Piecing together some fabric squares for a patchwork quilt that is very slowly coming together..

Below, a patchwork cushion cover I made for Mum's Christmas present - using skills learnt on a sewing day course last Autumn

Learning to Mend

I've a new addiction.

Last year my 92 year old Grandmother, knowing my love for clothes, gave me two beautiful classic Salvatore Ferragamo cardigans that she had loved wearing but no longer wanted. When I got them home, I found they were very badly eaten by moths, which she hadn't realised. Unsure of what to do, but unable to part with the cardigans, I washed them and put them away in the depths of my sewing box. A couple of weeks ago I came across the trend for 'visible mending' (essentially darning with bright yarn) and was instantly hooked. My love of second hand clothing means I have many things that have been worn to... literal bits. Still very much learning - but it is a deeply satisfying way to revive clothes, adding a bit of individuality to them. For anyone interested in learning more, 'Mend! A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto' by Kate Sekules is a great book I've enjoyed reading. And I am greatly inspired by Celia Pym, an artist who keeps embroidery and sewing at the heart of her practice.

Tudor Prison Embroidery

I enjoyed reading about Mary, Queen of Scots' prison embroideries recently. They're full of symbolism - hidden and not so hidden meaning. The pieces made at Oxburgh Hall, where Mary was kept captive for the greatest period of time, are some of her most famous. There are many examples from this period - Mary was even joined by one of her jailers, the aristocrat Bess of Hardwick, herself an accomplished embroiderer. Subjects range from allegories of Mary's situation to everyday animals found in Tudor Britain - cats, dogs, honey bees - and more fantastical creatures such as unicorns and dragons. 

A mouse's tail here is held by a ginger cat - an allegory for Queen Mary and her red haired cousin Elizabeth.

Unicorn

Beehive 

Marigolds (Mary's gold) wilting in the harsh sun

It's inspired me to look at talismans and lucky charms to embroider - symbols we like to keep near during times of need...

WFH Colleagues

I've spent today working through a very comprehensive list of tasks I've been putting off for weeks... and realised that while I'm missing colleagues on set, I'm far from alone. Good sign is - I haven't started speaking to them. Yet. 

On a separate note - I love this portrait of Elizabeth I, by an unknown artist painted in c.1600. So many styling tips!

January Collage