Stitch therapy.
Drawing with a needle. Another way to make a picture.

In progress

Finished.

 A cottage for two!

 

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

The week's work so far....

The laundry isn't done because repairs are being made to the watersomethingorother and there is no water today. 

The first of two articles is coming along but I get distracted along the way. My distractions, though, are my work so I don't feel guilty or anything....

I saw a shape in a strip of lace on the edge of an old napkin. I trimmed it into a butterfly and filled it in with embroidery.

New! Available in my Etsy shop.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 A new week. Two assignments with deadlines. Laundry.

And a whole lot of clearing, cleaning, de-stashing. With the discovery of supplies I'd forgotten I had.

I don't know exactly what this object is (a ping pong bat? a leaf?) -- I decided on a pod and gave it some seeds. The number, 116, adds up to 8, the number for infinity.

 This little embroidered piece is available in my Etsy shop. If you go there, catch the coupon code just under my shop banner.



Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 While thinking about where to go next on my cloth, I filled the centre of the flowers with pale blue French knots.

Now and then I have to look at the whole thing before deciding the next step.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 Continuing the cloth. A scattering of wee flowers.

 I read on sri threads that in Japan, there is a certain magic associated with stitching.....


Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

I had a day off yesterday, but still did some embroidery in the evening.

This is now "framed" in a vintage metal embroidery hoop. To the left is a gift from my friend Lynne Whipple.

 And some more additions to my slow cloth.........

 Happy week to you.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 Thank you so much for the tips in the previous post. Since I have heavy gel medium at hand, I will probably try that.

The canvas is dry as a bone, so the next step will be to gently rub off the paper with a damp sponge. I'm procrastinating right now...

 ...procrastinating by adding details onto my cloth...

 Have a fruitful day!



Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

The evolution of a piece of cloth. I began with an antique piece of cloth that already had some embroidery on it; then I stitched a plain cotton panel onto it, and continued. The cloth now measures 3 ft, 2 inches. I add to it as the spirit moves me. Part of me hopes it will never be finished, but I am not Penelope waiting for Ulysses, so it will be finished sooner rather than later, and I will be satisfied.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 Adding something unexpected to my very slow cloth.

 And drawing with my eyes closed. A good exercise.

Happy weekend!



Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

It's hard to believe that it's already Friday. This week has sped by so fast; I want to say faster than usual, but that's probably just my perception, and perceptions can be inaccurate.
Anyway..... my cloth is progressing slowly.

 And I've been painting, tweaking some existing techniques and doing things backwards to see what happens. I think I'm more of a tweaker than an inventor, although tweaking can sometimes lead to something new. I do the same with recipes and cooking.

Wishing you a pleasant weekend.

 
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 It's too hot to do anything until this evening, except be grateful for air-conditioning and embroidery.

I attached a long piece of plain cloth to this antique one that I embroidered and applique'd, and will continue until it no longer wants to be embroidered. Slow cloth, for sure!


 

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 WIP - a small sampler, white on white.

Trying to decide what will go in the bottom left-hand corner. Perhaps a word, but it must be the right word, and embroidered in red. 

 
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

*

A new arrival in the family had me busy celebrating yesterday, so I didn't get around to blogging. It was, happily, a quick delivery, and mother and child are doing really well.

When the excitement died down in the evening, I finished my second embroidery cloth/sampler.

 I haven't decided which way is up...yet.


Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 My sampler is coming along. It's a slow process, which is good for me because it slows me down too.

 Happy Monday!




Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

Yo-yos are fun. I was a little bored so I made a yo-yo, then another, and another. I recently discovered that a yo-yo is called a Suffolk puff in the U.K. Nice. It sounds like a pastry.
Underneath them is the scrim, to which I added a second cluster of circles. Am I having fun? You bet!

Happy weekend.

 
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

Scrim is my newest discovery. It's sturdier than cheesecloth and stands up to embroidery. I'm not sure where this is going, but I'm thinking of filling the whole piece with circles, or clusters of circles of different sizes.

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

 The cloth is finished. I worked on it from the bottom up. That wasn't planned; it just happened that way. A lot of arranging and rearranging of elements went on before I decided to stitch them down. It's a very good feeling when it's finished, but I miss the process. Which is why I'll make another, and another....

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

On a grey, rainy day, a comforting thing to do curl up on the couch with a hot drink and stitch. The temperature will double by tomorrow and I'll be out and about, so today I'm taking the opportunity for a little quiet time with my sewing.

 
Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

I was practising my embroidery and started in an awkward place, and ended up with a very odd plant. It reminds me of plants like the venus flytrap. I just hope this one is a vegetarian.

 It's a long weekend in Canada. So have a happy one!




Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown

Some fabric scraps are too precious to discard. They can be used as part of a patchwork, but they can also be embroidered. I can see this attached to a mat board and framed and hung on a wall.

Available in my Etsy shop

Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown