The blanketscapes project is about connecting with a place, slowing down and noticing details. Covid lockdowns gave ample time for such things, I spent a lot of time in green areas walking with friends - learning about trees. One such place was the Taddiforde Valley in Exeter, on University land. There are a lot of sycamore trees down near the brook, I love the shape of the leaves and the helicopter seeds that grow in the autumn. So I started with these trees

The first leaf pattern I designed was a large sycamore leaf, or more generally a maple leaf. They have distinctive five pointed leaves and maples are known for their stunning range of autumn colours. Leaves are smooth, so suit right side stocking stitch, so the leaves need to be vertical in design for the leaf texture to show in relief on the right side.