A New Year gift - A Sweet Pea design!!

I missed wishing my friends who celebrated Christmas warm wishes for a very merry holiday! I have come across quite a few Facebook friends who write about their difficulty with the holidays, perhaps not being a part of a large family or living
far from friends. These times can be difficult and to those who spent the day on their own, I hope you had a peaceful, gratifying day!

As 2019 comes around I wish all of you wonderful followers, stitchers, readers, and friends a new year filled with peace, contentment, creativity, and health.

A gift for the new year from me to you!

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I declare mandatory waiting periods!

I'm here, behind the boxes... We moved into our new home two weeks ago today. I have moved at least 30 times in my life, sometimes in the same city, a few times to different continents. It doesn't get easier... Still so much unpacking and finding the right place for our stuff needed. One thing I vow is to stop buying things that I will look to donate a few years later! How much money gets wasted, and in many cases if you wait to make sure you need something, you find out that it's really not necessary. I hereby proclaim a waiting period for anything I buy! Promise!

A few photos of my green room, one of my favorite rooms in the house...

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Esther is feeling so much better!!

Thank you all for the love and concern you have showered upon us! It must have made a big difference because Esther is doing remarkably well!!
She is happy to see us and any guest who comes by, she has started showing her tail in the up position and she is happy to roll over for belly rubs. Understandably she is nervous and unhappy when we go outside, particularly when she sees other dogs. I'm not sure what can be done about that, we hope she will regain confidence. In the meantime it's a great joy to see her more energetic and funny.
In the photo Esther is standing still, frozen, will not move as long as the doughnut is around her neck. She HATES it, so we don't use it much and instead try to watch over her to make sure she doesn't get to the staples...

Esther, Reid, Nina and I send our love and gratitude!💗💗💗

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This much I know!

Our house is coming along, I finally feel connected to it, it seems like it may be the place we will live in. All the drywall is completed, next week they will begin putting in the wood floor and the tiles. Here are some of my choices for tiles:

This tile is called Puzzle. It is a cement tile and has a earthy look to it.  It comes in boxes with 6 different tiles as shown in the photo below. Then you lay them out in whatever design you want. You can see a sample of a dining room with the these tiles. They will be in the area between the wall of cabinets and the island, sort of like an area rug. 

The bathrooms are going to have white tiles. I had all sorts of plans for color but somehow price and area constraints led me to white. We will have pattern though. The photo below is of the wall tile. The tile is a chevron shape so we will play with the options shown in the photos below.

The powder room will be more dramatic. I am going with a cement tile, (a leaf pattern), and will paint the walls in a dark aubergine or dark blue. The faucet is the one shown below.

The other item I am excited about is a piece of furniture for the kitchen/dining nook. This will be alongside the modern kitchen cabinets we chose, and will give the kitchen a warmth and interesting vibe.

So, that's what I know so far.

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"Saudade", melancholy.

There are times when you should not say a word. Just let the artist speak:

Joana Choumali writes:

The pictures were shot with my iphone, 3 weeks after the terrorrist attacks I chose to use my iphone instead of my DSLR camera to capture people discreetly. They don' t know that they are photographed, so their attitude is natural. I took the pictures as if i was doing a scan of the city.
It took me one month to embroider the pictures as i was sick with malaria and also "sick of all this nonsense"..
This series is a way to cope with my own sadness and a way to witness the (denied) traumatism of people living there.
Bassam is my refuge, the place i go to unwind and to be by myself. At one hour drive from Abidjan, Bassam is a place full of history, a quiet and peaceful little town. Bassam reminds me of insouciance, my wedding family lunch, all these childhood sunday afternoons i used to spend with my loved ones on this same beach where the attacks took place.. To me, Bassam was a synonym of happiness, until that day.
3 weeks after the attacks, the atmosphere of the little town changed.. The sadness is everywhere. A "saudade", some kind of melancholy invaded the town.
Most of the pictures show empty places, and people by themselves, walking in the streets or just standing, sitting alone, lost in their thoughts. "ça va aller" means "it will be ok" . This typical ivorian expression is used for everything, even for situations that are not going to be ok.
This work is a way to address the way ivorian people deal with psychological suffering.
In Côte d ' Ivoire, people do not discuss their psychological issues, or feelings. A post-traumatic choc is often considered as weakness or a mental disease. People hardly talk about their feelings, and each conversation is quickly shortened by a resigned " ça va aller".
The attacks re-opened the mental wounds left by the post electoral war of 2011.

Each stitch was a way to recover, to lie down the emotions, the loneliness, and mixed feelings i felt.



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Our house.

There it is, from about a block away, on a small city street, tucked away and yet jotting out. Standing in there you get the feel of a tree house. When talking to my architects during one of our preliminary talks, I said I wanted a house with so much light that I would need sunglasses indoors! 

