I decided that I would design a blog header

and embroider it with the different images that I feel best expresses what I love in life and in embroidery.

It all starts with a thimble......with the initials for Yesteryear Embroideries

then the needle and floss.......as you see is attached to the Zinnia, as if it is still in the process of being embroidered.

Every year I grow different sized gardens of Zinnia along the grounds........

I have always turned to nature for inspiration in my embroidery design.......whether it be the zinnia, and buzzing bees. It has been a long time since I have seen a bumble bee. When I mention this to others, they tell me it is because they have been destroyed by chemicals and pesticides that are used in the fields nearby.

 

The wild thistle growing on the prairie has always held a special place in my heart. I love clusters of small blue butterflies that always seem to flutter about in the gardens.

I also love buttons and beads. Beaded flowers are one of my favorite things to embroider,

 

as well as clusters of blackberries......

along with  spiders and their webs.............

 

just for fun, I made a beaded worm, who seems to have been nibbling on the leaf above...........

All in all, a "logo" stitched to represent some of the things I love most.

How about you?

If you created your own logo......or header.........what would it show?

Roses or daisies?.........maybe a hummingbird or butterfly?

I would love to hear!



In these uncertain days............the word "plenty"

may not be the way some describe their lives.

We all at times, face challenging and uncertainty , at one time or another...........

these days, even more so.

But I try to focus on the "plenty" I am blessed with..............it helps to place hope in my heart,  to face those uncertain days in the future.

 I love to see an images of  cornucopias, especially during this time of harvest and approaching Thanksgiving...............

The word cornucopia (in Latin also cornu copiae) or horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts.

Classical mythology offers multiple explanations of the origin of the cornucopia. One of the best-known involves the birth and nurturing of the infant Zeus, who had to be hidden from his devouring father Cronus. In a cave on Mount Ida on the island of Crete, baby Zeus was cared for and protected by a number of divine attendants, including the goat Amalthea ("Nourishing Goddess"), who fed him with her milk. The suckling future king of the gods had unusual abilities and strength, and in playing with his nursemaid accidentally broke off one of her horns, which then had the divine power to provide unending nourishment, as the foster mother had to the god.

I, however, tie it to the blessings and "plenty" I have in my own life..............although those things might be some of the most simple things to be thankful for. 

 

Going through some of my things waiting to be embroidered, I found a set of autumn and Thanksgiving linens...........given to me years ago from a dear friend.

One of those pieces was a hand towel with a stamped cornucopia design on it.

 

 

As I spent the weekend stitching on it, I thought about my own personal "horn of plenty" so overflowing with wonderful things:

things like, memories of falling in love, getting married, raising my sweet little family.

And now years later, still with the one I love, and my little family...........grown and doing well.

Simple things like waking up to see the sunrise on a foggy quiet morning.........

the sound of a coyote calling in the late afternoon..............

wildflowers blooming across the prairie..........

Being  surrounded with the gift of friends old and new.........

Baking, creating, gardening, and doing all of the things I love to do............

and still living a quiet and simple life.............

for this I fell my horn of plenty runneth over..................

 

 

 

Before I knew, my stitching was done..............and my memories were still lingering.

How about you?

What does your cornucopia spill over with?

I would love to hear!

 

 

 



Thistles and leaves, as well as a few small creatures.........

have now come to life, thanks to my needle and thread............

and a lot of inspiration and a little imagination.

(click onto the photo for a better view)

As you remember, in my last post, I decided to embroider a Long Horn Beetle,

 

I then decided to make the flowers into thistles..............

the leaves were quite large, so instead of completely filling them in, I just focused on the inside .........

 

I had to add a spider web.............I see them all of the time out in my garden flowers............

the thistle, started out like this..............

I then embroidered the pod, working the detached buttonhole stitch for filling in and texture..........

I then worked the Turkey stitch for the thistle petals........

and gave it a good trim............

and it all started with this.................

all because of a lovely beetle who landed on my arm!

Now..............it's time for you to be inspired................go out and find some inspiration and let your imagination and your hands....................

breathe life into something!

Let me know...............I would love to hear!



As most of you know, I love the insect world............

It is full of amazing colors and design............

I decided that I would capture the image of  this yellow Longhorn Beetle in embroidery, after one of these flew and landed on my arm while out in the garden.

I drew up this design............

and have decided to stitch the bug first and work on flowers and leaves later.

To separate the wings, a closed buttonhole stitch works well, stitched down the middle of the wings. .

The spots were stitched using the short stitches almost like satin stitch.

I embroidered the outline of the wings and then filled them in using long and short stitches.

I then worked on the thorax and the head, using long and short stitches in black floss. I used a strand of metallic blue, using only a few stitches,  to give the thorax a jeweled effect on the black. I separated the head and thorax with a yellow ring, using a whipped satin stitch.

For the antennae, I couched 3 strands of floss along the outline of antennae,

then with one strand each of black and blue gray, in whipped satin stitched, changing the colors off and on.

I then embroidered the legs. Now the beetle is finished and I will begin the embroidery work on the flowers. How about you?

What insect, in the insect world, do you find the most inspirational?

A graceful butterfly, a lady bug........or a buzzing bee?

I would love to hear!