Morning visitor

I haven't written for a couple of weeks since I have been working on some family matters which have swallowed up most of my free time. But as I was working on Saturday morning at my computer, look what walked by my window and just stood there looking at me, waiting for me to snap her picture..

Today, it rained most of the morning so I stayed in and finished my 'Horseman of the Bayeux'... here it is.

The Bayeux stitch is rather like a weaving, with three layers of embroidery straight stitches laid one on top of the other, in three different ways: a) a series of parallel long stitches b) then at 90 degrees to these, spaced every 1,5 cms or so, another long stitch, thereby holding down the first layer, and then c) a small catching stitch every centimetre along this second layer, thereby sealing the whole. Each of the areas to be embroidered is defined by stem stitch. These layers of stitches create texture and movement. The horse seemed almost to gallop off the linen ground.

Yesterday was an eerily strange day around the lake. The wind was strong and blowing the smoke from the forest fires which are burning up in the La Tuque area towards our area. It seemed that there was a risk that the flames were approaching us closer and closer.

It seemed it might rain so I was anxious to transplant some flowers from one part of the garden to another. I had the camera in my pocket as I worked and was able to capture this particular picture of a 'yellow swallowtail' feeding off the dandelions (there are lots right now!

On the tip of the wings in the back is a well-defined part in bright turquoise blue, outlined in black rather like a stained glass window.

Once again, I am reminded how nature brings a magnificent array of colour combinations which, for the embroiderer, is an endless source of creative food.

Every morning, I walk for at least 45 minutes. I try to remember to pick up the camera before I set out because sometimes, as I walk through the forest, there are some wonderful images that the forest floor offers up. The other morning, I saw a collection of these yellow butterflies, eating voraciously on the path... I think this will be great inspiration for an embroidery. I'm not sure what I will draw from this, but maybe in the coming weeks, I'll share what I think will be an interesting transformation of this fresh scene.

The Bayeux Tapestry - reproduction

Yesterday, while preparing the text for my blog, I was curious to know if Dr. Raymond Dugan continued to give conferences around his magnificent reproduction of the original tapestry. I googled his name and found the link to his website which I would like to share with you.

Here it is: www.dugansbayeuxtapestry.com.

If you have a chance to view his work, and to hear him talk about it, go. It is worth the trip. The schedule of showings of the replica is given in the website.

I then wrote to his contact e.mail and this morning he had replied, from Paris, where he was enjoying a month's vacation It was a very happy reconnection for me.

A horseman of the Bayeux Tapestry

I mentioned on May 14 that I was working on a scene from The Bayeux Tapestry, which is not a tapestry in the contemporary sense, since it is embroidered on a linen ground fabric. I had already embroidered a naval scene 10 years ago. This piece is framed and hangs in our living room, so when I embroider in the evenings, I see it. Since I like the history attached to the original Bayeux, one of the oldest original embroideries that exist today, on exhibition at the Bayeux Museum in France, it is a compelling work to copy.

The Bayeux Tapestry is my personal history, the Battle of Hastings, 1066, the clash of armour between the French and English. I live divided between these two cultures, between the heritage of my family and that of my husband.

On Friday last, as I was driving into town, I listened to an interview with David Gray. I didn't know anything of him before, but I really liked his down-to-earthness. This is a perfect seguay between yesterday's post and today. I spoke about how much the garden is an integral part of my work, but if you think about it, the vocabulary of day to day life often relates to the earth. Think about it: expressions like 'digging down', 'earthy personality', pithy argument, growing up, growing down (I like that one), being rooted, and so many more.

But the words that resonated with me was when he referred to the different style of the music of his new album, 'Draw the Line'. I don't remember his exact quote (I was driving at the time, so I couldn't note it down), but in order to make a sea change, bringing an innovative quality to his music, he had to break away from what was familiar... the terms he used was digging up the earth, turning over the soil, changing the décor with the idea of breaking the patterns of the past to see and feel something new and therefore create a new voice in his music.

He also left me with the feeling that he was a man without pretention, despite his professional success. He has kept a focus on what he feels sincerely. He seems authentic, and 'down to earth'.


Oh, and the primroses by the front step were just beautiful this morning......sitting there, enjoying the sun. I had transplanted them just last summer from another part of the garden. They have doubled in size. Talk about digging up roots and changing environments and how this encourages a new flowering.