Song of the Weather SAL - August and onwards!

[mags]

I think I missed commenting a few on the previous thread, but lovely work everyone.

And here:
Serinde - very pretty April May and June - love that pink in June.
Louise - I love yours, beautiful colours and your knots and picots are very good too.

Here is my August, ooh I'm second to finish .
Like Louise, I had great trouble with the French daisies (I somehow knew I would). As I don't use a hoop unless I have to (I do when cutting and wrapping bars), everything was shifting about too much and they just wouldn't stay put for me no matter what I tried, so I decided to change the design a bit. I have had a thought today though that might have worked so may try this some time. It should be possible to anchor the lazy daisy as usual with just a little stitch and then do the French knot on top. Why didn't I think of that before !!

Anyway, everything else went swimmingly, thanks to Mabel's brilliant instructions. The dreaded picots weren't as bad as everyone made out, but obviously being my first ones, some are better than others. And I see I have a few stray threads that need tidying up

[LadyS]

I think it looks beautiful, Mags! The way everyone is saying, I am dreading working on August's design.

[Cecilia]

I love it, mags. Great thinking on the design change.

[Mabel Figworthy]

Mags, that arrangement of French daisies works really well, it's lovely and symmetrical and I like the effect of the four knots in the centre, very floral!

Laura, please don't be put off -- as with so many stitches, something that one stitcher hates and can't get right, another stitcher breezes through and even loves!

And if the worst comes to the worst and you should decide that you really can't face picots, you can always opt for plain woven bars; nobody will know there were supposed to be picots there unless you tell them

[rcperryls]

Mags, your August is beautiful. Love the colors and your stitching is lovely. I'm waiting for the August II blog before trying the picots as I seem to need the photos for some of the stitches. But if I find them really too hard, will take Mabel's advice and just not do them. I hope mine comes out half as pretty as yours.

Carole

[Louise1262]

Lovely design change Mags and your picots look good

Hope the moaning hasn't put anyone off - it's just me that can't do french knots as Mabel rightly says one stitchers nightmare is anothers dream stitch

[Rose]

Beautiful work!!!!!!!

[Squirrel]

Mags, that is gorgeous, love it.

I'm not even tempted to start August, too busy x stitching.

[gparr]

Nice job, Mags.
Gary

[Dragonrider]

I love looking at all the other pictures of this. All the different colours and the patterns I have yet to do really stir the imagination. As a result I got too impatient to wait for my material to arrive, so I recycled the piece from my initial January attempt. I will do it again as the stitches that were in before still show a bit despite my efforts.
So here is April. Not sure if I like Bullion knots but having looked at it again this morning I guess they're not as bad as I thought they looked last night . I had a bit of a practice with the other new stitches before doing them on this piece. I don't think they came out too badly. All in all I quite enjoyed it, especially as I could do it without a stand Anyway here's the picture.

Thanks for looking

[Squirrel]

Heidi, that is so beautifully stitched and such delicate colours too. Well Done. I know your crosses are heaps neater and more even than my attempts at them were.

[wendywombat]

Heidi....it looks like a clever piece of Gingham fabric from your photos....well that was my first thought when I saw it....I love it!

Mags!!! Well done indeed! I love the little flowers with the french knot centres


Personally I Love french knots....sometimes they are a bit clumsy, but on the whole they don't faze me.

I've downloaded and printed August now....I'm going to start it soon. Have yet to try Picots!

[Mabel Figworthy]

having looked at it again this morning I guess they're not as bad as I thought they looked last night

That is so often the case -- we look at our work in close-up, and see every irregularity, then when we step back a bit and see it later, from a "normal viewing distance", it looks really a lot better!

Anyway, your April has come out really well -- lovely definition on the double wrapped bars, and a nice lacy look to your Greek crosses, and even your bullion knots have come out perfectly fine

[mags]

Thanks everyone.

Heidi that looks lovely, and love your colours - I like your Greek crosses - much better than mine

[Serinde]

I am really enjoying everyone's take on the months. The colours are wonderful and the different solutions work, too.

I've just figured out my colours for July -- all to do with my prized Fuchsia var Carmel Blue... Had to sacrifice a baby bloom to get the colours approximate because it isn't blue at all, of course since we're talking plants here, it's a very bluey lavender fading to... fuchsia!! (Actually there are some carmel blues that are really quite blue, judging by photos, but this isn't one of them.)

[rcperryls]

Heidi, I think your piece is lovely. Hope your material arrives soon so that you can move on to the next months also. Love your color choices.

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

Looking forward to your fuchsia piece, Serinde -- I hope inspiration will strike and the baby bloom will not have been sacrificed in vain!

[karen4bells]

Fantastic work everyone!!! I'm amazed at all of the different color choices!!! Beautiful work!!!

[Rose]

I love the colors you used Heidi they look great!!!!!!!!

[Cecilia]

I love the colors you used Heidi they look great!!!!!!!!

I absolutely agree.