Yarn Speak

Earlier in the year, I did a project article for the UK Embroidery Guild's Stitch magazine entitled, Letting the Yarn Speak.  It was about stitching with variegated yarns and changing the stitch when the colour changed - literally letting the yarn dictate the stitches.  I've done a few samples, inspired by an experiment I did that ended up in the Prairies show with Focus on Fibre Arts last spring.  With the end of my grant deadline fast approaching, I suddenly BURST with the desire to do just one more embroidery...

I'm so happy I did!  It's 8 inches / 20cm square.  It consists of seed stitches, and three knots: blue French Knots and Colonial knots, and yellow Sorbello Knots.

It's a good size (ignore the oversized pen there, it's throwing off the perspective!).  It's really quite full of texture too!

I just want to JUMP RIGHT IN!  ; )

I had a fun time photographing it's lusciousness!  : )  Stitching it took a long, long long many days.  Using these yarns was no nice though.  Each stitch was like a swoosh of blended paint.

I had originally stitched the top third of it with single French Knots of yellow, and decided it was horrid.  I cut them all out.  I changed to these big Sorbello Knots which look much less boring.

plus... yellow rhymed with sorbello.  lol

It doesn't have a name yes, and won't be framed for a couple weeks.  But... ta-da!  : ) I don't know if these images do it justice.  I am really proud of it, and proud of myself for not tossing it half way through.  In hand stitching, the 'ugly phase' seems to drag on a bit.  I perservered!

Next project, I plan to set a timer each time I sit to work to see how long these things really take.  : )  I'm really proud of this new body of work.  I have a couple pieces at HandMade House and last week I got the most wonderful reactions.  It's exciting to be there when it happens!  This one might just end up in Handmade House unless it gets snapped up beforehand.  My new work is moving pretty fast so if you ever see something you like, just say so.  Otherwise, I'll let you know when the next show & sale is.  There's one in September just outside of Saskatoon.

Enjoy the summer!
xo

Lakewood Revisited

Busy busy!  I thought my next show had to be up the first weekend of December.  I was wrong.  It has to be up one week earlier than that!  It's all good though.  I've been plugging away and things have been coming together quite nicely.  I spent the weekend working on the Lakewood scene again.  That was the one with all the Birdsfoot Trefoil - which I thought were Buffalo Beans.  I took the first piece out to the lake to show my mom (who does not have internet).  She took one look at it and nabbed it!  It's now hanging on her walls.  I really liked it too, so I figured I would make one for the show.  It's small and full of Sorbello stitches done in thread and embroidery floss.

Lakewood #2, work in progress

Imagine that!  I snapped that photo in my living room at night, without a flash.  I had my Ott light next to me.  It's incredible!  Love that light...

I had already forgotten this stitch that Margot showed me, so I had to look it up.  It's here if you want to see how it's done.

the Sorbello stitch in yellow

Back to stitching, and awaiting the snow!

Friday (the 13th) Finish

I added the final touches to the Lakewood piece, and it is now it seems to be complete!

Lakewood, 2012

I'm having a tough time getting a good photo of this one.  It looks like the contrast is too high, but when I reduce it, the yellows fade drastically in the Trefoil.  The tree tops and sky should appear a tad more muted.  The colors are pretty true to the real thing though.  It's small at 4x6 inches.  It will be double matted and framed to 8x10.  In this one, I did Sorbello stitches with floss and hand dyed weaver's string, french knots with silk, and seed stitches as well.  I chose not to stitch into the sky, as it was a clear day.  I'll finish the edges and sign it in thread.

So now we talk about weather?  It's HOT.  Still hot.  Like - gross...  and terribly muggy.  Today, the forecast added 'smokey'.  There's a lot of forest fires burning!  Oh my - it must have been the dry conditions and then all the lightening a couple nights ago.  You couldn't even see the color blue when you looked up today. 

Look what happened to me on my way home from the Silverspring Prairie last week!

I kid you not.  A black cat crossed my path.  Out of town!?  Unbelievable.  Happy Friday the 13th!  Lucky or unlucky?

Threadpainting - Loving Every Stitch

I went through a bit of a funk.  It lasted about 24 hrs, and it felt terrible.  (Blame it on the weather.)  I got up, dusted myself off and put together another new piece.  And WOAH do I ever love it!  I can't even explain my excitement when the right threads go in the right places.

7x9"  On Floral Road, 2012  (work in progress)

I worked a little differently on this one.  I did the land before the sky.  It doesn't much matter since the trees on the horizon will go on last.  I was interested in stitching out the grasses because two of my variegated spools were JUST the right color. My source photo has lots of wonderful reeds and white puffs to stitch into it by hand.  I will LOVE that. : )  (Do I use a lot of capitals??)

In the mean time, I got those Bird's Foot Trefoil flowers stitched in to the Lakewood Park scene.  I was feeling like another hundred French Knots would be quite lazy of me.  I can do them with my eyes closed after 5 flax fields and 3 Canola fields.  Plus - these buffalo-bean-looking flowers would not be well represented by spots or loops.  They have a funny, lumpy shape.  I decided to scroll back to my Saturday Stitches posts (see in tutorials at the top of my blog) to find the Sorbello Stitch that Margot taught me.  It is perfect!!  Check it out...

Lakewood, 2012 (4x6) in progress

I have just a few more little white details to stitch in and then this piece is done.  I am still so thrilled that I made the right choice for these flowers, I emailed Margot with a huge thank you!

The Sorbello Stitch : )

Happy, I am!  : )  Talk soon,