I wish I had more time to stitch. I tend to do it in fits and starts and lately have been taking my needlework with me to work to add a few new rows before I begin my day. It's a slowish process but it's also amazing how much you can accomplish by a slow and steady pace. Last summer I shared a little project that I had been working on all through the Spring. Remember my little rabbits? I made the pincushion for a good friend and decided I would do a little series of needlework smalls (accessories) to celebrate the seasons.
This is my "Summer" project (both in name and season!), which has safely arrived at its destination, so I can share it here now. The design is by Just Nan, whose designs I love, though there is more switching of colors (she uses a much larger palette even for such a small design as this) than in other small pieces.
Do you spot the little ladybug hiding behind the flower embellishment on the frame? She is stitched over one thread, so very tiny work. I am not overly fond of stitching over one thread, but I love the way it looks in a project. I wish I had more patience to do more of it (and admire those stitchers who can stitch an entire project entirely over one linen thread).
And one more view a little closer up. The frame was sold with this design in mind and it looks quite nice with the linen and color scheme I thought. I have a lot of Just Nan designs (mostly as yet unstitched or works in progress . . . much like my current reading pile). Her pieces are almost little works of art. She tends to create such unusual pieces--often they are very labor intensive--special little accessories that require intricate hand/sewing machine finishes. I love the challenge, but it takes me a long time to work through her project. They are often sold kitted up using really lavish supplies--colored linens and silk flosses, sometimes hand-dyed. They, once completed, are really heirlooms. Sometime I will have to show you my Just Nan stash--both the designs I've stitched and the designs that are in progress (and the designs that are kitted up and ready to go . . .).
I am now working on an Autumn project for my friend. It is well underway, and I hope to actually finish it before the seasons change! I must say that knowing you are making something as a gift for a friend is a great motivator for finishing projects in a timely manner! Still, I do wish I had more free time to spend on my stitching. It's too hard trying to decide whether to read or stitch, so I tend to switch back and forth (with reading winning most of the time).
So, here is the series so far:
"Spring"
"Summer"
"Autumn" coming soon!