Author | Lightnews

Clare Wilkes

@clareewilkes.bsky.social

170 followers 250 following 51 posts

Enthusiastic about sustainability, science and sewing, and bell ringing too She/her Occasional blogger: periodically.blog

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Mar 28

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

Patchwork quilt with embroidered flowers, each surrounded by patches in the colours of their pollen

Detail of the quilt - white chicory flowers with white pollen, and two embroidered bees

Detail of quilt 'Colours of Pollen, a Beekeeper's Quilt, CEW 2025'

2 2 31

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 24d

Halesworth is a super place. My Dad attended some of the events and has come home feeling positive about converting to a heat pump, which he wasn't before.

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jul 4

No I checked that and it's fine - thank you ❤️

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jul 4

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

A fabric sleeve stitched to the back of a quilt

1 10

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jul 1

My own temperature sensor in my garden near Cambridge didn’t go below 21°C last night. But as we only reached 27°C on Sun I believe that means we are not in a heat wave as we’ll have had two pairs of two days over 28°C, not three is a row - is that correct?

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 20

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

White cloth banner with coloured lettering saying VISIBLE MENDING, and two white letters preceding, IN, to turn it into INVISIBLE MENDING. Letters are appliquéd on or show through the letter-shaped hole, with some hand stitched and others machines stitched using a variety of stitches

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 18

Excellent, sounds like a great prof!

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 17

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! 🐡

2 11 110

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 16

Thanks Sharon, I agree - it’s a good discipline, though this is so quick to do compared with a scarf that I have to admit I usually catch up at the weekend. I did a scarf in 2022 and managed to do that most days. I’d recommend it.

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 16

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

Three pieces of cross stitch with stripes in a rainbow of colours, depicting temperature highs and lows in 2023, 2024 and 2025

Three pieces of cross stitch with stripes in a rainbow of colours, depicting temperature highs and lows in May 2023, 2024 and 2025

1 4 34

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 14

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.

Banner with blue flowery fabric on pink and white striped background staying TRANS RIGHTS MATTER

Reposted by Clare Wilkes

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · Jun 13

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 ⤵️

UK AIDS Memorial Quilt | Tate Modern

www.tate.org.uk

15 95

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 8

...send an email to Government so they know of your support act.for-the-ocean.org/act/protect-...
Steve Reed (Sec State for Env) will be at the UN Oceans Conf this week - an opportunity for the UK to lead the way in acting - let's make sure he does! Tag your MP too! @charlotte-cane-mp.bsky.social

Tell the UK Government to End the Destruction of Our Marine Havens

Bottom trawling is one of the world’s most destructive fishing practices. By dragging weighted nets along the ocean floor — some up to 240 meters wide — bottom trawling devastates coastal habitats, ki...

act.for-the-ocean.org

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 8

🐡 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...

Banner reading PROTECT 30% OF OUR OCEANS, made from an old pillowcase and leftover scraps of quilting fabric donated by friends. Fabrics depict various marine mammals. Most are in shades of blue, with one section depicting a sandy shore, and some in coral pink. No materials are new except for the bondaweb and fabric glue used in construction.

1 16 35

Reposted by Clare Wilkes

Compound Interest | Chemistry infographics @compoundchem.com · Jun 8

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 🧪

The Science of Acrylic Paint- Phthalocyanine Blue

As the Director of Science at a local Secondary School, and as an artist using acrylic paints, I often find myself thinking about the different chemical compositions of my paint and how they were crea...

open.substack.com

3 8 38

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 1

A rainbow over Glen Coe last Friday

1 2

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · Jun 1

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

Reposted by Clare Wilkes

Dr Ella Hawkins @ellamchawk.bsky.social · May 29

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.

A set of eight rectangular cookies arranged on a square white plate against a dark wooden background. Each cookie is inspired by a wallpaper design by Morris & Co. The patterns represented feature different floral and leaf shapes in shades of baby blue, soft pink, leafy green, mustard yellow, cream, and dark grey.

340 1.9K 8.5K

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · May 19

I have learned something about Australian trees - thank you!

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · May 18

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.

A range of colourful key fobs made from ribbons and webbing: rainbow, Dr Who, Star Wars, super heroes

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · May 10

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

A cushion cover with a variety of stitches and some school photos

A cover of a school book titled A Nature Diary with illustrations of birds and a mouse

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · May 10

So good to hear someone say they boycott Amazon - most people think I'm barmy for even a partial boycott (strictly no books and only very occasional other use). Thank you!

Reposted by Clare Wilkes

Chris Packham @chrisgpackham.bsky.social · May 9

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

11 94 430

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · May 7

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!)

Screen at Royal Festival Hall showing title screen for film Ocean

Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · May 5

Congratulations to the youngest member of your family - a temperature blanket is quite an effort! Love the warm colour scheme

1 1

Reposted by Clare Wilkes

Neil Kaye @neilrkaye.bsky.social · May 1

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.

22 44