Page 9 - The Digital Cloth Holiday issue 2

The Magpie birds may have a somewhat
glamorous appearance but their call is not and
their habit of raiding others birds nests for
eggs and fledglings is also not very
appealing. One common myth about the
magpie is that it collects and steals bright
shiny objects and hoards them in it’s nest. A
great story but apparently this is untrue. This
does not stop Illustrators and artists depicting

this myth, I’ve been guilty myself. I couldn’t
resist adding the odd shiny button and piece of
necklace to my work.
Curiously a mischief is the collective noun for
magpies. People are often referred to as
“magpies” if they collect or hoard objects.
Artists and particularly textiles artists often
refer to themselves in this way when referring
to their “stash” of fabrics and materials.This

was where my idea for “Guarding the Stash”
originated by placing an embroidered
territorial magpie on top of a pile of fabrics. A
piece of 1930’s tray cloth with a blue transfer
design was the ground for this. Handkerchiefs,
linen napkins, doilies, plastic table cloths have
all provided me with a base for my magpie
pieces which I prefer to frame under glass
when finally completed.
I have been delighted to sell

some of my magpie work as well
as having it accepted into juried
exhibitions. I was particularly
pleased when one of my magpie
pieces “Lifting the Ribbon” was
recently shortlisted for the “Be
Red Ribbon Inspired” competi-
tion run by the National AIDS
Trust.

I use sketchbooks to generate,
record and developed my ideas.
These workbooks are personal
documents containing rough
scribbles, drawings, ephemera
and notes which give birth to my
art. I believe my stitched art is art
and not a hobby craft, so I was
particularly pleased last year to
become a proud member of the