The Stitching Thread

Last week I set out to do many things unrelated to needlework. In a funny way they end up becoming much food for thought later on in the cold months when I am unable to venture outdoors and needlework becomes my main activity.

My garden needed attention. Weeding, cutting off spent flower heads, taking up the hollyhocks that weren’t doing so well. Around March I sowed some hollyhock seeds in trays indoors. Mid-May I transplanted the seedlings outside in the flower beds. This past week I carefully dug up some of the hollyhocks that were just not doing as well as I would like in the hot sun. I now have them in a shady spot in containers in hopes that they will thrive and grow stronger. Hopefully in September or October I will be able to put them back in the ground once the hot days of summer are over. I do hope they grow stronger as hollyhocks are just stunning to see when blooming in the garden and next year I will be able to enjoy them.

While out in my garden I had the opportunity to check out some cool dragonflies. They really are remarkable creatures that come in the most amazing colors. Which brings me back to needlework! I am just amazed by some of the other needle artists creative interpretations of dragonflies, particularly those in stumpwork. I find it fascinating to see other peoples’ visions and solutions that involve the creative uses of metallic threads and beads. Pretty cool stuff for the imagination. I think my task this week is to investigate specialty beads….

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