going home again

i really am surprised at how much i enjoy working on this piece - the ideas just keep coming

the bullfinches were a bit of a struggle, but at least i have learnt how to clean the inkjets on my printer! there will be a pair of them but the one here is just to see that it works

i stripped out the fabric under the bottom edge - it's been replaced with memories of my two grandmothers - Gramie, my mother's mother and Zelle (a diminutive) our adopted granny, taught together from shortly after WW2 - Zelle's house had been bombed, accidentally by the RAF after calais was liberated, so she lived with Gramie at the school  until the repairs were completed - when Gramie retired she moved in to the upper floors of Zelle's house  - Zelle was very much a part of the family from before i was born - 

she treated us as though we were her own grandchildren and was a constant presence in our lives

so, under the bottom edge are flowers taken from a scarf of Zelle's - 2 anemones, which my grandmother loved, a cornflower which is the flower of remembrance for WW1 in france, and a daffodil, a favourite flower of both grannies - sadly i can't remember Zelle's favourite flower - the flowers have been cut out and are backed with the rose pink edging from the scarf

i have added stitching to the pear tree - it's subtle but i feel  it brightens it

and the grape hyacinths are coming along nicely