July TIF done

For some reason I just could not get going on this one. I sampled and experimented and gathered materials but didn't take a stitch in the project until July was gone. The I sat down on August 1st and pretty much did the whole thing.

The intensive needlework was likely a reaction to going down to my cousin's memorial service. I often find I channel my grief and other emotions into intensive stitching. This first picture is how the page will look in the book.

I wanted the effect of a mossy milestone. It looks more like that in this vertical picture. The past is darker than the future and has a bit of a golden glow. The future has more of a pink tinge; I like to be optimistic. I stitched the edging using the Glove Stitch from Country Bumpkin's (Inspirations Australia) A-Z of Stitches, book 2. The outer edge on the future side is stitched with a Needle Necessities overdyed perle 8 with some sheen to it. The past edge is stitched with a darker and duller Wildflowers from Caron.

The moss is needlefelted. I drove my husband nuts sitting there, endlessly poking the needle through the felt into a foam block for hours on end. The letters are cut out (carved) and needlefelted, as are the borders and edges.

The leading edge--today--has lots of colors in it.

I'm late in getting the August challenge--balance--and also in getting lesson 6 of the journals class. I just am getting them now. I think the balance theme may be a real challenge. I'm feeling very much out of balance right now. It's good and hopefully will help bring me back into balance--if I ever figure out what it is.