A Short Video of some Motifs/Techniques Learned in the Free Courses!
Okay, here's the deal. I woke up this morning...and could not believe what I had been thinking. Now, usually, dreams are just not very memorable at my house. And, as a result...I don't usually recall them at all. Or, if I do, they slip out of my brain pretty fast after waking up. But, not this morning. And that fact alone is somewhat disturbing...why remember THIS dream? Well, I'll let you decide.Last night, I was a pollster...yep, a lady with a clipboard (it was before internet) asking burning questions to the public. And here were my questions...ready...really this is just too weird...or perhaps I'm seriously disturbed? I'll let you decide that...Q: When sleeping alone, do you sleep in the middle of the bed or on mostly one side?Q: If you sleep mostly on one side, is it the side nearest the clock?SEE...Weird! Or should I be concerned and seek immediate medical attention! 
I seriously love this block! And, am really surprised...because the "theme" really was a difficult one for me to get a good grasp of. Wine=grapes to me...and I had a hard time going beyond that. But, lucky for me...the other ladies in my group...the ones that stitched this block! for ME...had no difficulty at all!
Here is the simple empty block that I mailed off to the group...And, I so love the results that returned to me! I'm searching through my fabric stash for just the right piece to create a pillow from this. I want it in view all the time. It might just have to live on my permanent design wall for a while...just so I can enjoy it each day.Thank you ladies (Beryl, Carol, Darlene, and Meg) for the wonderful job!And to my blogging buddies...here are some closeup shots of the block, so you can see how great it really, really, is up close!
Wish you could see it in person...it is even so much better than photos show!
A while back...I posted about a ribbon embroidery style basket...here.
This is that same design, modified some...and done in embroidery.
I'm thinking this might make a good class project...and am also thinking about adding some more floral volume ...but, no time for that right now. We'll let the muse mull over the design and then see how that turns out.The basket is stitched first (stem stitch), then the vines (back-stitch), then the leaves (feather-stitch), then the cluster flowers (French knots), and last are the rose flowers (woven rose stitch). Take it one layer at a time. It is seriously not difficult and was finished in about 3 days. The threads are all Perle Cotton, sz 8 for this project; in colors #1201, #1216, # 1208, and #1221; purchased from Thearica over at CrazyQuiltingSupplies.
Here is Ellie's second embroidery bib.It would be just as appropriate for a boy as for her.It is done is simple back-stitch embroidery. My flavors of choice were chocolate, pistachio, and strawberry (dark brown, light lime green, pink perle cotton threads, size 8). The cone is done is dark gold perle 8...all threads are cotton.
And, I'm thinking that the design would also be really cute done in fabrics...as applique layers. If you do fusible applique...then you already know that each ice-cream layer shape would be traced on to the fusible webbing and then ironed to three different fabrics (remember to add a little for tucking under each other). I might just try that myself sometime soon...maybe for a pillow top? Oh, wouldn't that be cute ironed to a little t-shirt front! I can picture some plaids, polka dots, stripes for the different ice creams. (If anyone does this before me, please send me a photo of the finished work...I'd love to post it!) I have no idea with I'd have the time to actually get it done...but will now be shopping for plain little t-shirts I'm thinking! Yikes! More projects!Next, I've got to get back to my "regular monthly stitching" before I get too far behind on my Block of the Month quilt blocks...and my Take A Stitch Tuesday samples!
Here is the ice-cream cone embroidery design for y'all! Hope you enjoy stitching it!Both this design and the monogram design I posted yesterday too about 2 hours each to stitch, an extra hour for sewing on lace, turning, tucking in ribbon ends...it was about six hours from start to finish to complete both bibs. Don't think everything "hand-made" takes loads of time..you will seriously be surprised at how fast things can be stitched. Especially a design like this, where you can do the entire think in simple back-stitch! Give hand embroidery a try if you have not done so already. You can so impress your new mom-to-be with a hand made gift that she will (hopefully) cherish enough to have a family keepsake.By the way...a question for you...as I'm sure some of you already do this...I want to purchase some hang-tags to insert into my hand-made baby things. I want them to say something simple so that they can be used on quilts, garments, purses...etc. Not sure if I just want them to read "Handmade by Shawkl Designs" or something else. Do you have any recommendations for having these done? I don't want thousands...but still would like a decent price for them.Thanks for any suggestions.
Ellie's monogram bib is finished.
The pattern for the bib is really simple...an extra large bowl...and a cup will make the circles. You can then elongate the circle if you desire. Or just use a rectangle shape with curved corners...and the coffee mug. Large children than newborn-3months?...use a bowl instead of the cup. Viola...you have a pattern! Do you have an "E" in your family...if so...here is the embroidery chart for you.
