Dixieland Tree Embroidery

I’m proud to present the Dixieland Tree Embroidery with hand stitched patchwork border, batting as backing and lots of small stitches all around:

Dixieland Tree – Embroidery ready to hang. What do you think?

While working on Dixieland Tree I have really had many beautiful moments that I cherish in my heart. I was visiting my friend Maria when I really got into this embroidery so my memory of that summer week with her is filled with images of us sewing together. We did sew at lots of different cafés, in front of the TV (watching Dexter) and me sitting at her balcony with a glass of wine by my side – all the time this embroidery in my hands. Oh how much I loved making this embroidery! I hurried back after the warm brisk evening walk, thinking up new branches to add to it.

Sometimes I needed to do other things though, so I promised I would just thread another color of floss and do a couple more stitches before I would stop – and then I continued to sew until my back hurt and my fingers were prickled with holes.

I hope you recognize that feeling of love for what you create, it’s a magical feeling that takes you into the flow of creativity. I wish it for you all!

This is the spot where the sun hits the tree first each morning – lightening up the beautiful colors and welcoming little happy bees for pollination breakfast. :-)

I took some more photos though the light is quite a problem here in winter. I finished the border just recently and had to take the photos when we have so little day light here. I want to take new photos when the sun comes back because I think the close ups and details of the embroidery would look much better if photographed in sunshine! That said, I have added contrast and light in Photoshop so if you want to, please have a look at even more details of my embroidery below.

Swirly branches in different soft colors.

Clusters of flowers are strewn around in this otherwise rather bare tree.

Sequin flowers (or is it the the bee’s friends flying in?) reflects the light surrounding every Dixieland Land and Forest.

The bark is made out of colored cheese cloth and tulle while the branches are carefully filled with embroidered chain stitches, row after row.

Earth is filled with music that makes the ground vibrate – you can hear the music if you listen carefully!

Next to the tree you will spot an almost invisible stone rich with glittery gems, hidden in the grass.

Even below the tree trunk and the surface of the land, there are details… Roots, underground rain or something else?

My very first big freeform embroidery project (I’ve done smaller ones before) started when I got all the material in a package for a Summer Embroidery Project, and because I loved working on this tree (and couldn’t stop) it made me fall in love with embroidery as an art form and think about the flow of creating.