The Elegance Of Black And A Splash Of Color

On an out of town excursion, I noticed a set of machine embroidered towels. They had vegetable motifs on them embroidered in black thread. Only a portion of the vegetable was done in color. So eye catching, that it stuck in my mind throughout the day.

As soon as I returned home, I dug out my patterns and started to work embroidering on this pea design. Letting only the peas be embroidered in pea green, while the rest of the design is embroidered in black. This got me to thinking about what else would be wonderful with this kind of embroidery?
I have always been fond of this butterfly design with a different butterfly for each day of the week.

I decided on Burgundy's and mauve's for this butterfly.


Finishing the butterfly in full color with the surrounding design in black.



I just love the elegant way it looks? Don't you?




Now I have plans on finishing the sets this way. The corn in the vegetable patterns will have only the kernels in yellow,the carrots, only one done in orange, etc, and the rest of the butterflies in other colors like blues, purples, oranges, and yellows.
What other designs do you think would look great embroidered this way? I would love to hear.

The Meaning of "My Life's Work"

In an article I have just written for a magazine to premier in late November, I referred to the embroidery and design work I do as "my life's work". The questions stemmed from this has made me want to clarify what "life's work" means..... Do I earn a steady income to support myself with this "life's work"?.......no

While I do get paid well for the work I do....one piece can take from 6 weeks to months to a year to complete. The payment not being received until that piece is finished. One reason I do not have a website....I cannot handle more than 3 customers at a time.

Am I well known.....famous...for the work I do? No, and I am not worried about "fame" to be involved with my work. I am known for my work by only a handful of folks, who know me or who I have done work for. I do the work I do, because it's who I am, it's what makes me.....

me.

So how can I say this is my "life's work"? Well there is a difference is "life's work" and the term making a living. I have worn many hats in the work field....hanging them all up when I received the crown of motherhood, where I have spent over half of my life, devoted to the care of my family. This is what takes first place in my life. In the spare time.........

I have spent 40 years learning and working with embroidery and design .......my passion....what I would rather do if there were only one thing in the world left for me to do........"my life's work". It is how I express myself,..... my therapy....my happiness, in a world so full of rush and demand.

How about you? What are you passionate about when all work has been done? When all demands have been met? What inspires you and makes your hands want to create?

What is your "life's work"? I would love to hear.