Gift 1

This is one of my favorite signs of the new season, the blooming of the Christmas cactus. Some of the blooms are full and some are just buds. The color is luscious. It almost makes me want to sew and wear something pink and green. Almost.

Today I deliver my first hand-made gift of the season. Each December Fiber Art Fusion has a holiday dinner party where we exchange small works of fiber art. The pieces are to be finished at 5x7 inches and we are free to use any technique or idea as long as some fiber is involved.

This year I had been sketching something that relates to how I feel during yoga.

I am not quite ready to render this in fabric so I returned to a technique I've used and enjoyed in the past - stitch and flip:

I used scraps of silk for the star-burst portion and an off-white silk noil for her face. Then I added French knots and other hand stitch to her face. The back is made from a piece of wool given to me by a friend who hates to throw away anything:

She is now wrapped in brown paper for the exchange tonight. I can't wait to see what others have made, as well as the piece that comes home with me.

So are you sewing gifts too?