Floral 9 Patch, Center Bottom Embellished...and a Special Thank You

*edit June 30* Thanks everyone for your nice comments! It sure is fun to be playing in the flowers again...Pam asked about that stitch between the computer printed roses and the green brocade. It is actually some very narrow cotton trim I got from Jean, held down with detached chain along the picot edge and a running stitch along the straight edge....Sandie asked what was the feathery pink stitch on the other side of those roses: it is just fly stitches worked very close together!


I've been able to relax and stitch since my trip to Salem, and have enjoyed working on the Floral 9 Patch. All the seams on the center bottom block are covered now...maybe not finished, as tweaking always comes later...

Here's an overall shot. Those amber beads in the upper left came from Jean's house the other day. I had to use them immediately.

Mostly my seam treatments are a way of emphasizing the patches, as opposed to contrasting with them.

Ahh, yummy roses. I liked playing the photographed rose fabric off of the commercially printed rose.

Those antique Italian bugles and seed beads are a way to soften the edge between the dark blue brocade and the lighter purple one.
And see that soft lavender flower with the green fly-stitched leaves?

That was worked with some of this gorgeous hand-dyed and hand-spun silk thread. My friend from England, Judith--whose gardening blog I have so enjoyed all month with her daily flower offerings--sent these to me. Isn't she talented?
These are amazing to stitch with. I knit a sweater out of handspun silk yarn once, and the soft and gentle touch of the thread reminds me of that experience. It is plenty strong, though.
Thank you, Judith, so much, for this very precious gift!