It's still months away, far from completion, but I thought I'd share a bit with you. Below I'm standing in the kitchen, looking onto the living room and one of my favorite elements, my indoor greenhouse! The square frame on the floor near the windows will be framed with glass and inside I will have a lush, (cross my fingers), indoor garden. There is a skylight way above the greenhouse. 

Here I'm standing in the kitchen, this time looking in the opposite direction. The framed rectangle in the back is the elevator. I know, it sounds extravagant, but we are looking into the future and would like to be in this house for many years to come.

The studio is on the entrance level, in the back with sliding doors onto a small patio, backyard. It's about 14' x 14'.

Here are the plans:

In the center of the room there will be a big work island with large base cabinets and two sitting spaces. Along the back wall (top of plan) we will have a long desk, two seats, with upper and lower cabinets. At the bottom of the plan is a partition  a millwork cabinet which opens on both sides. It will be about 6' tall so as not to block light from all sides. On the right and left of the plan you can see the small print "slat wall" which is for hanging all the wonderful fibers! Although there is lots of storage I already know there will never be enough, but I hope we will be able to find the right spot for everything. There is a full bath adjacent to the side wall which will also serve for overnight guests.

Knowing how colorful the studio will be thanks to the abundance of fibers all around, I plan on leaving the furniture light, with wood counter tops.

Cabinet doors

To be continued...

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Beer and fiber anyone?

I came across this adorable cross stitcher who combines her needle-workshops with beer tasting at breweries in Toronto. I know we in the needlepoint world would never, ever allow a beverage or food to sit atop our needlepoint tables while in class, but I'm wondering if we need to lighten up? Maybe gathering a group of new stitchers for a workshop and a beer isn't such a terrible thing? Caitlin from Cross Stitching with Caitlin is all for it!

https://www.crossstitchingwithcaitlin.com/events

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We must close down for the summer :(

To all my dear dear friends -
We just found out that we will not be able to move into the rental we have lined up until the end of August, which means that there is no place for Adorn by Orna to set up and get to work before September.  It's a huge blow to us, we hate being away for so long, but after looking into every option possible, we came to realize we have no choice.😢

I will be online, perhaps not at the same pace I am now, but certainly within reach.  But that's about all I will be able to do.  And as my mother would say: "You are healthy, that's all that matters!"

I hope to get back up and running at huge speed in September!!

xoxo
Orna

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A special treat!! Guest blog by Father B!!! Don't miss...

Father B and I met in one of my home studio classes and we have had an ongoing friendship ever since!  I've asked him to write a guest blog post about the beautiful work he has done with me and he graciously agreed.  I id not know he was going to be so complimentary of me, I'm a bit embarrassed, I can only assure you no money was passed between us... 😉

It is with gratitude and much admiration that I bring you Father B in his own words...

Orna Willis Blog by Father B (not the original, the second)

Almost two years ago this July I signed up for the Colorations class given by Orna Willis in her studio home in Philadelphia, Pa. Almost from the moment of our first encounter our two kindred spirits melded. With only three other classmates, Orna was able to instruct, evoke, enkindle each of her students with almost undivided care and nurture. Sparks of inspiration flew as we were drawn into her conception of color relationships. After a few moments of class instructions, and speaking about the photo inspirations each student had adopted, we were given the freedom to wander and wonder in her studio shop for corresponding threads to the pattern she had given us. With unbounded energy and enthusiasm, like children in a candy store we eagerly pulled, compared, sifted through countless combinations and shades to narrow our choices and thread types and began our quest in stitching the pattern. Over the next few hours and days we developed and enlarged and sometimes narrowed our selections to produce the final product. I was completely mesmerized, with Orna hovering over in glee at the color choices and stitch combinations, a sparkling glint of approval in her eyes urging me and the students to probe deeper into their souls for enriching both needlework and color choice.

This first personal encounter with a wonderful teacher deepened my appreciation of color, and lead me to discover my innate talent already planted in my soul. Upon completion of the project (see photo) I was already looking forward to stitching another of these projects with my thread selection and using a Klimt painting as a guide. I completed this second keyhole or opening into the soul in record time, receiving approval and blessing from Orna. (see photo)

Seeking a more complex development in color appreciation and under the guidance of Orna, I requested her to develop a Gold Klimt pattern for me based on the colors in The Kiss, using the Tesselations again pattern. She obliged me and within one week she had delivered some 46 threads and model which I began immediately. Slowly but surely, commencing in the very center of the project, I jumped into the stitching which slowly began to captivate me as I progressed and finally completed after three months of work. Behold the result! (see photo) I was caught up into color bliss, transported by a wonderful keen eyed instructor!

As I read of Orna’s latest invitation to design a project together with her, I began to reflect on the creation process. I was on a long road trip to Pittsburgh as I pondered and prayed about creation, and immediately thought of God’s first day of creation as he separated light from dark. I passed through tree filled mountains and thought how this first day of creation is imitated in nature as spring enlivens new growth from the darkness of winter. The dark shades of tree trunks sprout forth into almost forty shades of green, then pale yellow then strong orange, then crimson red. Afterwards the vibrant flower colors sprout, develop and mature; the ultramarine blues, lilacs, even the pure white lily of the valley! All these grow at the word of our Creator recreating the very first day!

