That's the hanging sleeve stitched to the back of my quilt for display at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in a few weeks' - hoping I've followed the instructions correctly! #quilting

Another banner... this is to advertise mending workshops a couple of us are running at work and illustrates that mending can be visible or invisible. As always nothing new used - base cloth is a doll's cot blanket my Gran made, letters are from scraps. Machine and hand sewn #mending #visiblemending

Today is 200 years since Faraday's discovery of benzene! I made these hexies for a maths community quilt (with the maths being in the bond lengths of single and double bonds and the aromatic structure). I don't believe ever got made, so it's nice to have an opportunity to post a picture of them! 🐡

May's temperatures (at last). Another warm month - warmer than the last two years as you can see from the orange colours, though chillier nights (more purple) - I'm guessing that's because of the clear skies and lack of rain. #temperatureembroidery #sciart

My second banner. Posting for Cambridge Pride today, and in support of all those affected by the Supreme Court ruling. No new materials used - just leftovers and an old pillowcase.

The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in London from 12 June in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall. It’s a thought-provoking tribute and reminder of the power of community and compassion. I hope Londoners get a chance to visit and reflect on this moving exhibition ⤵️

🐡 Today is World Oceans Day. The take-home message from Attenborough's Ocean film is that if we protect at least 30% of the oceans, esp. by banning bottom trawling, marine wildlife and fish stocks will recover in a much wider area - it's not too late just yet! Please share this banner and...

Some Sunday morning reading: One of my friends has recently started writing about the chemistry behind acrylic paints, starting with phthalocyanine blue: open.substack.com/pub/devonpai... #ChemSky 🧪

A rainbow over Glen Coe last Friday

Found this little snow bunting singing away on top of Ben Nevis last week

Today is National Biscuit Day, and it’s about time that I populated this account with biscuit (cookie) sets from the past few years. Here are some of my favourites. 🧵 First up, a set inspired by the delicious designs of William Morris and John Henry Dearle.

That was a good stash-buster! Some of these will be on sale on Parker's Piece this Tuesday as part of Hills Rd VI Form social action week, in aid of Mind, and others will be sold by Winter Comfort at Cambridge Pride in June.

Lovely to visit my old primary school in Suffolk for its 150th. A reminder of all the needlework we did, and the dreaded nature diaries; we had to record sthg every morning & I clearly remember making up a one-legged robin in desperation 🤣. But we did leave with a good awareness of the natural world

100,000 signatures to ban fossil fuel ads and sponsorships — thank you to everyone who signed ! Now onwards to a debate . . . govpetition.uk/700024

I was fortunate to see David Attenborough's new film Ocean yesterday. It's hard-hitting but ultimately hopeful, IF governments act together to protect our oceans. Pls email our gov to urge their action act.for-the-ocean.org/act/protect-... (and see the film on a big screen - sea life is amazing!)

Here in the UK, following a warm, dry and sunny March, we have had the sunniest April on record and 3rd warmest April. Here is a #dataviz with the summary of the weather/climate for the last year.

A warmer April than we've had for some years: temps reaching 25°C today and three periods topping 20°. Night time temps stayed cool on account of clear skies. Less yellow and orange in '24 and esp '23 shows they were both cooler, with the start of April '22 (scarf) being distinctly nippy (blue) 🐡

If you'd like to write to the Prime Minister's office about the Supreme Court ruling, you can do so here - contact.no10.gov.uk - 1000 character limit. I have just done so!

This is *really* important: the reason electricity prices are high is the high cost of gas & that market rate is set by gas prices. One of the loudest calls at Everything Electric last week was to decouple from gas prices, so we benefit from cheaper renewables. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Writetothem.com I have written to all my MLAs and my MP about the Supreme Court judgement and its implications. It’s worth doing. Go and speak to them as well if you can.

We’re looking to help fund projects that tackle inequality or highlight the lived experiences of underrepresented groups in chemistry. Apply by 5 May for up to £5,000 to bring your inclusion and diversity project to life: buff.ly/LpxjBOU #ChemSky

It's been a busy fortnight, co-organising a conference, running a sewing workshop, not to mention finding myself on stage with Ed Sheeran (more on that later!) But here are March temp highs and lows. As you can see from the citrine yellow it was an unusually warm March with two spells >18°C... 1/5

Spring reminder, as people start to think about gardening: NEVER buy compost with peat it in (inexplicably still on sale). If it does not say "peat free" in big letters, do not buy it. Peat is incredibly valuable in peat bogs, for rare biodiversity and as a carbon store. Don't put it on your garden!

