Buterflies and Hope...

I am almost too embarrassed to show you this one - but not that too embarrassed that I won't... I found this stitchery while rummaging though my 'half finished' hoard as opposed to my 'half started' hoard... The first photo was taken on Friday Sept 30th 2005 - yes, you are reading that correctly - 2005... I was reminded of this stitchery last week when a visitor to 'beyond the blank page' googled it... It was something I started way back then - I had some vague idea of turning it into something - not sure what now that I think about it... I can remember that I felt disgruntled with it - the proportions of the butterfly, the stitching, the colours or something - I think the gate had been problematic too. Knowing me I probably just lost interest in it and cast it to one side as I am in the habit of doing... As I there looked at it I thought 'what if...' and since I thought that it had nothing to lose apart from it being flung back into the void of the half finished hoard I took a chance...

I must admit I spent a very enjoyable hour doing the 'painting' with my Derwent ink tense pencils - and learnt a little more about using them... Yes, there are a few areas that aren't great but on the whole I was pleased what I had achieved. My original idea was to back stitch the gate and add 'some sort of flowing thing'...


...as you can see from the first photo I have made some changes... I unpicked the stitching under the butterfly and also the gate which I then 'painted' and (started to...) embroider 'some sort of flowing thing'...

Another idea I had at the time was to have some a word diagonally under the butterfly in a cursive script - I am full of these bright ideas - but getting them down into the physical world out of their lofty origins is another thing... The trouble with me I tend to gain inspiration as I go along - even if it is four years between start and finish with a different outcome. I have found another heart shape - so there must have been two ideas on the boil at the same time...

I am not sure which version I like the best - the delicacy of the first photo or the vibrancy of the second. What will I do with this once (if ever) it is completed??? Who knows - perhaps tossed into the other box of 'finished to a point - destination unknown'...LOL - I might even offer it to a new home out there in blogger land...

At least I have 'hope' - finished at last - but I am way behind with 'peace' and we are only seven days away from block number six... I could say - 'Give peace a chance' - but I won't :-)...

Until next time - keep threading those needles....

Sharon xxx