Tulip Model Update & Silken Treasures

There still isn't much spring outside at Gracewood, but Tulip's Praise is making me feel like it has arrived inside. Here is my update on the model's stitching. I wish it were more, but after a winter of being able to be happily homebound we've had to start the chores of spring from pruning to fertilizing the orchard and rose beds. We're in that short window between winter snows and spring rains and our stitching and painting have to take second place for a few weeks.

I'm very happy with the colors and fabric I chose for this piece. I'm finding them truly joyous :)

You know already that I love working with silk floss, but I really love all silk textiles. There is a wonderful exhibit at the Textile Museum featuring the woven silks of the famous Katagawa family of weavers. I find them exceptionally lovely and inspiring - Silk Textiles

Royal kimono fabrics

Life Intervened!

Man proposes but the good Lord disposes! I had hoped to bring you a photo of One May Night finished and framed by today, but we had a huge storm blowing through for almost 24 hours and while that would usually mean time to sit inside and stitch, this storm took down a very large cedar tree beside our home and took out part of our fence. Since we're having bear incursions and two dogs we don't want wandering it meant getting the tree limbed and cut and fencing repaired in the midst of the storm.

Today as the rain has died down and the wind slackened a bit it was time to assess any more damage and I took the camera with me. The violets above were this perfect little bouquet by our fencing before the storm hit, thankfully enough of them were left for me to be able to show you that indeed wood violets are abundant this time of year.

I also took a few photos of our daffodils and they were definitely dancing in the wind when I took these.

To the right is a lovely white trillium that was a little sheltered from the wind so it still has it's flower.

And I couldn't resist sharing this photo of some wild strawberries that are coming up tucked into the root of a stump.

Or the early spring mosses covering this log.

Such is spring in the Rockies, the creeks and rivers are rising so much flood warnings are out and though we have to make a trip across the pass to the nearest town this week, I'm hoping to have a photo of OMN for you soon!