The pipe to powerful lips –
The cup of life’s for him that drinks
And not for him that sips.
by Robert Louis Stevenson
The first image in this Closeups series about music is from an embroidered scene I made for an illustration class assignment in 1974. I’d forgotten how much fun it is to fill in with a chain stitch! The lute player’s hairdo appeared years before Princess Leia’s coiled braids in the 1977 Star Wars movie.
The harpist is a detail from a lithograph I made in art school at RISD in 1977. (see other lithographs here) I transferred a xerox copy of a harp image onto the limestone surface.
detail from lithograph 1977
This fiddler is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s father, who appears along with his family on a CD cover I made for “A Little Music on the Prairie” in 1994. And yes, I did cut out the wooden violin, with the help of a jig saw. The tuning pegs are seed beads. See another closeup from this illustration here.
from “A Little Music on the Prairie” CD cover, 1994
Here’s Little Tommy Tucker, who sang for his supper, from my book of nursery rhymes, Pocketful of Posies. Autographed copies are available from my Etsy Shop.
detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010
This is one of Old King Cole’s fiddlers three , whose felt fiddle is about an inch long.
detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010
And the cat and the fiddle play on.
detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010
SALLEY MAVOR 
The details are incredible! I sat trying to imagine the hours – the tiny stitches . . . . amazing!! Love the little Violins!!
Oh, FABULOUS! I can’t get enough of your details!!!!!!!
All are so lovely! I was wondering if you play the violin? The instruments you created are beautiful!
Thanks, Helen. I don’t play, but I enjoy fiddle music.
So neat that you did the CD cover! Beautiful!
Your work is so beautiful and detailed. How long can you work at it before eye or hand fatigue kicks in?
Thanks for looking at my work through this blog. I work as many hours as I can and don’t experience fatigue in my hands and eyes. I take lots of breaks, though, too exercise, cook and do errands.
I have discovered you & your Beautiful on FaceBook, I absolutely love it. I also work with embroidery, so seeing your work, inspires. Thank you.