Magic Mushrooms

I finally got my act together here -- I do NOT function well in hot summer weather. Ugh.

Set up a new embroidery project for myself, 

MAGIC MUSHROOMS 

from Dropcloth Embroidery.

Zero happening with quiltmaking.  

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Florals

Slow progress -- here's where all my little floral embroideries have ended up. Two years' worth! I'm getting this layered now for hand quilting. My plan for the summer is handwork rather than a big project. 

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Embroidery

It's been a minute since I worked on embroidery -- finished the floral subscription series a while ago and decided to take a breather.

But now we are in summer break/no school/babysitting schedule random and busy, and it's going to be harder for me to concentrate on quilty stuff.  Seemed like it must be time to set up a new stitchery project to have ready whenever I need to pick up something colorful and creative.

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Monday

Tomato!

Another cute Dropcloth embroidery completion!

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Embroidery

I finished the final piece from floral subscription series #2!

Both series are now completed and ready to turn into something enchanting. I'll probably do some sort of quilt, but pillows are not out of the question.  I'm counting this as a MAJOR accomplishment -- this has been a two-year effort!

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Embroidery again

Just one more to go in this floral series!

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Embroidery

I've finished stitching the last of the little florals from Series 1!

DROPCLOTH EMBROIDERY

Series 2 is nearing the finish line as well, just two more to go there, so twenty-four of these little floral portraits in all to work with.  Possibly join them all into a wall-hanging type quiltlet?  They are small pieces, five-inch squares as they are now, and will be a bit smaller when trimmed, so even all together they would be tiny jewels rather than big quilt blocks.

Embroidery has been keeping me busy and distracted this winter as the world outside rages on.

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Wednesday

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Monday

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Friday

I'm still embroidering to distract myself.

And Barbara Brackman offers us some pleasant alternatives to doom scrolling 

HERE

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Wednesday

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Monday

I'm struggling here to keep myself pulled together.  

My pendulum swings between blinding rage and crippling despair.  

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Bricolage 26 - week 1

 NOBLE: having eminence or dignity; illustrious; grand or imposing; superior; magnificent

The first *WORDS 2026* challenge word is NOBLE.

Hmmm, a challenge for sure! Most of the group participants seem to be doing heraldry-inspired stitcheries, but my thoughts don't run toward title/aristocracy because I'm American. Instead, my personal response to the word NOBLE was 'something higher/above, something superior, something looked up to.' Transforming that thought into a visual representation gave me the magnificent universe up there and specifically the brilliant full moon that I enjoy looking for. 

My embroidery here is definitely abstract, but it is what it is. I'm not really comfortable with this whole activity, so I probably won't continue.  The format doesn't feel naturally expressive to me.  But hey, at least I tried, right? 

Bricolage ~ A construction made of whatever materials are at hand; something created from a variety of available things 

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Bricolage 26 - intro

Bricolage ~ A construction made of whatever materials are at hand; something created from a variety of available things 

I'm tentatively starting a new project for 2026.  I recently came across an embroidery challenge called *WORDS 2026*, which offers the general plan to create an assemblage-style needlework square each week based on a word that the hostess will pull out at random from a bowl of already-prepared prompts.  It remains to be seen what 'words' actually means.

I'm aiming for my squares to be 6", but some size variations may occur.  I will choose a background color that's appropriate for the weekly word, and then I will add whatever other stitches, fabrics and embellishments suggest themselves as interpretations.  My starting array of background fabric possibilities is a soft rainbow, although this may change as the project develops. I'll be using batting scraps behind the squares as stabilizer -- easy to hand stitch through and something I have readily on hand.

At this point I'm not really sure about how committed I am to my design vision, to my construction method plans, and even to whether I will continue to be creative throughout the coming year.

Sigh. 

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Embroidery

Another finish. 

 There are twenty-four little florals in the series altogether, and this makes sixteen done.

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Tuesday

Last embroidery finish of the year.

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Yammer: to utter or whine in a complaining or peevish manner; to make (a complaint) loudly or persistently

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Tuesday

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Shameful: disgraceful; scandalous; low; base; vile; ignominious; dishonorable

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Saturday

Just finished November/chrysanthemums from the Floral subscription series at 

DROPCLOTH SAMPLERS

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Rotten: corrupt or morally offensive; wretchedly bad, unpleasant, or unsatisfactory; miserable; contemptible; despicable

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Thursday

And another little floral piece done.

I'm accumulating quite a collection of these little medallions.  Perhaps some sort of floral quilt will be in the future ...

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Rapist: a person who commits rape

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Monday

Meanwhile, still distracting myself with embroidery.

Here's my October floral from the monthly subscription series at 

DROPCLOTH EMBROIDERY

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Protest: an expression or declaration of objection, disapproval, or dissent, often in opposition to something a person is powerless to prevent or avoid

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