The sunflower series ...

I dip in & out of various crafts but am always doing something creative.  I am a lifelong skills learner & often sign up for courses to learn something new. Some years back, I did a day long needle felting course & absolutely love it. 

The scenes from Ukraine has given me the incentive to do some sunflower inspired needle felting & I blogged my earlier blue & yellow efforts in March. It is a very creative, calming activity that is coupled with hand embroidery, something I learnt at my Mother & Grandmother's knee. Not all greens are the same, I often combine two different threads, especially adding in metallic gold ... 

The sunflower is a powerful symbol that can be interpreted in many ways - my sunflower collection is now at 10 felted images; I have yet to decide what to do with them but they are all unique in their own way & they reflect a moment in time that we are all party to via the news. 

I blogged the first 4 felted images here so look back on them for detail if you want .... 

    

The red poppies make an appearance,  we all know of the association with war, remembrance  .... 

A pure heart against the blue & yellow - the strands being pulled away from it as people flee ... 

  

Faith, Hope & Love - as  refugees made their way in to various countries, I was inspired by a charm my parents had given me decades ago - I combined the three as I thought they showed a core strength. 

A vase of sunflowers, bold against the blue sky (blue & yellow are the national colours of Ukraine) with a candle to show the way ....

Whenever I start felting, I have an idea but it develops as I work. I knew I needed to reflect the destruction of whole cities, of lives. The destruction is under a blue & yellow sky, straggly sunflowers with a river of blood red beads ... 

The blue heart is being pierce with red beads, sunflowers holding it all together.  The red in the heart rests on a bed of poppies which are a universal sign of Remembrance, of war across the world. You cannot escape the blood soaked earth ... 

Much of that region belong to various Eastern Orthodox churches & so it is fitting that in the run up to Easter, a cross must be against the chaotic sky. The sunflowers & spring blooms are signs of hope with the ever present red poppies a reminder of the reality. 

The last two together - the religious aspect which is important. I find it hard to believe that the Church & the many religious leaders are not taking a firmer stance on this atrocity ... 

I felted a large sunflower then did not know how to continue so it sat on the felting mat overnight. As soon as I saw it this morning, I realised it is Palm Sunday & then the way forward found its own way. The sunflower is meant to be bold, to be defiant, to be the centre, the palms a reminder of Easter this coming week, the stars, and a single small cross ... 

Do you have one you are more drawn to? Thank you for stopping by, be thankful for your life where you are & keep those who need it in your prayers. 

Dee ~💕~

The lovely Benthall Hall, Shropshire

 Benthall Hall is situated in the town of Broseley just above Ironbridge. Broseley is more famously known for its clay pipe making skills in the last century, notably the very long church warden ones. 

It was recently used as the outdoor setting for Enola Holmes  which according to the National Trust website - 

Surrounded by Shropshire countryside, and with a fine stone building and grand courtyard entrance, Benthall Hall was chosen as an ideal filming location for the exterior of ‘Ferndell’ - the Holmes family estate. However, a lot of work was needed to make this well-cared for historic place look wild and unkempt for the film.

Production Designer Michael Carlin said: ‘In the story we have the brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, arriving home for the first time and Mycroft expressing dismay at the state of their home. He’s been sending his mother money for upkeep but she has more important things to do with the money.

‘The gardeners and the people taking care of the house at Benthall were brilliant in allowing the gardens to get really overgrown and letting us drape vines all over the exterior.’

Along with the return of Sherlock and Mycroft to their family home, this location was also used to film carriage rides through the horse chestnut avenue and through gates behind the church into the front courtyard. An assembling search party scene was also filmed on the front courtyard.

I had not visited in some years so it was a spur of the moment decision on our part & we are glad we did. 

The gardens have lovely spring colour & it all looked splendid. We stopped in at the lovely church attached to the estate, so much history is there. 

I hope you have enjoyed the photos, stop by again soon, or leave a welcome comment. 

Dee