Maypole!

Maypole_by_Suzanne_Forbes_May_28_2016I glimpsed this little girl dancing around the subway pole, surrounded by tall black-clad guys, at the beginning of May.

Then I carefully reconstructed the scene over a series of short U-Bahn rides. Since you never know which model of train you’ll get, or if there will be a seat in the correct position, detailed U-Bahn drawings tend to take a few rides!

Giant Octopus finished at last!

This is the biggest thing I’ve ever embroidered.Embroidered Octopus Suzanne Forbes 2016

Embroidered_Octopus Suzanne Forbes 2016I started it a few years ago, when I had just begun embroidering again as an adult. I had trouble keeping the fabric from wrinkling on such a big hoop and wasn’t sure how to finish it. But now I am much more expert and confident, and have lots more colors of thread!

It’s amazing how much embroidering is like painting.

Embroidered_Octopus Suzanne Forbes 2016Just like with every canvas I paint, I made sure to leave a few small areas of the original blank surface. Here’s a peek at the back, for the curious. It is a mess, as usual.