The other day I was standing in my kitchen and looked over at this blank wall and I instantly knew what I wanted to hang on it. Why not create a Gallery Wall with these pictures that have been sitting in a closet since we moved.
At my old house I really didn’t like where I had hung the pictures. They sat unappreciated on an over-scale wall in the master bedroom. I didn’t want to toss the pictures because they aren’t prints or photos.
They are embroidered. Yep, I embroidered them onto watercolor paper. It’s kind of a strange thing to do ~ but sometimes that’s how I roll. It took me hours and hours of machine embroidery to make them. Hours of work + black & white beauty = I’m keeping them.
About 3 years ago I bought this embroidery design set from OESD because I loved everything about it. I love birds and I may have mentioned something about decorating with black and white. {This isn’t an overnight obsession ~ it’s been brewing for some time.}
The embroidery designs are digitized from pen and ink drawings. They are exquisitely detailed depictions of birds and plants. You can purchase the set from OESD for $79. I also found them on Amazon for $39 (affiliate) but there are only two left.
Back to my blank wall. So when I looked up and saw the blank wall I immediately knew that my collection of embroidered birds would be perfect.
Well just because I think something will work doesn’t make it true. Mr. SH taped off an area on the kitchen floor about the same size as the blank wall space and we placed the pictures within the space.
Because the pictures are on a stair wall we decided to add a little double-sided tape ~ just in case. We put a piece of tape on all four sides. So far, so good.
Once we determined the picture placement it was just a matter of putting nails in our brand new walls. Because the owl is the largest picture {and took forever to embroider} we placed it in the largest part of the gallery. From there we just added in the pictures until the space was filled.
We added the last picture on the top left and the {former} blank wall space was filled.
Birds and some black & white ~ it’s all good.
I do have a favorite bird ~ can you guess which one it is. Here’s a hint: it isn’t the owl.
The hummingbird? The pictures look nice!
Not the hummingbird, but nice try 🙂
I’ve got the same wall in my foyer and it need some picture love bad! What a smart idea to use the triangle shape to decide how to place the pictures! So smart!
Thanks, like I said, I saw the space and remembered my birds. I knew they would all fit perfectly right there.
I love those pictures and the cute arrangement! Most people would have just spread them out in a row. You love the cardinal.
Ding, ding, ding. You guessed it! The cardinal is my favorite. I love the look on its cute little face. Makes me smile every time.
Gloria and Leslie:
Hi to two of my favorite bloggers. This grouping is wonderful. Although I don’t know how you chose the right bird, Gloria . . . they are all so pretty. With the patience of a saint, Leslie, I should have known you could do detailed work like this as well!
I’m guessing the bluejay in all it’s forms. I love owls. Nice pictures.
What a great idea! I am new to embroidery. Just traded in a barely used Viking Topaz for a Viking Designer. All I want to do is embroider! I have a 95 year old grandmother that loves humingbirds. I bought several humingbird patterns from Embroidery Library. Going to make one today and frame it and get it in the mail today!
thanks Leslie.
I Love Birds also…… and the Cardinal and the Owl are my favorites! You are a very talented Lady, with exceptional ideas. The pictures look great and hung beautifully.
I want to wish you much Health and Happiness in your new home.
Best wishes, Kathy
The oriole? Mine is the blue bird. Love your work.
I just knew it was the Cardinal! Wow you really put a lot of work into those gorgeous birds, and they look wonderful on the wall, I love the way you placed them.
What a pretty gallery! I love that the images are embroidered instead of prints, and that you are displaying them!
Beautiful arrangement! Taping off the space on the floor is a great idea.
Love the idea of taping off the wall section on the floor. Will have to use this idea of the large area above the stairs.
Beautiful gallery wall! I love that you used the biggest picture in the right hand corner–it really adds some great visual interest! Pinning this!
Visiting from Inspiration Exchange – your gallery wall caught my eye to want to visit. How beautiful! I love birds, and I would have guessed the cardinal, hummer or robin – in that order, and I see your answer is the cardinal (my West Virginia home’s state bird {smile}). Gorgeous work, I can only imagine the hours you spent on those. I’ll bet you now stand in your kitchen and smile, don’t you? And does it make you want to go back to embroider more birds to fill that wall even more? 🙂
Rita C at Panoply
You are so creative, this looks great! Good idea creating it on the floor first!
Thanks for a lovely idea.
Beautiful!! I love how it turned out! Thanks for sharing at moonlight and mason jars!
I love those birds! And black and white together are always so chic!
If you go on Martha Stewart, she had outlines for state birds few years ago, imagine they’re in her archives for embroidery or crafting? I printed them all out but never used them. It was suggested to embroider in red. Can do whatever you wanted. Could use markers to fill in different colors, leave to your imagination. Love projects like that to give my own take on them.
Your gallery wall is wonderful, the black and white birds are incredible, what alot of tedious work. I usually find easier ways to do things as my hands and eyes don’t always work well together, if I can’t do it I’ll give up on whole deal. Happy Spring.
This is gorgeous! I have a blank wall that I’ve been really wanting to do something similar to! Thanks for the encouragement!
Very creative, you did a fantastic job and thank you for sharing it with us at the #WWDParty.
Leslie
I love this tutorial. I would love for you to link this up to Friday Favorites going on right now! I love the 90 degree angled tape on the floor. Brilliant! laura
This looks so perfect. I love how you chose those birds. Thanks for the inspiration.
That’s perfect for the wall! I love seeing your process too! Thanks so much for linking up at Twirl & Take a Bow!
What a beautiful gallery wall. I love the birds!
Such a pretty gallery! It looks perfect on your wall!
I’d love to see a detailed photo of your pieces – such a cool idea!