This project is inspired by the everyday.

One day I decided I wanted to do a big project that lasts a year, so I embarked on a daily stitch. I wanted something small that was manageable to do each day.

I like to stitch flowers and usually colourful ones but for this project I decided to just stick to white with white thread on white fabric. I changed the weight of fabric and thread like you would change pencils to get tone and depth.  

As I always have my phone with me, I photograph flowers I see everyday. On a day trip out, on walks, at the garden centre or in my own garden or maybe a neighbour's front garden.  

I find out what the flower is by using an app and get stitching. Drawing the flowers freehand onto fabric using a heat erasable pen. Each flower fits in a 10 cm x 10 cm square. 

Sometimes I use the same thread other times I experiment with shine and texture and maybe some applique. Whatever I fancy. To archive the flower, I stamp it using its scientific name using the world’s smallest stamp. I laminate the label and attach it to the flower sample that’s been mounted onto card and backed with felt. 

On the day of writing this I’m on day 285 and hoping to get to the full year. The plan then is to house my work in something to keep this collection together. I was thinking of an embroidered box maybe or a beautiful bag, but I’ve decided upon a white bin bag. As beautiful as this project has been experiencing nature from the smallest floral weed to the grand blooms of a blossom tree something else has been apparent, the litter surrounding the nature around us. The discarded careless of life that remains once the flower has bloomed and faded. 

The bin bag will be embroidered in full colour on this delicate fragile surface. Wish me luck on this story so far.