Free motion stitching from European Trip Sketches

Creston Card and Stationery Store sells local artwork and it is time for me to get some new fall textile cards to them. I started by looking through my hand dyed fabrics for suitable colours for fall and adding heavy interfacing to the back. I work on a 4 1/2" X 6 1/2" size for cards which can be placed in a standard 5 X 7 frame if desired.

I was having trouble visualizing what to place on the fabric rectangles having been away from free motion stitching for a few weeks. At first I thought the red and yellow one might work for a flamenco dancer... What do I know about drawing flamenco dancers? Nothing, so thinking that might not work out, I decided to turned to something I have some experience in drawing. I got out my sketchbook from a recent trip to Europe and looked for images that would fit the fabric. That ignited the creative fire and I away I went. I can't wait to spend a few hours stitching tomorrow.

A sketch I did as I was sitting on the bus waiting to go for a tour in Slovakia.

I've decided to add a window box in front of this window. I ran out of bobbin thread so will finish this image tomorrow.

Sketch of a Fisherman along the Rhine River. As he shifted positions, I placed both the sitting and standing position on this same sketch.

My husband, a fisherman, reassures me that this is easily identifiable as a man fishing.

 

I didn't get much sketched of this very old building in Vienna because I was having a wonderful conversation with a local woman, Clea, who was sitting next to me.



I have added some figures from memory of people sitting at an outdoor café. I haven't identified everything but I think it is enough.

"It is best to paint what we know", was said to me by a talented local artist. That advice really worked for me today as I felt engaged with the chosen image. Can't wait to start again tomorrow!