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Finished Work on Merle's Winter Themed Block

I am taking part in a replacement round robin, Fabulous First Timers (FFT) 14(2) on CQI and have just finished working on this.  This is how Merle's block looked when I received it - already lots of lovely stitching on it!  I love this silk ribbon winter heart that Sue added!
Merle requested a winter themed block so I did my best to add a little bit of Canadian winter to it.  Here is what I stitched...
 Up in the corner I added some leaf like laces - this is how the frost on the windows always looks to me, like leaf and filigree patterns.  I added a scattering of snowflake buttons and charms as well.  There was some braid on two of the seams that ended on the surface of the block so I thought I would find a way to cover the ends of it - that is where the first two snowflakes were added and it just grew from there.
 This seam treatment is pretty pedestrian I'm afraid but it carries through some of the colours of the block so hopefully adds something to the continuity.  It is made up of a simple cretan stitch and then detached stitch (lazy daisy stitch) flowers with a small bead for the center of each.  It was worked in perle cotton and silk thread.
 I showed this before but added a bit of sparkle to the top section of colour in the Northern Lights with some blending filament.  In the foreground in front of the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are three blackwork evergreen trees.
 I built a treatment on another seam by couching down silver cording, blue silk ribbon and some fun textural blue yarn.  I scattered shell beads and some tiny snowflake charms along the way.
Here is the block as it looks when it leaves me to head off in the mail to Janet.  Janet is the last stitcher in the round robin for this block so I hope I left her enough room to play.  The winter theme was a lot of fun and I hope that Merle likes what I did!

Comments

Jo said…
I'm in love, I just adore what you've done to Merle's block.
Arlene Delloro said…
All of the work is gorgeous, but those trees really "speak" to me. Love them!
Judy said…
If Merle doesn't absolutely love her block she can ask for my address and send it to me. It's wonderful!

oxo Judy

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