The cloth looked incomplete with the design in only one corner. All four--much better!
The full design was stitched using split stitch--my favorite for simple line designs like this one.
It was quite a toasty day. This picture was taken early in the day and there were already a number of extremely wet children and sundry playing in the fountain.
As the heat of the day progressed, it got more and more crowded. I dressed to fit in rather than keep cool and rather wished that my attire allowed me to join them.
I enjoy looking at the beautiful art and crafts that people have brought to sell. The rising interest both in personal embellishment and 3rd world craft cooperatives is bringing over some incredible work. I saw embroidery from a school in India and a women's group in Kenya that was charming and meticulously executed. Part of what makes it so interesting is the motifs and stitches that are used. When I design embroidery patterns, there are certain lines, shapes and colors that I seem to gravitate towards. I am at home with curves and botanicals expressed in very fluid lines. Even the abstract designs have only minimal straight lines. I use the colors of my Northwest--blues and greens with touches of yellows and reds. This work expressed such exuberance in the very (to me) limited media of straight lines and circles and with a preponderance of those bright colors that I have such a hard time incorporating into my own work. There was also the work of some Japanese needle painters that was utterly exquisite.
The beginnings of the crowd on Bagley lawn early in the day:
Later in the day, Jonathan's parents decided to join us to enjoy the hot weather.
Recycled kitchen implements=BUG EYES!
Sprouts:
Beans, peas, squash, oh my! The big round pot is for the basil that will stay inside over the summer.
The plants were put outside to harden off at the beginning of May. The parsley, dill, thyme and cilantro were added to the flourishing side yard. I weeded just enough to plant them but couldn't bring myself to pull out the beautifully flowering forget-me-nots. There are a couple of plants still tucked into pots, waiting for the blooming to be over.
Spanish bluebells are an invasive species in our area and are practically impossible to remove. However, they provide spring color just when I'm longing for more sun and, while I will attempt to control them so that other things can also be planted in that area, I appreciate the fact that they will reliably be around. I also have fond memories of growing up in a neighborhood full of these charming "fairy houses" and picking them for May Day bouquets.
The area on the other side of the fence has now been weeded and pansy plants added. The hostas are up too! Unfortunately, in the process of digging holes for the pansies, I sliced right through the calla lily bulb that was still below ground. There is definitely something to be said for a garden diagram that shows you where everything is growing--especially when it hasn't come up yet.
The strawberry plant design was modified from an out of print botanical drawing. It turned out to be more intricate than it needed to be for the application but someone is going to get a beautifully embroidered knitting bag.
The lines were done in stem or split stitch with either 1 or 2-ply thread. The flowers are mostly nested detached chain with french knot centers. The strawberries presented a particular challenge. Initially, I liked the idea of doing a lattice in yellow over a red background or even simply a red lattice with yellow stitches over the crossing points. However, a couple of attempts showed that the stretch in the underlying material would not allow for this. The solution proved to be a Pekingese stitch with the back stitch portion done in the goldy yellow and the lacing in the red. The rows of stitching overlapped a bit, creating a more 3-D look.
The real thing setting flowers in the garden!
I had intended to plant the seedlings on Saturday but we needed to take our red faces inside to cool off. They were finally planted in the cool of the evening on Sunday. And then it rained--hooray!
The tower in the background is the oldest and most recognizable building on the campus. It houses several of the humanities departments.
We spent several nights (in separate rooms on different floors) in the dorm where I lived as a sophomore. We also had the dubious honor of being a "lobby couple" so that we could talk when the floors were closed. However, at least we are clearly older and married--unlike another very swoony couple that we witnessed during the course of our stay.
This tree represents one of my iconic Wheaton experiences. Two friends and I spent a number of hours singing hymns and rounds in this tree one year. Eventually we went back to our dorm and spent the rest of the night singing in the stairwell with perhaps fifty other girls who were attracted by the echoes in the six story cement sound chamber that was the Fischer West stairs. We still remind each other of the beauty of that night.
Ah, the biology building! How many late nights did I spend within your walls? The department is going to be moving to a new building in the next couple of years so a number of things were in transition but it was fun to show Jonathan the scenes of rat dissection and microbial culturing as well as the infamous "virgin collecting" (fruit flies, that is). We were also able to catch up with a couple of my former professors who were delighted to meet my husband.
This imposing edifice is the chapel. Another Wheaton experience that I was blessed to enjoy regularly is the thrice-weekly chapel. Hearing quality speakers or singing one's heart out in the worship of our Father God with the rest of the student body is something that I will never forget and missed more than anything else when I left. We heard the symphonic band in the one that we went to but hopefully we will be able to attend one when we return for Camille's graduation next year. At least Jonathan was able to hear a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to Chappy K!
