Ruth's Mini-Roses, My Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery Interpretation

A while back I was stitching a Brazilian dimensional embroidery design by my friend, Ruth Griffith, called "Mini-Roses". I wrote about it here, when I explained that the center roses were stitched with the #15 milliners needle instead of the #1 milliners needle we ordinarily use with Lola.

Well, I have finished it.

I had a couple of different dye lots of #121 moss green (back when it was that gorgeous light moss green color) and I intertwined the border with some pink oat beads that I found.  I had a few extra, so I added them for some of the side flowers:

And I added Iris bullions around each to frame.  Instead of rolled roses, I found some tulip shape glass beads in my Stash of Wondrous Things, and I added more little seed beads for sparkle:

Because we can do whatever we want when we are creating our finished embroidery, I fiddled around with Ruth's Tole Rose, just adding an extra cast-on stitch or two:

And because I don't have the embroidery in its final frame (the picture above isn't as sharp as it could be), here is the original photo:

I'm headed for the craft store to purchase a wooden embroidery hoop. I'll paint it with acrylic paint and add a ribbon around the outside, much like I did with "Meditation", the design Mary-E. Crichton and Gayl Ratigan will teach at our BDEIG Seminar next month. Here's a picture:

Here are a few pictures of how I finished the frame (a purchased wooden hoop), painted with acrylic paint:

After the paint was dry, I re-hooped my embroidery, trimmed it and gathered the back side:

..and finished the back by popping in a circular-shaped piece of mat board:

I always label the back of any embroidery I do - date, designer (or my name if it's one of my designs), Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery.  And I have a nice Micron Pigma Pen where I can initial and date my work on the front:

Then I finished the "frame" with some sparkly ribbon and a glue stick -- and left ribbon tails (which I knotted) to tie a pretty bow for a hanger:

So you see how easy it is to finish your embroidery!

If you are interested in purchasing either of these designs to stitch, they are now available. I'll have mine posted on my Millefiori website (if I ever stop making blog entries), but you can email me for information. I am marketing "Mini-Roses" for Ruth Griffith, and in addition to six brand NEW Brazilian dimensional embroidery designs, I'll also have "Stardust" and "Twitter" ready for you to stitch. Everything should be ready to send by early next week, and I'll put you in touch with Mary or Gayl if you would like your own copy of "Meditation" -- or if you would like to purchase a dozen to teach to your own B.E. classes!

Just a note -- if you are looking for the little flower beads, try Beadcats.com.  You might  find the little rice pearls (also glass flower-shaped beads) at either Shipwreck or Fire Mountain. (I even saw them on ebay)! Or  check your local craft store.  I think there are probably other excellent bead merchants, too; these are just favorites of mine.

Rosalie

A Towhee, A Cat and Water, aka Rain

It is raining today in western Oregon -- actually, it's Oregon Mist and I think people missed it after a week of sunshine when we all planted our flowers.

About the rain:

This is a Towhee testing the bathtub waters, and it is raining here.  I will never understand why birds feel the need to take a bath when it is raining.

But he seems happy as a clam, so I'm glad he's here.

Speaking of water ...
This is a picture of one of my cats, Cuthbert, at the ole' watering hole:

Requesting privacy so he can enjoy his drink. Or just ignoring the photographer.

About this time, Rich came out to the kitchen and asked, "Don't you think you have enough pictures of that cat?"

I ignored him and snapped a couple more.
This one is captioned, "May I please have a straw?"

And this is a picture of Cuthbert saying grace after meals:

And because everyone has so patiently enjoyed pictures of the birds and my cats, I will now entertain you with a brand new post and pictures of my Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery. Thanks for visiting!

Rosalie

Canary, Chickadee, Cat and Brazilian Embroidery

This is one of the canaries who stop by the Canary Cafe in our back yard for lunch each day. (American goldfinch).  We also have house finches (with red caps on their heads). This little canary is having sack lunch.

The chickadees are nesting now. This one is checking with the wife for "carry-out":

And this is Cuthbert, who looks like "the cat who wishes he could eat the canary", but he will have to content himself with just being "His Massive Wonderfulness".

And since I haven't posted any embroidery in a day or two, here is my "Cloud Nine Dogwood", one of my Millefiori Brazilian dimensional embroidery designs that I'll be teaching at our BDEIG Seminar in Portland next month. That border is a stitch I developed which I call the Interlocking Stem Stitch. I use it a lot, and have written instructions in my book, Take A Stitch. I also tried a new technique for "notching" the dogwood petals, which was fun to try.

Bye for now!

Rosalie

This One Followed Me Into My Camera

Laurel. The bees love it. (They didn't follow ...but it's pretty early for bees at the moment.)
     This is Fragaria, or Wild Strawberry. I have it as a ground cover. It makes edible strawberries, but they are very tiny.

This is just pretty. When it blooms, the flowers are tiny, dull yellow, and not nearly as pretty as the leaves.

We have chickadees nesting and singing their beautiful song. This is the chalet:

And this is the penthouse. Both are occupied.

