Slowly Stitching August Away

This month has been moving through it's days faster than water through a sieve; I'm not at all sorry to see this month end, August weather in Florida can be brutal to say the least, hot days filled with sunshine and heavy gray clouds, humidity so thick it feels like you're parting a veil just to breathe.

I have my newest project set up for stitching, it's a Sashiko project from a kit I purchased a few months ago.

The kit included the printed indigo fabric, a packet of needles and the hank of white DMC perle cotton thread.  I'm using a light blue chambray cotton to back the indigo fabric for more stability since the dark fabric feel thin and I'm not sure how it will stitch with the perle cotton.
The kit can be found at this Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/225743049/aine-a-celtic-design-sashiko-kit
I loved the pattern when I saw it, Aine as it is called with it's Celtic knotwork look just called to me as you may have noticed over the years many of my hand embroideries are of Celtic knot work or symbols.  Aine is the name of a Celtic/Irish goddess and  I have made quite a few hand embroidered goddesses over the last year or two.

Speaking of goddess embroidery here is the latest goddess project I completed this week:

Goddess stitched

She started as a simple sketch of this lovely little figurine I have, the figurine is an Abby Willowroot design.

Goddess figurine

A few weeks ago I was listening to the rain fall while recovering from a nasty bout of finger pain so I grabbed my sketchbook and began to sketch, after my sketch was done I thought to embroider her. I gave her a spiral labyrinth look to her head, the actual figurine has a spiral on the other side of it.  I left off some of the lines and didn't add the stars to the embroidered piece.

sketch of statue

I scanned my sketch to my computer and printed it out on my favorite stitch and wash away product, then found the fabric I wanted a few days later I would chose the colors and begin the stitching process.  I used variegated embroidery floss throughout except for the moons for those I used DMC satin floss.

I have another two witch bonnet sue blocks put together and a few more waiting to be pieced I decided to wait until all the blocks are done before I begin embellishing them.

witch bonnet sue blocks

I will be linking up today at Kathy's Quilts for slow Sunday Stitching stop on over to see what other bloggers are slow stitching today  https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2017/08/slow-sunday-stitching_20.html

I just finished reading a lovely book  by Kathleen Rooney titled Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk  I couldn't put it down until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

I also started the newest Susan Wittig Albert book The Last Chance Olive Ranch  I love her China Bayles mysteries, what began as cozy mysteries over the years have evolved  into some well written mystery stories filled with information on various aspects of herbs and herb gardening, these books inspired me to expand my own interest in herbal medicine and herb gardening years ago.  The photo is my last haul of books for the library, I'll start the Garden of Small beginnings later this week.

Speaking of gardening the near daily rains come in torrential down pours which is great when it comes to watering my plants and keeping my bamboo plants growing by the foot. Unfortunately the bamboo isn't the only thing growing by leaps and bounds in my garden, after so much rain the weeds are going to be jungle height and thoughts of replacing the weed whacker with a machete has crossed my mind more than once this week.

I would like to plant one of the small dormant beds this autumn, I don't feel the connection to the earth as much tending a potted plant as I do when I am bent over a garden bed taking in all the beauty the scent of the sun warming the plants, seeing them grow, pulling the never ending weeds growing whether it rains or not, so I think it's time I prepare at least one of the beds for a Fall garden.

Until then I will spend my days stitching away on one project or another in my free time, and reading a good book or three.

Monday Update:

My Summer of Love challenge piece has been completed I added two tabs for hanging, I missed the deadline to send the actual piece (like many others I sent just a photo) now it will be another prayer flag for the garden.

It measures 16x17 inches with 3 inch tabs it is not hemmed as prayer flags are meant to unravel over time.  I missed the deadline to send it because I had circled the wrong day on my calendar to mail it by, such a silly mistake but it happens.  

I forgot to mention it above I plan to add embroidery to the corners of the new goddess piece or surround her with a flowering vine.  I have a few ideas brewing in my

head I just need to stir things up, lay the designs out over the fabric so I can choose what feels right.  I know I should go with what I originally planned but that never seems to happen.  

I'm linking up today at Super Mom No Cape come take a look at what other bloggers are hand embroidering today: 

http://www.supermomnocape.com/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-124/