StitchMAP Moderator Challenge Swap

A few days ago, I shared a sneak peak photo of the challenge item I created for Amy. Well, I mailed it and she has received it…so I can blog the entire photo! Yea!

 The challenge was to take a beautiful peacock applique motif that Shari sent to all the Moderators at Christmas time…and create a special object for our swap partner. I started a crazy quilt project…hated it! Discarded it. I started a needle case…hated it! Discarded it. Then I was thinking that I really needed a creative muse to help me develop a real plan for this swap. Bingo! The light went on! And, I created my first “muse”. After creating her for Amy..I had to create one of my own…which ya’ll got to see right away! Here is Amy’s muse…with her peacock necklace…and hair clip!

 I did not think to take a photo of the peacock motif before I cut it into 3 pieces! The necklace only needed a short piece...and the remainder I put into the hair clip.

If you have not sewn a doll in a while...it is very enjoyable! I highly recommend it!

If you need a pattern, remember that there is a free one in the Yahoo Files...check that out on the Creative Muse post I did earlier. Here are some more photos!

Editorial Comment

Be advised that Blogger has had some issues of late. Some of my posts had to be re-posted after the system corrections were made.So, you might need to scroll over a couple of the "New" Old posts...to see the really new ones! Ha!Hugs!

Candji's UTS Block

Candji's Under the Sea crazy quilt block is the last of our round robin blocks for me to work on. I'm running a little late due to several days with sinus crud this past month, and the loss of electricity for a couple of days due to the tornado. Candji graciously let me take a couple of extra weeks to complete my work! The block was fun to stitch on and here are some photos!

The block was worked on by Darlene D. of Owosso, MI; Deloris D. of Columbia City, IN; and Jacque S. of Gordon, NE; before I received it. And these ladies did such a wonderful job that it was a joy to follow them! Candji also added a lot of interest to her basic block by using fabrics with textures in them. I stitched the bottom middle section mostly..and added some bibs and pieces elsewhere to balance the entire project. One easy step was to include some applique "critters". I had a bit of cotton fabric with a dolphin, octopus, and sea turtle...so these were cut out and fused/sewn in place.

After stitching some lace, partial lace, and fibers into place...I added beaded plants. These were created by loading seed bead onto wire...twisting the ends to keep the beads from falling off...and bending the wire around a pencil to help it curl in a spiral. If you do this, leave about a quarter of an inch on the wire without any beads...so it will bend and not bread the beads. Can you see the spirals?

There are several painted or inked charms on the block. Here are some of the inked fish...the bottom left and right are those I added in this space. Brass charms that have been inked are gorgeous!

I also added some plant life by the sea turtle appliqued down. The plant was created with pink/purple varigated EdMar threads in super long cast-on stitch...that twisted nicely. On either side is a piece of DMC Color Infusions Memory Thread in dark olive green. This is actually not thread...but super thin wire, coated and wrapped in thread. I wrapped a piece about two foot long around a large doll needle to get the coils...and then couched it down. The base of the plant was covered with a snippet of lace for another plant illusion.

Lastly, here is a wire and seed bead fish. It was created and then couched into place. The body is thin and flexible beading wire. The fins were created with a little thicker wire, bend into shape, and then all was wired together. 

Hope these photos give you lot's of stitching and embellishing ideas for your own Under the Sea kind of block!

French Script Saturday -- B

Here's another embroidery monogram motif for you!

Margaret and Jenny

This is my grandmother Margaret Farmer (right) and my great-aunt Jenny Champion (left). They are sisters.

