FRENCH KNOTS: TAST 24

TAST 24 called on us to practice French knots in different sizes
and fibers, and we were encouraged to use them in conjunction
with other stitches. Short on time, I selected a scrap of onionskin dyed cotton and used a small hoop (I normally stitch without). Without a pattern, using only the circle of the hoop as a guide , I started stitching. I began with a spiral of butterfly chain
stitches in #8 lavendar pearl. A leaf green silk floss gathered and linked the straight stitches, and I used the same to French knot the tops of the straight stitches and extend the line into a
curlicue. Next came the feather stitching in a strand of Watercolours variegated in teal, tan and rust, using the same thread for French knots and somewhat echoing the previous curlicue.

Stitching in the opposite direction I used wheatears and knots in mint green cotton floss. Keep in mind, the very first line and knots are medium to dark green! I like the organic nature of these stitches so I followed up with fern stitch on the left side. I decided to vary the knotted ends, and this time I put them in the center of each fly. What I thought was a mint green turned out to be light blue rayon floss. I left it at that because the fern was done in a variegated dark green silk floss that was almost teal in some sections. It would better define a circular shape (not that it matters) and probably make the design more complete. This was about all I had room for on my cloth. I debated whether to leave it as is or attempt to fill in the sparse area. The result I think emphasizes an elliptical shape. I like the before better. If I'd had an extra inch or two I'd bring another line out from the right that would merge with the others.

If you're wondering why I've detailed the colors used, it's because none of the above pictures have captured the real ones. The different colors in the cloth are very distinct and actually work very well together -- I was going for a woodsy, fern grove effect. I'm guessing it's the rayon and silk and their reflective properties that are generating hue havoc with the scanner.

MY FRIEND FLICKR

I don't recall when I started posting photos to Flickr but I think it was because it was an easier way to blog at the time, plus I had become dissatisfied with my previous photo hosting site. I came to appreciate Flickr's many upgrades, conveniences and greater efficiciency and eventually purchased a pro account so I'd have more space to store my photo collections. I started out just uploading pictures of my various projects, then sets of photos to be viewed by family and friends, finally pictures from my travel I left public for anybody to peruse. Beyond that I only used the site for show and tell and discussion within my limited groups, like CQ,
embroidered motifs, and those created in conjunction with Sharon B activities.

But one day my life with Flickr changed. It began when a comment was posted on this picture. It was one of many shots I took in the Badlands and I'd titled it simply "Strata". Imagine my surprise and curiosity when I was invited to join a geology group.

I checked it out (I really do have an interest in rock formations and minerology) and discovered Mark Willocks whose landscape photography is everything I wish mine could be. I take snapshots; Mark captures those creative visual essences I can see but never reproduce. I had just completed Density and Diffusion for Sharon B's Developing a Personal Library of Stitches class. Landscape, strata of canyon walls contrasting with water, memories of travel through the Southwest -- all influences in the back of my mind as I stitched. You can see how Mark's images of Yellowstone and other western venues just took my breath away. One look at his recent National Arboretum Pool Reflections series, you'll also see how Mark is equally brilliant with any subject.

Besides admiration for a photographer I learned more. I learned to truly make use of Flickr for artistic inspiration. I started searches by subject starting with geographical landscapes. When I came upon a Flickr users whose work I liked, I'd mark the pictures as faves for future inspiration and add them as contacts so I could more easily find their Flickr sites and see when new photos were posted. And if I want clues as to their inspiration, I read their profiles and take a look at their favorites, groups and contacts. So many of us credit nature as inspiration. How many design students are encouraged to look through magazines like National Geographic for ideas. I will never have to cut up another magazine!

Flowers were next. Looking through the flower groups (there are many!)or groups like on Flickr reminded me how much I love macro photography and wishing I had the equipment to do it myself. When I found the group Natural Abstractions I was elated, the moreso because I discovered Sue whose work is stimulating and consistantly view worthy. When I visited her Flickr site and saw her organization of sets, well, just see for yourself!

This morning I learned about Miksang with thanks to Arlene Barr's blog, and I must agree the concept transcends photography; it's about any way we see something and communicate it through artistic expression by any means. From my reading so far I'm gathering the idea behind the photographic Miksang has nothing to do with the grandeur of nature, but rather attention, awareness and appreciation of our ordinary surroundings.

If Flickr isn't my new best friend, it's rapidly becoming one of my best resources. I hope you'll take a moment to browse my favorite photos by other users . Here is the link . I'm always surprised when I stop in. It's teaching me a lot about my preferences in composition, color, line.

TAST 23 WHEATEARED WILDFLOWERS

With the wheatear stitch I really had to resist the temptation of grains and grasses. Instead I tried to render the grace of this stitch into tall, slender flowers of no particular variety. I do love wildflowers like lupine, fireweed, delphinium, but I'm also fond of old garden favorites like stock and hollyhock. I like everything to do with flowers except growing them. I'm no gardener.

For this TAST I started with a piece of my hand dyed linen and 1 strand of Watercolours (carnival, I think) and just started a background of flowers. This only brought me a third of the way down the fabric. I could have done 2 more overlapping layers , but I thought I needed something to break it up a little. I happened to have a piece of light aqua charmeuse from my latest dye session, so I cut a freeform shaped pond and tacked it down with "blades of grass".

I truly intended to just continue down the fabric with more tall flowers; then an inkling of a fence crept in. I pulled some threads from a loose weave burlap and voila! a black, 3 rail horse fence such as often seen here in the Bluegrass. You can see, I just stitched the bottom half like the top part, adding French knots and lazy daisy flowers here and there, plus some satin stitched leaves to make up for last week.

An explanation is certainly needed for the oversized flowers on the far side of the pond! I agree they belong in the foreground. But despite the wrong scale, I felt they gave a little balance to the upper portion. I also wanted to show them off for a reason. I ruched strips of dyed dryer sheets! Comparitively speaking, they were even more whopping before I took scissors to them.
Trimming was fine, if anything it added a little fuzz and fluff. I would make these again when I wanted a full bodied flower like a marigold.