Barefoot Shepherdess

Only a Mom...

would come up with a solution like this.  Ever since I started Luneville embroidery last year, I've been using the only thing in my house that are of equal height-- my dining table chairs-- to support my frame.  But this entailed sitting on the wood floor with my legs folded under me.  As you can imagine, that's far from comfortable.

In a moment of inspiration last week, I made a set of makeshift supports with my son's Duplos.  I tried it out with little expectation... but they work great!  It's the perfect height for working on the tabletop.  Now I can happily sit on the chair instead.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

昨年始めたばかりのリュネビル刺繍。

最低限の道具はそろえたものの、刺繍枠は画材用の木枠。
そして枠を支える「脚」はうちで唯一高さが同じもの…
食卓のいす。

今まではこの前でフロアに正座していました。

でも正直言ってこの姿勢…
痛い！

どうにかならないかなぁ…

それで思いついたこの解決法！

お母さんならでは（？）のアイディアかもしれません。
ダメもとで使ってみたら案外具合も良くて。
今はとても気に入っています☆

Off The Frame :: Luneville Sampler

Cutting it out wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.  Just a steady hand and a little concentration was all that was necessary.  The silk organza is really easy to handle and the stitched edging does a great job of keeping everything in place.  One can feel confident that the sampler won't fray or lose its shape.

The fact that I could cut out the sampler means...

that I finished the mini projects too! This is the flower brooch that I showed before.  It really is tiny--

But I think it'll be a versatile accessory, a nice accent for my usual simple style.  In fact, it would be great to have in a variety of colors... maybe to use in a cluster too?

The second brooch is a repetition of the b+w bow motif from the sampler--

Only this time, it's not flat, but three-dimensional.  This project was actually a practice in creating structural elements.  It's hard to tell in the above photo, but the two black 'wings' stand away from the body, like this--

What a great technique to know!  I feel like it has opened the door to a whole new realm of design possiblities.  Already, I have ideas in mind using it...

For now, I'm happy to have a couple of new accessories just in time for the holiday celebrations.  That, and an empty frame on which to start something new.

~  Happy Holidays!  ~

Resolutions

Not the New Year's kind, but the 'before-the-end-of-the-year' kind.

Every year at around this time, I'm struck with a sudden urgency to tie up loose ends and catch up on 'everything.'  I'm sure it's a feeling to which many can relate!  So I end up with a list of unrealistic ambitious resolutions to work through before the clock strikes twelve on the 31st.  Crafty goals make up a good part of it-- including, bringing my blog up-to-date.

This trio of horse ornaments reveal how far behind I actually am: I made them last year, but never got around to sharing them here until now... just as they are trotting off to a happy new home.  They're hand embroidered with thread and beads on felt.

But I actually have more recently-completed projects to share too.  Up next: the Luneville embroidery sampler & mini projects.

Feeling Festive

Wristwarmers that reflect the spirit of the season.  Or maybe I'm just recalling childhood memories of peppermint stick ice cream...  Never liked the flavor much, but those red & green candy bits in the vanilla ice cream captivated me as a child-- they were like tiny jewels.  As an adult, I prefer it this way.  Now I can enjoy the flavor without the taste!

Along the Wishing Trail

 

What started out as a picnic on the riverbank turned into an impromptu tour of the area shrines and temples.  It was a lovely day for it too-- cool, crisp and clear, a pefect autumn day.  Since all of the sites along the route we took are known for making wishes come true, it's called the 'wishing trail.'  But it was no Sunday stroll-- at 10 kilometers round trip, it was more like a good hike, at least for us.  We did get to do a lot of wishing though and even came home with a handful of freshly-picked yuzu, courtesy of the keeper of one of the shrines.

Our final wish was for all of our wishes to come true...  And as for the yuzu: that turned into a yuzu bath, yuzu tea and sugar-coated yuzu peels.

Fall Is...

For falling leaves... and for falling behind.  I finished this embroidery not long after the wisteria, just when it was starting to feel like autumn outside.  The season is in full swing now.  For all the wild fluctuations in weather we've had over the past few months, fall foliage is turning out to be quite vibrant and pretty this year.   Inspired by all the lovely colors and wanting to preserve a bit of it, I arranged the Japanese maple motif for another snap frame purse design.

In keeping with the season, I chose to stitch on wool fabric this time.  The interior has stripes to match.

But just as the autumnal show is brief, so was the purse in my posession.  Soon after I finished it, it went off to a happy new home.  Now it's time to turn towards more wintry things-- it's hard to believe that December is already around the corner!

G R E E N

Forest green, evergreen, pine green, spruce.  Whatever it is, it's very much a woodsy sort of green.

Maybe because of that, it's the green I associate the most with winter.  Images of snow-covered forests and holiday decorations first to come to mind, but worn hardcovers of vintage books, awnings of cozy neighborhood coffee shops, storefronts on old high streets pop into my mind as well.  Road signs too-- though not quite so dark-- that would lead me to a friend's house or on a new road trip...  It all reminds me of those autumn/winter activities I enjoyed back in my university days.  In fact, it brings back memories of academia itself-- of chalkboards, textbooks, bookbags, school blazers and plush reading chairs in the library.

This green suits warm handknits too-- or maybe, warm handknits suit this green?  With temperatures falling a little more day by day, it's nice to be working with wool again.  As in the past, these wristwarmers come in two styles: elegant + simple.

in (and out) of the hoop

Wisteria, this time.  The design is different from the one I did for my pincushion and stitched differently too.  But for something new, it worked up surprisingly quickly-- it really makes a difference when I know exactly how I want to stitch the whole thing!



I had just the right fabric for the inside too.  I originally purchased it for the binding on my quilt, but since I haven't made consistent progress on that project for years, and don't see myself getting back to it in the near future, well... I'll just worry about it when I get there!

The fern embroidery is finished too--

This one's my personal favorite from the current collection of snap frame purses.  I really like the clean, summery look!  While the days are slowly becoming cooler here, I guess my mind is off dreaming of those warmer days...

That said, I've been at work on more seasonal projects also.  Because warm & cozy is appealing too.

in the hoop *

Current embroidery in progress.  It's not particularly in season, but I rather like it so far.  Maybe I should just think that I'm ahead for spring...  It's destined to be another snap frame purse.

Snap Frame Trio

In place of lunéville embroidery, I've been busy working on these for my shop--

There's been a number of requests for snap frame pouches with the embroidery motifs from my pincushions... so here they are!  These pouches are just big enough to carry a few essentials, but small enough to toss into your usual purse/bag.  They'd be perfect for those small items that often get lost at the bottom-- keys, accessories, lip balm... or at this time of the year, cough drops & cold medicine, maybe.

These are the first three I finished, but there are other ones in progress too.  Once they're ready, I'll let you know here!