I’m due for a solid catch-up post here on this blog, but let’s just pretend we’re all up to date and have been sharing stories and inspiration like days of old. So many challenges were faced and lessons were learned in 2020, but I’ll reflect on those a little later. Today, let’s go on a little relaxed hike through a forest of whimsy, shall we?
I’m excited to share a fun little post I wrote for the Aurifil blog, which goes live on AuriBuzz today! Just over one year ago, I excitedly introduced my inaugural Aurifil thread collection, named Color Crush. I wrote about it here, so you can check out the threads in all seriousness before heading into a magical land of imagination if you want.
We had a super fun kick off party in Austin at QuiltCon, and then shortly upon returning home, the COVID-19 Pandemic hit and life was turned on its head. Fast forward a full year. Now that vaccine distribution is increasing, spring is beginning to show its face once more, and things are possibly looking up, I thought I’d finally share a introduction of the specific threads I selected for inclusion in Color Crush, as seen in their natural habitats.
While the whole world was locked down, my family and I found solace in nature. As any good tree hugging quilting photographer would do, I brought my threads along on many hikes and adventures, seeking out their natural habitats and color inspiration roots. My Color Crush threads trekked in every season, and I highly recommend heading over to the Auribuzz blog today to read about their personalities and see them in all their glory, out in nature. You can read it HERE.
Here’s a sneaky peek at one….
Enjoy the journey, and let me know which photo was your favorite!!
…after January’s stitching…
…after February’s stitching…
…after March’s stitching…
…after April’s stitching…
…and here it is after May’s stitching!
I added a whole sun burst super nova element in that warm sunny section of the hoop, as well as some added texture with different rows of yellow stitches. This little supernova was very fun to make, and grew day to day. Again, I began with not much of a plan at all, just wanting to add some more bright yellow to the top portion of the hoop. After a few days, it took on a life of its own and continued to grow and take shape until the flowery starbursts decided to cap the growth (for now).
I also added some “background” plant like elements behind the patch that began this whole hoop back in January. My biggest challenge with this daily stitching challenge is figuring out how to create background behind stitches that have already been stitched. Some attempts are more effective than others, but I figure it’s all part of the learning experience.
A few more flowers were also added, in the form of lavender roses and their associated greenery. The flower garden continues to grow and blossom.
A month of progress wouldn’t be complete without adding some motion to the ocean! There wasn’t all that much growth here this month, but some running stitch and french knots helped begin to create some more flow.
The hoop is beginning to fill out, but knowing that I’m just about halfway through the year, I do think I should be able to fit the entire year in this hoop without extending off the sides. There are lots of little spaces between elements, and while I hope to not fill every *single* one, there is a lot of room for depth and texture and who knows what else!
…and finally, here it is after April’s stitching!
I think it all began with some rocks, and then some little critter footprints, and then took off from there.
I mostly stitch whatever comes to mind each day, without much influence from my everyday happenings. A couple stitches this month had some subtle meaning, however. I stitched a large rock on Good Friday and a lily flower sprouting out of the rock on Easter. Sometimes it just sneaks in.
On one particularly uninspired day, I showed my hoop to my husband and prompted, “Where should I stitch? Tell me a color and point to a spot.” He pointed to a spot and said “A piece of driftwood here.” Thus originated the couched stitch driftwood, which was followed by some 12wt Aurifil 2600-Dove sand and a few tufts of beach grass. Some days inspiration strikes; some, not so much.
I also added another wild and crazy layered flower consisting of long tailed lazy daisy stitches, lazy daisy, and pistil stitch. There might be a few french knots in there, too.
The boldness of the flower begged for some offsetting feature, so another woven picot appeared in the form of a big green leaf. I love the little 3-dimensional elements on this hoop!
Night Quilter 