Embroidery, paint and Chihuly

I'm starting to chain stitch with lime around the leaves.
"Yoga Mat Series" by Sherrie Spangler

Now that I've rediscovered the pleasures of hand embroidery,

I've decided to go with the flow

and highlight the leaves of this old piece

with a lime chain stitch.

The machine applique is too weak,

so I'll just go around it

with something stronger.

The new section is on the left.

The old, wimpy side is on the right.

And look at what two French knots can do!

They've turned this abstract shape into ...

an animal face?

Moving on to some fabric painting ...

I took a break from the embroidery yesterday

to replenish the stash of painted yardage.

The top piece, cotton, is dry and ironed.

Bottom piece, silk chiffon, is still wet.

I scrunch it up and it dries in interesting patterns.

Moving on to Chihuly glass in a garden setting:

Here are some photos I took last April at the little gem in Tacoma's park system called the W.W. Seymour Botonical Conservatory. It's tucked away in Wright Park and has a new exhibit every month. Last year I stumbled upon a fantastic selection of Chihuly glass intermingled with spring blooms.

I offer these up for more artistic inspiration.

Have a colorful day!