Mabel's other stitching

[richardandtracy]

That looks amazing.

We've had quite a few Holly Blue's this year, and much earlier than usual. I have loved taking away hundreds of their food plants. We have three large & very prolific Holly trees, producing milliards of berries which produce milliards of seeds, which create thousands of very prickly seedlings that grow absolutely everywhere. I think I dug up 30 seedlings yesterday alone from either side of one 20ft long section of garden path (not to mention the Oak seedlings, stinging nettles and brambles that also had to go).

Regards,

Richard.

[Squirrel]

What gloriously coloured butterfly's you have over there. So far this year the only ones seen around have been mostly black and white, I guess the bush fires have had a big impact on them which is sad.

[Serinde]

That looks amazing.

We've had quite a few Holly Blue's this year, and much earlier than usual. I have loved taking away hundreds of their food plants. We have three large & very prolific Holly trees, producing milliards of berries which produce milliards of seeds, which create thousands of very prickly seedlings that grow absolutely everywhere. I think I dug up 30 seedlings yesterday alone from either side of one 20ft long section of garden path (not to mention the Oak seedlings, stinging nettles and brambles that also had to go).

Regards,

Richard.

Berberis in our paths. Prickly customers. We have an entire holly hedge plus some dotted around the property which have berries (and seedlings in due course) and have never seen a Holly Blue, ever. Wonder if we're too far north?

@Mabel: thanks for the reminder of the Sarah Homfray original. It's a beauty.

[richardandtracy]

... and have never seen a Holly Blue, ever. Wonder if we're too far north?...

From this site: https://butterfly-conservation.org/butt ... 20England. it would appear that the North of England is as far north as it gets.

Looked at the list of foodstuffs the Holly Blue caterpillar likes:

• Female Holly Trees: Yep, got them, Two are 30ft high with 24" diameter trunks, one is only 20ft with a 15" diameter trunk.
• Ivy: Yep, growing up the Holly. And the oak, and the house and across many flower beds and all over the garage.
• Spindle: Quite a few seedlings now up to 8ft high and many smaller ones.
• Dogwood: Yes, HUNDREDS. One of our Dogwoods, probably the parent of all the others, is identical to one at Kew Gardens that's called 'huge' by the info plaque, and is 25% bigger than that one.
• Snowberries: Yes. They are spreading out of control at the moment.
• Gorse: None. Think it needs acid soil and we have chalk. Do have Broom instead, but it's not listed as a food.
• Bramble: Don't talk to me about Bramble. Needless to say, we are not short of a few [thousand].

So, I think we have all the correct foodstuffs in the garden, which explains why we see quite a few.

Regards,

Richard

[Mabel Figworthy]

All the buttonhole edging has been done

This was quite fiddly because I chose to change colour along the edge instead of sticking with one colour throughout - but I think it was worth it, I really like the effect ! Now it's just the fluffy body and then the "construction", cutting out, adding antennae, adding a wobbly wire to stick it in a plant pot with.

[richardandtracy]

Looks amazing, Mabel.

Regards,

Richard.

[wendywombat]

Well worth the 'fiddly edging, Mabel!

[rcperryls]

Looks like it could up and fly away any minute. You better put a leash on it when you cut it out or it will definitely take off. This is magnificent.

Carole

[Serinde]

Wonderful. Question: will it have eyes? I remember you thought the original design's eyes too large.

[Mabel Figworthy]

It now has two French knots for eyes. Pictures soon!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Finished

Two pics, one on its own and one in a little scene

[Serinde]

Perfect!

[rcperryls]

Perfectly perfect!!

Carole

[Podolyanka]

Looks absolutely real.

[Squirrel]

Oh my goodness me Mabel, he looks just like the real butterfly. Totally amazing and a HUGE well done

[wendywombat]

That looks ready to fly away!

What thread did you use for the body?...or did i miss that?

Your friend will be so thrilled!

[Mabel Figworthy]

I don't think I mentioned it Wendy - it's a mix of Carrie's Creation (now alas defunct) and GAST overdyed stranded cottons.

[Serinde]

Carrie's Creations is no more?!?

[Mabel Figworthy]

Alas, no

By the way, I delivered the butterfly yesterday, leaving it on the doorstep (in a bag in a small jewellery box I found in the depths of my chest of drawers, with a card) before knocking on the door and running away (well, I didn't want her to have to do an instant reaction), and a little later I got a message saying what a thoughtful present she found it.

Then this morning she and I and a few other friends had a Zoom coffee get-together, and she showed me where she had put the butterfly, onher "blessing wall" of post-it notes where she could see it all the time. Other friend said "what is it made of, card, or plastic perhaps" (Zoom not being very HD) and I said no it was embroidered. "Yes," said friend who received the butterfly, "and it looks like it aims to be a particular type of butterfly, a painted lady". I said that's what I'd tried but that I was well aware it would stand up to serious taxonomy, when she said, "Do you mean you made it?" She said she'd looked at it closely and couldn't believe it had been hand-stitched, so she thought I'd bought it somewhere .

In a private Whatsapp conversation later I told her no, it had been stitched specifically with her in mind, and she said that made it extra special. So that's turned out well!

[Squirrel]

I am not surprised that people thought it a bought pin Mabel. It is soooo lifelike and colourful.