Seams French

Dapper Dog! Meet my friend Winston. Doesn't he just blend perfectly into the gentle, pastoral scene of the French toile? Aside from being a well mannered, polite young man, Winston is always impeccably groomed; clean and coiffed, without a hair ever out of place. So, when Winston's "staff" (aka: "his people") approached me with a request to update his wardrobe, I was up for the challenge, even though I have "retired" from the fashion aspect of stitchery. Being a resident of the Pacific Northwest coast, rain gear is a wardrobe essential. For those long walks in the park on all the wet and soggy winter days, we chose this very cheerful and vibrant red waterproof material which is paired with a multi-animal print fleece. Fabrics and pattern ready to go. And here we are, Runway Ready! A second coat, which will do for those crisp and chilly early morning walks along the seawall, is made from faux fur with a Burberry"ish...

Although the re-org. process is still on and strong in my life, my stitching hands have not been completely idle. Since my hummingbird boutis has been completed, (see my post of Nov. 23, 2013), I have been working on drafting some smaller boutis pieces. Below are 3 of the designs ready to be stitched. Rose windows from some of the many churches and cathedrals that I have photographed over the years, were the inspiration for two of these designs. This first piece, which will be a cell phone case, is my first attempt at stitching boutis with dupioni silk. Although Swiss cotton batiste (in white), is the most traditional material used for boutis, a number of the more contemporary boutiseusses are experimenting with silk. Silk is less forgiving then cotton, so consistency in tension, and accuracy in stitch length and placement become more crucial because of their greater visibility.  In this little mobile phone case, I have used the two most basic stitches of boutis: " point ...

While most "stitchers" are enthusiastically and admirably embracing the new year with renewed energy and creativity, my energy seems to have been diverted by my ever present compulsion to organize (yet again!), although it really is quite necessary (this time?). The aim is to re-prioritize projects and materials to allow for greater efficiency and better access to those supplies necessary for current projects. One of my current organizational endeavours has been directed towards my embroidery stash. Going through the boxes, I came to realize that although I have never thought of embroidery as a priority focus, it has been the most consistent thread throughout my stitching life and has found it's way into most of my work. Threads and linen from my current embroidery project. In some of my earliest memories, I am sitting in a warm and cozy kitchen, watching my mom do her "mom thing", while I am happily engaged in keeping needle and thread from escaping m...