Sunset Mountains ATCs

I feel like these cards have been a long time coming as I started them an age ago! I'm so thankful that I decided to make as many Stitchscape Swap cards as I could whilst I was still pregnant, to give myself a stress-reducing cushion and enable me to focus on the baby rather than how I wasn't able to stitch when I wanted to. I'd managed to make cards up until July (pretty much - my waters broke sitting on my bouncy ball stitching them!) so August is the first month where I wasn't on track. I had tried to get things moving and to sit down whilst he slept to sew - but it just doesn't pan out like you think it will and those periods were few and far between, and often short-lived!!

I ended up promising myself to do it in the evenings instead, regardless of the state of the house, and so in that (hopefully) quiet period between 8/8.30pm, his bedtime, and 9.30/10pm, my bedtime, I try and do some dedicated stitching. 

I always end up making work for myself though and, because I use a big hoop and try to stitch extras each month to cover any swapping mishaps, I couldn't cut out the August Sunset Mountains cards until I had finished the September Woodland Walks cards! Luckily, it's all finished just in the nick of time as a couple of entries are slightly later coming in this month. You can tell August is busy for everyone!

I was able to use some really gorgeous fabrics for this theme, the top layer is a wonderful batik, then a Kaffe Fassett print, a metallic floral (which looks like fireworks), a navy plain to balance out the patterns, and a wonderful blueish batik at the bottom. I love how the cards are all different, despite the composition being mainly the same. The only card I'm not that keen on is the middle right card (when looking at the above image) because the mountain at the back is so round! It looks like a bowler hat! Most unnatural and I don't know why I didn't catch it at the time of cutting and stitching it down but never mind. 

The Kaffe Fassett fabric has meant that each sunset sky is different, and it was a slight challenge to try and use the same techniques and thread colours in each when the patterns varied. I mainly stuck to long straight stitches, either following striped lines or worked in groups over some block colour shapes. Where there wasn't enough coverage at the edge of the fabric I have worked a single strand of running stitch at the top to help hold that down and added a row of bullion knots on the fabric edge itself. 

Running stitch is then mirrored on the other side of the knots in the orange batik fabric at the top which, in most cases, was just a sliver so didn't really need its own special stitching layer.

The firework floral layer is super sparkly as I've used gold metallic thread to enhance some of the firework shapes. The french knots on the top of this fabric layer have been made with a variegated thread (properly mixed with two strands top and tailing each other), and some extra little french knots in the metallic to blend it all together. I've also added a shadow (or a golden lining?) to the dark grey mountain by whip stitching the couched threads that edge it. Gold thread is such a pain to work with, it splits constantly and just has such an attitude! But I think, in the end, it is worth it for the effect that it gives. 

The remaining layers have also been treated quite simply. The dark grey mountain has been covered in tiny seed stitches, the plain navy layer has got rows of running stitch and the batik blue mountain layer has been covered in silk throwsters waste strands which have been caught down at various points just to hold the delicate, wispy threads. Bright orange french knots in two different shades, and varying sizes depending on the number of twists, have been used to really add a pop of drama at the bottom of the card, and also match it with the top so that the scenery flows together. I love blue and orange combos, don't you? 

The grey mountain then looked a little bereft and dark and menacing, so I've added smaller french knots to trail down it and make it look a happier place to be. 

I like the different textures that this piece has in it, and the way the throwsters silk lifts and wafts and waves at you as you move the card around - it's like a living grass or maybe strands of low mist sitting in the valley. 

I had some help on our balcony garden photographing these cards yesterday. Can you believe how big he's grown? He's a huge pickle, and some days are really tough as he still seems to have problems with wind and a tight tummy, but mostly he's a joy and making him smile is just the best thing ever. At nearly five months old we try and go to Rhyme Time at the local library and he has a baby sensory class once a week. Other than that though it's just me trying to entertain him during the day - any ideas or tips on activities to try?

I'm really looking forward to seeing the August swap pieces all together. As we've all been slightly late this month I already know that it's going to be a blaze of oranges and that they're all going to look wonderful together!! I deliberately try not to put them all together until everybody's cards are in though so it's a wonderful reveal for me to see the full collection.