New Embroideries

I've been stitching and working at Handmade House and stitching and working at Handmade House.  I took a big plunge into more yarn embroideries.  After hanging out with the painters, I really wanted to push myself with the yarns and approach it like painting.  I had some variegated balls of yarn and took them apart, winding and twisting them into smaller skeins.  Then I had them all out before me and slowly put some pieces together based on some favourite images of mine.

September Winds, 2015

I finished off several in the last week.  They aren't framed.  I'm not sure what I'll do them.  Isn't that always the dilemma!?  Still, they were a wonderful personal challenge.  I did my best to keep it loose and chunky, and not get to perfect.  I really like how colourful they are!

Avens, 2015

Those pink blobs are from a photo I took at my friend Bernie's.  They open up into fluffs called, 'Prairie Smoke'.  The whole patch of them give the impression of smoke on the ground.  I'm not sure you can make it out.  I've been keeping this photo for a couple years now, waiting for the right moment.  This seemed like it.  The embroidery is busy, but I like it.  On the black background, it feels like an oil pastel.

The last one I want to show you was from a grove at Bridget's acreage.  We were standing on the hill taking in the big view when I looked down into the trees and say the yellow just glowing in the shadows!  I loved it so much.  And so...  I stitched it.

The blue/periwinkle blobs are meant to represent asters.  I wasn't planning on putting them in, but I think it really added to bring the piece to life.  These are all small, likely as big as you see them on your screen.   Well... whether you like them or not, they were a terrific experience for me.  Each blended streak of yarn just stitched itself out like a brushstroke thick with paints.  Let me know what you think, and maybe I'll show you more.  ; )

Always a work in progress!

Things I Love Thursday

I love the moon.  I always have.  Since as far back as I can remember, I would watch her.  I would catch her light and play in her shadows.  I would see how she changed and notice that sometimes she would be up in the day, and sometimes not at all.  THIS might seem bittersweet, but it's the truth.  When I was little, and it was the middle of the night, and I needed talk - I would go to the window and she would be there, waiting.  She was never rushed; very patient.  I would tell the moon all my troubles, fears, and in her find calm and reassurance.  There's no drama with the moon.  She's steady, quiet, and when she changes, she does so slowly.  She's very solid and reliable.

As an adult, I thought it was the coolest thing ever to learn that moons and phases had names:  blue moon, harvest moon, dark moon, snow moon, honey moon...  And so these round hoops and eyelet stitches are such a perfect way to explore her beauty.

Luna #1 (detail)

I love how the eyelets remind me of moon craters.  I'm making moons in all different sizes.  This next one is the 'honey moon'.

Luna #2

Now I'm nearly finished the third one.  I just had to re-dye some silk to add a bit of orange to them to get closer to the colour of the blood moon.

I just have to add the glowing edge of this one, and then I think I'm on to something subtle again.

cell phone photo from my bedroom window

Happy Thursday,

Another Crewel Landscape in the Works

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone!  I've bounced back.  I lost a week, but got lots of stitching done.  I have been wrapping up the art I showed you on Sunday.  Oh my.  It's a LOT of stitching.  I loved every second of it.  Bear with me.  It's totally experimental.  Here's how it all started.  I had this photo last year on my cell phone.  I took it just before winter came along while heading back out of Sutherland Beach park one morning.

crappy cell phone pic of a beautiful moment

Back at home, I took out my pan pastels and picked out my favourite darks, lights and colours from the image above.  I tried to be loose and impressionistic like I was going for after taking the En Plein Air workshop with Bobbi Clackson-Walker.  (See Bobbi!?  You really inspired me!)

It felt amazing to do this.  I always aim for detail.  This really has none.  As I was painting it slowly. I noticed how the touches of colour off the applicator looked like squares or diamond shapes.  I have always loved geometrics.  I think that is what attracts me to cross stitch or the close up of some crewel work.  If you stitch 'satin stitch' of just a few fat stitches side by side, you get a square or diamond.  I have seen beautiful cross hatched embroideries in very, very old library books with the EAC.  I just love that look so much.

And so.  That is what I was going for when I posted on Sunday.  I was recreating my pastel art with fat yarn and one giant needle.

days and days and days later

It's not quite done.  I want to add some more 'leaning' and movement in the lower portion.  I'm considering incorporating some of the stalks I wisked in for the pastel version.  I have been rummaging through my stash looking for the right colour.  It can't be too distracting.  I love how the blues and greys look within the art and I'm thinking of using something similar to this, but maybe softer.

I don't know that it had turned out exactly as I had planned, but this combination of colour was so exciting to work with.  Likely - it was that bright chartreuse, love of my life.  : )  It just makes that orange highlighting kick.  Kazowee!

Thank you for looking.  I don't know if this is a style I will continue to explore, but I sure enjoyed the hand painting nature of it.

Have a great day!
xo

Linking to WIP Wednesday @ TN&TN

Things I Love Thursday

I love the work of Michelle Kingdom. (click to link)  I found her on Flickr.  I can't stop loving her work.

In fact, I adore her embroideries so much, that one day... I asked her if I could be in one of them.  Her work is like out of a dream: quirky, sometimes quite strange, incredibly intriguing, intricate, and exceptionally creative.  I honestly don't know how she does it.

She said yes.

And then she began to sketch.  And then she began to stitch.

Ever since I made that Prairie Dress, I have wanted a picture of me in a field of prairie flowers.  I never thought about having it embroidered!

I LOVE - ADORE - CHERISH IT, and will forever.  Michelle Kingdom - you are a star *

You can see more of Michelle Kingdom here on her website. 

HAPPY THURSDAY - I am in heaven!