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Clare Wilkes

@clareewilkes.bsky.social
175 followers 257 following 53 posts

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

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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Climate stripes (as developed by @edhawkins.org @uniofreading.bsky.social ) displayed as a wrap in Liberty fabrics. It’s a Möbius strip so it's continuous from the darkest blue at the back for 1903 to the final dark red next to it which is 2024. #showyourstripes
A fabric wrap made with stripes of patterned fabric ranging from dark to light blues through white to pale then dark reds, reflecting the climate stripes depiction of changing global temperatures, from 1903 to 2024.The back of the wrap showing where the Mobius strip starts and finishes with a dark blue (1903) next to a dark red (2024)Image from the Climate stripes website showing the data used to make the wrap
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
Three years of temperature highs and lows in my Cambs garden. This December had a warm start with some chillier temperatures at the end. The temperatures warmed earlier this year than in previous years, and cooled more slowly. The Met Office have said that 2025 was Britain’s warmest year on record.
Three long strips of crossstitch stripes, one for each year 2023, 2024, 2025. Two columns on each strip, one for the daily high temperatures and the other for the daily lows. Rainbow spectrum of colours with each colour corresponding to a three degree temperature range.
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
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
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
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
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
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! 🐡
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
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 2025Three pieces of cross stitch with stripes in a rainbow of colours, depicting temperature highs and lows in May 2023, 2024 and 2025
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
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
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 13/06/2025
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 ⤵️
tate.org.uk
UK AIDS Memorial Quilt | Tate Modern
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
🐡 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.
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Compound Interest | Chemistry infographics @compoundchem.com · 08/06/2025
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 🧪
open.substack.com
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...
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
A rainbow over Glen Coe last Friday
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
Found this little snow bunting singing away on top of Ben Nevis last week
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Dr Ella Hawkins @ellamchawk.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
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.
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
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
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
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 photosA cover of a school book titled A Nature Diary with illustrations of birds and a mouse
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Chris Packham @chrisgpackham.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
100,000 signatures to ban fossil fuel ads and sponsorships — thank you to everyone who signed ! Now onwards to a debate . . . govpetition.uk/700024
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
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
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Neil Kaye @neilrkaye.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
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.
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
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) 🐡
Three strips of striped cross stitch with colours denoting temperature highs and lowsSection of a striped scarf with colours denoting daily temperature highs
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Rachel Moss @menysnoweballes.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
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!
contact.no10.gov.uk
Contact Number 10 GOV.UK - The best place to find government services and information
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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
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...
theguardian.com
Why the UK’s electricity costs are so high – and what can be done about it
From nationalising gas plants to boosting renewables, how soaring prices could be tackled
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Saralexis @saralexis.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
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.
writetothem.com
WriteToThem
WriteToThem is a website which provides an easy way to contact MPs, councillors and other elected representatives.
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Royal Society of Chemistry @rsc.org · 15/04/2025
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
Inclusion & Diversity Fund 2025 - apply by 5 May
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
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
Three strips of cross stitch showing temperature highs and lows on a rainbowish colour scale for the first few months of the past three years.
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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
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!
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Ele Willoughby @minouette.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
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, 🧵
As described this is a large 16” x 20” linocut print  on white paper with a deckle edge with a ring of 8 wild bees with one in the centre, printed in black ink. The bees are the two bumblebees (Bombus impatiens and B. affinis), a sweat bee (Agapostemon sericeus), two leaf cutter bees (Megachile relativa and M. brevis), two mason bees (Osmia lignaria and O. conjunta), a carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica), a long-horned bee (Melissodes).
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Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 04/04/2025
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.
talkingclimate.ca
History’s playbook for climate action
The secret to social change with historian Dr. Emily Pawley
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Ele Willoughby @minouette.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
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
As described this is my carved Lino block of Aquilegia canadensis, the Canadian or Canada columbine, eastern red columbine, or wild columbine. The block is cut out around the shape of the plant, with four stems, multiple leaves and hanging flowers. The block has been used and is tinted green except for red and yellow tinted flowers and buds. The block sits on an ink-stained green cutting mat with half-inch white grid next to a wood handled gauge and part of a glass baren.
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Adam Kucharski @adamjkucharski.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
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... 🧵
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Susie Dent @susiedentwords.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
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.
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
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
Two strips of three fabric hexagons, each with flower or bee motifsDisplay board with pollen colours quilt and information on bees
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
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 pollenDetail of the quilt - white chicory flowers with white pollen, and two embroidered beesDetail of quilt 'Colours of Pollen, a Beekeeper's Quilt, CEW 2025'The floral fabric backing the quilt
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
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
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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
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...
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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
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
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
A little bee is buzzing its way around my pollen quilt #sciart
An embroidered bee
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
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
Three cross stitch embroideries with stripes representing temperature highs and lows for the first two months of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
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...
open.substack.com
A dystopian but possible future: the Fall of British Science 2028-2033
In which I think about how a UK populist government could undermine science as a way of prompting discussions about how to protect it.
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
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 patchwork quilt top (hexagons) with embroidered flowers, each surrounded by patches in the colour if their pollen
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
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)
John Kendrew’s model of myoglobinText acknowledging the role of technicians in the Cavendish Laboratory JJ Thompson’s cathode ray tubeAn example of a spectroscope as invented by Bunsen and Kirchhoff
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Katherine Seaton @mathskath.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
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/...
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greener magazine @ktenvironment.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
“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
newstatesman.com
It’s time for climate populism
As politics turns against net zero, we need to mobilise a genuine mass movement against ecological catastrophe.
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Clare Wilkes @clareewilkes.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
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.
A short piece of stripy cross stitch, mainly in purples and lilacs
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