Images from Kew Gardens....

26th July 2016

Spent a few relaxing hours in Kew Gardens this afternoon, a fabulous treat....

....the entrance, a wonderful display...

....bees were very busy, love these giant thistles....

....beautiful wooden memorial benches....

....first glimpse of the Hive...

.....looking up from ground level...

....wildflower meadow which is part of the installation to attract the bees...

....looking up from the middle with the sound of humming bees...

....the floor in the middle of the structure...

....looking down...

.....loved these grass beds....

....eucalyptus shedding its bark...

....water lily pond....

....inspiration for textile/embroidery work...

.....I came away wanting to stitch and it was great to see so many people from babies to seniors enjoying the sunshine and wonders of nature!

A Sunny Sunday in Richmond....

24th July 2016

Gorgeous weather today with a gentle breeze, took a walk through the park into Richmond....

.....so much shape and vibrant colours.....

.....a raised bed at the entrance to the park...

.....wonderful colours in these leaves...

.....a beautiful mix of colours and shapes....

.....amazing flower swaying in the breeze...

.....bees were buzzing here....

....two veg and herb beds in the centre of the park, great idea....

.....floating puppet theatre...

....people kayaking and rowing....

....ducks waiting for food....

....artist at work....

.....beautiful hanging baskets....

....a window display in Anthrapologie, just loved this idea for a wall hanging.....

....it looked like dyed muslin with patches of dyed fabric stitched on randomly.

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Lots of cuddles with Alba....

....she has changed so much in the last three weeks, such a treasure!

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Made this for her bedroom, my first attempt at negative space embroidery, next time I will use a firmer fabric such as calico or dense weave linen. I  used stem stitch for the letter outline and lazy daisy for the flowers, really enjoyed making it.