Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery Columbine Flower

Whew...

It's finally done.

Mom had given me as a Christmas Present the needles, threads, hoops, and whatnot that I needed to do Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery. What is Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery? Uhmm... The best I can tell is it is just plain old hand crafted needle point using synthetic threads such as Rayon. The threads where frist made in Brazil, hence the name. The shiney, silky smooth threads make doing complex stitches like Bullion stiches easier then with a corser thread.

Do you think I used one of the many patterns mother had for my first project with my new presents? HELL NO! First thing I have to do is decide to make a flower that I can't find ANYWHERE. An hour of searching the web found a postage stamp size photo of an embroidered Columbine. Columbine - no, not THAT Columbine - you know, the flower, the one you used to pick and eat the tips off of, Honeysuckle? GREAT! At least I know it can be done. A search for photos finds a couple of photos and a line drawing that I used to start from. I did it from scratch from there.

I had started all gung-ho. Life caught up with me. I decided tonight that I was going to finish a project I had started - get at least one checked off my list for the calendar year, right? So, a long story not much shorter. I finished it tonight.

Here is the finished project still on the stitching hoop. You can see the blue watermarker drawing I had made for my pattern. To the right and left edges are a few practice stitched I made when I was getting the knack of my Bullion stitches and sizing my French Knots. The ones you see are the ones that were good enough I didn't cut them off.

I have read somewhere that you can judge the quality of a needle point peice by looking at the back of it. Well, here is the back of mine. How does it look? Did I do well? I don't think it is as nice looking as the front, but that is just me.

I think the neatest part of Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery is the stitches come off the material. It is truly almost 3D! Look how the flower petals stand up off the fabric. You should really see this in person, you just want to reach out and touch it. Wipe that fingerprint of your screen silly, I said in person!

Here is the final piece all washed and dried and framed and whatnot. You can really see how shiney the thread is in this photograph.

All in all, I think Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery is a rewarding needlepoint craft. I doubt I will ever go back to counted cross stitch.

Now what to do for my next project.... 

Haircuts and Puddles

Ok, so tonight I went over to a friend from works house to get my hair cut. She has been bothering me for MONTHS on how she could do a good job. Fine, let her put her money where her mouth is, right? How could I turn down a free haircut? She even promised dinner. Free haircut AND free dinner? No WAY I could pass that up.

She is Porto Rican, right? Her mom lives with her, and was doing the cooking. YUM, real Porto Rican food. Porkchops. Now don't get me wrong, they where good porkchops, but porkchops. No Rice, No Spice. Porkchops.

So anyway, I get my hair cut. Looks good. As a thank you, I am trying to teach her bird to mew like a cat. It already does the wolfcall wistles, so why not a catcall too... After a great deal of superb mewing on my behalf, the bird rewards my endevours. Not by mewing out a perfect melody, no, by pooping in my hand. Ok. Fine. Bird goes back in cage.

Videos need to go back to blockbuster. Lests walk. I stroll along. 5 of us. Quite the party, me and 4 women... well, girls... Her daughters are 11, 8, and maybe 3? I dunno how old the youngest one is, old enough to walk, still uses the stroller, and still shy.

We stop at the gas station on the way back to get snacks. Candybars, icecream bars, sodas and a large water.

About half way back, the girls get in a water fight. I end up ending it. No, I didn't get them wet, they got me wet, with the last of the water in the water bottle. All I have left is the Mt. Dew. I threatened, I teased, but I didn't splash back with the Mt. Dew.

I don't get even, I get ahead.

Getting back to by their house, we end up going through some big puddles. Did I mention that it had rained a lot today? No? Well, forgive my poor naration skills and pretend I had. This is my story, deal with it. So anyway. Large puddles. Me, being very much in touch with my inner child, or is that always childish, well... I like the former, makes me look more mature. Me being in touch with my inner child, I perform the PERFECT puddle jump. A nice, high kicked, square stepped, large splashed jump into some 3 inch deep water without getting a drop of water on either myself or my companions. The girls thought this was great. After watching a few pitiful attemps at making a mess, I had to teach them the finer points of puddle jumping. Technique, but more importantly, enthusiasm.

To make a long story short... well maybe just a little shorter... I got the whole family back. They all got soaking wet jumping in the puddles, and I didn't splash a drop on them!

Did I mention I got a free haircut tonight? It looks good.

Oh yeah, I didn't take this picture, it is from flickr and was taken by somebody called 'elston'. Thank's Elston! Nice photo! 

Computer Upgrade

Well after 6 months of saving my nickles, dimes, and a lot of dollers too, I bought myself a new video card for my new (6 month old) computer. $100 bought me a NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS. Don't tell me I coulda got a better card or a better price. All I care about is I got my 2nd monitor in use again.
Can you imagine 6 months of staring at a 19" monitor wishing it wasn't dark? I have dual monitors at work, I have had dual monitors both at home and at work for years now. The new computer drove me NUTS with only a single screen.

I am happy again. Maybe I can get more work done at home? Wait... I see a video game and talking to my mother. I guess THAT cat is out of the bag. 

Wedding Photos

I guess I took a few photos at the Powell Wedding. Here is the stack of them. There are just a few there.... A few Hundred!  

Independance Day Fireworks

One nice thing about living in the middle of everything is that... well... everything is right there. Here are some of the fireworks displays from the roof of where I am living.