It's official - Quilting is good for you!

Thanks to chittle chattle for sharing this link  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2002862/Why-quilting-uniquely-good-us.html#comments which confirms what we dedicated quilters, embroiderers etc have known all along.  Our art/craft or whatever we want to call it is good for us.

Here is my latest attempt.  I'm surrounded by the most wonderful landscape but often find it difficult to capture it in fabric.  This piece uses simple raw edge piecing and free machine embroidery to try and capture the feel of a dusky evening view.


I got a nice surprise when I looked at the back.  Seeing  the quilting in black and white has set me thinking about a winter version.  Before I get to that though I have others to finish - why is it always more tempting to start something new than to finish what is on the go?

Thistles

Today the weather has been atrocious but I have been lucky enough to spend the day stitching at an EG Branch workshop and, even better, have actually finished a small (5" x 5") panel of machine embroidery. Even more amazing I actually like it (amazing because I always feel I could do better than I do) although there are lots of things I would do differently if I did it again.
It is stitched on calico and the background is painted with silk paints and then has small snippets of net, organza and 'glitz' bonded on with bonding powder before the hedge and grasses were stitched using machine rayons. The thistle heads were then painted on in acrylic paint (using a cocktail stitck) before being stitched over. I'm so glad it won't be another UFO - will have to look for a frame for it when I return from holiday.