I Dreamed A Flower . . .

A few nights ago, just before I woke up, I dreamed a flower. I dreamed all of the stitches, petals, counts, woke myself up around 5:30 am and drew out a picture.

Then I stitched it. I liked it well enough after the first 3 steps that I stopped stitching. But since I was stitching bullions, I wanted to share a technique that works for me.

I use a hoop when I stitch, so my long bullions and cast-on stitches are worked with just the eye of the needle in the fabric:

Before completing the stitch, I can hold the loops or wraps against the needle, flip the hoop over and pull all of the floss through the eye of the needle and then back it out again to a short 3-4" fabric tail. What this does is to remove all of the kinks and twists that collected during the wrapping and/or looping process. 

 

Once the floss is smooth from start to end, I can pull the needle through the loops or wraps and (in the case of this bullion) work the wraps down to a narrow diameter.

 

Everyone has a best way; this has worked for me because I make so many petals or whatevers on a very short fabric bite (more dimension).

 

After I made those 5 bullions (18 wraps on a 1/4" fabric bite), I did the ole' "Wrap 'n Gather" slipping the needle under all five bullions 3-4 times and pulling tight to snug them up as "proud, upstanding bullions" -- this is a handy-dandy technique for wearable items because the bullions or cast-on stitches that are wrap-n-gathered won't need shaping after laundering.

 

In a second color, I added the 18-wrap bullions over each 'rib'.

 

The flower I dreamed the other night had a total of 3 bullions over each rib and ended with a circle of cast-on stitches around the edge. I never got that far because I liked the way this flower looked. Now. At. This. Moment. (My mind subjects itself to a whim on a whim.) Here's what I ended with:

I don't know how original this is - I just know that it popped into my mind while I was sleeping, all of it starting as a dream. It's a fairly simple technique, so someone else may have tried it, too.

 

Fluffy (actually, the neighbors said his name is Victor) from next door came over to watch. This is his favorite spot. He likes to beg for food. I was calling him "Tubby, Tubby, Two By Four" [couldn't get through the kitchen door], but stopped because it didn't seem kind.

He thinks that if he hypnotizes me, I will feed him. (Actually, it does seem to work...)

 

I don't dream flowers too often; sometimes they look like a nightmare that got lose. This morning I had another dream. I dreamed that I lost my car keys.

 

This little guy is burying the sunflower seeds dropped by the chickadees, waiting for them to get "ripe", and therefore "yummy". To squirrels.

Rosalie