There is a distinctly sultry feeling about today, a warm if not damp afternoon. The lane were I walk my dog is full of hawthorn berries, bright red and abundant. Bindweed climbs and clings, through the hedgerows and blackberries glisten like the tiny, beady eyes of a wood mouse.
The painting below is from my children's book Down the Lane. The wood mouse is a figment of my imagination, he is sitting in an abandoned bird's nest. I did read somewhere that they sometimes make their nests in empty birds nests. Everything else is exactly the same down the lane today, except for the swifts and swallows who seem to have taken their leave.
I am busy working on a new fabric collection for Makower UK, they manufacture fabrics for the quilters and crafters. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to show you what is on my desk right now as it is top secret! I did create a Hedgerow collection which is pretty much over now. The industry demands a rapid turnover of new designs, still, I mustn't grumble as it keeps the wolf from my door. I have seen a few fabrics on various websites but the warehouse at Makower in Henley-on-Thames has been out of stock for some time.If you, or anyone you know has made a quilt or sewn a project using any of my fabrics I would love to hear about it. So far I have designed four collections; Nestled in Springtime, Hedgerow, Christmas teddies and Herb Garden. The later is about to be launched and I am waiting to see the strike offs. I thought it might be nice to show some needlework on this blog. I am the world's slowest quilter, despite having amassed a collection of printed samples.
