Bad-Hair-Day Dahlia

OK, so it's not Brazilian embroidery ... although I have designed a few dahlias for my Millefiori projects using all sorts of stitches and combinations. This dahlia just looks like a bad hair day and was too interesting to leave to wilt.

      And as I'm looking (make that admiring this flower...), I'm thinking #135, #159, maybe #134 ... oh, yes, and bullions.  But FUNNY Bullions, a few wraps tightened on a #3 needle, then a cast-on stitch for an "elbow"  (you didn't know dahlia petals had elbows, did you?), more wraps and maybe a cast-on stitch at the end. I might even make some of those bullion drizzles that I had in my book, Take A Stitch. (Look for the Boyer Bullion Drizzle.) 

       I don't know if it will work; have to stitch it out to see. You just never know what will come out of that needle.

Speaking of designing, I had a request a few weeks ago about getting these inspirations out of our heads and onto paper and then fabric. I think I'll start writing here and there about what I do to design for Brazilian embroidery, and maybe inspire others to give it a try. I'll write about what I do and if it helps someone else, that will be a good thing.

Bad hair days sometimes have GOOD things going for them, too!

I'll be back SOON with my NEW STITCH ....you'll love it.  I promise.

Rosalie

Back to B.E. . . .

I don't know about all of you, but I've been pretty tired of looking at that picture of my fabric pens for all this time!

     Well, I decided it's time to get back to sharing. I have some new stitches to share with all of you and my newest stitch will be the next thing I post.

    Meanwhile, here are pictures of some of my flowers to entertain you while I get it all together. This is mallow.

This is one of my roses: Cl. Royal Sunset. It's a 3-day rose. This photo was taken on Day #2. (The first day it's just lovely, and starting to open. By the third day, it's all flat and not so pretty any more).

 And THIS lovely flower is one of my dahlias (absolutely gorgeous colors in bloom now and until first frost):

We've had a lovely summer here in Oregon and everything is still blooming and beautiful - and I'm inspired to draw more pictures and stitch more flowers! This is a dogwood design I've made for a fellow B.E. instructor. It's a variation of my "Madelon" design that was an Educational Project in our BDEIG Newsletter, The B.E. Wrap-Up. My embroidery is on blue fabric and I used the shiny white "Candlelight" fiber (lovely stuff - it's Z-twist just like our Lola).  And, of course, I added beads and other shiny things.  See that little bluebirdie?  There are two of them flitting about amongst the flowers, and I've named this design "Twitter".

Rosalie

Meadow Rue - A Mini-Tut for Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery

This is the Meadow Rue (Thalictrum) from my garden. I made a little mini-tutorial for this simple flower and you can use it for your crazy quilts or stitched on wearable items. You can find it here; if you have any trouble opening the pdf, please let me know.

Rosalie

Don't Be Shy

You can't hide from me, Little Camellia. I found you waaaay in the back of my camellia bush, shyly hiding your face from my camera. That's OK, you're not alone.

I also found these shy little snowdrops -- they look like silly geese trying to fly away from my Oregon-in-March spring garden.  But they are blooming anyway, and they waited long enough that I could get a fairly good picture:

I also haven't forgotten my little Hummy Art Quilt, all ready to be made into a quilt. I have enlisted the help of one of my friends, A True Quilter, to make suggestions about fabrics and in what order. Here's what I sent to her:

Oops!  Not that one.   Cuthbert!!!  What are you doing in this story??

By the way, have you noticed the resemblance of The Magnificent Cuthbert the I of The Kingdom of Cuthbertland to ....

The Queen, her majestic self, Elizabeth I.  The collars are the same, and the pointy chin and nose bear a striking resemblance. I like to think it's in the Royal Genes.

     Here's the Little Hummy and some fabrics I need to decide about:

...or one of these ...???

...or maybe I should just go to the fabric store.  I tend toward bright fabrics, but am patiently waiting to make up my mind and forestall the "Oops" moment when the colors don't work, and I don't notice it until everything is assembled.