I seem to have spent the last few weeks like that poor fellow in the sculpture in St David's Cathedral.

But life seems to be a bit clearer now.

So it's back to work. Just like these chaps on a misericord in St David's.

In the DS course I do go on a bit about students drawing!

I think it helps you to 'see' and to 'think', before you stitch.

But so many students say that they can't draw!

I have put this next information for those who need encouragement to draw.

Find something you like and just draw 'copy' it.

One of my absolute favourite textiles is Kuba Cloth. It is palm leaf woven with a cut pile embroidered in geometric designs. I first saw them at the Museum of Mankind in London.

It was one of those truly magic moments.

I drew (copied) many of the designs. Just because I liked them! I had no project in mind.

Then I coloured them in.

When I was starting the Historical Heirloom C & G course at Urchfont Manor,

with Val Campbell-Harding I needed a design source that, I thought, had that 'tingle factor'.

This was the opportunity to develop those drawings into stitch.

One of the plans for stitching using the designs.

And this is the stitching.