Silk Threads ,Patterns, Travels and Memories

 Some of my earliest hand stitching experiments,  moving on from heirloom hand quilting,  came out of the pleasure of using the Gutterman silk buttonhole threads that my Mum bought in the 70's. Threads are so important: the colours, the sheen , the way it slipped through the fabric. And even now the pieces I made using them are among my favourites, perhaps because of the time spent and the memories built into them. Dijanne Cervaal, whose work I admire hugely refers to such work as 'slow cloth'.  I made 2 blue and green based on algae and diatoms from old botany books ( above) and one based on the colours of Australia and the spiral rock paintings  I drew  at Maggie Springs, Ayers Rock .This was the first piece I sold for what seemed like a lot of money at an exhibition at Pitzhanger  and I must admit I have  a slight regret I no longer have it, especially as I don't have decent photos of , but I still have my sketchbooks from that wonderful trip.  Simply pieced, it was the stitching that  made these pieces.

 Also  based on my travels, 'Erg Chebbi' (below)   depicts the sand ripples on the dunes in Morocco - this  one  I see first thing in the morning as it's in our bedroom and again brings back memories od camping in the desert with stars as the ceiling!

I no longer use this thread very much - as I've moved to painting over my stitching with paint it seems a waste to cover it up ! But it's still the main  ingredient of my portable travel project, a patchwork stole that is indeed well travelled.