Time flies...

Time flies...

I made this picture last night. I had wanted to make it all week but work needed to take precedence.

The idea came from this picture I took earlier in the year.

To make the picture I chose a piece of handmade felt in  a blue green colour way.   I placed the piece of stockinette tube to be the stem for my dandelion clock. Next I used  the plaited cotton thread to represent the grass. I wanted to give the illusion that the back of the picture was in focus but the foreground is out of focus. I carded three shades of green merino tops to blend the colours then laid them at the base of the picture. I secured the wool by needle felting along the bottom and sides. I created the dark centre to the dandelion clock by needle felting a ball of brown merino tops. I hand stitched the clock with a single strand of white embroidery floss. I had originally planned to stitch the entire clock but decided to make it look as if some of the seed had flown.  I then embroidered the individual seeds in the corner, as you can see in the detail below.

Next I stitched the white and pearl seed beads to represent a cow parsley type of flower. I joined these using a tiny chain stitch.

                                                                                 
Finally I decided to add a snail to the foreground. I used a pretty green and white glass bead and added the snail's 'body' using three strands of pale grey embroidery floss.

                                                                               
Had I  taken longer with this piece, I feel that my execution would have been better. However, I am pleased that I was able to realise the idea in textiles and I have definitely honed my skills through making it.