Welcome

* * * Canadian Craft Federation / Citizens of Craft.ca Podcast Series! : ) I'm in Episode #4... but you should listen to them all. : ) LISTEN

Wednesday 2 March 2011

The Canola Field & Commissions

Hi there!  Yesterday I sat at the sunny kitchen table and stitched teeny french knots from mid-morning until mid afternoon.  Done!  It is record-breaking FREEZING here, and my kitchen was the only warm place.  Thank goodness for sunshine!  See if you can notice the angle of the light change as the work progressed.

10 am.

Noon.
Yes, I took a lunch break  ; ).

1 pm

I counted the knots in one square cm and did the math... about 800 french knots!  The first 100 were killer rough but after that if became quite enjoyable.  ; )  I love it.  And I really love the sky too actually.  The clouds are perfect.  I found lots of great frames and some double matting too.  I can't wait to get the edges done. 

2 pm done done done.

And oooh!  I have "Mother's Homestead" completely finished, mounted, signed, and framed.  It is gorgeous and I'm so, so proud of it.  I'll be contacting the person who commissioned me to make it as soon as I take final photos and firm up shipping.  I will post a good photo here as soon as I have better lighting.

And hot on the tail of that, I just had a new request for another commission!  I'm thrilled.  Remember the Telephone Poles along Highway 7? 

the inspiration - my photo from the window of a fast car

Well, I've been asked to reproduce it on a larger scale for someone who has moved away from the prairies and just absolutely loves something about this piece.  : )  This one happens to be one of my favorites, which is why I have it.  It's not for sale.  But this is so thrilling, and so touching to have someone else see what I love and love it just as much.  The future owner of this was a prairie girl.  (Of course!)

in progress - pins for marking fenceposts, how I work paperless


my rendition of that photo

Don't worry Mandy and Jesica - I did inform them person that I need to finish up your commissions first.  They agreed.  I'm super-thrilled.

~Monika

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's such tiny french knot work. I love that prairie one too :). Congratulations!

Stay inspired!

Ann Brauer said...

800 French knots--I can't imagine. Great pieces though.

Flo @ Butterfly Quilting said...

800 French knots....there must be an App for that ?? You are so patient. Looks great.

Christie describeHappy said...

Applause!!! Your work is so beautiful and the effect of all those french knots is really incredible! Also a congratulations is in order for your new commission!! Your on fire!!

Scrappy quilter said...

Beautiful work. It's dang cold in Manitoba too.

Becky said...

Cool! I love the way you captured the changing light in your pictures! I caught a similar thing this morning (I hope) on "film". Isn't light such an amazing thing? So fleeting, so wonderful, and gives us a constantly changing view of the same thing. Thanks for sharing! We have lots of canola fields around here, in fact, the local growers store just started producing and selling fresh pressed locally grown canola oil. I really need to buy some and try it out. Can't wait to see all of those beautiful yellow fields soon!

Sharon said...

So glad to be out of the tundra part of the prairie. It was 30(F) below the day we moved. It's actually almost spring here, I can even see grass! It's brown, but it's still grass. :)

You're works are so amazing! I was just thinking the other day how I'd like one of your pieces on the wall in my sewing room. Someday....

Michelle in Saskatoon said...

Both pieces are gorgeous Monika!! Is that a tulle or something on the sky on the first one?
Keep on creating! I love the prairie scenes! m

Bernie said...

As usual wow!! What size is the one on the wall if you don't mind my asking? I'm new to wall hangings so don't know how big is too big. I love the way you have hung it - that is exactly what I was already planning to do with the landscaping one I am goign to make for my friend Monica.
Bernie

monika@mysweetprairie.ca said...

Awe thanks to all of you! : )
It's pretty small... it's about 14x19 not including the tabs. This is the not-so-great stick. My first choice horrified my 7 yr old very much. "MOM!! That's my special stick!!!"

And yeah Michelle, it's tulle. I have a hard time with skies. The tulle gave it the right color, added a but of sparkle and held down the clouds. ; )

gee - you are all so great. Your support feels SO GOOD!! : )
~Monika

SIMPLESEW said...

Its not the first time someone has said french Knots and Monika in the sentences. Thanks for the tute Monika I want to learn this, I love it.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

* * * Here are some of the most viewed blog posts this month * * *