New Design! Coromandel

Last week I promised to introduce a new design and had one I intended to post.

But another design would just not let me alone and now the struggling is done and it stands before me complete and demanding to be the next one I introduce to you. Knowing it is always wise to heed such promptings :) it is my pleasure to present Coromandel.

What is Coromandel and what inspired it?

Coromandel is the western name given to Asian lacquered screens. Coco Chanel had a set of such screens that she prized highly and one of my favorite fragrances, Chanel's Coromandel, is named for them. It is a patchouli dominant scent, not hippie but think along the lines of Victorian ladies whose beautiful paisley shawls were redolent of the patchouli leaves strewn threw the chests in which they were shipped from India.

My idea was to design something reminiscent of such a screen, but it was simmering on the back burner when one day I received a spool of Vikki Clayton's Exemplar Black Iris Bud N Bloom silk floss. This is drop dead gorgeous floss and I knew at once it would be what I'd use for the monochrome design I had envisioned for Coromandel. After that the design had a life of its own. The motifs are based on some I've found in Edwardian and earlier era pattern collections combined and reimagined to become something that gives me the image I'd had in mind.

I hope to stitch this on a light yellow/gold fabric and while I think it could easily translate to whatever color one prefers, to me it needs that Exemplar Black Iris Bud n Bloom to feel like that lacquered screen. Btw, I see reviews at Vikki's site that say it is brown but to me it is all a perfectly variegated black/purple/mauve.

As usual, the pattern is free till it has been stitched. I hope you'll enjoy my fragrant lacquered screen :)

The pattern I'd originally planned to introduce this week is cooling its heels for a few weeks.

A Special Thank You!

It is my pleasure to introduce you to a very talented artist and to give him my most sincere thanks.

My husband, Terry, created this portrait titled 'Augusta' in colored pencils a good many years ago. He entered it into a competition judged by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and it was selected to be on permanent display in the Spokane WA City Hall.

He didn't have much time for his art during the years he was making a living for us, but since he retired a year and a half ago he's, thankfully, been able to devote more time to his art and we hope to be opening a website and blog for him before too much time passes. Here is one of his most recent works, it is done in acrylics and is titled 'Hollowed Home'.

I owe him thanks for so many things that I'd never get done if I said thank you till the end of time.

But right now, specifically, I want to thank him for this last month when he's sweetly and patiently gotten up in the middle of the night to help me put a surgical boot on and wheeled me to the bathroom or wherever I needed to go. For doing the laundry, taking care of the pets and the house and making meals with such delectables as tomato cheese gallette, mushroom ragu and the best buttermilk biscuits anyone has ever wrapped their lips around.

Most of all thanks for his support, encouragement and love not only now but for the almost 43 years we've been married. I can't wait for the world to get to know him and his art!

One Done, One Begun

Glorious Spring was a lot of fun to stitch. I have a frame coming for it - I buy all of mine from the Frame Guys on ebay - and will hopefully have a photo of it framed soon.

Knowing I'd be incapacitated in this wheelchair for some weeks after surgery, I had Flutter on By's fabric and floss all ready to go and I'm so glad I did! Stitching has helped the time to pass quickly and pleasantly.

I did find that the gold background dots behind the butterflies was slightly off and I've corrected the charts. I sent corrected charts to everyone I had records of requesting the design, if you received a chart of Flutter on By prior to yesterday, July 24th and didn't get a correction from me please send an email and I'll get one right out to you

Glorious Spring will be free for another week, when I'll replace it in the free section with the next new design.

Glorious Spring! Last Band Completed

The bluebell band is complete and I hope to finish the remaining border stitching in the next few days.

This has been a happy piece to stitch and I'm glad it happened that I was working on it during some difficult times. It was a good piece to get lost in :)

I have a new design I've been working on and I'll be introducing it in a couple of weeks. It will, hopefully, put you in the mood for autumn and by August I'm always in the mood for autumn!

Glorious Spring's Progress

As I'm getting days past surgery and have thankfully been able to cut back on pain meds I'm happy to report I did actually get some stitching done :)

The photo just doesn't do justice to the teal green fabric and how nice the various greens look on it.

Now if I can continue to reduce those pain meds, I hope to get this one done!