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  • August 2010
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Embroidered Word Pillow

 

Embroidered-Pillow-Detail

My sister Judy loves all thing French. When daughter Anna sent her this special pillow we could only dream of what it might look like in a room we'd never seen.

Embroidered-Pillow-on-Bed

Conjuring up pretty chandeliers and antique samplers don't seem to be part of the process though. So when I visited my sister in Oregon, last December, it was a special joy to be able to photograph Anna's FLEUR pillow in Judy's guest bedroom. I couldn't wait to show the pics to Anna, and now you.

More lovely details in the room

Antique-Button-Cards

 Antique button cards look wonderful propped up on the moulding.

Mother-&-Child-Portrait

And a portrait of our mom, on our grandmother's lap, makes the room extra special.


 


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Lavender Sachets

Sachet-and-Lavender

"I scrubbed both rooms floor to ceiling, cut new liners for the drawers, and replaced the lavender in the sachet I keep with my underclothes," said Bess.

~ The day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

In another passage, Bess's sister hides a note from her lover in a lavender sachet. What a good idea.

How often do I read about lavender sachets in a novel? Never, but I did last week while Anna and I were making these.


  

Lavender-and-Embroidery

Fragrant, freshly harvested lavender from our garden fills Anna's soft handkerchief linen sachets. The luscious scent lasts for years. I've had one in my drawer for more than three, and it still smells wonderful.

Bee-on-Lavender

Lavender-Sachets

Anna's embroidered bees head toward her signature French knotted lavender blooms. 

Lavender-in-Glass

Lavender's green, dilly, dilly, Lavender's blue,
If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you.
Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, And the lambs play;
We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm's way.

~17th Century English Nursery Rhyme

 

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A Magic Yarn Ball in the Mail


Royal Mail for me?
Post

 Yes indeedy!

Out came the camera-- I had some unwinding to capture.

Magic-Yarn-Ball-4
There were delights before I even got to the yarn ball- lovely wrapping, pretty candles, a sweet note.

Magic-Yarn-Ball-5
Cashmere yarn wound around little blue tissue wrapped packages. Buttons, ribbons-- even a crocheted pin--I wore it through the winter on a denim jacket.

Magic-Yarn-Ball-1
At the center of the ball, this charming egg hatched a key chain!

I use it every day with pleasant thoughts to the sender.

Magic-Yarn-Ball-2

Thank you Pamela !

The yarn ball swap sponsored, last November, by Theresa at T does Wool was so much fun. Giving and receiving took on a new dimension of creative sharing.

Click here to see the Yarn Ball I sent Pamela.



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Magic Yarn Ball

Lavender-yarn

I asked her what colors of yarn she liked. She said, "Natural colors."

Hmmmm--- I wondered if lavender would be O.K.

"Oh yes," she said.

Trims
Then I looked through my life's little gatherings and came up with . . .

Yarn-ball-treats

Yarn-ready-to-roll

On winding day, the yarn's ready to roll.

Crystal-center
From the beginning, this little grape-patterned box would be at the center of the Magic Yarn Ball, but what to put in it? How about a crystal pendant on a bed of dried lavender flowers, tied in silky floss with bead grapes and a copper leaf? Can you see the beginning and end pieces of the yarn? The winding has begun,

Yarn-ball-in-process
and here it's about done, and nice and round at that, but it needs more . . .

Trinkets-for-yarn-ball
Ah yes this bracelet-- so many little jewels to attach . . .

Yarn-Ball-Finished
All done and ready to send to Pamela in the UK as part of the yarn ball swap sponsored, last November, by Theresa at T does Wool, last January.

The finished piece became an object d'art to enjoy for a few days. I was sad to see it go, but happy in anticipation that I 'd be receiving a yarn ball from Pamela.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

What a fun project-- finally I had a reason to shoot yarn. Theresa's and Gail's yarn photos had tickled me with wishes to revel in yarn bokeh long enough. Aside from the little gifts, a good light source, an easy background, and a macro lens were the only requirements. On an overcast day in our sun room, lavender chiffon and a piece of white plexi glass were the background options. The photo fun was moving and focusing in, out, up, and down.

RoseLetter-tags

After receiving her yarn ball, Pamela emailed me that she would have been thrilled if she'd only received the rose gift tags of her initials.

Here's the Magic Ball Pamela sent me.





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Monogram Daisy Hankie

A-Hankie
Daisy-Earrings
French-Knot-Detail
Feverfew-in-Pitcher
Monogram-A-Hankie

I'm flummoxed-- what can I say? there are no words-- daughter Anna's love shines through so strong in her work-- I should let the pictures do the talking. Besides A's, fleurs, French knots, and bees, she also love's kitties, and small earrings.

Ceramic-KittyFeverfew flowers are our favorite daisies.

 

 

 

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Embroidered Name Pillows

Anna

Pillow cases were daughter Anna's first embroidered pieces. Such a free hand she had– starry nights, volcanoes, houses with picket fences, sweet sayings like, for the love of creation threaded their way under her sleepy head at night. Flowery vines and bees became her signature design, decorating our shirts and blouses.

Then one day Anna showed me the little white scrap of fabric, above, with her name and birth date embroidered in pale letters.

Visions of gorgeous linen pillows came to mind, and I asked if she'd like me to help with a more formal template. Together, we made a design for a larger version of her name. Then she made a pillow for me,

Embroidered-Name-Pillow and one for our family.

Parker-Pillow

Before long, Anna began making them for friends.

SPECIAL TEMPLATES

Name-Templates

Each pillow requires a hand-drawn template.

Colorful-Threads

Hundreds of colors are at her fingertips. Anna has ten boxes like this!

Anna's-Hands  

 

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