Friday, January 21, 2011

Linen Flowers

Linen Flowers
It has taken awhile to get this to this point. I have had one of those 'freezing' experiences where I was too scared (to be blunt) to take a risk with background stitches. I 'ummed and arred' about adding a butterfly, and whether to have coloured circles in the four bottom squares. In short I was not making progress. Except, hahaha, if you count getting to this point, of admitting my fear of risk taking, as making progress of sorts. Well I think it probably is progress of sorts because finally yesterday I thought to myself:  'Hey Gilly this was supposed to be only an exercise right from the beginning - just a design exercise and experiment using only linens'. This freed me up to do the background stitching. Afterall it is the only way to really experiment with different effects.

I have not planned to forever leave a cross-stitch off the bottom left hand square - I am just experimenting. (Ha!) I wonder if the omission balances the overall design somewhat. Also I am not sure whether to make the nine sideways stitches on top right into full cross stitches.

Anyway overall I have achieved my goal of working just with really lovely fabric - these beautiful washed out linen colors are from old table napkins. It is also backed in the same soft linen which makes the whole cloth a very pleasing weight. I am not sure what a book mat is, but it occurred to me that this a good size to lay my reading glasses on when I don't need them for a moment.

So...at close of needle last night I had put the three bottom cross stitches in and decided to post as is, looking forward, as always, to any observations and ideas from my online friends!

Happy Stitching , Gilly

14 comments:

  1. i love this piece. and i would leave those nine sideways stitches as they are. almost like a window to the world. keep on....

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  2. Hi Deanna - thanks - I think I'll put the fourth bottom cross stitch in though. Thanks for your positivity! Gilly

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  3. Hi Gilly...I like how the linen really brings out the loveliness of the design...

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  4. perfect! everything is balanced and simple with just enough variation to pull it together.

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  5. What a delightful comment Suzanna. Thank you because there is certainly somehting that happens between cloth and design. You have made me feel very excited. Gilly

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  6. jude - thanks for taking the time to visit in the midst of the busyness of a new course and thank you so much for what you have written. Encouraging for me - and so much of my learning, such as it is, is to be referred back to your daily blogs, which I love to absorb. Gilly

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  7. Well Joei your Book of Kells project is going to be amazing! Thanks for your comments here. Gilly

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  8. Gilly. Don't have an email for you....but the translation of: in principio erta verbum is In The Beginning. Thanks for your comments. I've been looking at your work since I saw it on Jude's class. =-)

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  9. Love linen and love your work with it. In my humble opinion the slanting stitches form a square that balances beautifully with the empty square bottom left.

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  10. This is beautiful - the simplicity of linen and of the flowers and vase is perfect!

    I love your bookmark (preceding post) too. xx

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  11. Beautifully composed and worked.

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  12. This piece is so calming and peaceful.
    Its speaks of its being treasured as you stitched it somehow.

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  13. I agree with Jude - perfect! I wouldn't change a thing.

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