the gift...

I signed up with my guild to make a Christmas gift for someone. Of course, my luck drew the name of THE most challenging, talented, knowledgeable woman in the group...of course.
So I knew I must make something extra wonderful.

I thought and thought and thought and thought some more!

OK. I'll make a tote bag. Everyone loves tote bags!
And they are USEFUL. I like things that serve a purpose.
(Its my practical nature)

I went to the fabric store and chose the fabric. Its so lovely.

Then I snapped a photo of the fabric, put it in my designers program and then spent many, many hours redoing my picture. Because of course, it PIXELED it. And I was not about to stitch "confetti."

I found some red Lugana 25 ct. to match the background of the fabric and stitched my design on it. I liked how it turned out.

Then I finally had to put the tote bag together.
Oh dear...

I've never stitched one of them before.
So I procrastinated until nearly the last minute.

It was a lined one, to make matters even worse (and it did not say "EASY" on the pattern. Plus I changed the shape of it, too.

Now, I'm NOT a very experienced seamstress.
Fact, I should have really had someone else do it.

But I did it.
Definitely learned some things while doing it.
(not how to avoid having a pucker here or there, though) sigh lol
I wonder if I should place an apology note in the bottom of it....

But its finished!

Garden Plot

Ohhhh the Garden Plot Thickens...

I'm only working on this when I'm all caught up on Herbularius. Each month another section of the design is given out and I just don't want to fall behind. I shall feel DOOMED if I do!
(Needless to say, I have fallen behind before in a couple of these massive undertakings and they are left in my cupboard, awaiting a reawakening)

I'm not overly crazy about the colors in this design. In fact, soon as I uncovered this again, I was struck by how dull the colors looked. I had to remind myself that they are NOT dull, they are lovely in their own way and the reason they SEEM dull is because one cannot help but compare them to the colors in Herbularius, which are quite vivid, rich and gorgeous.

Herbularius part 3

Herbularius is coming right along.

The colors are gorgeous.
The textured stitches in the pillars look really dimentional.

I used my creative license to add my own version of backstitching on the pillars. I just wanted them to be more outlined than was called for.

I'm really enjoying stitching this piece and I can barely set it down.
I keep thinking to myself "oh just a FEW more stitches...!" haha