Botanist

Since this is a machine embroidery blog, lets start with my American Beauty UFO... it so deserves a trip out of the cabinet, and yes, I need to finish it!

But now for a bit of digression... I always loved nature. Before hoarding even became popular, I did it with plants. In my early twenties, my house looked like a jungle. I'm not sure of the exact potted plant count-- it might have been close to 100, but it took me two hours to water them every Saturday. I knew all of their scientific names by heart.

Once my kids came along, my new little "seedlings" took over my time and attention, and gradually all of my greenery was given away or may have, sadly, died of neglect. (I sometimes forget my kid's names. ;-)

I have one amazing thing left-- this philodendron, given to my husband by his mother when he left for college over 35 years ago--- here it is today. My husband and I both attended the same art school, and I remember making drawings of it, being the only readily available vegetation in NYC! What started as two main stems then produced two "babies"-- each one after my own kids were born. A coincidence? We repotted one for my daughter to take off to college with her. We tease that the big plant will get her bedroom now.

Now my children have both left the house, and my former ways are starting to "creep" back in! I noticed the plants on sale now are much different, most kind of prehistoric looking and very, very hardy for today's modern woman... and the ways to display them are just as new. This is my "green wall" installed by my very handy husband. Yes, it again takes me about 2 hours to water them every Saturday, mostly because that is quite a reach!

Of course, flowers of the thread sort are high on my list of things I love to do. I originally bought my first embroidery software because I couldn't find a stitched rose of the exact variety I wanted on the entire internet! Not bad for an early effort, I think!

And this year's block of the month is "The Language of Flowers" and I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. Just as pretty on a wall and so much easier to take care of! 

This year's blocks are again quilted-in-the-hoop, and then stitched together-- here's a little photo-shopped sneak peek of the finish using the blocks we have. My math was slightly off- we'll need thirteen blocks--- but I think a summer month with a "bonus" block would do the trick! And what do you think that bonus block will be?

California poppies, of course!! 

To set them on point, you can see we'll need a half square triangle and a quarter square on the corners-- all-in-the-hoop of course!! and we will get those cooking up soon. "On Point" means the blocks are stitched diagonally, so pay attention!!!-- like when April gets stitched next to February next month. ?!?!?!?!?

So far we are planning white lilies next month, Caladiums (hubby's fave) sometime this summer, and an amaryllis for December, because for some reason, I can't digitize a poinsettia to save my life, and believe me I have tried.

We hope you're as psyched as we are-- try to stay current, and as we do a bit of planning on what each month will be, post your comments below with month and flower--we'd love to know your thoughts.

And now, we'd like to see a little spring!!!

XOX