Summer Knitted and Crocheted Jumper

I found a pattern for a pretty knitted summer jumper  with crochet flowers around the neck. My elder sister said she would do the knitting and then I would crochet the flowers.

My sister sent the finished basic jumper to me and as you can see it is very neatly knitted with an even tension. She is a very good and fast knitter. I then set about crocheting the flowers. There were 4 types and I needed to crochet 3 of each making 12 in total.

The flowers were then finished off and pressed carefully so as not to flatten them.
They were then attached around the neck.

I am very pleased with the outcome and being neutral it will go with anything. All I need now is some good weather to wear it! 
But we may need to take it in turns to wear the jumper!!!!!

Dragonfly in Amber

I have always been interested in fossils and I thought I would attempt to embroider a dragonfly trapped in amber.
Amber is a very beautiful colour and can vary from a butterscotch to a dark brown. It is the fossilised resin of ancient trees and very rarely an ancient insect was trapped at the point of fossilisation.

The dragonfly was worked on disolvable in shades of brown and bronze.

When finished the disovable was washed away leaving the dragonfly.
This was then stitched to a piece of amber silk covering angelina. Sides were attached and a base to make a 3D piece of amber.
The sides were then embroidered with french knots and small pieces of amber to look as if the outside had not been polished.

I then mounted it on a painted and printed artist's canvas.

I often use fossils for inspiration and here are a couple more pieces I have worked in the past.