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Sunday, May 7, 2017

First Week of May and Some Slow Sunday Stitching

I am finally over that nasty cold I came down with at the end of April, it wasn't so much the cold symptoms that were nasty but the overwhelming tiredness and need to sleep which usually with a cold seems to hasten getting over it not this time, it seemed the more I slept the worse I felt, and not sleeping wasn't an option.  As soon as I sat down I would begin to drift off, then after a few hours sleep I would wake with a too much sleep headache, which would make me close my eyes and back to sleep I would do, what a cycle. Thursday afternoon I began to feel awake I hadn't had to take any cough syrup for 3 days, I wasn't blowing my nose all day, sneezing or coughing as much.

I actually had the chance to pull out my embroidery and put in a few more stitching in the Goddess of Willendorf piece I am working on.
top flowers
Those flowers took me nearly a week to complete, my long short stitching needs lots of practice but I do like the overall look. My fingers ached by the time I was half through with each flower and I needed to take a day break in between, and the itchy watery eyes from the cold kept the work out of my hands for the most part.
leaves and vines
When I began to feel better I was able to load up the needles with green flosses and start the leaves and vines on the bottom of the piece.
I'm just starting the other leaves and vine section since I have my needles full of the green flosses, I
don't know if anyone else fills up several needles at a time with the colors they are using but I always have, it makes things flow easier when I don't have to stop to thread the needle.  I do that when I hand quilt too though for hand quilting I have 10 to 20 needles threaded and waiting.  For embroidery depending on the area I have 3 needles of each color I'll use.

I have my piece drafted for the Stitch at Home challenge sponsored by the San Francisco School of Needlework and Design.  The challenge, Summer of Love, coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Be-In at Golden Gate Park.  My design is reminiscent of a 1960's poster,  I am trying to decide whether to use white cotton fabric or a light denim colored cotton fabric, I'll know more once the 3 color DMC floss arrives.  I think I mentioned in my early post DMC is a supporter of the challenge and once you sign up you choose from several color palettes of embroidery floss DMC will send to you at no cost. What I like is you get to select your main choice and 2 other just in case the first choices aren't available. The challenge is free to anyone here is the link if you are interested it taking part in this challenge.
http://www.sfneedleworkanddesign.org/rules-and-entry-form/
You also have the choice to send in the finished piece or a photo of the finished piece for the exhibition.   Also you must use the 3 colors from DMC. You are not limited to embroidery other forms of needlework are also welcome.

I'll post my piece once I have it ready to stitch, knowing myself I will tweak it a few times before I transfer to fabric.  Right now I am trying to decide if I want to trace my pattern onto the fabric or scan my pattern and print it on the stitch and wash away product which I love using though at time can be a bit difficult to stitch through depending on the fabric.

I am linking up to Kathy's Quilt today https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/05/slow-sunday-stitching.html
and Monday I'll link up at Supermom No Cape http://www.supermomnocape.com/

14 comments:

  1. I am glad that you are feeling better! That sounds like one nasty virus!

    Your stitching is very pretty! I don't think I could keep track of 10 threaded needles. Ha, ha!

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  2. I have never thought to load up multiple needles...good idea! I am glad you are on the mend. Thanks for sharing the challenge info too.

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  3. Sure looks pretty! Such a labor of love! I hope you feel better soon!

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  4. Such a good idea to load up a few needles while you're at it... it's getting to be a harder task each year :)

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  5. Gorgeous work! Gorgeous stitches! I too thread needles when I hand quilt. Never more than three at a time. It forces me to stand and move around, otherwise I'd be sitting all day, lol. Happy to hear you are on the mend. ;^)

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  6. Deb, thanks for the info on that challenge. I may join it myself as I was a child of the 60s. Your flowers are very pretty. Your leaves look great.

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    1. I'm a child of the 60's too that is why I decided to give it a go.

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  7. Glad you are feeling better. Your stitching is lovely!

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  8. I also am glad you are feeling better.

    Lovely stitchery work.

    Have a great week, feeling better with each new day.

    FlowerLady

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  9. I am glad you are feeling better! Your stitching is lovely.

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  10. So glad to hear that you're feeling better. My goodness that was a nasty cold!

    I love the stitching on the flowers but I can see how it would take a lot of time to do. Even those leaves look like they'd take a far amount of time.

    I've never had multiple needles threaded and now I wonder why I hadn't thought of it because when I'm starting a large sewing project, I wind extra bobbins. I'm working on a hand quilting project and I'm going to start threading extra needles at the beginning of each time I sit down to work on it. Thanks for that tip!

    And thanks too for linking up to last week's Stitchery Link Party and for the link back. Aloha hugs!

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    1. For hand quilting I have been known to thread 20 needles onto the spool then I just grab a needle along with the length of thread I need and start stitching, once all 20 needles are used I thread them all on again.

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