Working on a new print about the future of pollination featuring wild native bees for for Manufactured Ecosystems. 🧪🐡 🐝 The future of pollination is a huge global concept to tackle artistically. There are issues worldwide, but they’re all local: specific species, specific stresses on ecosystems, 🧵

Historian @emilypawley.bsky.social shows how social movements have already transformed our world—often more than we realize. That's the good news! The not-so-good news is that progress is often messy, imperfect, and fragile. We can’t do this alone, but history proves that we CAN do it together.

This is work in progress on a new block: Aquilegia canadensis, the Canadian or Canada columbine, eastern red columbine, or wild columbine. 🧪🐡 This is my favourite plant to have invited and planted itself in my garden. I’m making more wildflowers for my series of prints about the future of

I'd like to tell you a story about a scientist you may not have heard of, but who shaped a lot of modern health research... 🧵

Word of the day is ‘erumpent’ (17th century), which describes buds and blossom that are bursting forth with vigour. Can also be used of energetic humans.

If you would like to make your own little piece of pollen patchwork, then come to my workshop tomorrow and Sunday, in the Phoenix Room on New Museums Site in Cambridge, UK. English paper piecing for those with a bit of sewing experience, and felt for beginners. #sciart #bee #pollen #embroidery

And it's finished! Just in time for my @camunifestivals workshop this weekend The quilt shows twelve lovely flowers that you might find in your garden or in the wild, each surrounded by the colour of its pollen. Who'd have thought there were so many different pollen colours! #sciart #bee #embroidery

I've spent today edging my pollen quilt ready to show at next weekend's drop-in workshop at the Cambridge Festival. The quilt is completely hand-stitched so it seemed appropriate to use my lovely old 1914 Singer hand machine for the binding. #sciart

Trigger's broom (or the Ship of Theseus, if you prefer classical references to Only Fools & Horses) should be the model for all our possessions. "And that's what I've done. Maintained it for 20 years. This old broom's had 17 new heads & 14 new handles" Original clip: www.youtube.com/watc...

KLAXON 🚨: Indie SAGE has come out of retirement to release a new short report standing up for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the sciences! DEI is not just the right thing to do, it *improves* the quality of the science. Please read and share. independentsage.org/wp-content/u... 1/2

A little bee is buzzing its way around my pollen quilt #sciart

A much chillier February than the last two years with much of it staying below 6°C (dark purple) and several frosty nights (lilacs). A hint of Spring towards the end of the month with the first day of 2025 that went above 16°C (light green), and we finished with some glorious sunshine. #sciart

US Science has been under sustained attack for the last month. I've been thinking about the vulnerabilities in UK science. In a new post, I've imagined a dystopian but *possible* future for UK science - as a way for prompting discussions on how we can protect it. open.substack.com/pub/christin...

Have you ever wondered how beekeepers know which flowers their bees are visiting? Would you like to try your hand at English paper piecing? The two questions aren't entirely unrelated (and I'm frantically trying to get the quilt quilted in time!!) #sciart www.festival.cam.ac.uk/events/polle...

A lovely afternoon yesterday discovering the treasures in @whipplemuseum.bsky.social Amazing to see John Kendrew’s myoglobin model among many things, & good to see that the role of technicians in research is acknowledged (I fear there was another name on the Kendrew model but I failed to take note)

I'm giving a public talk entitled Mathematics, Art, and Creativity, on Pi Day (March 14) in Melbourne. It's the launch for the 2025 CARMA/Matrix Maths Art Poster competition. Competition details at: carmamaths.org/art/gallery/...

“Climate action can become popular when people understand its benefits [to] their own communities and… lives” How to talk about climate change beyond the climate bubble - a brilliant article by Caroline Lucas and Rupert Read

The first month of this year’s temperature embroidery feels like a good time to start posting here. This is an ongoing project showing the temperature highs and lows in my garden in rural Cambridgeshire. This January was a purple month, with temperatures dipping sub zero for much of the first half.