Love This #95: Suzy Watson's detailed designs

Today I’m sharing some of the most fabulous embroidery I think I’ve ever seen, and even looking at them now I can’t help but be amazed. These pictures are clearly taken through glass, but even so it’s clear to see the detail.

These all formed part of the exhibition by Suzy Watson at the 2021 Knitting & Stitching Show held at Alexandra Palace. The exhibition was titled Birds of Paradise, and it represents Suzy’s study of colour and how she views it.

For each piece of art, because let’s be frank that’s what they are, Suzy uses more than 200 threads to create the picture building up the layers from dark to light, and she aims to create “a series of work that feels real and comes to life”.

Tick.

She’s done that for me, each piece is incredible, isn’t it?

I could have quite easily left with any of the pieces I’m sharing here today, and these bugs held an unexpected and special appeal - which I’ve still yet to fully explain to myself, so there’s no chance of explaining myself in writing.

And then I spotted the glass display case of embroidery hoops, which I spent a fair time admiring and managing to capture even more of the detail by laying my phone directly on the glass.

Just look at the work involved, and the detail.

Now tell me they’re not art.

The cactus paintings were equally as charming, discovering the work of Suzy Watson at this show was pure delight.

Starting a journal for 2022

`I’ve long been a notebook fan, some might say hoarder - I’m not, I’m just waiting for the right occasion to use them, which is completely different! I’ve also long admired the stunning layouts for bullet journals on instagram, and some really are pieces of art. Now I should point out, mine aren’t - but equally I don’t think that should stop me (or anyone) starting a journal.

I’ve considered starting one before, but quite honestly, I’ve long since given up a paper diary and really don’t see the need to go back. I’m totally bought into storing my appointments and tasks, and plenty of lists, digitally and across all my devices.

But, I keep coming back to how pretty the journals are. And then I had the realisation that I only needed to record things that matter, not the minutiae of everyday life, and so this weekend I finally got started.

I know that most journals aren’t lined, but mine is and I’ll work around that. As I hone and refine my skills and ambitions that may change, but I’m pleased to be using a notebook that I already have. I’ve decided to have a monthly header page, and have bought some very cute calendar stickers for the year. I’ve already learnt that there are a wealth of sticker shops over on Etsy, so you can be as artistic as you like, or not at all.

I intend to include some of my own brush lettering, but not yet - I was too keen to get started and map out a few pages. A few years back I started learning brush lettering, and this will give me the perfect reason to pick that up again. I’m planning another brush lettering project, but I’ll share more on that another time.

Each year, since 2014 it turns out, I’ve set myself a word for the year - and this is absolutely something I want to include in my journal. I’ve not yet decided on my word for this year, but I’m expecting it to be way ahead of last year when I didn’t share it until the end of April! The quote from Jane Austen seemed to fit with these pages too.

IT ISN’T WHAT WE SAY OR THINK THAT DEFINES US, BUT WHAT WE DO. JANE AUSTEN

Over the years I’ve collected many journalling cards, stickers and the odd pretty paper or two and I’m planning to put these to good use. I’m forever saying ‘when was it we went to x’ and often I look on my blog to check, so adding pages to record this makes sense. The cactus and palm tree stickers, and the washi tape, were part of a previous stationery subscription box which I knew I’d make use of at some point.

I’ve allowed for a continuation page, as I’m hoping that we will get out and about across the country throughout the year - though at the moment we don’t have plans past May. Yet.

I also knew that I wanted to record the yarn names from my Yarn Advent box, and the blanket that I’ll make with them this year. I’ve more to do on this - including winding the wool - but I’m hoping to get going with this soon. I’m trying to be disciplined with myself as I much prefer to crochet projects than to make up projects, and I have a project sitting alongside me that needs sewing up. So the plan is to finish that first - it’s a mental block I know - because I’m really keen to get my latest project sewn together so I can start wearing it! You’ll know when I’ve done it, I’m sure.

I’ve realised that a lot of my pages will go across the year, and be interspersed with the month header pages and a ‘month review’ page too, which I’m planning to use to give a summary of the month. I’ve an idea in my mind to use the same headings each month, as I think that will give some consistency and capture what I’m hoping it will.

I know that throughout the year we’ll have a few house projects - I’ve started on my list, and I know MOH will have some things to add, so I’ll share more about our plans at some point. These pages will have a check box that I can tick off when things are complete - the best kind of list, if you ask me!

The other page I’ve set up already is a page to record how I get on with Yoga. I’ve been following Yoga With Adrienne for a few months now, and was really getting into the 30 day Move challenge for January. That is, until I twinged my knee during my MIL’s move - and twinge is a bit of an understatement, it really hurt. It’s getting better and hurts less, and I was surprised that a recent CST session also accelerated its improvement. I wasn’t expecting that, but was very glad it did.

LOVE IS THE BEAUTY OF THE SOUL, SAINT AUGUSTINE

It’s also the first page where I’m using one of the papers I have, it had the scalloped edge and it works really well. As does the quote, I think.

So there you have it, a quick run through of my first foray into journalling. And journalling that works for me - or at least, I hope it will. I already have a list of other pages I can include, and I’m sure these will develop over the year - but if you journal, I’m keen to hear what else I could include.

Discovering stunning plants at Holker Hall

I discovered these plants for the first time last June when we were in the Lake District, and then again more recently when I was finally sorting through and editing my photos. With no firm plans on what to post here, and also wanting to finally post the outcomes of a delayed pre-pandemic post, I decided to share them today.

Holker Hall is an independent garden in Cark, Grange-over-Sands which was close to the cottage where we stayed in Cartmel, and just around the corner from Sizergh which we also visited.

Part of the beauty about these plants, is that for most I don’t know what they are - that doesn’t make them any less stunning, but if you can identify any which I can’t then please leave a comment and let me know.

The lightness and airiness of the white flowers above is their appeal, but I’m not sure what they are - they look like they could be related to a chrysanthemum but I’m happy to be told otherwise.

It’s not often that you see a blue flower, even bluebells can be more lilac, and I’m not sure I’ve seen plants like the ones above and below before. I’m leaning towards them being some kind of wort or maybe a euphorbia, but I really don’t mind, as I think these are absolutely the most stunning. And if it turns out these are suited to woodland type environments then they’ll go to the top of my wish list.

Alliums and irises are more well known so I feel on safer ground with the next few photos. Each appeals for their vibrancy and delicacy, in equal measures.

And one final shot which I couldn’t resist including…

Isn’t it great - the expression, and how good does that stretch look?