June Blooms and Blossoms

Happy June!
I was playing with my Gelli plate and used a new bird stencil. The result? These cards:

Both the blue/green and multi-hued birds were first prints, and I outlined them with metallic ink to better define the shape of the birds and branches.

This card was a ghost print of the one above. It looked like a multi-coloured splat until I added the outline.

I'm really pleased with the result, and can't wait to have more gelli fun!











The Wedding piece is slowly evolving, and I experimented with a new-to-me (Casalguidi) stitch. Remember the 'winding bit' from last week? It was wrapped, couched, and then woven to create dimension. My version of the Casalguidi stitch is a little open compared to some, but I rather like the look.
I've added french knots, tendrils, stems, leaves, and bullions.

gradually building up layers......

a cluster of woven picot leaves

the Casalguidi stitch branch took a very, very long time

it does add a lot of dimension and texture

thicker than the lace

how it looks together

a different angle




It's coming together slowly, building one element at a time. More of everything to create, and a few more surprises...........

I love this!

Hope your week has been a good one!

Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Blossoms and Stitching

Blossoms are everywhere!

 this apple tree grows just beside the school yard, and last summer Jewel would pick an apple from its boughs each time we walked by on the trail

 other plants are in flower, too, all along the walking path.

fruit trees and lilacs are a feast for the eyes, and the nose

 this wee bird bath sits in my garden, and I giggle each time I see it

2 nights ago I startled one of the nesting robins as it was having a refreshing bath

creeping phlox in bloom beside some creeping thyme.....

These lilacs sit on the dining room table and fill the area with a wonderful perfume.
















There has not been a lot of stitch progress made this past week, although there has been some stitching on the wedding piece. I've put the Christmas skirt and wrapping cloth aside until the wedding gift is completely stitched, as there is a short timetable until the big day, and we hope to gift it to the happy couple before then.
Just a few peeks:

 The stitching boundary is marked by a row of chain stitch

More JK's have been added to the existing garland on the right side, and also anchor a beautiful piece of lace. It was a frame, but too small to use as I'd envisioned.........

the second half of the lace frame appears on the left side, also anchored with JK garlands.......


What's that winding bit beside the lace? I wonder what that will be?   (snicker)

You'll have to wait until next time........



Many hours have been spent in the gardens. I've finished preparing the beds, but it's too hot today to plant, so I shall plant the remaining bed, and transplant all the pots of wonderful stuff my BIL and his girlfriend brought me, over the next few days when temperatures are expected to return to normal.
Now, back to more stitching!

 I hope you've had a creative week.



Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Not Much Stitching

Hi everyone. My Sis arrived Friday for a visit and left Tuesday afternoon, so there wasn't much stitching accomplished while she was here. We had fun, though.
I did, however, begin a new project late last week. It's for an upcoming wedding, but, in order to protect the identity of the couple, their photos were smudged

the lace monogram

Josephine knots cascading along the lace trims



more JK's to come

parts of the wedding invitation are included in this embroidery, but the couple's names have been blocked out

 more embellishing and embroidering will happen, and perhaps some silk ribbon embroidery as well will appear on this piece

to date, we plan an oval presentation under glass and DH will create a fabulous frame.

it's a beginning..........

and that's it for this week stitch-wise

my hands are sore from gardening/weeding/mulching, digging, and hauling flagstone and rocks

there is blue and purple in the garden

the new bed I created, hauling and placing the flagstone and rocks

the new garden shed is up and the bed on the left is for more veg  once I finish the digging and create the raised beds

weeding, weeding, and more weeding as I discover just what is growing in the new-to-me gardens.

oops, there's some yellow I need to weed out.....

Hope you've had a creative week.

Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Middle of May

Hi everyone. I've made some time to stitch over the last week, even though the gardens have been calling to me.

I finished my May stitching of "Shady Lady", which was created by Ellen Mosbarger, who kindly allowed StitchMAP to adapt her design for our HEX LABS project. I found the applique to be challenging, but had fun with the rest of the stitching. I added some dimensional tresses, just to see how they'd look, as well as some shading on the lips, and along the chin and neck.

 On wrapping cloth piece #11, the hole has been filled, and is hugged by a Josephine knot garland.

There is more stitching to be added to this piece

lots of room for more embellishing!
















I found some treasures at my favourite second-hand shop:

doilies

4 heavy cotton napkins

2 pillowcases to match the double-sized bed skirt

 a dresser scarf

another doily

 a queen-sized bed skirt

the eyelet on the queen-size bed shams


as well, I found a patterned tablecloth, plus a delicate crochet-edged handkerchief.
Most of the items are either stained or have some issued with the fabric wearing, so I shall probably use the good parts for my wrapping cloth.
There's lots of wonderful eyelet!

On Mother's Day, we went for a short hike at the conservation areas near the University.
Lots of happy birds singing.....

 pasing the pond, we spied something ......

two turtles sunbathing on a log.....

the sun created sparkling diamonds

 in the front garden, the magnolia tree is blooming

 aren't they beautiful?






I hope you've had a good, creative week.




Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

April Ends

There was a large maple tree in our backyard. The arborist told us it might survive a few more years, but it's days were numbered. Branches were dying, the bark was off one side, and it had a large split in the middle. We decided to remove it before it fell down on our new-and-not-yet-put-together large tool shed.

 It was leaning towards the neighbour's yard, too.

 DH limbed it.

 and cut

it fell true

chopping up with the help of a neighbour

then I went out to help move and pile the small amount of wood we kept, and the rest went to neighbours who burn wood

we gathered kindling for another friend
I hate to see big beautiful trees be felled, but safety first. I think we should choose another tree

As for my Christmas skirt, I'm a month behind, and I think I could probably stitch on this skirt quarter for a few more weeks, but, in the hopes of finishing my CQJP on time, I'm calling it done!

Tatted, beaded, ribbon, and thread snowflakes were added

and this section of the skirt will be put away while I work on section #2


I may add to or subtract some of the snowflakes once more skirt sections are completed

what I have learned from this first quarter:

1) while providing contrast, the green fabrics take away from the red and white theme, so any new quarters I make may be void of green

2) small snowflake motifs get  lost in the skirt, so I shall go Big

3) too many different styles of snowflakes may be taking away from the overall look

4) I may decide to simplify the number of fabric patterns in new quarter pieces in order to get closer to the picture in my mind

5)  conclusion: I need to Simplify, simplify, simplify!
And that's all the stitching I accomplished this week.

I spent a happy evening or two playing with my gelli plate, and found out just how easy it is to get ugly results...lol!
The flowers look blurry because I was going for a tone-on-tone effect, but blew the placing

 I love the blues in this one

some of the items I use to create texture and patterns

dots and grids.......

I need more practice to get the results I see in my imagination. Oh, boy, that means more play time!

I was down for a couple days under-the-weather recuperating from doing too much, but I'm feeling much better now.
Wishing you Happy Stitching and Creating for the upcoming week.


Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz