Nature Journal: Bracken Fern

TAST: Crossed Buttonhole Stitch

The background was created on the embellisher from one ply of a paper towel (used to clean up after a painting session) sandwiched between a used dryer sheet and a piece of Kunin felt. I used the embellisher to hold the novelty yarn in place before adding the crossed buttonhole stitches. The size is 4 x 6 inches and will be used as a background for further work. This was a joy to stitch!

Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acule)

These are gorgeous native plants in the orchid family. DH put the little frame around them when they sprouted so we wouldn’t inadvertently step on them.

TAST: Butterfly Chain

Here’s a really quick row of butterfly chain stitches using metallic beads and gold thread on black Aida.

Seven Things You Always Wanted to Know About Me and Are Probably Sorry You Asked…

Luci tagged me for the “seven things” thing so here goes:

1. I have been a vegetarian for thirty years. My last meaty meal was a pork roll sandwich on the Ocean City boardwalk. The very next day I read the book, The Vegetarian Alternative (out of print), from cover to cover and our lives were forever changed.

2. I am an anti-vivisectionist and try to purchase cruelty-free products whenever I can.

3. I believe, with all my heart, that all animals go to heaven when they die - and there will be ecstatic, rapturous reunions!

4. My very favorite poem in the entire world (and one that resonates within every fiber of my being) comes from a book of Jewish prayers first published in 1947 called The Language of Faith (out of print). I hope I don’t get in trouble for quoting it here:

With all my strength and spirit, I adore
You, Truth, aloud and in my secret core.
I hoard your name. And who can rob this spoil?
He is my love. What other could I crave?
He is my light. How could my lamp need oil?
How can I falter, leaned on such a stave?

They mock - and do not know that mockery,
Because I praise your name, is praise to me.
Source of my life, your praise shall sound as long
As I can breathe my fervor into song.

5. I am very interested in Mideast politics and am currently reading Joan Peter’s highly respected and well-documented book, From Time Immemorial. I would recommend that to anyone interested in countering the media’s anti-Israel bias.

6.Politically and culturally, I am a Libertarian and an iconoclast. And I find the current climate of political correctness very disturbing. I also don’t believe in sacrificing freedom for security.

And last and maybe least -
7.I started to collect fashion dolls last year. I have several Gene Marshall dolls based upon the film actresses of the thirties and forties. Because of those dolls and my interest in vintage clothing, DH and I have recently begun watching old films when we get a chance (lots of costume design inspiration!) and are really enjoying them. We especially love Rita Hayworth and Bette Davis. DH has such a crush on Rita - what an exquisitely beautiful lady she was! As I write this, I’m singing “Put the blame on Mame, boys…”

TAST: Basque Stitch

I love this stitch! Here, I tried it out as an outline for appliqué and as a little flower with a button center. Again, the background is the ubiquitous paint rag…

Doodling Designs - Lesson Four (WIP)

This is the start of my fabric collage for lesson four of the Doodling Designs course. I’ll be adding embroidery and beads. The cat figure was cut from one of my old paint rag scraps – I’m sure getting a lot of mileage out of those babies! Anyway, the working title is “Binky’s Garden” and it’s meant to be a tribute to the sweet cat who used to live next door. Speaking of sweet cats, I’ve been spending the past few glorious spring afternoons out in the screen house playing with little Blake and Bridget (see post below) who are both completely made of sugar…

Unbearable Cuteness...

The black male kitten was hiding in a plastic pipe next to the shed on Sunday afternoon. Later, after midnight, DH went out to the woodpile to get more wood for the fireplace (it was unseasonably cold) and thought he heard another kitten crying in the woods across the street. So we both bundled up and took a walk in the woods, meowing as we went. The female calico kitten came right to us. We took them both to the vet this morning (boy, were they ever a hit!) who said they were probably between five and six weeks old and seemingly very healthy. They are under quarantine in my studio, pending the results of their blood tests, after which they will be integrated into the rest of the household. And so it goes…

TAST: More Stitches

I had a chance to do a little more with the woven and whipped wheels. I found directions for the fun woven picots in Judith Montano’s book, Floral Stitches (page 77). This tiny sampler (2 ½ x 3 ½ inches) was stitched on a scrap of a paint rag fused to Peltex.