It does not have to go on a bib of course...try it on a tote-bag, or book cover, or countless things!
Ellie's initial was stitched in shadow embroidery, as were the tiny leaves. The large leaves were done in feather-stitch, the flowers in back-stitch, and the vine in stem stitch. All of the embroidery work for this was stitched two strand Silk Mori embroidery floss from Krenik because a friend kindly gifted me some...too expensive for me to purchase on my own. It is glorious to stitch with, but I'm saving it for small projects since I have just a wee bit to work with. It would be bad to start a project and run out...there is no where around here to get more...and ordering online and waiting would be pure torture!I highly recommend the thread however...if you have not tried it...and get the chance, do it! And if you have some and don't like it...mail it off to me...I'd gladly use it! Hugs!I have not forgotten about the "generic" bib design I promised...and am stitching on it...so hope to have that for you tomorrow!
The next project is a bib for Baby Elizabeth Jane...who is due in the next few weeks to arrive! This is the outline of the embroidery and bib shape traced on to linen. But, before I get started on this project...let me show you a couple of photos from yesterday's Baby Shower for "Ellie".The mom-to-be (again) is my niece, Shannon. My youngest sister Jan arranged the shower for her yesterday, including some games (they are not in the photos). The funniest game was a race...between two teams. Here they are, my grand-daughter Aidan and my younger sister Anna racing against my niece Melissa (Shannon's sister) and Jean (Shannon's MIL).
You can also see Tracy, my youngest brother's wife...whom lives next door in the photo.The teams were a pretend Mom and Baby...and the idea of the game is for the Mom to "diaper" the Baby. Each team was given a paper bag with secret contents and told that ALL of the contents had to be used. What was in the bag? ...well...one full roll of toilet tissue!
Anna and Aidan won...but only because Anna "stuffed" Aidan and the tissue into the bag so it would stay up...along with half of the TP roll ...unused...as Anna announced that Aidan was now a boy...and the TP Roll was her &*^%$ (I'm sure you can fill in this blank)! This was Aidan's first shower to attend...and she had a great time! We all enjoyed tons of food and Shannon got loads of baby clothes and needed items. And, everyone loved the little dresses and blankets that I've been working on these past couple of weeks...thankfully! Do you international ladies have Baby Showers in your country? Just wondering if they are as "crazy" as some of ones my family plans. We always have tons of food of course, and the new Mom gets tons of baby things as gifts, and we play GAMES. Some games are pencil/paper types...like taking the baby's proposed name and determining how many words can be made with the letters...that represent baby items. Or, perhaps a BABY CROSSWORD puzzle to complete within a given amount of time. Oh, I could give a long list of "pencil games". But, the real fun is the "race style" games.The last baby shower in the family was for my nephew and his wife...and I decided on the games.My teams of Mothers had to Feed the Baby...and were given a choice of two bags. One bag contained a jar of baby food...peas or prunes; the other bag contained a jar of applesauce. Each team was lucky...and chose the applesauce. They had to feed those "babies" the entire jar...with a baby spoon. Each team was given a bib (dish towel) to also go around the baby's neck. My sister Anna was one of the babies...and my sister Jan was her "Mom". Jan stuffed that spoon into Anna's mouth as fast as she could...and Anna promptly "spit up" into that bib! They were so funny...and this story probably tells MORE about how my family works and plays that you should know!! Ha! I'm working on a bib pattern with shadow applique embroidery motif, generic in style for ya'll, and will get that posted this week (hopefully)...as soon as I get it done in Illustrator.Hope all are having a glorious weekend!
I just had a good little laugh with Aidan...and thought you might enjoy one too. Here is the image that greeted me as I looked up from the computer keyboard. Aidan looks like a sausage in the casing...as she got herself wrapped into this piece of scrap flannel fabric. Note the beaded evening purse to complete her outfit!
But, the ingenious part is how she did it...
it took her 60 pins to make it work! Shows a lot of determination and creativity I think. Made me laugh...
Boy, what a week I have had...just since Friday! Painted with my niece/hubby for 3 days getting their basement sheet rock done. We still have the trim work, but that will wait a few days. She had to pick a wall color for the bathroom.There is a baby shower this Saturday, so Tracy (Dear SIL) and I decided to clean the house for her. We went over Monday (after all that painting) and did the kitchen, baths, bedrooms, living room...and were too tired to finish the floors. So, this morning we went back and scrubbed both bathroom floors (on my knees) the mopped, vacuumed the carpet and rugs, and steamed the hardwood living room and kitchen. I am so sore...I can hardly move!
