Just got back from a slightly different but very much needed and enjoyable week in North Cornwall. If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen photos of our walks and beach excursions in my stories and I even managed to get some stitching done as well.
First, a piece of blackwork from a gorgeous design I found on Pinterest several years ago. I’m afraid I don’t know the designer, so if anyone does please can they let me know so I can credit them. This is stitched in a single strand of Gloriana silk thread on 28 count natural Cashel linen and yes, it is tiny! Most of the motifs are about 1cm square.
Stitching al fresco in Boscastle while my husband and little one went snorkelling in the harbour.
And again at Tintagel while we waited for our slot to cross the new bridge onto the headland.
Finally finished. I still love the design and I’m glad I stitched it, but I’m ready to move onto something else!
I’ve decided to stitch a Memory Journal style diary for this holiday. I’m going for images and memories from the whole week, rather than one piece to represent each day as I’ve done in the past. We went to Crackington Haven on the Sunday evening to watch the sunset.
And to have a little beachcomb – although as the tide was well in, it was only a little one. I love the slate pebbles of this beach with their scribbly quartz inclusions.
So the first piece I created was using the pebble fabric from the Anderby Creek Memory Journal and some flat slate pebbles from Crackington Haven beach over which I stitched my own quartz inclusions.
I’ve also been very taken with the way the prevailing winds sculpt the trees on the north coast. (Taken through the windscreen of the car, so not the best photo, but I love the shape of that tree.)
Start of my sculpted tree piece. I’m planning to couch the strands of cotton down to make the outline of the branches and then clothe it in leaves – possibly a few less than on the original so you can still see the framework of branches.
We visited a few beaches during the week but the beach finds were generally a bit sparse. However, I’m planning to use some of these bits I picked up at Tintagel for various stitching and jewellery projects.
Plenty of inspiration and hopefully now I’ve had a week’s recharge, I have the energy to get stuck into them.
Under A Topaz Sky 
There were a few trees shaped like that on the Norfolk Coast too. Looks like you had a lovely holiday. 🙂
We did, thank you. Very much needed!!
I am deeply impressed with your blackwork – and not at all surprised you want to move to something else!
Thank you! Apart from pulled thread there is only so much I can take of counted thread work!
Got to love wind blown trees. Those and the ones that precariously grow from vertical cliffs!
They are the most amazing shapes!
Lovely part of the country, reading this brings back happy memories of our tour of North Devon and Cornwall with our German friends years ago. Hope the new bridge is less scary than the old one, but had to be brave as I’m nosey and didn’t want to miss anything.
Love the black work.
The new bridge is stunning and so much better than the uneven stairs of old. I have a real problem with stairs and so hadn’t been on the headland the last twice we visited. The only thing is that the slates, which are laid on edge, shift under your feet which can be quite disconcerting!
I bet. Yes, the stairs were scary, think Miles held my hand and guided me slowly down, and Colin didn’t attempt it.