"Little Quail" - Finished!

Another UFO finished!

Here is my version of Lynn Payette's Little Quail.  I checked on my project data for this piece - I worked on it from December 10 - 14,2012 and stitched the quail, applied it to the background fabric and worked on getting all the leaves done - some were wired, some were applied to the fabric.... and then, after learning all the things that were of interest to me at that time the project 'sat' in my UFO drawers!  Some other deadline must have entered into the game plus I remember lots of snow that winter... so who knows what I kept myself busy with after this - my hunch is it was Japanese embroidery.     Well, I am glad to report it is now 'finished' so now it will move to the "to be framed" drawers or just sit propped up until I have the time to select and order the frame.
This proved to be an interesting project, lots of areas of fine stitching, discovery and experimentation of materials and techniques... it has elements of stumpwork techniques with modern applications of materials.

So, here are the pictures :

where I left off in December of 2012

adding all the details - October,2014

After a few evenings of stitching : FINISHED!

An attempt to show the dimensionality of this piece

made some changes from the original directions...

 

Unearthing two more UFOs + a small triumph!

Okay, so it seems that most people who took the time to answer liked my version of the thicker stem on the crewel piece Autumn Frolic.  I will revisit this project one more time at the end of this month and then make the final decision.

In the meantime I unearthed two other UFOs (unfinished objects) - one of them is a Japanese embroidery class sample I had started early last year.  I have stitched many class samples so that my students have a 'real' life sample available to study during class in adjunct to all the materials they have.  The other is a cute little stumpwork/mixed media project by a EGA/ANG teacher, Lynn Payette.  She has an amazing talent for putting together various techniques and I was intrigued by this little piece.  I was so enthusiastic about learning the techniques that I had most of this done in about four days - and then, after learning about how certain things were accomplished this little project ended up being sidelined and other things took up my attention.  I took out both these projects this time - the Japanese embroidery as one of my bimonthly 'trials' to see if I could even stretch my arm across the frame ever since this frozen shoulder issue started and the "Little Quail" just because I am biting time with finishing things from the UFO drawers.

Well, I can finally stretch my arm out enough and control my needle enough to do Japanese embroidery again!!! Albeit for short periods of time BUT I'll take it!!!!  In time I know I will be able to do more ...

So here are the two projects :

... where I left off years ago....

... where I left off early last year....

Chrysanthemum and leaves completed - 2 days, short periods of stitching BUT still a small triumph!