October / November Stitchalong

When picking up a stitchalong bag last month at Seata, the autumnal coloured French knots drew my attention, particularly when I read Christine’s brief: please use a similar “autumnal” colour scheme, but feel free to stitch whatever you like in the remaining squares.

I love the autumn colours: orange, rusts and golds, the odd splash of reds, burgundies and yellows. I’m still a big kid at heart and enjoy scrunching through the fallen leaves, and can never resist a conker. When I put my hand in a pocket and find one I picked up weeks ago, it still makes me smile.

I started with feather stitch going diagonally across the square…..

…..in varying weights of perlé, then started changing direction…….

……. building up layers. I’d had fallen leaves in my head as I stitched, but by the time I’d got to this stage I thought it looked like flames. A bonfire? An open fire? Or a wood burner?

I added some rusty coloured rayon over the top, and decided that it did make me think of bonfires, the way the front of you is toasty warm and your back is cold, until you turn round to cool your face, going round and round like a spit roast. Happy times and memories.

Grasby Village Hall Exhibition

At the Grasby Embroiderers meeting today, we’ve been finalising arrangements for the Exhibition in Grasby Village Hall next weekend, on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August, alongside Market Rasen Stitchers who now also meet in Grasby Village Hall once a month.

Five of the Grasby Embroiderers belong to Market Rasen Stitchers as well, Lorna leading the group, with Jean and Eilleen stepping in when Lorna is not there for any reason. The Exhibition is free (and so is parking), and any profits from the refreshments, lucky dip and tombola will be shared between local hospices.

There will be lots of interesting work to see from both groups.

I’m planning on my embellished jacket being displayed, as I’ve worked on it at Market Rasen Stitchers as well as at other groups that I go to. If the weather is cooler, I might even wear it when I’m there stewarding on the Sunday.

After last week’s post and a suggestion from Alex to add wind lines rather than a branch, I had a look through my perlé threads for a suitable colour and weight …..

….. in the end narrowing it down to these two….

……and finally the darker of the two.

I’d opened the blind in our bedroom a couple of days ago and noticed a shaking, shivering tree. I remembered that when Miles was learning to tree ID years ago, one of his tutors had given that description as an aide memoire for one of the 50 they had to learn. Miles tests me on them periodically – what was it? The first thing that came to mind was poplar or aspen, and when I checked with him, yes, Aspen Poplar (populus tremula). I’m only surprised that I’ve never spotted it shaking like that before, maybe because all the other trees around were not moving, there was barely any wind. I was too far away to hear it whispering, which was another clue that they’d been given.

It seemed ironic that I was wanting to put in wind lines to give the impression of the leaves falling down my sleeve. I’ve used two rows of whipped back stitch and followed the curve of the leaves.

Then I’ve put two near the top of the sleeve, to indicate where they’re falling from.

It just finishes it off.

So thanks for the suggestion, Alex, and the sketch to explain how to go about it.

I’m sure other things will be added, but for the moment I’m taking a break from it, and working on other things.