Monday 26 March 2018

When You Run Out Of Thread....



....You take the opportunity to work on
other (and thank goodness smaller) commitments.
Small 10" squares for a show
"East Meets West"
organized by


To my surprise I think this one is finished
despite the fact that it is not covered in stitch
from edge to edge.
Minimalist!


On the other hand this one is certainly
stitched to the max.


....Then you move on to start new work.
I have saved all the small offcuts from "Stone Pathways".
This break from stitching has allowed me to organize them
into colours and....


 ....and arrange them onto 2" squares....


....then sew them together
into what could end up as a stone or cobbled pathway?


And with time to breathe this week
you sit and appreciate wonderful linens
given to you by a friend.
Thank you Andrea!

Winter seems to have arrived in Spring this year!
I am freeeeezing
Perhaps next week the snow and the cold will go away.

Eagerly awaiting my thread order
needed to finish "Stone Pathways".

Monday 12 March 2018

Tiptoeing Around Some Old Favourites


Three done
Nine more to go


I am enjoying rediscovering old favourites
as I stitch around them.


Love this colouring in between the lines
Need to explore this style further I think.


Silk allows tiny stitches
and takes the natural dye so deliciously.


Last year with the birth of our second granddaughter
pink started appearing in my work with more regularity.
But, I am having problems with my eyes
and Handy Hubby assures me this one is actually peach!


Perhaps I had better start working in black and white!


This one makes me smile.
I imagine it as creature of some sort
wearing a sweatband.
Brings back the sixties in a flash!


Now I need to rush out and find some more
embroidery floss.
Each 'pathway' takes a bit more than two skeins!

I hope you can stitch to your hearts content today.

Monday 5 March 2018

Drawing with Dots in Ink and Stitch


 On Saturday I took a break from wrapping the edges of Stone Pathways
to take a dot drawing workshop at University Sainte Anne
with John Browning.
Learning how other artists approach their work
and how they view the world around them
enriches my world.
By the way this 'drawing' is teeny tiny!
I found this way of drawing to be very meditative
and really enjoyed getting lost in the process.
Just like stitching


On Sunday I tested another background filler
with one of my old favourites....
....row upon irregular row of stab stitch.
Too busy for this particular piece.


Us stitchers use dots too!
I tested row upon row of lumpy dots
using the backstitch as opposed to running stitch.
I like how the backstitch sits proud of the fabric layers
as opposed to running stitch
which sinks in.


That's more like it
now, when I run my fingers over the cloth, I feel tiny little bumps
just like gravel on a pathway.
I think I have decided how to stitch the background
but, boy oh boy, that is a lot of stitching!
I found that wrapping the edge of each pathway
takes three hours.
Many, many more hours to go!