And I finished Bob's hen. I have a lovely picture of his rooster to work on next. And a new blue background. 

The dressage show as wonderful but exhausting. Kaboose did well, we got 65% in one test, and eliminated in the other. That was entirely pilot error. One friend asked if I needed a GPS, and another decided I was doing some kind of music-less freestyle where you make up your own test. The scores on the E test were excellent, so next time we'll remember the test and really bang it out of the park. 

We have named them and given the big girls eyelashes. Billy is the smaller hippo, Julia is the larger hippo, and Cecily is the rhino. 

Edited to add: the pattern is not mine, it is Simplicity 2394, the fabric is just some crazy stuff we liked at Joann's, you only need about 1/2 of what they list in the directions, and we like the small heads on the larger bodies better. Al thinks they are wonderful, which, since he tends not to notice toys unless they are wonderful, is a pretty good compliment. 

I have a dressage show tomorrow, so I will be busy with a lot of horse things. 

Today I was working on Bob's chicken

and finished the (beautifully flowered) rhinoceros. 

from the ground up –

I don't talk too much about process because I assume people either can see exactly what I'm doing, or they don't care how I get there so long as the result is interesting. This is the first of Bob's chicken portraits, of the Blue Polish hen. I had to put a layer of black silk under the hand dyed gray because the reds were showing through. I also have to dye some thick thread gray, if I can't find it tomorrow at the basic fabric store. The edges of her feathers are a lovely dark smoke color, and I'm looking forward to delineating them. 

I did manage to get pictures of some of Bob's chickens, this is the rooster in question. I also spent useful time in the studio accomplishing the background stuff; sorting, ripping, putting away. 

Also, have a sweet blue hen –

I had to go to the huge horrible mall to get this gorgeous thread. It is perl cotton in variegated colors, and aside from the fact that I was looking for deep yellows and they were out it was a pretty successful trip. From some exhaustive looking, I know this is the only place that carries it. I've tried online but freaked out because no one describes it the same way anywhere, and here I can poke it. 

Alice came, and we found her some string with wire in it so she can make some of the fancy knots she learned at the Origami Convention, and I found these lovely colors, and we stopped and played with the plastic animals until we realized we'd told Aerin we'd be back half an hour ago. 

Anyhow – I needed the yellow orange to complete this piece. If you can tell me what it is in the comments, I'll send you a chicken postcard. 

The chickens have been transformed into postcards, and are available on Etsy! I'm delighted. 

My room was a sweat bath the last couple days and I just couldn't take it. It moderated some last night, and I got a chance to finishe these guys this morning.

So! Seventy-five percent done!

I have two obvious titles (Approach and Avoidance) and one obvious title but I'm not sure which quarter to apply it to (Migration)  leaving me one (to be decided) that needs a title (also to be decided). I am guessing when they are all finished and set up on the wall that something will become clear in the naming department. 

I was so proud of these, until I was outside last night after taking five kids to the circus, and I looked up to check on the big dipper, and realized I'd gotten mine backwards! Grrrr!!  I'll fix that tomorrow. I'm not even sure how I'd rip out the stars yet. I think it's going to be a long half hour with tiny scissors.