I'm Back!

I'm back! Our daughter and her family are touring for a couple weeks before they return for another visit. It sure has been quiet around here since they left!
So, that means I've had a little time to catch up on some stitching! Yay!

TAST

the sheaf stitch
pardon the blur

the pistil stitch is couching down a piece of pink velvet ribbon

both stitches are on my Jewel block

I'm hoping to have this all finished before our daughter and family head home to Australia
gee, I better get stitching! There are so many bare seams!













WIPs

 I've finished Jewel's dress!
I tatted two flowers in the red bamboo yarn to cover the stitching on the shoulder seams, and then I tatted a colourful flower for the front, adding some red beads to the center for a wee touch of bling. Jewel  likes sparklies--she's always trying to take off my earrings, and my rings. Can't wait to see her in her dress!

This flower will sit on top of the shoulder













the coloured flower is the same pattern as the red ones, but has 1 more row added for a bit of frill
I am so pleased this turned out. I still need to block the dress.......

The Christmas Stockings in Silver theme were finished, and received by the Swap Moderator.


Do you think 'Silver' when you see them?

I had a lot of fun making them, and placing little goodies inside.

CQJP
My September block looked like this last time:

sorry it's a bit blurred

I had previously couched down a silky ribbon using a thin thread

and another section with a thicker thread

last night I began a stem stitch design with a gorgeous, variegated, Stef Francis rayon thread. The pic does not capture the shine, unfortunately

so my September block looks like this, now


lots more stitching to do, so I better get busy!

in the garden the red roses are blooming....the last hurrah before the first frost, I think

my favourite rose has grown taller this year than ever before, and has bloomed continuously all summer

this little fellow had burrowed into the layer of cedar mulch beneath one of the clematis by the south door

I wonder if he'll hide here over the winter

a yard sale yielded this bundle of lace plus a few other goodies

9 yards of pretty laces for $3!  What a bargain. I have plans for all the frilly goodies......



I hope you've had a few happy weeks while I've been visiting with my daughter's family. Thanks for all your comments on my last few posts-- I do appreciate them!
Hope this weekend is filled with wonderful stitching, or tatting, or whatever makes your heart sing.
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Dragonfly

I'm still having a wonderful time with my daughter's family visiting, so I shan't be able to respond to any of your posts for a while, yet.
But, in the meantime, I thought I would share with you the process I used to make my dragonfly. It might also be adapted for butterflies, too, I think..

I placed a sketch of some wings sandwiched between 2 layers of organza in my embroidery hoop.

 Following the pattern, I gently stitched through the top layer

then I removed the paper pattern, and began stitching through both layers adding beads

the finished, beaded wings for the right side

cut from the 2 layers of organza, leaving a margin

the organza wings were carefully held over an open candle flame and singed close to the bead line


adding beads while the material was in the hoop took quite a while

although I was happy with my right wings, I wondered about making a set of wings in one piece, and sewing on the beads after the singeing. How would it work?

this time I sewed through the top layer of organza, following the pattern, and removed the paper

I used the outline stitch through both organza layers twice, following the shape of the wings
I made the left wings, and a set of joined wings

 then I cut them out, leaving a nice margin

and singed the organza to the stitching line

I tacked the middle of the joined wings to the fabric of my thread roll-up, and began sewing the beads onto the thread seam. This went much faster

Once the wings were finished, I added beads for the head, thorax, and lower body of the dragonfly, stringing them together and sewing them onto the fabric.
Then I added crystals in black and purple for the tail

the wings are 'free floating'




I'm sure there are many marvelous tutorials on how to make dragonflies, but I wanted to share with you how my dragonfly came to be.




Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

The Hummingbird Ballet

Several times a day at the hummingbird feeder, a dance is performed as the hummingbirds ( 10 at last count) zip in, around, and to the feeder to sip some hand-made nectar. Turf wars ensue. Some of the females take turns luring the males away from the feeders so they can feed in peace. Sometimes the males gang up on the females to chase them away: other times they battle one another. All the fighting frenzy and jostling for a perch position creates an arial ballet that continues all day, with short intermissions.

 I sat on the deck the other day and took the following pics in about 15 minutes' time.

a male between two females
his green colouring is darker, and his face and neck appear black with irridescent  red

a female with her tail fanned out
it seems as though the fanned tail is a challenge

here you can see the flash of irridescent red on the male's neck
this is a close-up of the pic below

this is a young female
her green is very light but still irridescent

this male is challenging the female

two males feeding together

I sure don't need to watch t.v. for entertainment!
I was changing the feeder the other day, and heard the buzzing of a hummingbird at my back. It drew closer, buzzed over my shoulder and hovered over the feeder, checking me out.
Startled, I froze, and watched the female as she perched on the feeder and began to eat. My hands were still on the feeder, and my face was less then a foot away from her. Definitely a WOW! moment!
She took several deep slurps, and watched as a second hummer flew close. It was not as brave as the first, and left before landing. After several minutes, the female had quenched her thirst and flew off into the trees, and I then returned indoors to watch them from the porch window as several hummingbirds converged on the feeder. The ballet began again.

I hope you have the joy of watching birds wherever you live.
Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz