Thursday, November 3, 2011

Tom came home to roost

I went into Jill and said something really vague, like "I'm thinking of bittersweet and feathers, and maybe some sawtooth detail."  Jill researched bittersweet on the internet, pulled some turkey feathers out of her cabinet of wonders, and then let her artistic talent loose.
Notforgotten Farms Tom the Turkey, stitched on 36 ct linen
with assorted overdyed cotton floss
Here's a detail of the painting.  I'm not sure if you can how she replicated the iridescence on the feathers.  Real turkey feathers have a sheen like peacock feathers, and squared off ends.

Photos courtesy of The Fabulous Jill, since she was kind enough to take them before putting the glass on.

Eye update - Thank you to everyone for you thoughts and kind wishes with my eye problems.  The bad news is it got worse after I saw the corneal specialist on Tuesday.  The good news is when I got in to see him on Thursday it was bad enough he now had enough information to be fairly confident with a diagnosis.  I have Thygeson's superficial punctate keratitis.  I'm on some steroid drops to reduce the inflamation, which will make the eye feel better (which it already does 6 hours later).  But, due to steroids lowering the immune system, I now get to take my antibiotic drops every hour, and set an alarm to wake up at night every 2 hours, just to prevent a bacterial infection from starting.  I'm just grateful that after suffering on and off with this for 3 years, I finally know what it is.

18 comments:

Teresa S. said...

Glad to hear the eye problems are finally diagnosed! Now let's hope the doctor can get you feeling back to normal!

cucki said...

so happy to hear that eye problem is diagnosed..i a sure it will be fine soon too.
lovely stitching.i love it and sweet painting.
keep well and love for you xxx

Christine said...

Glad to hear you have a diagnosis for your eye problems, hopefully that means they can treat it now.
I love the customised mount for your turkey sampler

Chris said...

I hope that the eye issue clears up soon.
The framed piece is so beautiful. Jill did an amazing job. The stitching is beautiful too and I love your new blog header.

Lois said...

I'm glad that you've now got a diagnosis for your eyes and can start treating them with the right meds. Hope they are feeling much better soon. Now for Tom Turkey - he is gorgeous! What wonderful mats from Jill.

Margaret said...

Oh my gosh, what a beautiful job Jill did with the framing! I love this piece, and the framing sets it off so nicely!

Glad you got a diagnosis with your eye. Having to wake up every 2 hours at night doesn't sound like fun though.

Cathy B said...

Your mat and frame from Jill are gorgeous and compliment Tom Turkey beautifully!

Praying that your eyes continue to improve.

Michelle said...

Your Tom is amazing!!! I've had this guy in my stash to stitch forever, and you've inspired me to finally get him out and stitch him up. The matting Jill did is amazing - love the iridescent feathers! I hope this means your eyes will soon be better - that has got to be frustrating!

Carol said...

What a stunning piece--both stitching and framing! Tom has to be the most handsome turkey around :)

I'm so glad you finally got a diagnosis for your eye problems, Mindi--hopefully the new medications will help them feel better very quickly.

Lesleyanne said...

Glad to hear you have a diagnosis. Your framed piece looks stunning.

Kathy Ellen said...

Tom Turkey is beautiful, and the artistic feathers that Jill painted for you on the matting is gorgeous! I love your header designs too. Are they all Plum Street Sampler Designs?

My goodness, but you have been through so much with your eye problems, but you must feel happy to have a diagnosis and proper treatment for it. Praying that soon, your eyes will be feeling better.

Laura said...

I hope your eye continues to get better! My Mom has an eye problem right now and it is just so scary.

Now on to the cross-stitch....you know what you have there don't you? A MASTERPIECE!!! It is gorgeous in every way!!! I know you will love having it in your home!

Carol R said...

Wow on the Tom the Turkey stitching and wonderful framing!
I hope your eye problems are sorted now that a diagnosis enables proper treatment.

valerie said...

Glad you have a diagnosis and some relief! Your Tom piece looks amazing...love those turkey feathers! You are so lucky to live close to Jill that you can pop in whenever you'd like. So Jealous! =)

Myra said...

That Tom is a true work of art! I love everything about it. I am glad to hear you have a diagnosis for the eye and you are on the way to recovery.

Ranae said...

Very cool piece.
I hope your eye continues to do better

Penny said...

Very pretty stitching and framing!
Glad you have some medication to help your eyes feel a little better.
Love your blog header.

Siobhán said...

Your Tom looks amazing! Great piece, and Jill's mat and framing are fantastic.

I hope that things work out with your eyes. Waking up so often--yikes--but I hope it brings you relief!