Embroidery Class

 I'm still working away on pieces for the artisan show I'll be part of next weekend, but for now I wanted to show some photos of the "Drawing With Stitches" class I'm taking right now.  We've learned a few hand embroidery stitches and each person is working on a project of her choice. This blackwork piece is being done by our instructor, Amy Ropple, freehand, with no pattern. Beautiful!

Two people, AnnMarie and Amy, are making designs using only French knots.

Barbara is working on a Celtic knot design with beautifully 

muted colors and intricate stitches.

Rosalie is embroidering an apple on black felt - this is an early photo.

There are two other members of the class, SooKhim and Barbara,

 but I didn't get good photos of their work - hopefully I'll get more soon.

I'm working on an embroidery of a little drawing I did - of course I had to add a cat!

Cairo, our instructor's parrot, visited the class and

I was lucky enough to have a visit with him! He sat on my hand for several minutes!

As always, we have a lot of laughs in our classes and I feel

fortunate to be part of them!

Hope you've had a great week!

Landscapes in Process

Today was a full day of designing, preparing and sewing landscapes.

 I feel like I have a handle on the pieces I'll be offering

 in the local show on November 1.

I have many of the pieces pinned up on some foam core on the mantle

 in our living room. I'm preparing white linen borders for all of them. 

Hopefully my system will work and I can get them mounted

 assembly line style. And, of course, I need to add more details

(such as leaves) to some of the pictures. 

Time to quit for the day, make dinner and rest my eyes!

Hope you've had a very good day!

Isolation by Choice

This was me yesterday, working on landscapes on the porch,

grateful for sliding doors to keep curious critters out.

The sign was for my husband, although I'm pretty sure my

cats can read. They are very gifted!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Felting Away

Yesterday I got in a groove and worked on some needle felting.

I had already wet felted a base of sky, clouds and grass, which I then

placed on white wool and needle felted everything together, adding shading and details.

The felting gives such a dreamy effect and now I have to figure out

how to present it for the show. Frame? Glass? Wall Hanging?

To be determined!

This second piece (photo taken on a sunny surface) is one I've

been tinkering with for a while. The background and trees are fabric,

the foreground is felt. I have to figure out whether I like it today, or else 

let it go and move on to something else. As usual, a deadline is spurring me on 

to be very productive. Show is November 1 and I have much to do!

Fortunately, I'm in "the zone" and love doing it!

Hope your week is off to a good start!

Betty

Just a little sketch today!

This is Betty. 

She remembers with great fondness her great-grandmother's home

and tries to recreate the same feeling in her own surroundings.

She shops at vintage stores and flea markets

for glasswear and linens and aprons and knick-nacks.

Her house is cheery, bright and homey,

with a place for everything and everything in its place.

She loves to hang laundry on a clothesline and smell

the sunshine on her sheets at night.

She bakes for her husband and children

and neighbors, and enjoys every aspect of being a homemaker.

Betty is truly an old-fashioned girl

and she would make her great-grandmother proud.

She knows that what she does isn't for everyone,

but she is happy being who she is.