Sunburst Stitchscape

Hello!! Did you all enjoy the fireworks last weekend? Our next door neighbour had his own little private party in the back garden which meant I could wrap up warm, step out of the back doors and stand on the steps for a really close up firework experience! It's amazing how many bursts of colour can fit into one box! Our family don't really go to any large firework displays any more, although from our position on the top of a hill, we can fill the garden with candles and stand outside to watch the displays going off across the valley, which is just as nice.

I really love the fireworks setting on my camera, the photographs are absolutely astounding!! The one below looks like a Dandelion Clock, or exploding stars with the bright ball of light at the epicentre. My absolute, all time favourite firework is the one that looks like a chandelier. It works best on quite a still night as the sparks hold their shape for longer and after exploding outwards, drift down leaving blazing trails like an aeroplane would until it forms the shape of a really snazzy chandelier, do you know the one I mean?

All these exploding lights reminded me of my most recently finished stitchscape: Sunburst Stitchscape, which has a similar shape to the light trails stitched in, but is inspired by the sight of the suns rays filtering through a woodland, like in these photographs taken at Ashdown Forest on my birthday.

Ta-Daaah!!

There are quite a few layers to this piece, some of which I probably didn't need to do but I like to be thorough, plus I might have changed my mind about how to do the sun rays anyway. The background orange and yellow fabrics are all stitched in my usual fashion, following the lines of the pattern or creating texture, then the next layer of trees are also stitched, with whip stitch following the outer lines of the trunks and different stitches on each tree. Finally we have the 'rays'!! These are just long stitches in two different colours of yellow, punctuated with glittery sequins for that extra sparkly effect.

The bottom of the piece is finished with some woodland bullion knot flowers which I hadn't intended on doing but the 'ground' seemed empty without them so in they jumped to finish everything off. I love the colours in this piece, it's so vibrant, warm and happy, offset with the lovely deep blues at the bottom. The central tree shines out of the piece like the chosen one as the others are much darker, although I should admit this wasn't an intentional look, it just seemed sensible to put it in the middle as it was the only trunk in that colour. I can't wait to see this little piece (a 20cm square) framed up.