A new project

 I've been working on some new ideas the past two months and thinking at what direction to take my work in the future. I know it's a clique to say that you're on a journey but it's true and sometimes you return back to where you started. Before I went down the more employable route as a costume maker, I made textile art at college. So recently I've been getting back into machine embroidery, hand stitching and getting more creative with textiles.

At the moment, I am working on a art quilt which I am planning to exhibit later this year. My love of quilting extends to owning a number of vintage quilts that I like to look at now and again. I especially love hand quilting despite it being time consuming and completely uneconomical but sometimes you need to make purely for your own pleasure and that's what I'm doing now!

The quilt is based on renaissance maps and particularly Copernicus' map of the solar system with a bit of modern elements appearing too. A visit to the V&A museum looking at the magnificent tapestries held there also played a part of the inspiration.

Copernicus map.

The quilt is over a metre square and will involve a number of techniques including appliqué, hand stitching and printing. I will post photos as the quilt develops to show the different stages as it all builds together. Sometimes I know exactly how I want it to look and othertimes it's rather spontaneous!

Cotton dyed with 50 teabags! 

Close up detail of the ISS. Applique and machine embroidery.

Machine embroidering the central piece.

Starting to hand stitch gold thread round the sun.