Here are some more samplers on black. The feather stitch is one I love, because it looks like something from nature. The cretan is so easy to manipulate and get unusual shapes.

I need to make a book or something with all these "pages".

I won't be able to blog for a while but will be back as soon as possible.

Stitchery

Before taking Susan Sorrell's class Fertile Earth at www.joggles.com , I'd printed the photo I took of mushrooms on fabric. It sat for several years, because any of the stitches I tried still made the piece look flat.

Her class taught me to layer sheers, cheesecloth, and net on the background before stitching. It really gives the piece more depth.

Exchanges

This month for Unlimited Textiles the theme is Kandinsky. I don't like all his art but do like the geometric pieces, so that's what I worked from. The background is wool and the appliques are Ultrasuede. A leather needle really helps when trying to sew Ultrasuede.

Stitches

When Sharonb www.pintangle.com did the Stitch challenge a couple of years ago, I decided to take time out periodically and explore stitches. I love to work on wool, because it is heavy enough to support the stitching and still easy to stitch through. Black is my favorite background to show the drama of the stitches. Here is the Chevron Stitch. Buttonhole Stitch is so versatile and bends in any direction you want to go.

Calendar Girls

Susan picked this calendar photo for April for http://calendargirls2008.blogspot.com as our inspiration.

Here is how I interpreted it. The fabric is wool with rovings felted on it and chain stitch leaves done by hand.

Bead Journal Project

Here is April for the Bead Journal Project. I had the antique buttons and felt that they would be good flowers on this batik. I just beaded some of the leaves, so they would come forward, and there would still be a background. My unifying theme this year is the journal size and the batik background.

Class

The inspiration for the last Susan Sorrell class at www.joggles.com was to be landscape. Here is the photo I worked from.

I can't believe I actually just cut the shapes freehand, but I did. All the fabrics are hand dyed. Also, it's rare that I work realistically.

This is the finished piece. I left the sky unstitched, so it would recede.

Class

For the fifth lesson of the class from Susan Sorrell at www.joggles.com, the inspiration was to be rocks or shells. Here is mine based on part of the same shell shape I used for the cardboard stencil. The hand dyed fabric has pieces of net and painted cheesecloth on it. The shell shapes are stitched with perle cotton using needlelace, then sequins are attached with beads. The background is stitched with twisted silk thread. This one was harder for me to resolve-maybe because it is too structured.

In Embellisher Club we have been learning to blend fibers. Here is the panel I made for a purse and then added beads. Unlimited Textiles exchange this month was on the theme Gothic. Here is the quiltie Alis http://alis-clair.blogspot.com sent me. The background is actually red violet, but no matter what I did in the editing program, I couldn't get it to show. It is sumptious and wonderful.

She also sent these goodies. The thread is a perfect gift, since I am doing so much hand stitching. The ribbon will work into projects. The card is so clever, I will be trying it. It has a tab to fold it up into a pyramid. Thank you Alis.

Gift, Shopping

Isn't this a beautiful bowl? My friend, Catherine, made it for me for my birthday.

We met and went shopping and to lunch and had a great day. A nice way to celebrate.

Why do people say they "did" lunch? I ate mine.

Here are the ribbon yarns I bought.