Such Talent!

Last week, Jennifer and I visited Alda at her home. Alda is a fellow embroidery guild  member who does exquisite stitchery. She invited us for tea and gave us a tour of her lovely home decorated with many of her stitched pieces as well as the doll houses and miniatures she likes to build and decorate. I took lots of photos with my iPhone. Unfortunately, some of the photos didn't turn out as well as if I had used my point and shoot camera.

As we came in the front door, we first saw a lovely collection of bird pieces.

This Malachite Hummingbird was definitely may favourite.

These two pieces are in another room.

Alda also likes animals - fauna

and flora.

There are some sweet pieces of little girls. It fit perfectly in this antique frame Alda had collected.

There are whimsical fairies.

And this colourful one of shoes.

This is the piece of embroidery that started it all.

Then there are the doll houses. Here is Alda with the first doll house she built and decorated.

It is on a turntable so it can be swiveled around.

I love the attention to detail. The chandelier lights up. It attaches to the ceiling with a magnet and has a teeny tiny switch.

Cross-stitch lends itself quite easily to miniaturization.

This wee Asian pillow was about 1 1/2" in diameter and was beautifully finished with gold cording all around the edge.

at the end of this chaise longue.

Here's a better shot of the bedroom and the chandelier.

There's a parrot in the garret!

This larger house was in another room. It was wired for electricity. It doesn't have a finished front and is only about 8" deep so it could be hung on a wall.

I love all the rugs Alda stitched.

This dining room had the table set for an elegant dinner.

The little cushions are about an inch across.

See the cute, wee dragon?

This house is in the same room.

Alda's granddaughter was free to decorate it any way she wished.

There were tons of presents under the Christmas trees.

See the cute, little laptop on the bed?

Back to her stitchery, there was one southwestern piece.

Alda also likes Asian and oriental-themed pieces.

This beautiful cushion is on a stool by the front door. I love the rich colours.

These are the primary works of art in Alda's beautiful home. Her furnishings are eclectic yet work together in each room. I love how she framed the stitched pieces. Alda is a collector of many things and often would stitch a piece to fit a particular antique frame she already had. What a great idea! One can always find inexpensive pictures in great frames at thrift shops and it's certainly not that difficult to stretch the stitchery.

After our tour, we enjoyed tea and treats. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Thank you, Alda for sharing your passions with us.