A Threesome of Creative Women Visitors - Week Thirty-Six

A Threesome of visitors 

rented The Artist's House just along the road.

Three women brighter and bolder than I.

Margi gave me the twiggy cross

Johnnene the tiny painting

And Kathryn made a paper doll.

It is always fun spending time with these three.

Playing Catchup - Week Thirty-Five

 

Yes, there is much catching up to do.

Long time....no stitching been going on here.

Visitors have been here entertaining us.

Our first visitor was Karen from Washington DC.

we visited many places with Karen

my favourite being the Victorian Gardens

of the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.

Despite the long dry summer we have had

those gardens were lush with growth and deep, rich colours.

Oh, so different to the gentle colours of my own work.

Shades of every red and orange possible.

Fuchsia so beautiful against grey.
I find it so interesting that these colours speak so loudly to me
but I am unable to work with such vividness.

Today I am thinking back to that awful day fifteen years ago
and the families of all those victims.

A Mountmellick Crumb - Week Thirty-Four

This week I thought I might as well use my crumb to work out some

Mountmellick stitches because I will be making a piece

based on this Irish embroidery for a show next year.

Traditionally Mountmellick is worked white on white using thread similar to crochet thread.

I tried out some filling stitches using a crochet thread.

Perhaps it will be easier on a larger design.

Buttonhole stitch might be useful for my project.

I tried thorn stitch....not a favourite of mine.

I tried Mountmellick stitch...think I could play with that one.

Couching....will use that for sure.

Cable chain...not too keen on this one.

Feather stitch....yes

Cable braid stitch....yes, that can be played with.

Fishbone stitch....perhaps.
Herringbone....for sure.
Cable stitch has possibilities.
Bullion knots....not sure, though I do like them.
All part of the process of getting into the mindset of a new piece.

As I write this it is a lovely rainy day, finally!

Crumbs on Fire - Week Thirty-Three

tried to depict the charred woods

with a hot, hot sun and

blackened charred trees.

Fabric has been brewing

wrapped around all the gathered findings at Diane's camp.

Something new for me

started wrapping rusty bits with paper towel

to protect the cloth I wrap around it.

Also 

soaked some paper towel in rusty water

and included that inside and around the bundles.

This was a huge bundle!

It is my grandmother's old table cloth

and will be used as the back of a large piece I am about to start.

Very tempted to forget that plan and design a new piece for it

but so far I am sticking to my plan.

Lovely watery markings.

Have a great day.

Crumbs for a Hot, Dry Summer - Week Thirty-Two

A lovely hot, dry summer for me

but the land is suffering

grasses are drying up on parched lands.

The woods are dry as a tinder box.

Way too hot to stitch outside....

...well, for us northerners!

Parched

Not a drop of rain for ages

seems so strange

 we are completely surrounded by oceans

that stretch for mile and miles.

Over two weeks ago

Diane and I spent a day at her camp in the woods

on one of our many lakes.

A lovely isolated place.

Water levels in all lakes have dropped this summer.

 

Mighty rocks hug the edges of lakes in these parts.

Mind you, they don't just stick to the edges they tend to

dot themselves all over the lakes hiding just below the surface

lying in wait for novice paddlers like me!

So glad we went when we did because

the woods have been on fire ever since.

Our brave firefighters must be stretched to the limit.

Water bombers have come from as far away as Quebec.

The woods are closed to everybody now.

We had some rain last night 

but I can't imagine it was anything like enough.

Shield of protection.... Perhaps

It takes time to know when a piece is finished.

Hanging it one a wall where you will actually see it.

Living with it

not so much sitting down and staring at it

but noting your reactions as it catches your eye.

What is new for me in this piece

I never felt the need to fill the background with kantha or running stitch.

Just the mottled markings of rust and tannin are enough for me.

The delicate random markings....

....in the background speak loudly to me. 

A speckled moon looks down on

silk rouleaux couched down in a shape that I initially

thought would be a rock.

Today I think of it more as a protective structure

A shield perhaps.

Protection for this glowing ember or perhaps a sun.
It might change again as I continue living with it.
The last time I wrote about this piece was mid July.

Crumb Thirty-One .... Just Couldn't Resist

 Simply couldn't resist because....

....Ashley has taken up drawing in real sketchbooks

and even staying inside the pages.

As you can imagine I am wondering how soon

she will agree to collaborate on a piece.

I had photographed my crumb using the back of

Woodpeckers Live Here.

Stitched marks on the backsides 

always feel freer

less perfect

Uninhibited.

Some of the things I am always aiming for on the front.

Haven't got there yet.