Sunday afternoon ramblings
posted in About Sally, SiS Designs |Sunday afternoons… you just have to love them. The busy weekend is winding down, and it’s a lovely VA spring day outside. So, I’m asking myself, why am I inside……?????? Jim’s off to church for youth, and Jack’s asleep at my feet. Meaning… it’s nice and quiet in the house. OK, so I’m really a hermit at heart - I admit it.
It’s been a busy weekend, getting the Needlework Building Blocks caught up finally. Note the new addition to your right with the Blog Block of the Day (or really entry) link added. Each time I add to the blog, I’ll post a different block. You’ll have to be quick to catch them!!! Tonight I’m finalizing my decisions on the next release of designs, which will come out at the Needlework Show mid-April. Oh, which ones will be coming to life for you all to find???? What a tough decision that always is! Luckily, I do have quite a few designs ready to go to choose from. I did work on some new designs last night, and can’t wait to see what they grow into.
Designing blackwork - how does it happen? Well, the designs just seem to develop on their own accord. I get an idea, and slowly over time it develops. I’ll play with it right when it comes to me, then it always seems to take a back seat to others. Then, one day it will pop back into my head, and I develop it a little more. Then, after several phases of development, it will all of a sudden come together. In between, various stages of good, and bad, versions try to come to life. It’s always interesting to look back at where it started. Alot of times, my original idea is NOTHING like the finished product. It was just the starting point.
My blackwork fills are, truthly, my doodling coming to life. I’ve always played around with graphics and repeats. Even as a child, my father would give me his engineering graph pads, and I’d spend hours trying this doodle or that out. I clearly remember many of them which I’d repeated sketch out, and some of those have now come to life in my fills. Again, some will develop over time. Once I come up with one - whether I like it then or not - it goes into my library. Some of the ones I actually didn’t like at first, have soon become my favorite when I put it in that perfect design or put it together with others. I love the mix of various fills, and play around with them as I design. Is there a PERFECT way to combine the fills? Probably. But, I believe that perfection in needlework is simply the eye of the stitcher. If they’re happy with their selection of fabrics and threads, then it’s the perfect piece for them.
Well, it’s going to be a busy week here in the Rudkin household. My mom heads into town on Wednesday from SC for Easter, and we’ve not even started getting ready for her. Whew - hope she’s not reading….. Also, it’s a 4 day week at my job (yes, I have a real job AND design), and that ALWAYS means we’ll be squeezing 5 days of work in to 4 days. Whew, just thinking about it tires me out.
Everyone have a wonderful Easter week! I always look forward to our Maundy Thursday Communion service, as it celebrates a very poignant time for Christ. How humbling it is to celebrate communion on the day when He took his own Last Supper!
