Butterflies and Dragonflies - It's Back Home!

Thank you Arlene, Candace, Cathy and Meg for all the work on my block...I'm enjoying just looking at all the different parts! Here are some closeup photos to share!

 

Candji Block Finished!

The Butterflies and Dragonflies Round Robin is Complete...mailing Candji's block off to her tomorrow.

Sorry, didn't get a photo of the entire block before getting it into the envelope for mailing...so hope Candji will remember to do that for the CQI Group when she receives it. 

 But, I did remember to snap a few close up photos of some areas that I stitched. 

 Hope you enjoy the block Candji...I think it turned out really cool!

   

Butterflies & Dragonflies - Candji

The Butterflies and Dragonflies Round Robin over at Crazy Quilting International (CQI) is coming to a close. With a couple of international participants, the mail system has slowed it down somewhat...but I'm working on the last round for Candji's block.

 I'm almost done, just need to sew my ribbon down for the lace basket handle, and add beads to all of the seams. Oh, and add some charms here and there I think too...maybe some beaded critters.

Okay, looks like I have a couple of more days of work...but, still a lot has been done.

Several seams, a couple of lace motifs, a dimensional dragonfly, and a spiderweb are all finished.   DIVA ALERT! Just had to share this too! Really...only a DIVA could rock a Chicken Pin Cushion for a hat!

Way to go Aidan!

Butterflies and Dragonflies - Meg

Linear style blocks, pieced of squares and rectangles are not my favorite type of crazy quilt patchwork...as I find them extremely boring. And, this block did not catch my muse's attention at all. Luckily, the theme was dragonflies and butterflies...so two seams came immediately to mind for that.

 This little butterfly seam is created with my templates, which I use all the time!

And this little dragonfly seam is #22 in my book, Embellishing Crazy Quilts.

 Since Meg stated that she was more "steam-punk" than Victorian...I included two large pendant style charms from Fire Mountain Gems...a dragonfly and a butterfly.Hopefully, the other ladies in the group will enjoy this block more than I did.It will go into the mail on Monday.  

Butterflies and Dragonflies - Arlene

Got Arlene's block to work on this week. And have picked out my lace for it; and that is stitched down. The center block has two morning glory blooms and the center turns them into a butterfly. Two lace ones help to fill the air. The blue rose is a machine embroidery piece that I have had for a while, and you just can't find a lot of use for a blue rose! But, on Arlene's block it is perfect! A wonderful home.Now, it's on to seam treatments...and beads and SRE!

Butterflies & Dragonflies Begins

Got my block pieced today for the CQI Round Robin "Butterflies and Dragonflies" which mails out on March 15th. I love pastels!

Dragonfly Blinged Out!!

The dragonfly is almost done. A row of tiny seed beads is still needed to be stitched around the tail; the water soluble needs to be soaked off, and the blue felt needs to be trimmed away.  Then, his new home has to be completed...on the Dragonfly Garden quilt...and he needs to be stitched down with another outside row of beads perhaps.Perhaps it is a she? With all this bling...And, yes...it is large. But, the quilt will be too; so the scale will be fine for that project.

BJP 2011 January Still Going...

Now that the round robin blocks are done for this month...I can get back to working on the January Journal Page for Beading Journal Project 2011. Here is where I am on my dragonfly...

If you want to see where I started...check out the tags for BJP2011 in the sidebar. There is still a lot of beading to do in the wings...and I don't have an idea on completing the blue wings yet...but, it will come...all in due time says my muse! Here's a close up for you...isn't the "bling factor" great with this!

 One thing I have definitely learned...start with smaller projects! This dragonfly is about 7 inches long and has a wing span of about 6.5 inches. So, it's taking a lot of seed and bugle beads to fill it up! I'm not sure what the February project page will include...but, the insect will be small! That might help me to get both of them finished by the end of February. Okay...back to beading...

More Beading...

