Swirling Along

I love getting older. My understanding deepens. I can see what connects. I can weave stories of experience and apply them. I can integrate the lessons. Things simply become more and more fascinating. Beauty reveals itself in thousands of forms. Victoria Erickson

There is butterfly weed growing by the pond...and I couldn't love it more.

Every stage of this perennial is interesting and fun.

I have been busy with all kinds of good things around the condo as we head into our season of house guests. But in between things I'm in the studio plugging away at my swirl project. 

It has undergone some changes since the last time I shared.

And I'm at the point where I am using decorative machine stitches and fibers to accent and outline some of the fabrics. I think it really comes to life with hand stitching....and that's next. 

Keeping in mind this linen fabric from a thrifted blouse was my inspiration...I felt like I wanted to add in some green fabrics. There were several shades to choose from. 

I started with the apple green.....and NO...that didn't feel right. Next I tried this teal...bluish green right on top of the apple green....and that wasn't right either. So I ripped them both out and went back to the drawing board. 

I decided I wanted the linen to be the star of the show...so brought the green in with more of the blouse fabric. (see photo below) Each little section is so different....so it's like a new piece of fabric depending on how you cut it. 

So here is what I shared before...and here's how it changed as of several days ago. I ended up being distracted by the stripe in the red...and found a batik that had the reds and hints of orange and coral and like it so much better...and I put it right on top of the other. I like that the linen is now swirled all around the piece...pun intended! and there just enough green...and it feels better!

Here's a close up of some of the machine stitching....so far just a couple places where I've used the wiggle cable stitch. You can see it there in the rosy red. (This photograph is not very good. It was hard to capture the true colors.)

I'm going to try and work it in a few other places. I think the hand stitching and the beads will really help the piece. I think there will be a bead or a french knot in each of those little loopy stitches. 

The next lessons will be out tomorrow.