TAST: Woven Wheel

Here is a silk ribbon spider web rose (my very first) for this week’s TAST. The motif is from a book by Deanna West Hall, 101 Iron-on Transfers for Ribbon Embroidery.

The Same Dang Doodle…

Today, I used the same stamped image from yesterday’s post and manipulated it in Corel (when I should have been working!). I’m sort of intrigued with the endless possibilities, here… I will try printing these to fabric when I get a chance.

Doodling Designs - Lesson Three

I carved a stamp over the weekend for lesson three of the Doodling Designs class and just got around to printing it this evening. The first image is the inked proof on paper; the second image is a print using Jacquard Neo-Opaque paint on PFD cotton.

TAST: Running Stitch

I had an enjoyable and relaxing time just allowing running stitches to meander around on an old paint rag backed with quilt batting…

Another Embroidered Doodle

This is my outlined embroidery for lesson two and was based on collaged images from a couple of printing trade magazines. Design inspiration comes from unexpected sources...

Moleskine Magnolias

I thought, for sure, the magnolia flowers would have been decimated by the heavy rains – but they’re still blooming! I sketched the flowers, and then transferred them to my moleskine for inking. (Drawing directly in the moleskine does not work for me because I erase too much and that ruins the paper’s finish.) I wanted to emphasize the negative spaces between the petals so I colored in the background with a Staedtler dual tipped marker. I was in an orangey mood…

It was a gorgeous day today, sunny with temperatures in the low 70s. Spring, at last!

TAST: First Attempt at Palestrina Stitch

This was a new stitch for me and I want to thank Mary Corbet of Needle ‘n Thread for the great video tutorial! I have been wanting to try reverse appliqué and thought the Palestrina stitch would be a good candidate to try as an outline. I used a scrap of Bali batik for the base and created the top fabric by embellishing coordinating bits of roving and teased out Kunin felt on top of a piece of lilac (Kunin) felt. I ironed the base to a piece of fusible Peltex before stitching and beading. This was just a small experiment (2 ½ x 3 ½ in.) but it might be worth some further exploration…

Embroidered Doodle

This is my lesson one embroidery from Susan Sorrell’s Doodling Designs class. I love this class – learning how to approach design in new, playful ways!

TAST: Oyster Stitch and a Confession

I freely admit I was dreading this stitch. I figured it was coming and I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. I actually groaned when I found out it was this week's TAST challenge. I had tried it before when Sharon featured it in the 100 details – but it took me forever to work it out (I’m not even sure if I did it correctly) – and I thought if I never made another oyster stitch it would be too soon! However, this time I tried it and fell in love with it. I had so much fun playing with this little (2 ½”x 3 ½”) sampler! I found clear, illustrated instructions for the stitch (on page 66) in Judith Baker Montano’s gorgeous book, Floral Stitches.

I am currently enrolled in Susan Sorrell’s Doodling Designs class (because I always learn so much from Susan!) and in Carol Murphy’s Easy Blitz of Glitz (because I wanted an excuse to play with twinkling H2Os!). So I need to get my rear in gear…

TAST: Bonnet Stitch ATC and Santa News!

The background is felted wool roving - with matching variegated rayon FME on top. I used the bonnet stitch to couch down coordinating novelty yarn. I very much enjoyed working with this stitch (a new stitch for me) and I’m sure it will find its way into future embroidered pieces.

On the Santa Claus front, I have two nearly finished for 2007– I’m lagging behind schedule a bit (the poor dears are sitting here in their birthday suits…) But I do have some exciting news to report! My Shanty Claus pattern will be featured in the upcoming "Christmas in July" issue of Australian Homespun magazine. I was contacted last July by the managing editor and had to have the completed project in Oz by February. That is such a lovely publication and I am just “over the moon” about being included in it!

Wishing Everyone a Blessed Easter