Coral Variaition #19 and # 20

Chug chug chug- still working on the coral variations and am almost halfway. Of course they are for sale for $50 US each including postage. Just email me if you are interested. The background cloth in #19 is actually orange but is showing up as pink- I think it must be the touch of white in the printed fabric that is causing that. It has also been a good way to use up bits of fabric that weren't big enough to do anything much with but that were too nice to part with. The two background fabrics in this are prints that didn't really work on their own but they are fine if used it his way.

Thank you for the feedbag on the teapots- sometimes you are so on top of the work you are not sure if it has really worked or not, so it is always good to get feedback. I think I will make a series of three with maybe 20 little squares in each series rather than 64 of the one imprint.

As part of an end of year round up ( and one positive thing that has happened recently is that my middle daughter came home for one night- after refusing to come home or see us for 14 months- it is small steps but at least it is so much more hopeful than the bleakness of the last year, and I can see a little spring in my touch with my work) I thought I would share some of my favourite blogs with you- ones that I read regularly and always draw inspiration from. They are in no particular order, and whilst I mention these blogs in particular, I hasten to add that I regularly look at all the blogs in my sidebar and derive a great deal of enjoyment from them- but I have chosen these because they are thoughful and always offer something new in making or thought process or simpy in inspiration and they blog regularly.
Ilva's Lucullian Delights Blog and her photo blog. Her recipes are always delightful and I have tried quite a few of them over time- and I love her Tuscan photos- makes me wish I lived there....
Jude's blog- Spirit Cloth- her work is so different than mine, yet I really relate to her thoughtfulness in regard to process. I feel much the same about cloth and the way things come togehter, despite the fact that I often work with a machine- but it is the whole colouring of cloth- creating the visual and textural surface.
Olga Norris' blog Threading Thoughts Olga's work is an inspiration of the effectiveness of stitch combined with personal imagery- I also enjoy reviews of exhibitions Olga has seen, and which I wish I had, and also her reviews of books- many of which have been placed on my wish list!
And last but not least is Sharon Bogon's blog In a Mintue Ago- it is a wonderful archive of any information textile. stitch or embroidery plus Sharon has really inspired stitchers worldwide to take their stitching further!