Saturday 23 November 2013

A peek at my heart...

Just a quick look at the negative space project I’ve been working on...


...you can find out more at the &Stitches site, where I am a new contributor! Please pop by and let me know what you think of the result of this embroidery experiment...

In other news, I have clipped these beauties from my garden


I find hydrangea colours absolutely enchanting, from the acid greens of early summer blossom, to the entire range of pinks, blues and purples of the full blooms, and now the dusky roses and soft greens of autumn. So magical.


Any tips for drying these? I have had mixed luck in the past – I’ve hung them upside down, I’ve left them standing in a half-centimetre of water in a vase, I’ve laid them gently on their sides...all with varying results. Sometimes I have perfectly preserved flowers, other times they just shrivel and fall to pieces. There seems to be no rhyme or reason...

The sun is shining on this crisp Saturday morning, I wish you all a lovely weekend!


Chrissie x

24 comments:

  1. I love your heart and the hydrangeas are beautiful. I like them best as they are fading in the autumn. Julie x

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  2. I've always hung my hydrangeas upside down somewhere dry but not too warm. I think they do vary though. Good news about you being a contributer well done you. Love the heart it's really pretty such a delicate design really lovely xx

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  3. the heart is just stunning!!!

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  4. I'd hang upside down (not you - silly!) I think maybe it depends on what stage they are at when you pick them but it looks like you have plenty to experiment with - I must have pruned mine at the wrong time this year because I've had none at all! Absolutely agree about the colours - the range is beautiful. Love the heart - I'm off to peek at the other site. Well done x Jane

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  5. I think your negative space heart is beautiful :) Your hydrangeas look pretty with all their colours x

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  6. I love your heart, Chrissie...my most favorite shape! Your hydrangeas are beautiful. I've never seen such pretty (zig zag) edges. I find hanging them upside down in my warm laundry room works pretty well, but once I brought bunches into the house, then went ahead and wired them onto a wreath, completely covering the form so all you could see was a full wreath of hydrangeas, and they dried that way...hanging on the den wall! Yours are truly lovely!

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  7. Your negative space heart is so beautiful, I just love it. Hydrangea's are one of my favorite flowers, we can not grow them here but I find their colors to be so mesmerizing.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  8. Love, love, love your pretty heart!
    Happy weekend
    xx

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  9. It's a beautiful heart, yes really lovely.
    And you have a lovely bunch of gorgeous flowers.

    Have a nice weekend!

    Lluisa xx

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  10. a lovely heart and hydrangeas. I don't know anything about them, i used have a small plant but it seems to have disappeared! I was told if you put tea bags around the bottom of the plant they will turn blue from the alkalinity. That's all I know! They will look pretty anyway, Heather x

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  11. I love your negative space heart....I must have a go at that sortoff design....you've inspired me!

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  12. The heart is so pretty and it's a really creative piece, I love how it came out. The hydrangeas are breathtaking! I wish I could help but I know nothing about them.

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  13. Oh wow Chrissie the heart is stunning! How are you getting on with the cross stitching? The hydrangeas are beautiful, I have no clue how to dry them though x x x

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  14. You have a beautiful heart Chrissie - and your negative space heart is beautiful too! I hadn't realised how small it is - that is sooooo sweet! You've done a lovely job with it and the tutorial, well done!
    You have some beautiful hydrangeas there but sorry I can't offer any advice re drying them, other than you've already tried; there doesn't seem to be a solution that works 100% every time. Happy weekend to you and yours, hugs, Joy xo

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  15. Hi Chrissie
    Beautiful, beautiful heart, such a clever idea.
    I know exactly what you mean about the colours of hydrangeas - a blanket made in all those delicate shades would be so pretty wouldn't it ?
    Kate x

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  16. I am really loving this heart Chrissie, it is stunning. As as your hydrangeas, such gorgeous soft colours...I have no time about drying them though. I am really quite useless with flowers to be honest, the best I can do is plonk them in a vase!
    Marianne x

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  17. I love you're heart stitching and the hyrdrager too so pretty.
    Clare x

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  18. Your heart is beautiful Chrissie - so is your heart!! I have not dried any hydrangeas myself, but I have read that the thing to do is put them in a vase of water and then do nothing, just leave the water to evaporate/be drunk by the flowers and they will dry on their own in their own time. No idea how successful it is or if it is better than any other method. Good luck though. xx

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  19. The heart is so pretty...very dainty stitches.

    Don't you just love hydrangeas...I have a whole lot of pink ones in the garden at the moment, I love the colours of yours!

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  20. I also love hydrangeas! My new favourite is vanille fraise - beautiful! And I love your heart, such a clever idea. You really inspire me to get some embroidery going!
    Anna x

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  21. Love the pretty heart...you are such a neat stitcher, Chrissie! The hydrangeas are gorgeous....love how the colours change as they dry. xx

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  22. Your heart embroidery is stunning XX

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  23. Your Heart is so pretty, what a lovely idea. I'm inspired by your Hydrangeas, mine are the same colours now :) xx

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  24. Wow - that's so weird, when I look at the heart each individual stitch is in the right place. It looks balanced... and so harmonious. Sorry am I making sense??... I've got a woolly brain at the minute. This is a lovely, tasteful and very appealing piece of work. Very inspiring! X

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