Beautiful Garden -- Hand Embroidery Started

Setting up my desk in the family room was a great idea! Now I have a designated spot where I can hand embroider.   Toward that end, I was able to get quite a bit done this week.

I've started on my Beautiful Garden piece.  My plan is to move more reds onto the surface through trims and embroidery.  I am thinking about an orange/pink/red border for the birds so I need more of those warm colors sitting on my cool blues.

I found a new package of tie dye and variegated DMC floss at Hobby Lobby this week so I tried it immediately.  Loved it!!  This project is going to be so much fun.  I am not saving any of my trims or charms--they are all going on Beautiful Garden (I'm concentrating more on the garden and less on the Virgin Mother) so I am eagerly stitching with the mindset that eventually I will be able to embellish. 

I love this little set of bird embroideries--so sweet!  The linen fabric was ravelling quicker than I could blanket stitch it.  I need to pick up a fresh bottle of FrayCheck.

Last year I purchased the entire set of 50 State Birds with their state flowers.  While I don't plan to stitch all of them for this quilt, I do expect to stitch a good variety for the borders.  Here's Indiana's Cardinal with the Peony.  Pretty impressive!

Now that I have my nifty handwork area, I am going to slowly work on some simple embellishments for the ornament blocks on my Christmas wallhanging.  I'll add some trim to the lace section and I am thinking of a simple embroidered band around the last line of satin stitching.  I wish I had more of this bullion rose trim but this was the last of that roll and I noticed the sticker said 2008.  I've already hit all the clearance tables at the popular haunts this Christmas.  Oh well.  Something else will show up.

 Have a Creative Day, Y'All!