6.18.2015

A Lesson in Color ~

Trim work this morning with needle & thread,
the window muttons are now stitched in place
and I have a finish!

Grateful, Thankful & Blessed
is ready for the framers!

Two down, two to go!


I always finish what's in my hoop 
before I move onto the next.  
Disciplined?  
Not really, it is my motivation for a quicker finish. ;)

There is no rest for the wicked,
as 
today is a day of color planning, 
floss & linen selections for a future Halloween design.
I want to name this design
Oct. 31st....
I am laughing at the originality of this title...
I may need to work harder on this title!


When I chart a design,
 I am privileged to experiment around with background color (or linen),
on-screen, with a click of a button.  
 Sounds easy, right? 
 What looks good on the computer should look good 
when you go to place your stitches on that color of linen, right?
Not really...

I struggle with colored linen, blue sky colors in particular.
I am determined to make it work for this design,
wish me luck!!

  This morning I have been playing with sky-colored linens. 
 They all seem to be too cool-toned, in my opinion...
So,
 I cut off a fat-quarter of two purchased hand-dyed linens
 and gave them an early morning bath in some strong coffee.
I function better with a little coffee,
maybe it is just the trick for sky-colored linens, no?  


See how it warmed up the linen?
I now have a warmer grungy linen,
I like the results!


(original linen is to the right of it's respective over- dyed version)

I have started several designs on blue linen, only for them to end up in my "reject box".  What is so frustrating for me, is, I have to stitch a gazillion stitches before I know whether it is going to appeal to me or not.  Just a couple of stitches doesn't determine whether I like it or not...no, that would be way to easy...so, I keep stitching and stitching, and thinking, and hoping it is going to get better ~
{sigh}

I am going to brave it again.
I think the linen on the lower left will be the choice.

 The linen and floss colors seem to work together when spread out.
This is where it gets tricky, their needs to be enough contrast between linen to floss.
 Green flosses get tricky on blue linens.
 I will need to brighten up my greens, pulling green flosses with more yellow in them.

   In the case of autumn,
 the floss colors we use
 tend to be warmer tones,
 my eye tells me warm flosses work better
on
warm toned linen.

Enough about warm & cool tones ~
because
it's going to be a beautiful late Spring day!

Our Service Berry trees are just loaded with berries
and the young robins have found them.
Their acrobatic moves in plucking them is quite entertaining.


I am going to find a shady spot today
 and take in the beauty of nature,
 and stitch!

Late Spring...my favorite season.
Stitching my favorite season....Autumn & Halloween
Total Bliss!

Wishing you a day full of beauty,
 and
 a stitch or two,
Brenda












6.16.2015

To be treasured....

Mary was just 9 
when she crossed her last stitch on this sampler.
The year was 1819.  
I have a weakness when it comes to samplers with houses,
but there was more then just the house,
more on that later...


Her young eyes had no trouble stitching a verse in
 over one,
 on teeny tiny linen.  
I love the verse.
In a close up study you will see a few of the bird's Mary stitched are going side-ways.  
This is a little unusual for a schoolgirl sampler.  
What did her instructress think of her side-way birds? 
Makes you wonder, doesn't it?!!

Her chosen verse reads:
All you my friends that now expect to see
a piece of marking thus performed by me
cast but a smile on this my mean endeavour
I will strive to mend and be obedient ever




What makes this sampler extra special is I am able to put a face to the name.
An older face, anyway.
This is Mary Meredith in her later years.  
Her married name was Mary Hope.

Her clothing indicates she is in mourning.  
Who was she mourning, one wonders?

Look close.
  See her necklace?


Tucked away in a velvet line box
 lies Mary's necklace.
It is the necklace she is wearing in the photo.
Sort of gives you goose bumps,
doesn't it?



Take a closer look...
 A mourning necklace.
The center locket of the pendant
holds basket-weaved hairs of
the deceased, 
in which she is mourning.

Treasures....
not to be forgotten.

With thy needle & thread,
Brenda