Going to Ilminster

 I have some new work for the Ilminster exhibition of "Bloom".

I have had an interest in historical English embroidery for many years. I have been looking at imagery of English medieval gardens and at the way plant forms are used in English embroidery especially from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Two hand stitched pieces on show will be "Curious Trees" based on the out of scale tree shapes found in embroidery and in illustrated pattern books popular with seventeenth century embroiderers.

          

They are worked on layers of re-used dyed cotton organdie which allows the strong colours to glow.

There are also three pieces made on the same organdie fabric using a combination of hand and machine stitch using images of flower forms found in medieval manuscripts.

Each of these pieces is presented behind two layers of glass in a zinc frame which allows the light to shine through the organdie surface.

Liz Harding