One of my fondness memories of the two of them together is the summer I was in the 11th grade. My girlfriend, Brenda Barnes, and I were working at the high school painting the halls and getting things ready for school to open back up in the spring. We were part of a student work program that went all year. During the school year, we worked in the assistant principal's office or the library...but during the summer, they found any odd job that could be done by us kids...and put us to work. It was a great way to spend the summer...earning some money! We were required to bring our lunch, or we could walk up town to the square and get a hamburger. Neither of us could afford that each day...so I asked my Aunt Jenny if she would fix us a sandwich each day...and we would pay her (seems to me, we each gave her around $10 every 2-weeks when we got paid).  We thought we'd get a bologna or peanut butter/jelly sandwich. But, the first day we went to her house (which was just a few hundred yards from the high-school) we had a full meal on the table. Boy, my Aunt Jenny would cook! I don't believe I have ever eaten better my entire life; as I did that summer! Every day we had cornbread or biscuits (the best I've every had!); fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers; and some kind of vegetables and meat...or a big pot of stew or soup...or beans and cornbread! Yum! I'm hungry just remembering. My grandma was an okay cook...but not as good as my Aunt Jenny. She tried...and I think the two of them had a little competition going at times. One would cook one day...and another the next sometimes. Other times, they just did it together.Oh how I wish I could turn back the clock...just to have another few minutes with both of these women!

Oh look what I just received!

The CQI round robin swap...Under The Sea is coming to an end...and the blocks are finding their way home.Look at how gorgeous my block is; the ladies did a wonderful job on it! (I did not stitch any of this...but I'm lucky enough to now own it! LOL!)

Here are some closeups so you can see the detail. Isn't the mermaid so neat, she reminds me of a sea urchin....

The little lace fish are actually lace petals from a sun-flower...how creative!

The wide ribbon is not something that I would have considered...but I'm so loving it with the seaweed and beads...and I'll be using the idea in future seascape blocks!

And check out this little scene! I love the ribbon work...and will be "borrowing" this little stitching idea too!

The stitching is by Candj B. of Kent, Ohio; Darlene D. of Owosso, Michigan; Deloris D. of Columbia City, Indiana; and Jacque S. of Gordon, Nebraska. Thanks ladies, the block is gorgeous!

Wednesday Wine Country Monograms -- A

By now, you're probably thinking I'm nuts! More monograms! But, I just am having such fun creating them! 

And, it blocks another blog day...which will be great this summer when the garden has all those veggies that need my attention. Wouldn't want ya'll to miss having something to stitch! And, if you don't care for the flowers on French Script Saturdays...just kick back with a glass of wine (or a cup of tea) and stitch these grape inspired monograms...or applique` them on some quilt blocks!

StitchMap Moderator Challenge

Once upon a time, there was a lovely lady named Shari. She spent her day caring for her family and enjoying her needle arts. As she stitched, a little fairy came and whispered into her ear..."shari...share...". 

And Shari began to see a fantasy world before her where ladies (and perhaps a few men) were all stitching and talking and laughing. Those that knew how to stitch were showing those that did not. Those that could use their needle with the most skill were sharing that knowledge with those that wanted to learn how to make their needle work like that too! Each had a book with pages of instruction so all learned the proper way to work their needles. The group had some jesters laughing and encouraging each other. Much fun was had!

Really, this little story is my interpretation of a wonderful Yahoo Group that I belong too (well, actually, I belong to several wonderful Yahoo Groups... but today I'll talk about just this one). StitchMAP is a group where volunteers that know about a specific type of needle-art are willing to share that knowledge and their time with others that would like to learn more about that specific needle-art. Instruction is structured so everyone in the group is getting the same information; it progresses at a pace that is different for each person, tailored to their schedule and ability; each "apprentice" is assigned a "mentor" who helps them work through the course of instruction on a chosen needle-art technique; many photos are shared; and much general fun is also had with games and such!

I am lucky enough to be one of several moderators for StitchMap...and help mostly with preparing some course instructions. If you want to learn about needle-arts...Crazy Quilting, Hardanger, Silk Ribbon Embroidery, Surface Hand Embroidery, Tatting, Brazilian Embroidery, Needlepoint, Quilting, Blackwork, Cross Stitch, and other Counted Thread techniques...any other type of needlework that you can think of (and I can't at the moment...)..then StitchMap is a group you should consider. 