--> When I returned from my road trip, I perused the Adorn by Orna website. I admired all the needlepoint kits and then encountered the kit: “Let there be light.” I had forgotten about this project of hers! Upon close inspection of the details in the design, they all matched my prior musing, color by color, design by design, word by word. It seems that Father B has some needle pointing homework to catch up on to hone more skills from this brilliant teacher. Please join me with other needle enthusiasts on line to enhance, enrich and co-design with this wonderful instructor!



Thank you Father B, we've had and will continue to have a great journey!

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How I proved there are no rules in color!

Some days I put on my lab coat and conduct color experiments.  These are my notes from yesterday's experiment...


Using Adobe Illustrator I pulled up a photo of one of my stitched designs.  

Using the most fabulous Eyedropper Tool I pulled 24 colors out of the my stitched design and placed them into identically sized squares.  Here are the squares:

I took the squares I had pulled and mixed them up. I placed the colors underneath the first batch in different order.  I also took the same colors and changed the number of rows and columns on the board.  I asked myself:  Did each of these groupings look different?  Did they seem to have different colors? Not clear.

Next I took the color group and set it up in a random shape, placing the colors in different sequences.

I changed the sizes of the squares as well, some becoming larger rectangles and some only slivers of color. Once I completed two different combinations I added a background to each of the combinations using a background color from my groupings.

What interesting combinations!  

Looking back at the original group of colors I wondered; should a rosey pink look good with a elephant brown? How about a lilac purple with a bright yellow? Would they seem like a good place to start for a bright upbeat elegant piece of wearable art?  I wouldn't expect them to.

I went back to my original group of colors and decided to play with them in different sizes and shapes and see if I could come up with a beautiful sophisticated design and color combination.  I came up with this, using my colors only.

My very scientific conclusion is... there are NO rules in the world of color.  Each and every rule you bring to the table can be disproven!  Each and every time you say that a group of colors don't go together, there is bound to be a way in which the colors will look fabulous together!!  

BTW, here is the piece I used to pull my colors in the first place, Capital Jewels Cuff revisited :

I never knew I like science this much!!  😉

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Me being philosophical - may be worth reading...

It's not like me to talk about religion and belief in a higher power.  I feel it's a very personal part of our souls, and I choose to keep it there.  But, (of course this was coming...), I have been thinking of one of my favorite traditional melodies, that is sung to the words of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, who was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty.  Even if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, I think the words associated to this wise man are profound:

"All the world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to be overwhelmed by fear."

What is it that characterizes a very narrow bridge?  Standing on it, there is nowhere to run, any one mistake can be fatal, and as you stand there, you are alone.  And yet, what is a worse enemy than standing on that narrow bridge above the unknown? It is fear itself.  Fear distracts you, paralyzes you, brings on thoughts of dangers that don't really exist.  So as you stand there the most important thing is not to watch where you go, to walk slowly, or to not look down.  The most important thing is not to be overwhelmed with fear.  I used to sing this song to Shiri and Nina when they were little, it seems like such a great lesson to try and pass on to the next generation.  

I've stamped a new necklace with the words: Vehaikar Lo Lefached Klal meaning, the most important thing is not to be afraid.  

A small dagger shaped stone hangs from the top of the bar, complementing the message of strength. 

At my Etsy shop HERE!

(I hope you didn't mind that little it of philosophy...)😘

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Give me a LIKE?

I'm pretty excited this morning.  I love to be discovered, to be recognized, but really don't we all? It's an honor when someone recommends your work, something you made with your mind, your creativity and your two hands. Even more so to be recognized on one of my favorite lifestyle Israeli websites, it's sort of closing a circle, but in a very good way, I'm kvelling!
(kvell k(ə)vel/verb feel happy and proud. "my mom was kvelling—bursting with pride")

Back in 1988 Michaela Bercu appeared on the cover of American "Vogue".  This Israeli beauty was chosen for Anna Wintour's first Vogue cover since she had taking over the magazine as editor.   Michaela was fresh, natural looking, and seemed so approachable.  It was also the first time a model wore jeans on the cover of Vogue.  I remember that cover very well!

Years later she started her lifestyle website and I am an avid follower.  For me it's nice to stay on top of what's happening on the Israeli front.  Today I am thrilled to have my work praised and displayed on the site.

http://www.mymichaela.com/

Michaela ends the article by saying: " I must say... the beauty in Orna's work starts in the packaging." Now you know how proud that makes me feel!!

See those stars at the bottom left of the photo above with the circle around them?  How about popping over to the website and giving me a 5 star boost?  HERE you go!

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Please...

Please, Please, Please, can we go one week without the flu hitting our home???

The only bright side is that I was looking up flu viruses, and found that they are quite beautiful?!?! How bizarre...

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