What a crazy time in our lives with the drastic changes to our everyday hustle and bustle do to the illness that is affecting most of the world. Most of us are being asked or compelled to stay indoors, our ability to work has been altered, and for sure we miss the association with family and friends. We were in California when the state cancelled everything, then our home state of Utah closed down...and then more and more. By the time we came home, we we felt lucky to find food in four different grocery stores and even more fortunate to have a box of toilet paper from Grove on our doorstep.
After unloading our van, which was loaded with 600 kits for our California Pinners classes (which didn't happen) and cleaning the house from top to bottom, we both took a deep breath and our hearts felt heavy. Heavy for everyone whose lives have been changed, and especially for those who are sick and lost. It took a day or two to get into a new rhythm. Mike had to restructure a few of his remodeling jobs and I had to cancel most of my teaching/workshops for the spring. And once that was through, all I wanted to do was go pick up this Flourish embroidery hoop with all of it's warmth and familiarity and stitch.
Hand stitching is a comfort to me. I picked it up as a single mom years ago, and stitched my way to sanity and a little joy with each piece I worked. I have found that when life gets turned upside down, finding something you love to do with your hands that is simple and familiar can settle what seams out of control. It seems like each stitch is one thought going up through the fabric of consciousness and then back through the cloth and out of mind.
I have been working on our Flourish Wildflower Embroidery Hoop for two years, which makes if even more loved. Slow stitching at it's best. This month's flower is the Salvia which is a member of the Sage family and it represents the virtue of grace. I though about how grace fits into this time in our lives. If you take the meaning of grace as being accepted for where you are, loved for who you are, and acceptance. It makes perfect sense this value is something we all need right now.
Each of us has been affected by the virus that has changed our world, and we all handle it in different ways at different times. One moment we feel energetic to make a difference and the next we can feel like the world is heavy on our shoulders. I have to admit, high stress slows me down, until I get back in a grove. I accept this about myself. I refuse to judge myself for the feeling that weigh my heart down at moments. I choose to give myself a little grace, forgive the negative thought and choose a better way. It is all grace...all love.
When I went to stitch this sample, I decided to through a curve and add thin silk ribbon to the varied blue blossoms instead of embroidery floss. I wanted a little extra texture to the Lazy Daisy stitches, and I am happy with how it turned out. You can watch a highlight video on my Instagram on how to stitch them with silk OR you can go to the Tweetle Dee You Tube Channel and watch how to stitch the Lazy Daisies with floss. Either choice will be beautiful.
The stem was a simple Back Stitch with a variegated floss which I then wove a secondary thread through each of the stitches to give the stem a little extra texture.
The leaves are a little different. If you look closely at the leaves of the Salvia flower they have delicate little "barbs" of them. So, I created a base for both leaves with a Satin stitch across the width of the leaf, following the shape to the points. Once that was filled in, I made simple stitches up the center to create the "vein", then I made long straight stitches from outside the satin stitched edge into the center to meet up with each of the straight stitches.
This created the little "barbs" and added a little something extra. The thread I used was a varigated pearl cotton type thread from Sue Spargo called Eleganza Bird's Eye. I love her thread collection for embroidery. The way her pearl cotton is woven creates quick color variations and it is silky smooth to embroider with. Plus, let's talk about the dimension it brings to my embroidery! No other floss can give the umph.
The silk ribbons I used were from a company named Thread Nanny. They offer collections of thin dyed silk ribbons that come on spools. This is helpful because it eliminates some tangling and ware that comes when suppliers "bunch" up their ribbons. Pulling their ribbon off a spool makes it smooth and straight, ready for stitching.
Of course, the word "grace" is stitched in Ecru DMC Pearl Cotton and is made with a simple back stitch...tiny stitches needed to get around the curves.
To download the patter for the Salvia & Grace Flourish Wildflower, right click on the image and print it OR you can trace it right off of your tablet screen onto your fabric with a Pilot Frixion Pen.
I speak for both of us in wishing you all the love, protection, and blessings you need to get through this health situation. If you need a virtual hug, reach out to us through a DM or email. We love you and thank you for your support for our little home business. It was created out of love and we hope you find some inspiration and hope here.
Keep celebrating, dreaming and creating
