Against the Odds

Just a quick update today - been too busy filling my head with revision to manage much in the way of creativity recently but here's something I did manage to get done. This is my very first ATC. There was a 'Recycle Spring' themed swap on the FAT group recently and I contemplated joining (but didn't manage to make anything in time!) I did however eventually make this little one as a result.

The swap had brought the theme of 'Spring' to the front of my mind and whilst we were away up North I saw some beautiful Cherry Blossoms (which I have a soft spot for) but, in typical english style it was rather too chilly to properly enjoy them. Thus this piece - a Cherry Blossom tree fighting the cold... I've called it "Against the Odds"!

It's a machine sewn background (just layered material with oversewn edges rather than pieced) with a hand emroidered Cherry Blossom. The trunk is done with a sort of stem stitch and the blossoms are french knots in various shades of pink, the tree may not be anatomically correct - I made it up as I went along.

I quite like it but in retrospect I would have used a calmer background; the tree gets rather lost amid the changing prints so I think a simple mottled blue would have worked better. The binding looks a little less clunky in reality but I think I need to work on my straight lines a bit before I do it again!



Note: Explanation of ATC as requested by mum: "Artist Trading Card" measuring 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" in this case made from fabric but can be made in any medium provided the result is not overly thick.