Saturday, June 15, 2013

a very friendly butterfly

out of my kitchen window i saw this beautiful butterfly feasting on the flowers on my obedient plant. i ran and got my camera and luckily the butterfly was still there. she/he would land on a flower, take what she could, and before going to another flower, she would circle around me...real close to my face and shoulders... and then land on another flower. she did this each and every time. it was almost as if she was welcoming me to stay and watch. i actually left before she did.
click on all the images for close ups.




 i did some more work on the weaving i showed you last time with the hand dyed silk damask cloth. i cut it into 2 pieces and added it to the lace-like piece it was made for. i then cut out some circles and shifted them (something i learned from Jude Hill), wanting them to look like the gears of a machine. it still needs lots of embellishment to make it look the way i have envisioned it in my mind's eye.

'the shift'

creating a spiral with stitch on the largest circle
i did manage to dye another bundle this week. it's actually a re-dye of a cotton slip that didn't turn out too well the first time. i added lots of orange and yellow cosmos and rose leaves, all from the garden, wrapped it around a tin can and tied in a copper pipe for good measure. this one will take a long while to dry. it's a full slip and it's folded and wrapped many times around.

wrapped around a tin can and tied in a copper pipe
it's been in the 90s every day so i try to do all that needs to be done outside during the morning hours.
i've been enjoying seeing some of the pics of your gardens all around the globe. sorry if i haven't been commenting every time i visit. wishing you all a happy weekend and a good week.


13 comments:

karen said...

the woven cloth is stunning as always Deanna and with the added 'shif' it is even more appealing. You know how much I adore the surfaces you create with your dye. They are unique...therefore they are special.

Mo Crow said...

oh that second photo of the butterfly is a wonder, what a magic day you have shared & love where the new cloth is taking you!

Els said...

What a lovely visitor you had !
Love the stitched bits, the cut ou and turned cicles ;-) (yes we learned quite a bit !)
Summer's still not really here ...

Jeannie said...

What a beautiful gift from nature. The way our companions in this world know we mean no harm always amazes me. I had a dragonfly do much the same the other day. Those moments make my heart skip a beat and brings me such joy. I haven't seen a butterfly yet this summer and that concerns and saddens me.
Your cloth is beautiful. I love the combination of the lace with the dyed cloth. Did you know that you can arrange the flowers on the obedient plant? They have little hinges that allow you to move them around. My Gram showed me that and I have yet to have a garden without one plant in the yard in her memory. Keep cool! It is that time of year where I actually get up and get moving early. LOL!

Jane said...

I love the variation of colour and texture with your woven piece, it's coming along beautifully. It's such a lovely feeling when you can get what you see in your mind onto cloth

Deb G said...

Such a wonderful moment with the butterfly...I love the circle with the white center.

Lis Harwood said...

What a gorgeous butterfly, do you know the variety? It's far more exotic than most of our butterflies but it looks like a swallowtail of some sort. I remember the shift!! Your work is looking good.

Nat Palaskas said...

Hi Deanna, that butterfly was flirting with you! How cute! Looking forward to see your redyed bundle. I miss my dyeing, but it's too cold and wet to be out dyeing - Hugs Nat

neki desu said...

a butterfly,what joy!
we don't get very many of them in the city.

Aging Ophelia said...

Gorgeous cloth!

Working in the cool of the morning is my best summer survival strategy. Using the crockpot, so the kitchen isn't heated up (no AC in my house), is the other must.

good luck on these cool projects-- I'll be back to see more. Peace, Mari

Anonymous said...

Such a cool piece you're working on...very steam punk. Do you know what kind of butterfly that is, such beautiful earth tones in its wings?

Anonymous said...

What a stunning butterfly! It's still quite cold here so not seen many yet this year. I love the idea of cutting out and shifting a section of the cloth - those lines are wonderful.

Jillayne said...

Very interesting Deanna, all around, from how you are trying to start the mango tree (good luck, by the way!) to your dyeing - which sounds like such an awesome process - I love how you use the flower petals and metal - it's like alchemy!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...