weekend stitching

Such a cold weekend, it was ideal to stay inside, unplug and just stitch.

Dream blanket stitching

Bits of the first stained glass design. The colors are pretty muted, not as vibrant as some glass should be, but I am thinking I might offer this one in a variety of colorways. 

More stitching to be done today. Had some rather inspiring thoughts over the weekend for new designs as well. Coconut cream pie coffee in my cup and QSnaps in my hands. 

Day 9/365 Dragonfly Days

feelin' weird

 I'm feeling a little bit off. Have been fighting a headache for several days now. I think its the weather, or  a combination of the weather and focusing too hard on detailed work.  Did some stitching today, but it was slow.  Tried to work some clay artisan beads and just couldn't get them how I wanted them so I balled it all back up and put the clay away.

Had so much I wanted to accomplish today and didn't get much more than a nap in.

Oh well, there's tomorrow. Hopefully I will feel a bit more motivated and a little less head-achy.

Day 8/365 Dragonfly Days
Believe it or not, there is a dragonfly head,
all buggy-eyed in there

just a dragonfly...

...and pondering ravens.

As I believe I've mentioned, the raven is one of my animal spirit guides. For about the last week or so, I have been seeing ravens everywhere. Not uncommon, really, but it's never been just one.

Rather, it's been four. Always four. Every morning. I've seen four. And not just in the same spot.

I have been thinking about it a lot, and wondered what the significance was.

Couldn't be more spot on.

"The symbolic meaning of number Four deals with stability and invokes the grounded nature of all things. Consider the four seasons, four directions, four elements all these amazingly powerful essences wrapped up in the nice square package of Four. Fours represent solidity, calmness, and home. A recurrence of Four in your life may signify the need to get back to your roots, center yourself, or even "plant" yourself. Fours also indicate a need for persistence and endurance."
(from Spiritual Meaning of Numbers )

Especially these bits...

the need to get back to your roots
home
a need for persistence and endurance

I've been feeling especially restless. I have craved some sort of grounding. To reconnect, to find my creative direction.  Home? Well that is a given, and always my focus. Persistence and endurance, to get through this rough patch emotionally, financially, even physically. Not to mention creatively. 

It will be interesting to see if I see any other 'fours' popping up.

Day 8/365 Dragonfly Days

Started work on the stained glass design today, after changing up the colors yet again. I also did some research on 16th century embroidery and textiles for an upcoming collaboration with creative friends.  More on that as it progresses!

Now off to play with clay for awhile. The printer needs to cool off. Crazy hot after today's work!

just a day

Continued work today on my dream blanket. So relaxing just to unplug and stitch, and to stitch something for myself, as that is what I've decided this piece will be.  I'm putting a lot of me into it.

Day 7/365 Dragonfly Days

A few things I need to stop and pick up for the first stained glass design. Friday is shaping up to be a day of thread and fabric, lots of stitching. And coffee. Huge, wonderful pots of the stuff. 

(and printing. wow, I am so far behind!)

cloth

This morning I plan to spend some time revisiting the dream blanket I started this fall. I have had it hanging, pinned up on the studio wall, and I look at it almost every day.

 It had quieted for awhile, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, what it wanted me to do. But in the last handful of days, it has begun to whisper again.

It is too rigid. There needs to be more comfort. More storytelling. So that's what I'm going to try to do this morning.

Day 7/365 Dragonfly Days

honey

The first new design of 2013, Honey of the Snowangelz Collection. Stitched over two on Wichelt Imports dusty green 28ct. jobelan. Finished size 70w x 68h.  Uses DMC floss and for the sparkly in the wings and our friend's halo, Kreinik #4 braid.

I'm not entirely sure what I am doing next. I have a stack of yummy fabrics from Wichelt to choose from, and a few new designs all charted and ready to go. Now I just need to see what stirs me most.  Leaning a little more towards something delicate and pretty. 

Day 4/365 Dragonfly Days

sunday snipets

Last night I finished up Honey of the Snowangelz Collection. Will photograph a little later today when the sun is up a little surer in the sky.  Tomorrow I think I'll get started on the stained glass window design I had been designing around the holidays.

I'm also going to stop and pick up some air dry clay. I'm really wanting to play a little with embellishment creation; buttons, beads, pendants. More on that as it develops.

Day 3/ 365 Dragonfly Days

dragonfly mandala

Dragonfly wings mesmerize me.  Gossamer, translucent. Delicate. Hidden strength.

Meditative. Here is my interpretation of dragonfly wings and mandalas.

The start of a cross stitched version of the above.  

Watercolor and colored pencils, 

scanned and brought into Corel, manipulated with the kaleidoscope effect.  

Day 2/365 Dragonfly Days

 ~*~

With some time to do a bit more this morning, I think I'll go put on some tea and settle in to finish up Honey, the next in the SnowAngelz Collection.  Backstitching left, and then she'll be ready to go.  As to what I want to do next?  I'm finding myself drawn to delicate things again.  Not sure where to go with that. Maybe the start of a spring themed collection.   I am also revisiting the idea of making my own embellishments for designs.  Will see where that one goes.  Time to play!

365 dragonfly days

The dragonfly is one of  my animal spirit guides.  The raven, the other.  One of the things I really wanted to do in the upcoming year is to reconnect with certain aspects of myself that I have neglected.  While my guides are always with me and I see their influence in my life, I do not always stop to really think about what they represent in my life as often as I should.  

Both have been appearing more frequently. I think it is because I feel a major shift coming in my life. I've not identified just what it is yet, but I am restless.  

And I need to listen. 

--Day One/365 Dragonfly Days