Recently I made four Window Series pieces and posted them both on my blog and on Facebook. One of the four was a leaf design. It resonated with a special person who thought it might fit into her favorite (but now empty) frame. I know about "favorite frames"! As a custom picture framer, I have lots of them. A special frame is often one selected for a nursery or "first home" or the "kitchen of one's dreams". When kids grow up or people move or the time comes to remodel, these special frames can become empty. The frame in question was a standard 14" x 11" frame ... almost "right" for the leaf I had just finished ... but not "perfect". I suggested making a leaf to fit the special frame. Happily, the new leaf is mounted on mat board and on it's way to it's special frame. During these pandemic days (all the galleries representing me are closed and so is my frame shop), commissions are SO IMPORTANT. Thank you, Monika!
I stitched Monika's Leaf over the weekend. Machine stitching happens during the day. During the evening, I'm hand-stitching. This past weekend also saw the finish of In Box CCCLXXIII, a totally hand-stitched In Box Series piece.
These hand-stitched In Box Series pieces are a riot of color. I have to admit though, the calluses on several of my left hand fingers are pretty sore. At least the touch of poison ivy I got from the weekend before is getting better! I'm terribly allergic and managed to get a rash on my left wrist despite being covered from head to toe! If it's not one thing, it's another! Regardless, I'll continue both stitching and clearing the back yard of undesirable weeds!
I'm imagining that the treatments and materials you use for your boxes don't make hand stitching easy at all! What do you use? #12 perle cotton and a doll needle? ;-) Hope your rash fades away soon!
ReplyDeleteThat's so nice and another beautiful leaf.
ReplyDeleteWe have poison oak out here, one of my brothers could just walk by it and end up with a rash. Funny thing, he was a ranger in Northern California but now is Director of Parks and Rec in Arkansas, sort of asking for it! I hope your rash is better.
May I ask what type of light you use when hand stitching at night? That is something I'd do more of but lighting is a problem for me.