Embroidery Design with Horses and Butterflies

Harmony

This design was one of the original country embroidery designs I drew in memory of a beautiful girl who had a great love of horses. Have you ever watched horses that live together in a field and how they roam together, eat together and play together when they’re feeling good?  Have you listened to them neighing loudly when parted how ever briefly?  The two horses depicted in this design are great mates, living in perfect harmony.  I watched for many years a similar relationship between brother and sister who loved each other dearly, doing everything together, respecting each others needs, ever playful and teasing but never fighting.  How very blessed was their relationship and I pray more family siblings might get to experience such a wonderful bond by being patient, remembering to love and give to each other, thinking of the others needs rather than the selfish needs of their own human nature.  That’s not an easy thing to do but with God’s help and the example of Jesus it becomes so much easier. 

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. 

1Corinthians 13:4

God pours His love into our hearts to flow out to others. 

An Australian Embroidery design featuring our Ever Faithful Dog

Hi!  Do you have a love of dogs, gumleaves, and gumnuts?   My Ever Faithful Embroidery

Ever Faithful

 design features all these, involving embroidery, applique and patchwork techniques, put together to create this country style wall hanging.    This stitchery was inspired by my little kelpie dog who opened my heart to the canine world.  His greatest desire was to please me and through good and bad, remained ever faithful. 

This story began when my husband decided that I should have my own cattle dog.  Not being a person who has ever had much to do with dogs it’s been an insightful exercise in more ways than one!  Along with some frustration at times, I’ve grown to have a great respect for them and have discovered they are really great mates.  I’m also in admiration of just how faithful they are, even when they’ve been roused!  Unfortunately I’ve had to experience the sadness of losing my first dog Hughie, which really was like losing a good mate.  Since then I’ve had a few more dogs and although none of them have worked quite as well as Hughie, they are still  amazingly faithful. 

 

Hughie as a pup

Each day as we go out mustering, the dogs follow us faithfully not knowing what we have in store, or where we are going, but they remain ready and willing to do whatever we ask of them.  At the end of the day, although often quite weary, they wag their tails trusting with joy as we provide for their needs.  It has dawned on me through time that this is a great analogy of what our walk with God should be.  Meeting God each morning, keen to do his will, stepping out faithfully to obey God’s calling and remaining joyful in his provision of our needs. 

  So my prayer goes out to you, that you might experience the Joy in Hope, God’s grace in affliction and His Faithfulness in prayer

Thank you for visiting.  If you like this design then please don’t hesitate to click on Kathy’s Embroidery designs at the top right hand corner to purchase or to see more of my embroidery patterns that are for sale. 

Happy Stitching, Take care and God Bless.

Memories

Memories

This embroidery design was given to me late one night while reflecting on memories of our loved one.

It’s the memories we hang onto when someone has gone, or even when we rattle around in our empty nest when the children have left home. How often it’ll be something like these old boots that set the memories flowing. 

The images of excitement as our loved ones headed out mustering,

the big cheesy grins behind the grime after a big day in the saddle,

the quick race into the house for the smoko leaving boots tumbling at the front door,  

 Then there was the slow dragging on of the boots when setting out to do something not so exciting!! or when they were weary.

The clunking of the boots through the house hoping Mum hadn’t just cleaned the floor!!

Boots left covered in mud telling of the fun they’d had down the creek, or in the yards, or helping Dad fixing a trough, or pulling reeds out of a turkeys nest.

I’m sure each of you must have many a memory that is stirred by a pair of old boots or shoes and so I hope this embroidery design might bring you happy moments of reflection while your stitching or help someone else remember when this design is gifted to them .  Maybe it will also bring memories that are sad but know that each time that memory is shared the spirit of the loved one is kept alive. 

Remember deeply, giving God thanks for the details, the stories, and the impact of an entire life.  Precious memories of life can temper the profound sadness of loss. 

 

Sample of my embroidery designs-Bonded Hearts

Bonded Hearts

Well here is the first sample of one of my embroidery designs which I feel is a great description of the wonderful times I’ve shared with my good friends.  We so enjoy each others company loving and laughing, sharing and caring and at the end of our times together we feel so much better about life.  Yesterday with Tracey here mentoring me through the art of blogging, helping me understand all the new terminology and getting me started with uploading photos was not only informative but also very enjoyable with much laughter mixed in. 

In my garden where the kookaburra's live

This embroidery design was inspired firstly by the kookaburra’s living in my garden conversing with happy laughter.  It got me thinking about my relationship with my husband and how much better it is when we can laugh together, when we face problems together and can still smile.  It also reminds me of the wonderful homecomings of my children who bring into the home so much fun and laughter, overwhelming my heart with such joy.  Similarly, my wonderful friends have often lifted a heavy heart when we’ve come together and managed to share a laugh or two.  So I’m hoping you too might have the chance to be with those you love and be able to laugh and share out loud the joys of life just like the kookaburras in my country garden in Australia. 

The butterflies feature in each and every one of my embroidery designs as they are a special part of our lives since a family tragedy a number of years ago.  They remind us of the short but precious life of a loved one so beautiful, they symbolize the newness in life God provides, the joy in a  treasured moment and the peace and harmony of nature’s intricate balance.  

Butterfly light

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam

And for a brief moment

It’s glory and beauty

Belong to our world,

But then it flies on again.

And though we wish it could have stayed,

We feel so lucky to have seen it.   

If you would like to see more of Kathy’s DustnRoses Australian Country Embroidery Designs I have them in a number of retail outlets, which you will find in my about page, including the Fabric Nook in Biloela.  I’m sure the Fabric Nook would love you to visit their website and you will find my patterns in the craft patterns section with Kathy Poole as the designer. I’d love to hear any comments you might have concerning my stitcheries that are inspired by the Australian bush, its animals, its people and God’s ever-loving presence.

Blogger in training

Hi, My brain is feeling fuzzled with all this new blog language.  Having just had a huge day with my very special friend  and seasoned blogger, Tracey Hewitt, who so kindly offered to come to my rescue, I’m tentatively taking the next precarious step.  As usual, it hasn’t been simple sailing as photos refuse to load appropriately, widgets are confusing my brain, all the options are getting me confused, and I think I need a break!!!  Please notice I have progressed as I now have a couple extra photos, new names, more widgets but the embroidery patterns still haven’t appeared as major work is going to have to be done with photos!!!  Boy am I feeling out of my depth, but take a look at my friends blog for some fantastic textile art, some great reading of country happenings and what I’m aspiring towards.

Tracey and I getting ready for a wine after many hours of blog exploration!!!! First day towards blogging victory!!!!

Back to Reality

Hi,

Well, back home again and reality has hit.  The confidence is waning as I struggle to do this on my own now.  The comfort zone is being stretched to the limit as I battle passwords and usernames that don’t seem to want to work anymore.  Everything is appearing so much more complicated than I first thought.  Already I’m starting to procrastinate sitting at the computer finding multitudes of other jobs that need my ‘immediate” attention.  Voices in my head keep telling me “What on earth was I thinking when I decided to do this”  and “This is crazy, you and computers have never got along, what makes you think you can succeed at getting your pattern business going on a blog”!!!!! 

No I’m not going to give up, I just have to work away at each problem that arises and I will get there (even if it’s going to be a long road!!)

Here goes!!

Here I sit at Surfers Paradise listening to the sea and typing my very first blog.  I am in the middle of an inspiring workshop with my brother, who is now helping me  to apply the things I have learnt and giving me the gentle nudge to make me take this first leap in faith.