Snowing and Stitching

Stitchin' away.  I am still making up some hand-stitch-only project samples.  We had a small dump of snow so I thought it would be fitting to work more on the 'Spirea Over the Snowbank' pieces.  Remember those?  I started them last year after snapping pics from a neighbor's front yard.  The leaves, branches, and seeds were just poking out of a huge bank.  They were fun to stitch out.  I used Sorbello knots for the clove-like seed pods.  Since then, they've just been been sitting in a box.  After finding that shimmery, glowing white nylon embroidery tubular thread (no, that's not 80's slang...) I knew it would be perfect to stitch ice crystals on the snow.

It added just the effect I was looking for.

I did some weird looking stitching in variegated yarns.  They are inspired by something completely different than what they look like.  I'm not even going to tell you what plants these sprung from.  lol  They look evergreen, and so you and I will just pretend they are.  lol

Like I said... this was just a playful experiment.  I really enjoyed stitching the layers: branch over branch (haha they weren't even inspired by branches!).  I really loved seeing how the colors worked themselves out. The contrast is interesting.  Perhaps I'll try out more based on this theme and see what it develops into...

It reminds me of juniper berries.

What else?  I started a more threadwork from the photos I took up on the hills overlooking Jackfish Lake.  This one will be a pretty good size.  I'm hoping to put it into my show at the Centre Galleries for December.

I'm purposefully hiding the sky.  It's a good one.  It's the last little hand dyed scrap I think I have left from Heather Lair.

Gosh I miss her.

I still have moments of having her in my every thought when I am preparing classes or thinking up new ideas.  She was such a wealth of knowledge.  I miss our conversations.  She always had SO much to share.  I wonder if she kept sketch books or sewing diaries.   hmmm.

Well - on that note, I have no idea how to end this post except to wish you a wonderful day.  If you have snow, I hope it lights up with sunshine today!  That's my FAVORITE thing about winter.  So sparkly, so bright, so crisp, so fresh.  Take care!

me.  last winter.

Three Spirea - Series

I hope you all had a terrific family day!  We did - we played games, brewed beer outside, and sledded down the steepest hill I've ever been on.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  : )

I'm so inspired by the winter Spirea photos along with those Sorbello stitches.  I am making a couple more to create a set of three that will go in one large frame.  It's a gorgeous frame, and these colors look incredible in it!

in progress... Spirea Over the Snowbank #2

I'll load this up with those pretty knots like I did here...

Spirea Over the Snowbank, #1

This is a very relaxing stitch.  I have to really watch while I do this one - not like the French Knots that I can do nearly with my eyes shut.  There's a lot of weaving involved in this one.  If you miss it, you can go back to my Saturday post to see how it's done. 

Next month, the Bridge City NeedleArts Guild is having an exhibit at the Centre Galleries.  This is the local Embroiderer's guild under the EAC that I'm now a member of.  All my thread paintings will be in show and sale elsewhere at that time, so I think this particular hand stitched piece will be perfect for the embroidery display!  (3 shows in one month?  Sure why not?  lol)

Now I'm off to Creative House Sewing & Education Centre.  That's where I'll be teaching this fall.  A little birdie told me they are now stocking loads of Wonderfil thread there.  I must go see for myself!  Have a great day!

~Monika K.