Little Bit Sick So I Stayed Home Today

Trouble with having a sickie when you're sick is, well, you're sick! And I felt guilty because the one-true had to work and work hard doing his rock wall by himself while I read my book on the couch and drank coffee and baked a cake. He thought the cake tasted weird but he was tired and a bit grumpy. Not very grumpy and he doesn't try to make you suffer too. Not usually. I bought a set of stainless steel pots and pans for the first time in my life and the lids have this groove where water gets trapped. Ick! So I have to return them tomorrow which is embarrasing because I lay-byed them for ages. But they're stupid! I'm stupid.

I banged my head so hard on the pointy corner of my computer desk while I was retrieving an errant speaker that I thought I'd be sick and it ought to have bled like mad but it didn't, much. AND my nearest and truly dearest didn't even notice, even though I brushed my hair back just before he came into the room. And I ate too much toast.

Update On The Nice Girls

I've included a few pale green beads in the halo which brings it together with the flowers on the girl's top and breaks up the pink. The beads will solidly silhouette their heads.

Hmm... I'm enjoying this so very much. My love and I laugh at our cheap and simple capacity for happiness, entertainment and excitement. Ha says he'd be happy for hours with a packet of elastic bands and I believe him. He's now playing with another new fishing rod and it's associated parephenalia and I'm staring for hours and hours at piles of beads. My neck is sore and I've had a headache the last few mornings. My eyes hurt and there are little pink beads everywhere I go. But it's too much fun and I endure stoically like the Scot's of my ancestry.

I suppose every nation has had to endure.. yes yes of course! It goes without saying. But we do it Scot style around here.

Look here for the previous installment of the piece. Or check 'The Rabbits Cubby' label.

This Is My First Embroidery 1988-89

I'd done a couple of little flowers on kiddies dresses, and when I was 16 I'd made a long flowing dress (we're talking about 1974) upon which I embroidered a tree. Done 'in situ' as I recall, while I was sitting on a hill in Mullumbimby. It had a sun on it too... which reminds me that I did the same sun on a dress for my first daughter Claire... might get a photo...

Anyway, this picture I did without preparation and had some difficulty bringing it together. The figure on the swing I added later, because it didn't feel right...

The ground is solid with many many greens, all one thread. Then Bullions for the textural grass. I'd used a scrap of calico, which gave no contrast at all to the clouds, OBVIOUSLY!! So I painted in a blue sky, and then went over the embroidered clouds in white.

I didn't consider it finished, but intend to leave it alone.

I suppose it measures about 6 inches across and I hate the colour of the mat board, must get a new one. White or off white is always best.

Oh, and this is my second embroidery...

Little Trees Not Finished

I'd thought I'd lent this piece to someone from my classes... looked and looked and LOOKED!! Months ago. Then, not even looking, just browsing on the surface of my fabric shelves... there it was! So annoying. How many other things are right in front of me and I can't see? I suppose I'll finish this piece, although what for?? Have to think about it. Maybe if I put a rabbit in there...

Anyway, here's more...

This Is The Piece That Started It All...

...Well, not really. Not really really, but it was the first time I'd seen an embroidery that was freely designed and madly and wildly worked. It's been added to or fixed or something which makes me wonder why. Oddly. Oddly fixed, that is. Look at the back and you can see where it's had extra fabric put in and embroidered. Who can say why? Is it very old? Very special to someone?

The fixed up bit adds to it and makes it a little bit bizarre. The colours used in the repairs don't match very well although to be fair the greens of the lawn may have aged differently.

The thing about this embroidery is that you could say it wasn't very well made. Or it's heavy-handed and rough, but there's a wind in the trees, the grass is finely mowed. Your eyes is taken through the gate because of the block of green in finer stitching than the rest, smoothly and closely worked rows of Stem stitch.

One flat corner of the design, reflected (stylistically) by a flat sky.

$25 in 1979 and I bought it with some 21st birthday money. It inspired a picture I did, my first real embroidery. Can't imagine why I havn't posted that one here before either?? Tomorrow.

But what I want to say and I'm distracted by a show on tele that I want to watch... BUT we ought to remember the beauty of this piece when we are hyper-critical of our own stitching and accept the truth that roughness and clumsiness have their own charm.

'The Nice Girls'

I saw an exhibition of Russian art some years ago, containing elaborate silver work, religious paintings, clothing etc. There were a few icon pieces that had halo's worked with the tiniest freshwater pearls I've ever seen. A solid mass of gorgeousness. I've always had it there in the back of my mind and so thought the nice girls deserved a lovely pink halo.

Again, I've no consideration and the photo is shocking. Silk is hard to photograph at the best of times and with my blatant disregard it's even worse. But there it is. Not finished by far, and the best fun I've had in ages.

I need to finishe the outlines and then wash the pencil off so I can see what needs doing.

You can tell how much they like each other. Best friends.

Finished Not Washed Not Mounted

And I do have to keep some mystery, so this is all you will see before it's transformed into a member of the group.

To describe this next step, as seen, I have finished outlining in fine Buttonhole, finished adding curly Bullions to the bars and when it's taken off the paper all of the little yellow or red couching will vanish.

Little secret. Any wrong colour, like bits of white showing underneath the black for example, go away with a touch of texta. Indelible of course. Little trick a framer friend of mine told me.