Winter Solstice - Day 5

Deciding white was too ordinary for the snow I went with the 'pink' I had bought a few days ago, but I used the wrong side to tame it a bit. At times it's still too pink.
I tried some organza but really didn't like the shine and I found it difficult to control when I tried to layer pieces. After picking out some of yesterday morning's stitching I went with another fabric, blue as originally planned.

The trees and shadows are all still only pinned in place. I'm not sure the 'shadows' have enough presence or whether exaggerating their size/shape might look better.
The trees still need some fudging with paint? and stitching to turn them into individuals.

Winter Solstaice - Day 4 - and some trees

Winter Solstice - Background

Now this is stitched the proportions are easier to see.

Winter Solstice - Day 3

I had a false start yesterday.

The image on the paper and the image in my mind hadn't yet merged. Recognizing the limitations of the cotton medium changes the feel of the image, and letting go of the impossible is an important step in my mind.
So I threw all yesterday's efforts with confetti pieces into another container and started over.

Deciding the vegetation/trees were conifers and not deciduous changed the game. The solution came to me while I was driving back from my hair appointment. The small and loose tips of the trees appear black in the early morning light and colour needed to shine through.
After modifying the 'purple shrub' It came together more easily.

All set now for the first round of netting and stitching.

Winter Solstice

Time to start a new piece.
Even though we are well past the date I felt this image was closer to those early winter mornings when sunrise still easily impresses it's beauty on our senses.

 A little too much going here so I chopped about a third to create this panel.
 

And as usual I put together a general colour blocked canvas.

I knew the day would come but it seems as though I may have to SHOP for some of these colours.!


                                  😃

Garden - Final

Just a little over a month till Spring.

Signora

Busy week with the Demo night and Valentine's Day and organizing my Son  & Co. to move in some new furniture. After 25 yrs it was time for a new couch, ( plus a few other things).

And while I sit on it I can work on the lady.

Demo Night at the Guild

Our guild does this at least once a year.
This time a group of us are showing "hand work". Others are doing hand quilting and beading etc and I'm showing what materials are necessary and how needle felting can be part of applique work.

I have a few small items along with my BIG bears and an Sweat shirt I 'gussied up" to show, so I assembled this Chick a dee as another example. (Helpful hubby refereed to this as a hairy bird.......😏......sometimes not so helpful)

Two hours+

FROM the Garden

I spent a lovely Wednesday afternoon with four friends as we sat and played with a number of fabric marking products, inks and pencils.
I played with my Derwent Ink Sticks. While I've had them for a number of years I've really only used them for minor colour adjustments.

The occasion .........I bought a new couch, cream coloured leather.
That means I need to change all the pillows...of course.  😁
(5 hr. ? total)

The Garden - Attaching the Flowers

I could have spent days rearranging the flowers but I decided to go with this version.

Using two darning needles and green nylon thread/yarn I went in under the centres and pushed the needles through from either side. The thread was cut and then loosely tied at the back.
(Oh what joy tying knots blind with a yarn so smooth it's hard to feel...😒)

In some places I had to use pliers to force the dull needles through all the layers.

Once all the flowers are anchored I can take the 'garden' off the frame, flip it over, retie and bury the threads.

And here is the full piece with all the flowers.
They still are loosely anchored. The gaps are destined for foliage.
I'm very pleased with the full coverage.

(Sick of beading!)

The Garden - Full of Flowers

I put the background back on the quilting frame. It should be easier to attach the flowers if I can work underneath.

Then I sort of .....scattered the flowers.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm......................
This could take a while.
First I'm thinking I need to abandoned the dark purple and navy.
Or they need to be included......or buried..........

And then there's additional foliage?
And flower buds?