Jenny Jones Cygnus Inspiration This book is inspired by my interest in heraldry and the coat of arms of Slough past and present. Each features a swan holding a flower in its beak. It is also influenced by the fact that a dianthus flower, known as Mrs Sinkins, has associations with the town. It seemed appropriate to link the swan and the flower. I chose a patchwork block called ‘Storm at sea’ as the background for the swan as it seemed relevant. The swan motif was taken from Indian folk art whilst the many dianthus on the cover came from my own drawings.
Techniques The cover is painted Pelmet Vilene whilst the dianthus are painted onto cotton, free machine embroidered, edged with crochet cords, and the outside edge finished with hand buttonhole stitch. The inside cover is painted card in a random design on which the ‘sea’ and swan sit. The swan is made from painted Lutradur and embellished with free machine embroidery. The ‘Storm at sea’ block is disperse dye printed and also embroidered. The swan and block have been designed to come out in relief from the card background. The side panels are my variation on the patchwork block. The title is from a swan picture in a Medieval Bestiary with my interpretation.