Flower Power

Several months ago I began work on "Flower Power" by Crossed Wing Collection. I'm stitching it on 32 count hand-dyed linen made up just for this design by Crossed Wing. The finished piece will be about 21 by 36 inches, so it's another monster project. Here is a link to the designer's description, just click on "Flower Power." I worked on it for, hmm, maybe three months and then had to work on something else.

I recently started working on it again. Here's where I was a few days ago. This design is actually six large charts. I've completed most of the two center ones and am stitching the lower right chart now. The fabric is on 11-inch Q-snaps so you can see it's pretty big. I'm really enjoying this. There are several different flowers with different palettes, several hummingbirds that use metallic thread along with the DMC, and insects stitched over 1 thread for extra detail. My usual pattern is to work on a big project for a while and then abruptly get sick of it and switch to another project. In the stitching world that's called "rotation." I "rotate" quite a bit, but only my needlework, not my family, no matter how tempted I am.




Anyway, here are some closeups of the wildlife I've already completed:

This is the Ruby-throated hummingbird looking into Day lilies. Like all the hummers, he's stitched over two threads. He has red metallic on his throat and green on his back and head so he shimmers just like his living counterparts.





Here is a Monarch butterfly sitting on a Shasta Daisy. The insects are stitched over one thread, so this little guy is about 2000 cross stitches and is about 1-1/2 inch across.






This is Anna's hummingbird, stitched over two threads. Next to him is the Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly stitched over one. He's just under one inch across.







And here is the Painted Lady clinging to a Day lily leaf. Click on a picture to enlarge it.