And the courses and instruction is FREE! No cost at all! There are simple guidelines (rules if you will) to keep everyone on track and involved...but you can progress at your own pace until you finish a course. And you can sign up for many things and have fun with other non-course activities to learn along the way too! 

Any how...the reason for this post was actually to post this sneak peek to my other moderators...because we are involved in a swap. Our precious Shari sent each of us a beautiful magic peacock feather at Christmas...and challenged us to make a beautiful object for a fellow moderator. We are soon exchanging these items...and mine went into the mail today. Can't say "who or what" until it is received...but I'll post a complete photograph next Tuesday!

Spring Basket Sampler

Here's a cross-stitch sampler for you. The colors are your choice!

Afternoon Delight!

Buddy and I took a little walk around the back yard this afternoon...and check out all of the blooms we found! And the smell is wonderful too!

And these beauties are inside the house...a miniature rose that my dear friend Pam Naugher brought to me on Saturday...isn't she a sweet friend! She knows how much I love roses!

Marvelous Monday Motifs - 5/9/11

You can read all about my idea for Marvelous Monday Motifs here. Today we have pages 5-6 of the J. F. Ingalls Company, 1886 Catalog of Perforated Parchment Stamping Patterns. 

Please NOTE: This catalog is not under copyright any longer; but the scanned version released to the public domain on 17 July 2007 (the source of my information) does come with restrictions. None of these designs can be sold. They are for your individual use.

Happy Mother's Day & a Give-A-Way!

Today we celebrate out mothers! Some are superwomen, some aren't...but, we would not be here without their efforts...so for all, we celebrate their life.

I am fortunate to be a child of a supermom...who in her late 70's still is a wonder to me every day! Here's some flowers for all the Mom's! Happy Mother's Day!

Love you Mom!AND to really celebrate LET'S HAVE A GIVE-A-WAY!There are 3 prizes available! I will use a random number generator of all valid entries to determine the winners. The Give-a-Way is Open until midnight CST on Saturday, 14 May...one whole week!Read the Entry Instructions Below carefully...

Here is prize #1...Approximate Value is $120Included are 3 pkgs (1/8 yd ea) of designer fabrics; 10 lace motifs; 10 spider motif bead kits; 12 spools of perle cotton thread; 3 packages of Hoffman Bead Soup Starter; 6 tin boxes with clear lids; 8 silkie prints; 8 packages of rickrack; 1 pkg Pebble beading needles, 1 spool (750 yards) quilting thread; 1 Kumihimo Braiding Disk; 2 Judith Baker Montano 4mm silk ribbon; 2 pkgs Judith Baker Montano silk thread; and a jumbo selection of sequins (not photographed).

Here is prize #2...Approximate Value is $50Instant Memories French Pages, ready-to-use scrapbook pages with CD images for MAC & PC plus an assortment of scrapbook supplies.

Here is prize #3...Approximate Value is $35Instant Memories Love, ready-to-use scrapbook pages with CD images for MAC & PC plus an assortment of scrapbook supplies.
Woot! Woot! That's over $200 in total prizes! And, I'm giving you lot's of ways to get an entry!
1- For one entry, comment on this post and tell me which charm and lace items you would like to have from the Shawkl Design Studio website.

2- For another entry, write a blog post about this giveaway (or just about the blog if you don't want the competition) and leave a comment saying "I blogged!" with a link to your post. (Your post must also include a link to Shawkl blog - but you knew that, right?)

3- For another entry follow the Shawkl blog and leave a comment letting us know that you do.

4- For another entry  "like" us on facebook and leave a comment letting us know that you did (include your facebook link).

5- For another entry link to the Shawkl blog on facebook and leave a comment telling us where it's posted (include your facebook link).

6- For another entry link to Shawkl blog on twitter and leave a comment telling us where it's posted (include your twitter link).

5- For three entries, place an order at Shawkl Designs or tell us that you have already placed an order in the past (include name of person order was mailed to so we can verify).

That's a possible NINE ENTRIES!

The winners will be announced on 15 May...make sure I can contact you or your prize will be forfeited, and I'll draw again.