First Bloom

Today I noticed the first bloom on my mom's Christmas cactus. This is the third time it has bloomed since she passed away and it makes me think of how wonderful she was with plants and all kinds of needlework. This photo was taken when she was twenty-one and she made the yellow sweater she was wearing. The only thing missing is her warm smile which remains a lovely memory.

Diva Sighting

Last weekend Bill and I went to see Aretha Franklin at the Wang Center in Boston. The Queen of Soul put on an amazing performance! What a great show! The orchestra was excellent and Aretha's voice can only be described as an incredible instrument. A very moving evening!

I was thinking about it today and made this Aretha paper cutting after finding the perfect color of glitter paper to match the gown she wore! Not sure how good the resemblance is and the photo is a bit wonky, but it was a fun project!

An Autumn Day

above - Jean; below - me

A beautiful, warm autumn day!

A blazing orange tree on the corner of our street,

and a view of the lake in the center of town;

My friend Jean and I walked Meadow in the park beside the lake.

Meadow loves to catch a tennis ball and chase leaves,

as she cavorts and rolls in the grass.

Such simple pleasures.

I used to be afraid of dogs,

but now that Meadow is my friend,

the fear is gone.

She's a lovely pooch -

a real princess!

What a great day!!

October

An October wall hanging, done a few years ago and recently refurbished!

My favorite month of the year!

Counting My Blessings

Today is my birthday

and I'm counting my many blessings.

Here are a few:

My sweet and loving best friend, Bill,

who also happens to be my husband;

That talented, funny, inventive young woman

who is my daughter Kate;

A crazy little black and gray striped kitty,

with perfect white paws,

Miss Kristy.

Beautiful friends, wonderful memories,

a very good life;

My childhood dream of being an artist -

now a reality;

Knowing that better things

are yet to come-

a certainty!

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

Warmly,

Judy

Stitched Fabric Art

Hello!
Hope everyone is having a great week. We've had some crisp New England Fall days and I just love them! I find Autumn exhilarating and really enjoy a beautiful October day!
I just finished this stitched cat picture. No, it isn't my cat Kristy - she has white paws! This kitty was done  with a lot of machine stitching, acrylic paint, watercolor colored pencils and sharpie pens. It started out as a thread sketch, then grew into the picture you see here!
I have a few more unfinished pieces I'm working on, and a new project I hope to share soon.
Time to check out some of my favorite blogs!
Have a terrific Wednesday!

Warmly,
Judy

Stitched Landscape

This is an appliqued and stitched landscape which I made several years ago. I found it recently while cleaning out my studio. It was done with all kinds of fabrics - wool, netting, decorator fabrics - and entirely machine stitched! It was part of an exhibit I did at my local library while living on Long Island, NY.
I don't know whether I would have the patience to do this now!!
Hope everyone's having a great day!