April 24, 2012

Carolynn-- Satin stitch, motifs, couching

Late again! However. . . great excuse! Yesterday we went on a dawn hot-air balloon ride over the Sonoran desert north of Phoenix! What an adventure!
AND I'm out of the boot and walking on my foot; so glad I did the surgery!

Now to embroidery.  I just couldn't get used to the dark oval I had put around my mother's picture, so following Nancy's advice, I pulled it out.  Instead, I put some silk ribbon flower wreath motifs above and below, and outlined the picture with some silk tubing couched down with a single running stitch.
I added a random motif in the light block above and to the left in a cream thread. It didn't show up at all, so I pulled it out as well and redid the motif in a taupe. Don't know if that was wise, either, but at least it shows up!



I thought I'd better try some satin stitch, so I added a heart motif,surrounded by satin stitched hearts in the lower right corner:  (whoops--needs to be rotated one turn to the left!)



Next I added some motifs to the "family" block:


(I'm sorry! I don't understand what's going on with the pictures coming in sideways or upside down! I will get some technical help from my husband when he's here!)

I have two more blocks to complete for this project, one started, one still blank. I need to get busy!

13 comments:

Connie Eyberg Originals said...

Really love the motifs you have added to your blocks and your neutral color scheme. Beautiful stitching and sweet photo of your mom.

Debra Dixon said...

The silk ribbon spray at the bottom of your mother's picture is really elegant. I need to learn to do SRE.

Recycled Cottage & Garden said...

I'm really liking the wheat sheafs and I definitely like the neutral colors, very soothing and vintage looking. I think it's all perfect!

Recycled Cottage & Garden said...

SRE is pretty easy, basically simple embroidery stitches but with ribbon.

Debra Dixon said...

I have the supplies. It's just a matter of making myself try it.

Carol-Ann said...

The sre motifs are quite beautiful and I adore the wheat sheafs.

jenclair said...

:) I can only echo what has been said about the neutrals and the motifs!
Love the pine cones and wheat sheaves!

Barbara C said...

The silk ribbon embroidery adds wonderful dimension. This palette is great for your subject matter.

Anonymous said...

Love the block and the SRE as well as the feather stitching. The leaves on the left are also a great texture to add and the photograph is wonderful, even upside down. =)

Judy S. said...

Love your block, Carolynn, all the stitching others have mentioned plus the hearts and zigzag buttonhole stitching. Great job!

Suztats said...

I think the colour scheme you've chosen gives a timeless feeling to the block, and I love all your hand stitching, and SRE. The motifs are well balanced and enhance the pic of your Mother without taking away from it's importance on the block. It's beautiful.

Jane said...

Love the colors your using and your stitching is awesome. Great idea for the heart motif.

Peacock said...

Your little satin hearts and your wheat motifs are beautifully stitched! I also adore your SRE! I, too, have not yet tried doing much with SRE. I have some silk ribbon, but I just don't have a feel for how to use it in my blocks yet.