When you have an idea for a theme and that urge to stitch grabs hold, you just have to follow your inspiration.
And that’s exactly what I did with this small series based very loosely on Wildflowers.
I wanted to capture the essence of wildness, freedom, pattern and confusion – even wind-dispersed seeds, because there’s real beauty there.
The magic happens for me when I’m inspired and have everything at hand.
Luckily, I had some small stretched canvasses ready to go, so it was just a matter of choosing a colourway.
All my threads and beads are kept in separate bags according to colour, it’s simply a matter of sitting down to allow the magic to happen.
Apart from the overall theme, I had no specific idea of an outcome other than to try to capture texture, work with colour and just follow my instincts.
Scary for some, but this approach seems to work for me.
The first couple of stitches are the hardest because that’s where the questioning begins.
The trick is to continue to build on those stitches, layer them, get them to interact and make them work.
Some are more successful than others, but it’s the experience I value because I know I’ll use those somewhere else at some other time.
And working directly onto a stretched canvas isn’t easy. Some stitches simply can’t be worked.
But the texture and colour that paint, thread and stitch create is stunning.
Have some stretched canvasses tucked away?
Bring them out, paint a small area in your favourite colour then gather threads you love and just begin to stitch.
They’d make a wonderful gift.
All views and opinions expressed are my own, except where acknowledged information is included from other sources.