Long time, no post!

 I thought it was about time (long overdue actually) that I posted a little about what I've been up to. I'm busy with my City and Guilds in Embroidery which I'm doing by distance learning with Distant Stitch. I'm really, really enjoying it but sticking to a schedule when you're working alone is not easy. I'm finding some of the work quite a challenge too - not the stitching, I'm enjoying the stitching, but some of the methods for the design work are new to me and some days I definitely feel way outside my comfort zone. Not that that is a bad thing of course. New challenges are important and certainly part of why I decided to do the course, but that doesn't make it easy.

Anyhow ... a bit of eye candy first of all from the Festival of Quilts last month which I attended for the first time with a local patchwork group. I'm more attracted to the art quilts (as you'll see from the quilts I chose to photograph) but this first image of a tiny miniature quilt caught my eye. Such intricate work and beautifully stitched.

I love the colours on this next quilt - the progression from the cool blues, through yellow to the pops of pink and red over on the right.

This still life quilt of a vase of flowers, bowl of fruit and an open book is so delicate. I'd love to have this one hanging on my wall.

A real contrast to the last image is this quilt in fiery reds and oranges against the cooler blue of the background. Gorgeous!

This one is reminiscent (to me) of church buildings in Russia with the icons and all that gold.

A positive rainbow in this next one with such intricate scrollwork - another miniature quilt.

 and another - I just love all these reds, pinks and oranges - circles in squares.

 Last week my brother came to stay with me and we went to the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield (among other places). If you've never been and you find yourself in the area do go along. The displays are changed regularly though, of course, there are always pieces by Barbara Hepworth there.

Food for thought!!

I loved this small golden sculpture.

 and an unusual view inside the model for the piece of her work which hangs on the side of the John Lewis store in London.

And finally - just to prove that I am doing some stitching - here are the final samples for the two modules of my City and Guilds course that I've completed so far.

 This needlelace piece was based on a stone wall - several layers of random lace.

and this piece for the module on stars was intended to show growth and disintegration. My decision to use french knot slips and cutwork was based on a section of painted tile in the town centre where the paint was peeling off and the area was covered in lichen.