I’ve been working on this lizard for a while now. I did the rubbing with Shiva oil paint sticks on hand dye. It reminded me of the stone work at Capistrano.

I’ve been to Capistrano twice. I was struck by the roses growing in the desert, with lizards running around them. I loved it.

So I knew this lizard would need roses. Here’s my favorite rose trick.

Simple spiral shapes make a great rose. The spiral shape echoes the way rose petals are placed in the flower.

I’ve cut these spirals from sheers backed with Steam A Seam 2. I placed my spiral bits together to create the rose.

I placed the spirals on red felt with stitch and tear as a stabilizer on the back.

I stitched both sides of the spiral with a free motion zigzag applique to shade the flowers.

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Here are two of the roses, cut out at ready to applique.

I love spiral roses. I can almost smell them in the desert air.