I took this photo Feb. 1st at the Oak Park Conservatory. This prickly pear cactus is a tree! I'm looking straight up at it. 
We had nice weather this weekend--still coat weather but nice. We took a long walk on Sunday. We did a bit of antiquing on Saturday and I got some cool stuff. We visited a mall in Chesterton that was having a great sale.
The top photo is just part of the goodies I found in a baggie of lace on sale for 1/2 off! Yay! There is more of the top lace and a companion to the side lace and another cuff to match the one at the bottom. The center item is a lovely collar that has been stitched but never cut out and applied to the garment. It's similar in style to the cuffs. Was it just fashion or did the same woman stitch them? I wonder what she wore those cuffs with? 
I think the filet lace doily will make a nice totebag cover. Perhaps with some pockets inside to carry projects and tools for a embroidery meeting. It's placemat size. The round buttons are all translucent plastic. The little bows are plastic, too. Aren't they sweet?
This weekend I worked like mad and finished the embroidery for the trees. Here it is.
I don't have photos of this part yet, but on Sunday I painted the background painting that goes behind the open area. I cut foam core and padded it with batting and pin mounted the embroidery to it and then I "mounted" the painting behind it (with scotch tape). I need a frame and mat and I'm good to go.
I think if I ever did this again, I would do the drawn thread area differently. Instead of pulling out every other horizontal thread in the open area and then cutting each remaining thread in the middle and weaving it back, I would pull one thread carefully from one side all the way to the far edge of the opening. Then I would pull a second from the opposite side to the near edge of the opening. Then I would have much longer ends to weave in and more stable sides for the embroidery. I found working with the very unstable sides to be difficult.
Other than that minor irritation, this was a really fun project.
