i've got a stitch - process

Photographs

Tracings

Embroidery

Magpie - Matlock

Raindrops - A6 between Matlock & Matlock Bath

Tracing - thinking about placement

Hand embroidery

Lungwort from my sister Clare's garden in Matlock

Alder leaf - Matlock

Apple - near Bonsal

Apple & hawthorn - gathered and 'caught' on the same walk

i've got a stitch - linen shirt

Beginning in July 2025 I've taken days 'off' here are there to walk familiar routes around Matlock/Cromford in Derbyshire and note sights that stopped me in my tracks in wonder: hoping to catch a felt response before thought kicked in.

Wanting to work with a second hand shirt and embroidery threads I searched charity shops without luck, then 'won' this shirt & a bundle of threads on eBay. So far the wondrous sights are - magpie, raindrops in a puddle, lungwort, alder leaf, harebell, house martin, sherd, apple, hawthorn sprig (attached to my backpack and discovered by surprise), cone with tiny mushroom and sherd with feet!

I'll keep going until I know it's finished.

I've not had a studio space for 3 years now and no means to afford one, so this is how I'm keeping the flame of my practice alive. I keep the shirt hung up so I see it everyday.

In this cost of living crisis how do you keep your practice present, even if it's just a whisper?

Linen shirt

Inspiration for the next embroidery - sherd with feet

creative fridays at salcare

Happy to share I'll be spending Friday mornings in March, April (& 1st May) at Salcare in Heanor, getting creative in the lead up to the Derbyshire Makes Festival 2026 🎉

share the harvest

Was so delighted to stitch this banner as a gift for Thrivemind Village (39 Iron Gate, Derby, DE1 3GA) in celebration of their brilliant COMMUNITY FRIDGE!

I dropped the banner off this week and grabbed tasty apples from the fridge. It's open to everyone and contains locally grown, mostly organic fruit and veg and anyone can share or take food.

The Community Fridge is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3-6pm and Saturday 11am-4pm.

Nothing new was purchased to make the banner - it includes pre-loved textiles from my stash and bits and bobs from the Play and Recycling Centre in Derby and Ashgate Hospice charity shop in Heanor. Some of the patterned elements are from my mum's 1970's aprons! Doreen liked a pattern and it was particularly nice to work with these textiles as it would have been her 90th birthday on 13th October this week.

I'm hoping the banner will attract passers-by to step over the threshold of Thrivemind Village and discover all the amazing creative, connected, nurturing things going on while grabbing nutritious food for tea!

dare to dream - heanor library craft group

The Heanor Library craft group embraced Derbyshire Makes Dare to Dream with open arms. Here's a selection of their textile patches in celebration of all that's important to them in Derbyshire - place, industry, heritage and history. 

During my final visit with the group they began to arrange their communal banner - taking up space on the library floor and I loved the relationship between the books and textiles 🙂

Can't wait to see the finished banner! 

Pickaxe and hammer

Millstones

Home

Crich Stand

Museum of Making

dare to dream - heanor sewing group

Fabulous and proud!

It's been a pleasure to spend time in the company of the Heanor Sewing Group who meet on Tuesday mornings at the Infinite Wellbeing Community Centre in Heanor. This is their generous contribution to the Derbyshire Makes Dare to Dream mass participation project.

The group invested many hours into their individual patches, and Allison (3rd from right) arranged the patches into the group banner, hand stitching a ribbon of black roses to complete the work. 

A couple of the group away when this photo was taken, so not everyone is represented here. Well done all!

derbyshire makes - dare to dream

Wow! Was totally blown away by the generosity and care the Heanor Library Craft Group and Sewing Group that meet at Infinite Wellbeing in Heanor have focused into their textile patches for the Derbyshire Makes Dare to Dream project.

The textile pieces have taken hours and hours of work and are a stitched love letter to Derbyshire! The groups are so supportive of each other, sharing ideas, skills and encouragement.

These pieces are being uploaded to the digital loom, which is growing day by day. Check out the link for information on how to submit your own artwork to the loom.

Inspired by the past and looking to the future 💚