California Poppies and Lupines

California poppies remind me of sunshine. The little Glory B! thinks so, too. When I wrote my book, An Artist's Garden, if I had space on a page, I added a traceable pattern.

In addition to the poppies, I stitched a few lupines to finish this California landscape idea.





If you scroll back a few posts, you'll find more information about the book and more pictures. As I mentioned, I'm posting these photos for those who have the book and want to see the flowers in color. Feel free to save them to your own computer.

If you are interested in following all of these posts, just add your email address to the box on this page.

Rosalie

Bunny and Butterflies in Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery

Here are some additional Brazilian dimensional embroidery designs from the book An Artist's Garden by myself (Rosalie Wakefield) -- available at my www.Millefiori-BE.com website or from Amazon. 

Today I have this cute little bunny and some butterflies for you. You can see that these little critters are put together with very simple stitches, some dimensional and some traditional hand embroidery.

The buddleia, or butterfly bush, is stitched with easy knots. These flowers are differ from lilacs by the shape of their flower heads. I also have a lilac that I'll share later, stitched with a different technique. Buddleia flowers are very attractive to butterflies. From this close-up, you can see that this swallowtail is very simply stitched.

By the way, if you like butterflies, you might enjoy Millefiori design #951 "Seasons of the Butterfly" -- those flowers and their flying friends are more detailed; larger flowers, larger butterflies. (It is one of my favorite designs, brag, brag...)

 

Meanwhile, here is another butterfly from An Artist's Garden.  I named this one a Bluet Butterfly:

It can be very pretty stitched with a glittery metallic thread. Think about shopping the Sulky Threads of Kreinik fibers the next time you are at your local fabric store -- lots of pretty metallic and other thread textures. Sulky makes a very pretty thread called "Prism". These are sewing-machine weight threads, lighter than Glory, but still nice. 

     And, of course, you can see that I like to add beads whenever I can.

 

This is the Fly Stitch Butterfly.

And I named this one "Prairie Butterfly". Stitched it with some prairie grass - how easy is that!

Once you make a butterfly -- teardrops or heart-shapes for the wings, bullions and beads for the bodies (exact instructions are in the book, hint, hint...).

These butterflies are such fun to add to your embroidery, or they can become a lovely motif for a crazy quilt patch.

    If you are adding butterflies or bees or little birdies to your Brazilian embroidery, charms and beads are also nice, but don't overlook earrings - some can be up-cycled very nicely for your project. The main suggestion would be to keep them as close to scale for your flowers as you can.

 

I'll post again soon. Right now, I gotta fly. Oops!  I already said that in the last post.  Well, I guess I'll hop on out of here.

Rosalie





 

The B.E. Bluebird of Happiness

Look what just flew into my blog - the little bluebird of happiness! From time to time, I've promised to post color photos from my book, An Artist's Garden, by me, Rosalie Wakefield. Here is a picture of the book cover:

It's available at my website www.Millefiori-BE.com and also at Amazon. The book has all traceable patterns with instructions, but if you'd like to have them already on fabric to stitch, this print (print only) is available, too. It's #958 "I Spy - Flower Patches". Here's a picture of mine; I made it into an art quilt:

All instructions are in the book. And all are fairly easy embroidery using mostly lighter-weight floss on a fabric print approximately 16" x 16".

 

You'll recognize some of these little treats from two earlier Millefiori designs #828 (Flower Patch) and #829 (Veggie Patch) -- still available.

 

More photos later, but here is another - the little Blackberry Lily:

I'll be back later.  Gotta fly!

Rosalie





Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery From A to B: Astilbe to Beetle

More flowers in color from my book "An Artist's Garden" (by Rosalie Wakefield). This is an astilbe.

 

The book is available at my website: www.Millefiori-BE.com, also at Amazon.
See how easy the astilbe is! You can just look at a flower shape and decide which of our dimensional stitches translates it best. 

The pesky little beetle is stitched with Kreinik threads, but now we also have Candlelight threads and DMC metallics, plus others. The beetle is from the Barbara Demke Johnson book, "Brazilian Embroidery Instructions". I made some changes, but you can easily tell more from the pattern in my book.

      (He's harmless -- don't squish.)

Rosalie

Asclepia and Asparagus Have Been Planted in An Artist's Garden

 

Asclepia is commonly known as The Butterfly Weed. I designed this stylized version for my book, An Artist's Garden, which is available at my www.Millefiori-BE.com website and also at Amazon.com. I thought this version would make an interesting little border or addition to a crazy quilt or wearable item. Instructions are in my book, but you can see the stitches are fairly simple. Here's my book:

I'm posting these little designs in color for those who have the book but would like to see the finished pieces. An Artist's Garden has traceable patterns with instructions; these color pictures are just a guide.

 

By the way, the Butterfly Weed, a member of the milkweed family, is a larval food source for monarch butterflies. I designed another version of this "weed" [such an impolite term for a flower!] for one of my favorite Millefiori designs, #951 "Seasons of the Butterfly". Here's a picture:

And this is a close-up of another version of the Butterfly Weed, Asclepia:

Before I stop, I thought it would be polite to add a little nutritious supplement from An Artist's Garden. Here is my version of the Asparagus:

The foliage on this asparagus plant is my version of fly-stitch couching (sometimes known as carrot feathers).





Rosalie



 

 

 



Gardening Season for Delicious Brazilian Embroidery

Mom always said vegetables are good for you. They are also good for Brazilian embroiderin'.  This artichoke is from my book "An Artist's Garden". If you read the previous post, you'll know that I'm posting pictures of all of the little designs in color - instructions in the book.

This is a beet:

More later.
.....and the beet goes on.....

Rosalie

"An Artist's Garden" by Rosalie Wakefield - B.E. Designs in Color

As promised (seems like ages ago), I'm sharing photos from my book "An Artist's Garden" (by myself, Rosalie Wakefield). The book is available at my www.Millefiori-BE.com website and also at Amazon.

 

I'm posting pictures in color (no instructions; they are in the book). These two designs are "Achillea/Yarrow" (above) and "Apple & Occupant" (below). If you have the book and would like the pictures in color, just save these to your whatever. Enjoy!! (They will also be on my Millefiori Facebook page and  in the Embroidery-Dimensional Facebook group).

 

This is the "Apple and Occupant" design. Most of these designs are stitched in lighter-weight floss.

This is the book - An Artist's Garden:

This is "Formal Garden", the back cover design.

This is one of the cuties from the front cover design - a widdle bitty bunny:

Happy Easter a widdle bit ahead of time.

Rosalie