Hand stitching, wild flowers and seaweed.

 

May your life be like a wildflower growing 

freely in the beauty and joy of each day.

Native American proverb.

We here in England and especially along the Jurassic coast line near where I live have had some really stunning Summer days and really hot for here some 30 degrees on some days and then the next day it
can be rainy, cold and almost Winter and well that is England.  On the cold days I will put candles on
and fairy lights and cosy down with my hand sewing and on the really beautiful Summer days I can be found either sat in my little garden or wandering down by the river with my camera and sketch book looking for inspiration for my sewing in nature. I have seen lots of kingfisher birds this year diving in the river for fish and nesting along the banks but as yet I have not seen the otters this year and hope they are all doing well.

There are lots of patches of wild flowers along the banks that are kept wild for wildlife and it looks beautiful.  It is so peaceful wandering along and sometimes I take a little picnic with me for my lunch.

Like wild flowers you must allow yourself to grow

 in all the places people thought you never would.

I am still loving my hexagon making I have become a little obsessed with it I think and they look so

beautiful when you stitch them together in little flower patches, well that is what I have named them anyway. I am going to make some pin cushions as I have said before but I still cannot stop making these hexagons and feel I might end up making a wall hanging with some.  I have a small quilt hanger in my sitting room and change them over seasonally.  I think a small wall hanging made from these really beautiful fabrics will be really stunning and they will look like flowers if I do some antique French linen ones in there too.  A great project for Autumn I believe to hang next Spring/Summer.

In addition to that you that know me well will know my favourite animal is a
hare, I just find them magical, whimsical creatures and I have been designing some textile and embroidery pictures with them and wild flowers and that has been incredibly joyful.  I love designing new things to stitch and with scruffy king of hares in embroidery as well pleases me.  I am doing one for me as well, it has to be done!

The other thing that I have started to do is press seaweed.  I have bought a seaweed press and I set off to the Jurassic coast and waited for the tide to go out and leave wonderful rock pools.

With not much planning as this is the day I picked up my press I scoured round for a few pretty seaweeds.  All I had was my keep cup and so I wandered around looking for a few seaweeds.

It was a wonderful hour and it was just exploring really so that I could decide what I needed to do this.

You obviously have to have your tide times not to get caught out but wandering around and picking up pretty shells and beautiful sea weed I was very happy indeed. I also sadly found plastics and so with a bag I picked up all I found and then put in a recycle bin it is part of my nature to always have a bag for rubbish be it at the seaside or a walk along a river or country lane.

Taking my spoils home and reading a book I purchased about seaweeds to I set about setting up my press and managed to put three seaweeds into my press. The one thing you have to remember is that seaweed takes a few weeks to properly dry and you have to open up the press and add more paper to make sure it all dries other wise they may go mouldy. The photos of the seaweed are my attempts to make pictures and I am really very pleased with the results.

A beach is not only a sweep of sand, but shells

 of sea creatures,  the sea glass, the seaweed, the incongruous objects washed up by the Ocean.

Henry Grunwald

To say I am thrilled with the results is an understatement, although tricky it really has captured my heart and it can be done all the year round if you do not mind a crisp winters day.  Just keep an eye on the tide times as I said.  I paddled in bare feet as it was a really beautiful Summers day but in the Winter wellie boots will be the order of the day.

With this new found interest I have decided to incorporate it into my slow stitching as well I think some hand embroidered seaweed will be on the cards.  I do not like it around my feet when swimming but I am happy with the beauty of it stitched or pressed and on a wall to admire the outstanding colours patterns and beauty of how nature can really take your breath away.

So I am going to go back in the next few weeks and collect more, I have some gorgeous old frames that are made from old chipped wood and feel that framed in those it will give a nod to driftwood and when I have a little collection of my own I will sell some.

August is now coming to half way and soon enough September will be here and Autumn will be upon us, now as you know if you are a regular here you will know it is my favourite season but I am not ready for it this year just yet.  I can not comprehend where the last few months have gone and how can Summer nearly be over and the long dark nights not far away.. this year I could do with a few more months for sure.   

My camera is busy capturing everything that I can with wild flowers, beautiful sunsets and warm Summer evening sat either in my little cottage garden or by the river bank watching the bees dance from one wild flower to another with sweet smelling nectar on there toes busy and happy.

I have designed some flower pictures and and am busy with stitching those right now as well taking the

opportunity of the light evenings that are now dusk at 9pm here...with a glass of wine in the garden with
my evening meal and then when the light fades its hexagon binding time ....

Life has been busy and I am in Cheshire every few months and have lots of friends there so I can go for a few weeks and take my laptop and stitching with me.  I am visiting different places, meeting new people and enjoying being between two homes affectively and loving this Summer so much.

Well I have have caught up on things for now, I hope you are all having a great Summer and enjoying the lovely weather and stitching.

Take care of you and as always thank you for reading my rambling and Happy Stitching!

Sarah XX