Two done

There is a gardening vlog that I've been following for a couple of years now and his motto is "Do a little, often" With stitching, this is good advice. Over time a lot of stitches finally add up.

This paper piece was sitting on my table for ages and it just did not satisfy. I took it with me to a gathering of other stitching women and I received some advice. On this piece, the line is not distinct enough.

So, I distincted it. By adding some dimension and bringing the pink into the line, as well as strengthening the green, It has a better focus. Not that the photo is any good of course (as I discover once all the photos are uploaded and re-taking photos would mean no time to blog ---- choices).

I used Sulfolk Puffs or Yo-Yo's to do the job. Looks like a better close up photo is in order also. My cloth piece, "Yellow Bowl" is also done to my satisfaction.

Here, I also knew the focus was unfocused. My supportive stitching friends gave several suggestions. In this case it wasn't dimension and texture that were missing, but depth of colour.

I added the blue dots behind the lace flower and strengthened the blues and purples threads in the other flowers.

These two pieces are now in the queue for decent photography, a project I leave for very snowy days. I have started two new pieces. The one is a squished piece that has Rowan (or Mountain Ash) berries squished first, with a wild briar rosehip squish over top. Lots of oranges and red and dark greens. I have sent off to Hedgehog Handworks (here) for supplemental threads and a new to me white thread that has a flat matte that allows for larger french knots.  I've bought threads and an embroidery hoop from here in the past, Coton a Broder and Floche a Broder, which is slightly different in hue and thickness. 

The second piece is a surprise to me. I received the ends of two pillowcases, the parts where the lace is sewn on. There is a band of about 3 inches of doubled cotton, then the original lace, possibly tatted. The two were lying on the table, side by side and a Eureka moment happened. It will start as a white on white piece, until I become bored and then we will see what happens. It should be a nice change to all the oranges and reds of the squished piece. If the threads arrive in time, that will be next Monday's post.

In the meantime, I am headed off to Toronto. I'm taking my mom to see the musical "Matilda" for her Christmas present (early) and then going to hours and hours of sitting at a two day long business meeting for Quakers. For that, I am taking socks along to knit, so I don't kill anyone. Quakers are supposed to be non-violent but there's nothing like a long business meeting to make me reconsider.