Shadow Play...

I may end up unstitching this, but I'm not sure yet. I'll keep going to see if I'm happy with the results. You can see that I laid down two lines of chain stitch in the darker brown as a base for the branch. I did that for two reasons. One is that those stitches will cover all the fabric on the branch, and the other is that it raises the rest of the stitching up to give it contour.

I always enjoy looking at my needlework after I photograph it, because I notice things I may not have seen in the hoop. One interesting thing about this branch so far, is that I stitched the lightest color for the bottom half (or so) of the branch. Then I went back and did the grey color on the top of the branch. Finally, I added a light brownish in spots for a little depth. Looking at the photograph, it looks like I added a darker color on the bottom of the branch. That's just shadow caused by the contour. I love that it helps show that the stitching is raised.

I'm going to be out of commission today. By the time you read this, I'll likely be drooling in an operatory. I'm planning to stitch during my recuperation, but probably not today. Wish me luck - or if you say prayers, I'd appreciate that. I'm preposting for tomorrow, but I'll be back as soon as I can. xoxo