile fair last month, see last blog. Little bit of history to put it into context. In France in 1801, Jacquard had invented a card…

A Different Perspective – 24th April 2023

Whilst the collaboration with Fiona Dempster in Australia, see here, is progressing well and providing much mental stimulus, I found that I had space between that and gardening to pursue an idea that had been lurking in the background. I had written the title ‘A Different Perspective’ down in my notebook and challenged myself to…

Book III – 10th April 2023

The exchange of our third book in the collaboration with Fiona Dempster, see here, has been simpler than the other books , as Fiona is currently in Scotland and we took this opportunity to post to each other. My book is called  “The Shape of Pamphlet Stitch” I have felt that it is important to…

Not as Planned – 10th March 2023

These last few weeks have been somewhat unsettled, the weather has been somewhat dominant in our lives, snow and storms and my second book to Fiona has taken a month to get to Australia and somehow I couldn’t move on until that part of the project had been completed. My second book, ‘The Shape of…

So Much Going On – 13th February 2023

The winter weather has been dominating life here over the past few weeks. Thankfully we haven’t had terrible times but the snow, ice and rain have curtailed trips to the studio, where it was very, very cold and photography had to be fitted in when there was enough light. Alongside the Collaboration with Fiona Dempster…

Reveal Number One – 24th January 2023

Fiona and I have now opened the first books in our collaboration, there have been plenty of smiles and appreciation of each others work and intense interest in our individual interpretations of the title. The diversity of the two books is a joy and demonstrates the wide spectrum within the definition of the term ‘Artists’…

Looking Forwards – 16th January 2023

Whilst my book is winging its way to Australia and Fiona’s book is coming this way, my mind turned to other projects which had been roaming around in my head. During consideration of ‘Shape’, I had worked out this configuration of small concertinas, by stitching them together I was able to form a long and…

And the Next Two.. 14th November 2022

I will readily admit that I bought this piece of lace as I couldn’t identify it. My research is still ongoing! It’s a perfect piece, I doubt that it has ever been sewn onto a dress. It is a tape lace, the tape being looped into the design and then stitched and embroidered with needlelace…

It’s all in the Story – 17th October 2022

Last week we went to London for a few days, the date was chosen so that I could visit the Antique Textile Fair in Chelsea Town Hall. It’s been a while since I have visited such an event and it didn’t disappoint.  I bought four pieces, so two this time and two next. All different…

Drifting and Thinking – 22nd September 2022

There has been a little of this and a little of that over the past few weeks. I wanted to play and toss ideas around and not to think too much about completed pieces of work. Whilst looking through a box of C18th textiles I was drawn to think more of the bodices that I…

Following On – 15th August 2022

The continuing hot weather and going away, again, have both slowed my progress. Even my glue stick was melting in the studio! I have however completed my 32 page book, see last blog for its beginnings. It had been my original intention to create a bundle, but in the end I felt that the bound…

Stepping up a Gear – 25th July 2022

I have had a few weeks of non creative happenings, however I have been thinking and gardening and visiting friends and going out, so it’s been much enjoyed. But I now feel that I am at last getting back into the swing of printing, book making and following a train of thought. The very hot…

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