Tree with Fall Colors

A couple weeks ago we went for a walk in Seattle and saw a tree that the leaves had turned yellow and orange. I have had this tree rolling around in my head since that day. When I saw the tree I said "I could stitch that tree." Well, I finally gathered the threads and fabric and sat down a few days ago to stitch. We usually get so much rain that the leaves are on the ground and we don't get to enjoy them, but this year has been a little drier until this last week-end and now the leaves are all over the ground.

First I put a piece of 40 count linen with interfacing under it in a hoop and made sure it was very tight. Then I drew the tree on the linen with a pencil, I know what everyone is thinking that it is wrong to draw on the linen, but it works really good and will be covered up with thread so it really is O.K.

I am using all Threadworx overdyed cotton floss, one brown and three different oranges. http://threadworx.com/ The tree trunk is done with chain stitch and the leaves are fly stitch, all with one ply. The chain for the swing is Splendor silk thread by Rainbow Gallery http://www.rainbowgallery.com/colorcards.cfm

I learned that fly stitch is a great way to make leaves on a tree in the embroidery class that I took at the community center in Hampton, England. This is where I did the painted embroidery of the gardens at Hampton Court Palace and learned to use fly stitch for leaves.

The nice part of this project is I don't have to look at a pattern I can just stitch.