Needlepoint and Embroidery, A Blog banner Makeover

(before)

Did you notice something different...?  My blog banner is new and improved!  It's makeover had been on my to-do list for quite some time (a year maybe more...?) and I finally began working on it back in June!!!  I knew I wanted it to be handmade and so I began to bookmark inspirational images and ideas.  Here is a behind the scenes look into the making of my new banner!

I just love Jillian Tamaki's embroderied book covers and I wanted to capture a similar feeling.

more textile inspiration...

I found this embroidery after I was finished, but I'm tucking it away for future banners... maybe I'll have seasonal ones and this pattern could be for fall or winter!?

AND then for the ultimate Embroidery stitch Guide check out this Website! I found it through pinterest and fell in love with how easy the tutorials are and the lengthy stitch glossary! Of course I still did some free hand embroidery... but for the orange petals I followed one of her tutorials.

blog banner version #1

blog banner version #2

So now the question is- which version do you like best!? The first has my tag line/ description of my blog's focus "to tread lightly while celebrating handmade and design" and the second is wider in order to fit with a more desirable proportion (ie: when you visit my blog you see more than just the header filling your screen) as a result the tagline didn't fit and I almost like the simplicity and quietness of the header without it... It's a nice balance to all the text that follows beneath the banner.

anyway, just a little something I have been working on... let me know in the comments what you think! I love to read your comments.