Thursday, June 12, 2008

Spring CQ...Golden Chain Tree

It's also called Laburnum.
Ours bloomed about three weeks ago...such a magical tree! I had to include it...plus, I needed some hangy yellow flowers...

I am using that thick unspun Soie Noppe from Kreinik in a cast on stitch. (The link takes you to Sharon B's excellent Stitch Dictionary.)

For the leaves, I got out the Babylock Embellisher.

This time I felted wool and silk roving on to hand dyed dupioni silk. It made for a nice, soft, floppyish fabric.

For the veins in the leaves, I felted on some novelty yarn that Freda Butler just sent to me. It blended right in there. Freda, you doll!

I went outside and picked a few leaves off my Laburnum to act as a model for my leaves.

I attached them with a beaded buttonhole stitch. Wish I could remember the wonderful blog where I saw this idea....

And there they hang.
Next up, roses...for real. I don't know why they intimidate me but they do!

*.......and special love to our friends in the Midwest who are having such a rough time with the weather....*

10 comments :

Debra Dixon said...

What a superb interpretation! Bravo!

Judy S. said...

Hey, Allie, that looks just like our tree, too! Great job! I love this tree so much, don't you? Have you seen it anywhere else? Ours is in the scraggly stage and raining down yellow petals...along with the cottonwood fluff. The s-u-n is trying to peek out, but I'm not holding my breath, that's for sure.

Threadspider said...

Laburnums are quite common over here but they are all finished flowering for this year. My lovely daughter called them Blur trees when she was small, because of the way the dangling flowers appear blurry in a breeze! Yours are beautiful.

Susan Elliott said...

Those leaves are just splendiferous and probably my favorite part until I saw the cast on flowers. The scale worked really well; especially with that new Kreinik thread that I"m going to have to get my hands on...But the scale is perfect...did I say that already?

Micki said...

Beautiful tree and your interpretation of it is wonderful. I am loving following along with you on this. You have created some really beautiful flowers so far.

Leonie said...

Question Allie please - what type of needle are you using for the cast on stitch? It looks thicker in the middle but perhaps it's just the angle..... Thanks, L x

verobirdie said...

Beautiful to see how your garden inspires you! I love this piece and its making very much!

Anonymous said...

Wow - they are fantastic - I am (a) going to have to see if I can get my hands on some of that silk and (b) have a go at making something similar (though I don't have the machine for the felting process)

Cathy said...

Oh Allie! I LOVE your Golden Chain. And since I love mine, too, may I "borrow" your brilliant interpretation?? I can't wait to see your roses! Hugs, Cathy

Ayala Levinger said...

wow this is amazing! I am thinking about getting my own embelisher and your leaves just makes me want it more and I have never yet felted!
I am also inspired by nature and plants and flowers around me. it is the best time of the year to be inspired. thank you for lovely foto's