"B" for bumblebee

The fun challenge by Yaroslava Troynich
to make an (existing) animal
in any creative way you can think of
had the letter "B" for July.

There were MANY animals to choose from
but for me the choice was easy this time :
the  BUMBLEBEE

Bumblebees live in colonies, gathering food and raising the young.
The queen, that hibernates underground during winter,
starts eating and makes a new nest in early spring.
Females have pollen baskets on the hind legs.
Their long hairy tongue is very useful to reach the nectar
that is hidden deep down in tube-like flowers.
They have a stinger, that does not detach after use,
but they hardly ever sting when they visit flowers
(but DON'T disturb their nest !!!)
Sadly the numbers of these insects too
are decreasing
which is bad for nature, and for us !

I love my garden and I'm always glad to see many insects,
especially the big teddy-bear-like bumblebees !

Years ago I made some wet felted bugs,
but of course I looked at many pictures before starting
this new insect.

The body wasn't a real problem,
but because bumblebees have these sturdy hairy legs
I chose to make them out of felt as well
(instead of the wire that I used for the bugs . . .)

And I can tell you :
that was a really fiddly business !!!

The wings, bumblebees have four,
were made on the machine, free motion stitching on polyester sheer.

Thanks Yara,
it was fun again !

a box and "un-perfect 10"

In some shop I found these fun boxes :
bare wood and two sides perspex
but WHAT to showcase in it ?

And then I fitted one of my finger puppets
from earlier this year in it !
Hmmmm . . . . . a bit dull.

Then, something daughter said,
gave me this fun idea.

*

This Wednesday it was again zoom-time with the
UN - PERFECT 10 GRAMS group.

We had to keep in mind the following prompts
unity
wearable
3D, using a resist

Well, with only 10 grams it is not so easy
to make something wearable if you don't want to make jewelry !

But an old piece that I weighed gave me the right idea !

(though I had to use 2 x 10 because I have two hands !!!)

It was, like before, a fun meeting with the seven
ladies of the group that were able to attend
and to see and hear about the work they all made !

THANKS  LADIES !

24 - 7 - '24 wordless Wednesday

 

paper strips

Two weeks ago I finished my work for the Stitch Club
workshop of Daniella Woolf.

She loves grids and showed us how to make our own.
I cut up a calendar photo, coloured paper,
a birthday card and some old music paper.
 I liked my square
but immediately thought I could make something
out of it if I had two more !

The grid itself was rather easy to make
but putting the three together
was rather fiddly !!!

Hmmmm, in this stage I needed THREE hands !

I added some extra smaller (folded) hexahedrons
just like the lucky charms
the DONG-people in China do

Yes, happy with it !

poppies

 I LOVE the flowers in my garden
and drawing and painting them is one of my favorite things.

Since the Stitch Club workshop by Merill Comeau
(years back already)
I started making flowers in cloth too.

There are many members in the Papaver family and I've had big ones in the garden.
But the "ordinary" ones (Corn Poppy) the ones that grow at the roadside,
are very special in my eyes :
I love it when these bright splashes of colour appear !!!
So, good for another flower-piece !!!

"Poppies"

It took me about two weeks of stitching
from the beginning to the end.

After the background was stitched in place it was time for "red"
The poppies changed place many times.

Lots of tiny strips and pieces and many pins !

Some details of the finished piece

These poppies will last a bit longer than the real ones :

I would love to have them in a vase
but they drop their delicate leaves as soon as you pick them.

My next step will be painting a 30 x 40 cm canvas
so the edges will look nice when it is attached to it !

wild marathon

I was in time !
I know it's now already July
but two days before the end of the challenge
I finished it :
Yara's  BIBABO Wild Marathon.

June was a special month (again)
because there was not only a letter
"V"
but it had to be something of the floral part of life :
a flower, a tree, lichen or even a fungus !
And, like always,
executed in any creative way you come up with !
(though I love to make something with wet felting)

Venusschoentje
(Lady's slipper, Cypripedium calceolus)

Orchids are very rare in temperate regions
and ask specific circumstances to grow.
I remember that I saw one of these flowers as a child
on holiday in the Alps, it was stunning.
And I always remembered !!!

It took some serious thinking how to make it.

The way we made stems in a "VKG" workshop by Saar Snoek
was just what I needed for this.
I also used some pre-felt for the dark leaves

It's always fun, when everything comes together just fine !

This was "June"
on to number three for July
. . . . .