This is Cuthbert, wondering if I'm ever going to stop blogging pictures and start working on my Brazilian embroidery design instructions:

But he's not wondering too hard ...

It's hard to type instructions anyway, when a CAT is sleeping on top of my notes.

          More flowers:

I've never understood why beautiful lilacs always insist on blooming on the highest branches, sending their lovely perfume into the sky. (I suppose I could prune them now and then...)

This is a brave little dandelion, also insisting on staying around:

Scilla are also insistent. After years of trying to make them leave my yard, they keep coming back - more each season.  I've decided to love them.

These are three bachelors (actually perennial bachelor buttons, or centaurea). They seem to be having fun.

And this is another rhodie:

Now I'll go back to work. These flower photos were all taken yesterday when it was getting ready to rain here in Oregon (or it might have just stopped raining for a minute). The sun is coming out this weekend, and I will probably need to snap more flower pictures.  Meanwhile, I should probably get some work done.

Rosalie

A Rhodie Is A Bouquet of Flowers All By Itself

The first one has burst into bloom, all by itself, entirely too full of itself to NOT pose for a picture. (Notice the upturned 'smile' below.)

In a few days the entire rhododendron shrub outside my window will be covered with glowing pink flowers and it will look like Someone turned on a spotlight!   Not to be outdone, this one also popped open and posed for a picture:

This is the Lewisia just beneath my pink rhodie, not caring one bit that it might clash:

The Lithodora just next to it is the most beautiful true blue you could ever find in a garden:

And Sweet Woodruff is just everywhere. It's one of those flowers you have to shop for in the Herb aisle, and it's also a flower that is happy under evergreen trees. When you see it in the shade, it looks like a million twinkling stars.





I'm doing that one close-up, so they look bigger. In reality, they are only about 1/4" across.
       Emmy could care less  . . .

Is it any wonder that I'm so inspired to design flowers for Brazilian dimensional embroidery? !
        Emmy could still care less ....
(--and I have to get back to work. By the way, all of my lilacs are in full bloom, probably other flowers, too.)

Rosalie

My Marco Polo Rose

Marco Polo was planted in my garden just because I like yellow roses.  And red ones, and pink ones, and white ones ... etc.

It's a very pretty rose. I tend to take a picture whenever a flower blooms.  See:

It's pretty from any angle.

I stitched the Marco Polo Rose for my Rose Garden B.E. design (Millefiori #995) and it's another of the roses I'll be teaching at our Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild seminar this June in Portland, Oregon. You can see photos of ALL the classes here. I linked to just the first page because there's so much to see on the website, but you can surf through to Seminar 2012 if you like. When I get a moment, I'll update my own website!

The stitch I used for my B.E. version is the Raised Close Herringbone Stitch, a self-padding stitch I discovered by reading needlework books written by Erica Wilson and Margaret Boyles. The first time I used it was to pad little hearts and little mouse buns on this design, called "Mice, Twice".

Oh, yes. There are two sets of mice there.  You'll have to click the image to make it larger and then see where the second couple is hiding. It's all framed in a Wilton Cookie Cutter heart, no less. How delectable. Mmmmm.

Rosalie

From My Rose Garden . . .

This is Double Delight, one of the Brazilian dimensional roses from my Rose Garden.  It's one of nine roses I recently designed and will be teaching at our BDEIG Seminar in Portland, Oregon this June.

I'll have the design ready to stitch fairly soon; am taking pre-orders on this and all of my other new designs and will send them out as soon as they are ready. Look for Millefiori Design #995 "Rose Garden".  All of my new designs should be posted at my website fairly soon, but you can call or email me at any time. I had so much fun dreaming up these nine roses -- each a small 3" design with different foliage and stitches on each rose.

Rosalie

Edelweiss - A Free Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery Design for You

Each month during the coming year, the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild, Inc. (BDEIG) is featuring a free design (posted for one month only and then gone forever). Up now is my "Edelweiss" design. You'll find a pdf file to download here.

I wrote about this design here on this blog a few weeks ago. You can read about how I finished the embroidery with the picture tutorial here. I stitched the design on medium blue poplin, but since it's such a simple traceable pattern, you could transfer it to any wearable item or onto fancy fabric or the fabric of your choice for a crazy quilt motif.

I hope you enjoy the design, and while you are visiting the BDEIG website, be sure to stick around a while and look at all of the other interesting pages.

Even the Dandelions . . .

Yesterday the sun was shining here in Oregon, and even the dandelions looked good. Here, one posed for a picture.

And that Asian Pear tree that had only ONE fruit last year?  Well, here are the blossoms THIS year:

And the blue, blue sky has not even been Photoshopped:

Several years ago when we planted our camellias, they went into the side yard and the only time they pose for pictures is when I happen to walk by with the camera:

But I do have a red rhodie that loved our rainy March weather and is loaded now with glorious blossoms.

Spring is so lovely here in Oregon that I feel like I should be poetic, or sing. Or something.  Instead, I snap photos, draw pictures, stitch, play in the garden. Second best is just not a bad thing at all.

Rosalie