Moving through

I’m wrapping up this stitching project. Here are the latest photos of the last embroidery I worked on.

All the pieces are in place. I put in a moon at the last minute. This is the only piece that has one. It’s also the biggest. I’m glad I added the shapes at the bottom. The empty spot is filled out and the “castle” looks more grounded, less precarious.

I made one tiny tweak the next day. It might be very difficult to see, but I knew the change was needed and I did it. This one is now stretched and stapled onto the frame. The little stars in the border fabric are a nice touch. Next steps: sign all the pieces, put on the hardware for hanging, and write a statement about them.

Here’s a photo showing the texture. It feels luscious to run your hand over. Lots of Deb Lacativa’s dirty threads were used in this series!

The below photo is very dark, but look who showed up on a pine tree in the yard. It’s daylight, but the barred owl is in deep shadow. And snoozing! Sam took this photo using his digital camera with a telephoto lens. I couldn’t get an image with my iPhone zoom. Whenever I see owls – or any wildlife for that matter – I feel deeply blessed.

And another blessing – I ordered this book on impulse because I think the cover is supremely beautiful with that gradient from blue-green to yellow-green. There are inky representations of the mountain on the front and back covers, and many more inside, all with such freshness and feeling of connection.

The text is pretty interesting too. For example, the opening sentences: “Sometimes, they open a new highway, and let it roll, open wide the earth, shake trees from their roots. The Old Woman suffers once more.” I’m reading it very slowly.

I’m so enamored of our local mountain, Schoodic, that I would love to make an homage to it like this. Even though Schoodic is a lot less well known than Tamalpais. A mountain is a mountain.