Oceans, shells and lighthouses V Butterflies and flora ......

“My soul is full of longing
for the secret of the sea,
and the heart of the great ocean
sends a thrilling pulse through me.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

So my need to stitch, and not think about anything else right now is working, I feel a little more at peace within myself.  After such a disappointment over the house and feeling helpless and so very uptight ... this is working.  Looking and seeing and letting my husband deal with negotiations of any type .. only talking to one another about things has left me calm, like the sea after a huge unexpected storm.

I have two projects now on the go, I have started the stitching on a sea picture and started drawing out one with the butterflies to stitch too.  As I have said to you before it is great to stitch away at something, then leave it for a little while and go back and take a look with fresh eyes, so for me right now, it is good to have something else to pick up and absorb myself into as well.  This picture is awaiting the antique carved mother of pearl button as well and I believe I know where it will go, even though this is still in the early stages of stitching.  When it arrives I will have a little play around the linen to see where its final stitched place should be, I am excited about its imminent arrival .....

“Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” 

 Robert A Heinlein.   

I have been studying butterflies very closely of late, although I have to say a lot of this has been done on line and not in the garden.  Personally I have not seen that many this year and that is a worry because I have lots and lots of lavender in the garden both front and back and a huge Hebe bush in

the front and they normally love these .... I wonder why? possibly because of the lack of sunshine ....

Practise makes perfect on drawing and I have been doodling and sketching butterflies in different ways and like it when they are perched with their wings up as opposed to being flat and basking in the sun on flowers.  I have enjoyed studying their different markings and have been looking in books as well.  I love butterflies there is something so graceful and even magical about them in my eyes. They are surely where the tales of fairies came from  ....

Firstly when I am choosing the vintage linen to which I will be stitching my design on I think about the kind of picture it is going to be.  With the butterfly one I think it should be smoother and the sea one could be slubby and get away with it.

Then I draw very lightly on to the linen for stitching and then make a pattern for any appliqué that I will be attaching to it and I find all of this really fun to do.  When it is finally in the frame for stitching then you can sit and just stitch rhythmically away and it is so relaxing and rewarding.

When we were out on Saturday we popped in to see our great friend who lives near Honiton and of course we went into the lovely town and went to my favourite antique shop.  I found a few treasures
one being this great piece of antique Hungarian linen with a red stripe top and bottom.  It is about three foot in length and I am thrilled with it.

Also some wonderful red mother of pearl buttons and three little hankies and two of them have butterflies embroidered onto them and the other has beautiful white work as you can see .. so these bundle of treasures have come home with me.

Tonight I am hoping to go for a long beach walk and hope that my husband will be up for that as well.  I would like to go to Sandbanks to shell bay .. this speaks for its self I do believe not only is it good for you but  then you can  treasure hunt too. 

I have found some beautiful bits there before including a red piece of sea glass in the shape of a heart! so its worth wandering along with your eyes down .  I do not mind if its raining  either but not really gusty wind because the sand goes in your eyes and you can not see where you are going let alone little treasures in the sand! 

Also I find baking therapeutic and have been doing a little cake baking as well and making different dinners of an evening and trying out different things ... all of this is making me a happy bunny plus

the cake tester of the house is happy too.

It was such beautiful weather yesterday and I was able to find a spot in the garden and listen to the birds chatter and sing and stitch in amongst the flowers .. I think to day is going to be the same! Happy Days .....

Well that is it for today and I hope what ever you are doing today makes you happy and of course as always Happy Stitching! XX