I am running late this morning as I had myself beautifully side tracked but here is my weekly WISP report.
These strips of crazy quilting I started as a sort of band sampler only a crazy quilted band sampler. I am not sure if they are going to continue as such, as they may evolve into something else but either way I want them to develop into something! The only way they will is to stitch them. They are long thin, 6 inches wide and handy to cart around for teaching purposes. They are also the space where I try out odd things, demonstrate odd techniques and generally faff around. I have a number of them in the partly stitched phase. I thought I should finish off some so this is the first one.
Probably the experiment people will be most interested in is the praying mantis. I saw a pattern in Inspirations magazine 36 (page 63). I did not have a single thread that was recommended so I decided to adjust the design accordingly. In the end it ended up that I pretty well re-designed it!
I thought you might like to see the journal page I did associated with it. The first thing I did was to go online and look ant photos of praying mantis. I found one photo that made the beastie look too fat and another that made the poor thing look to thin and evil looking. One had a long wing the other had a shorter wing. I decided that obviously different types of praying mantis have different proportions so that a little artistic license was not going to ruin my praying mantis. The key photos I was going to use as a reference for both shape and colour I printed out and put in my visual journal.
Next I made my thread choices and made a note next to thread samples. As I stitched I noted what stitches I used and a photo of the final beastie was included on the page. I also made notes for improving him. I think he is too large and I think next time I would angle the body higher so he looks like he is sitting up looking at you more.
gracias Sharon las patas estna hermosas…
Thanks for the compliments about this praying mantis – next week when I hope to have the panel done – I will try to remember to post more close ups – for me this praying mantis mark 1 – as I would like to shift further away from the original design
That praying mantis is really impressive! Thanks for showing your journal pages about it, too. The flower set is beautiful.
Oh Sharon, I love him! The first time that Scott and I went to Galena Illinois, we were sitting out in front of our hotel in the evening and there was a Praying Mantis walking around on the fence. I was facinated with him as we don’t see them very often.
Seeing your embroidered little guy reminds me of that lovely Summer evening!
Sharon, you are such an inspiration and your work always amazes me!
I love the bug! We kept a praying mantis as a kind of pet for quite a while – actually, we didn’t keep him, he kept us. Every afternoon, it was in the same spot on our front porch, in the sun, by the door. I would come home from work for lunch and stop to observe him and say hi. And then we’d all go through the same ritual at the end of the school day. The kids were not allowed to touch him – and they didn’t! They were just as excited to see how long he’d hang around! Thanks for reminding me. I think we named him George. (We seem to name everything George in my family.)
I like your commentary on checking out pictures and then “altering” the look to fit “your” praying mantis.
Neat project!
Sharoon, all mantis this embroidered? Guaooo is beautiful, you can show a photo but close by?
nela.
That praying mantis is amazing! For a moment I thought you’d appliqued a printed picture – it looks so lifelike. Very clever.
I love that praying mantis!! It’s gorgeous.