Panama Trip

We have just returned from a cruise to the Panama canal. We visited a butterfly farm in Aruba and I found it so interesting. Now I  plan on planning butterfly friendly plants in my yard. They gave us a web site that will tell you the plants that work in your area. Cool idea.

 We were also able to go to Costa Rica and go on a zip line through the rain forest. It was so much fun and the trees were magnificent.

In Cartagena, Columbia we visited a monastery and the flowers and architecture were so beautiful. In the desert where I live, flowers do not grow quite the same way.

 This photo from the internet was a close to the sting rays as we got on our trip. The seas were rough the day that we were to snorkel with the sting rays so we had another day at sea. Not quite the same as visiting the turtles and sting rays in person.

Embroidered Cabinet

I have signed up for a fantastic on line embroidery class. It is The Cabinet of Curiosities by Thistle Threads. I have always wanted to stitch what is called an embroidered casket ever since I first saw one. Here are a couple of pictures of the 17th century originals.

The class will run for 18 months and at the end we will have most of the knowledge that we need to stitch our own box. The first stitched piece of the teaching lessons is a pincushion. Here is mine with a picture of the back also. I love daffodils so I decided to stitch one for the front of my pincushion.

Cauliflower pincushion

I love Inspirations Magazine. It is eye candy for any embroiderer. Several months ago they had a pin cushion contest and the one that won was later published in volume 75. It was designed byJulie Kniedl of Australia.  It is the most wonderful   dimentional cauliflower. If you just glance at it you would think that it was real and not stitched. It is created by stitching 9 leaves and 24 circles of french knots that are then stitched together to create the lifelike head of the cauliflower. Here is one of the leaves.

Here is the whole pincushion.

Strawberry case

Early in the winter season is the time of the year that I take some time to work on some of the things that I  have wanted to stitch.  It is after the national seminar and before I have to submit projects for the next year.  
I started this piece in 2004 and finally got it stitched and finished. It is by a dear friend Diane Clements. Originally I was going to do something else instead of the reticella strawberry but Diane talked me into doing it like the pattern. Reticella is one of my least favorite forms of needlework but I do love the way that it looks when it is finished.

I love the way that it turned out. I did make one little change. The sides of the pin cushion were bargello but I wanted more strawberries so I designed a blackwork design of strawberries in red for the sides.

Blackwork

This has been quite the summer of travel. Some of it for pleasure but most of it for teaching. In the space of 6 weeks I was in San Diego, Orlando, River Valley - Conn and Santa Fe.  I met some wonderful people and had a great time, but now I am home for the winter.


I have been able to stitch some new pieces. I have always wanted to stitch an adaptation of one of James Christensen's paintings and did so for a lecture on Designing for One Color. It is one of the angels of Faith, Hope and Charity. I choose to do Faith in blackwork. It enjoyed doing it and will stitch a multi-color one that is inspired by his work but for now I have this one. She ended up being framed in a wonderful, big gold frame so she looks like an old master.

 

I just finished stitching a challenge piece that the Swan Sampler Guild started. The flower patterns are free and from the Workbasket. I did both of them in lavender-blue on 40 count linen, added a book spine, and then made a sewing book. The closure is one of my antique  bone stilettos. I added old ivory pieces as a measure and thread winder.

Here are two views of the inside and the closure.

Soft Shading

I have been working on a new emboidery for a lecture and work has been going slowly - too many distractions at home. We went to the cabin last week for a few days and I was able to get so much done that I finished it today.
The wildlife also were enjoying the weather there also. It was warm and the rain felt wonderful.
I have never seen as many hummingbirds as there were this time. They swarmed  the feeders. It was so much fun to see.

Later a cow moose wandered through with her twin calves.

Updates and quilts

The past two months have been eventful to say the least. Jim retired, we drove to Arizona to visit family. It was fun to see everyone and do some shopping. I am not much of a shopper usually, but when we are traveling I can do lots of it. The spring flowers are nearly over but it sure was beautiful while it lasted. I love the first flowers of the year more than any others.

Two weeks ago we went to see the Dr because his ( the DH not the Dr) hip had been hurting and last week he had total hip replacement and is on the way to a full recovery.
Life just keeps keeping on...
I did get some fun things done between all of the stuff. I finished the quilt top that I had been working on. It is fun and bright and has lots of yellow in it.

Now I am busy with the next quilt. It will be blue and white and really striking.