I have not been able to put this down! So, I'm still beading...

I added four Paua shell cabochons. The eyes are two little shank crystal beads, and to make them stand up and not fall to the side, I surrounded them with pearls for a base. The head is a jewelry crystal element that had to be couched down. I love the bling factor in this dragonfly!

Here's where I am now...and I have to stop for a while. I have to get back to some other stitch projects. The upper wings are being filled in with crystal seed beads and some bugles...and I'm thinking that the bottom ones will be a mix of different blues. I'm not at all sure yet about the tail...so we shall see how that goes.
For now...it's back to working on Melissa's block!

BJP 2011 Beading Started...

Wow, I am in love with this project! It is letting me use some beads that I have been "saving" for something special...and that feels great! I started with two Swarvoski teardrop beads...and used a surface peyote stitch to surround them.

Here is the side angle, the peyote make a little wall around and over the stone. If you want to get some really good instruction on this go to Beads East. They have great tutorials on various surface beading techniques.

Then, I added two round Swarvoski rivolis. These were a challenge because they were not beads (no hole)...and they were not flat on the back. Instead, the back came to a point! Yikes. I had to really hold them still while surrounding them with beads...yeah, more peyote stitch!

 I'm having such fun, I almost forgot to stop and take photos!

BJP 2011 January Thinking

Here is my January Dragonfly for BJP2011.

This is my first year to join in on the Beaded Journal Project...and I already having a head full of ideas! Finally, I decided on a theme for my monthly beaded projects...critters! If you follow the blog, you know that I do a lot of blocks and projects for friends, cyber friends, and family.
 One thing I want to do for myself is a large crazy quilt project. I have visions of shabby chic with loads of white, cream, beige fabrics with bits of pastels in lace and embellishments. I have not pieced the first block, because I do not want them to be square...and have not decided on what I "do" want yet! Agrrrrr...some on brain, you can do it! Sorry, I digress...
Anyway, I thought that critters would be a good addition to the project...when it ever gets off the ground! And, I want the critters to be all sizes...some large, some small, some round, some not so round...a real variety.
Therefore, all of my BJP 2011 monthly projects will be critters that I can later stitch down to the crazy quilt full size project. This complicates the creation process some too...because each item must be able to be attached firmly to the final crazy quilt project. So, this first one is also a test! As you might be able to tell from the photo, I used water soluble (traced with a chalk pencil) and hooped it on top of felt. After stitching all the beads firmly into place...I hope to be able to carefully cut the dragonfly out and then be able to handstitch him into the CQ project...more about that when the time comes I'm sure!!

Here are the big stones I'm thinking of using...and other smaller ones will cover the wings, body, and tail. So wish me luck! I'm off on a new adventure in beading! Oh, here's a closeup of the main beads...I wish you could see just how gorgeous these are!

Dragonfly motifs

I've been playing around with Illustrator again...and it is so frustrating!

But, I managed to get a couple of very simple little dragonflies drawn.

Perhaps you can use these as embroidery motif patterns.

I am going to enlarge them and use the outline as a base for some beading I'm going to be working on next year. Of course, I'll let you know how that goes too!

Crystal Beaded Dragonfly Motifs

Recently I beaded up a dragonfly motif for a project. I made several different colors and shapes which I plan on loading into my Artfire Studio Site if I ever get a free minute to call my own around here!

Here is a photo...with the prices as well. If anyone would like one before they are on my studio site, just send me a comment with your email (I won't post it publicly). Also, I'd be happy to make you one in any color you need...like the red one.

All are done with Swarsvoski crystal bicones. The wings are glass on the smaller and metal alloy on the larger; each have round glass or metal beads between the crystals. The tails and body have wire armature, not thread. The tails have been slightly curved, but could also "fly straight" if you wanted.

It is also possible to make them with a ring for hanging (from the top of the head) if you wanted to use them for earring or necklace drops.

Hugs to you all!