shore fragments

if you've stopped by here once or twice before, you may have gathered that i like to take beach macro photos. heck, i now have a growing set on flickr devoted to just that. my fascination with the close up world of tidal life has been around since i was a kid peering into tide pools. and really, i was peering into tide pools as recently as last weekend - it's still a favoured pastime.



so it seemed only natural to me to try and recreate these tiny worlds in some stitching. this little piece is a start, thanks to the inspiration provided by Margie's fabrics. i've got ideas for a whole series, although i don't have any timeline, number, or end date in mind. just a focus on little stitched glimpses of shore life, and so i'm calling them "shore fragments". this piece is no.1, a trio of ochre stars clinging to the exposed rocky shoreline, bit of seaweed and barnacles surrounding them. it is all hand stitched, and measures about 4" x 12", with a bit of braided cord at the top for hanging.



the colour on this piece felt like a bit of a departure for me, as there is no blue in sight. it's not that blue is necessary, but it does often seem to predominate when at the shore (gee, i wonder why). when getting up close and personal though, there is so much other colour to be found, and it was fun to play with that here. on top of the wonderful natural dyed fabrics from Margie, i also purchased a big bundle of hand dyed linen from Carol at yorktown road, leftover scraps from all the amazing bags she makes. so i'm feeling a bit flush with gorgeous natural fabrics these days, and eager to start using them.



what are you up to this weekend? A is coming home tonight, after being away for almost two weeks, so i'm looking forward to some time hanging out with him. the forecast looks somewhat promising, so with luck there will be some outside time. i'm progressing very slowly on the bigger beach scene i'm stitching, but i feel like it's nearly there. soon, i hope.