In the evening, I've been sewing on bullions for little roses. This little dress will be my Mother's gift to the niece...for her first little girl...go with her already three rough'n'tumble boys.
The dress is a bishop style made of chiffon. It has French seams and lace trim adorned with bullion roses.Now, I'm working on a little slip to go under that. Wish you could see the dress for real..it is so feminine and looks like a cloud.
Continuing sewing the cutest (okay maybe not THE cutest..but still darn cute!) little baby clothes this week. I have the last dress constructed but am adding bullion roses to the lace.
When it's all done I'll post a pic of the outfit. Still need to stitch the under slip...which is cut out and on the table waiting patiently.But, before that...am helping my niece and her hubby to paint their newly finished basement. With 3 little boys, and now a new sister almost here...it was time to get this done. So, painter by day and seamstress by night! At least for about 3 more days...Right now...waiting for them to come and get their "helper" for another afternoon of painting fun!So, thought ya'll might like to see what an IMPACT simple little bullion rosebuds have on this lace trim.If you have not tried bullions...seriously, once you get the hang of them, they are so fast and easy. The trick? Find a needle that is long and lean...the eye should be the same width as the shaft. Straw needles and milliners needles are ideal. However, I work with perle cotton...and it's near impossible to find these needles in large enough sizes to get the perle cotton through the eye. So, I use doll needles and any needle (regardless of the name) that I find that fits the criteria of SAME SIZE SHAFT AS EYE. This type of needle glides through the "thread wraps" that you create during the stitch process...and don't get "caught" when the eye gets pulled through the wraps. So, my soapbox for today is...if you are having trouble doing bullion roses....It is NOT because they are hard...It is NOT because you are a doe-doe brain...It is because the needle you choose is the wrong one for the job. Try again! Seriously, they are easy...if they weren't...I would not be wasting my time by doing so many on this little dress. Really, I wouldn't!
Here's a little bullion rose tutorial for you...on a 4-hole button. You just won't believe how cute these are! This one is only about 1/4 inch in size...so hard to photograph...sorry you can't appreciate just how cute it really is by this pic. But, you'll agree for sure once you have tried it...just grab a four hole button and a scrap of fabric to try this out!First...start by securing the button down with regular sewing thread. You want to rotate the button so that the holes form a diamond and not a square; and secure by stitching vertical and horizontally at least twice...then anchor your sewing thread to the back. Change to embroidery thread and a slender needle without a large eye...as it has to pass through the wholes a couple of times.
Next, you start by stitching one bullion of the rose bud color (pink shown in the chart below) using the top and bottom (A & B) holes. You have to use the "poke and pull" method since you can not needle through the hard button. Just needle up at "A"; needle down at "B" but do not pull the thread all the way through...needle back up at "A"...hold the needle straight and wrap the thread starting at the base about eight times around the needle. Now, pinch those wraps between your fingers and pull the needle. This will bring the remainder of your thread through those wraps. Pull downwards and the wraps will begin to tighten up, you can also "nudge" them into place with the needle at this stage by pushing on them slightly...while pulling the thread. Lastly, needle down again at "B" to hold the bullion in place. Stitch two more bullions in this vertical position with the "pink" embroidery floss. I used silk floss and two strands for these little buttons...you'll have to adjust as needed based on the size of your button and your floss. Then stitch the green bullions in the same manner but using the "side" holes as shown in this chart as your "A" and the "B" position remains the same...the bottom hole.
I had great fun yesterday creating this little blouse for my new niece...we are awaiting her arrival. The fabric was thicker than the pattern called for...making the neck opening larger than designed.
So, instead of a Bishop Style Dress for a six month old...it became a Bishop Style Blouse for a twelve month old. Luckily this was an easy fix to just enlarge the sleeve openings by using longer elastic. Bishop style types are very forgiving...and my muse loves to "adapt and over come!".Next, I'm off to find some thinner fabric to try this again in the correct size. And, I want to make it longer for more of a christening style gown. We'll see how that comes out. I'm having a great time stitching baby clothes and such....but am getting more behind with my "monthly" projects...so it will be a race to see if my muse can catch up! Hugs to all!
Here's my block for the month of May. Working in only white is difficult for me; and I wish that I had not put all the laces and trims on at the beginning of the year. Now, I'm kinda locked in on what to do.But, I did figure out a "plan" for my blocks...other than a white wall-hanging...but will have to try it out with some of these first five blocks to see if it works. Sometimes my mind had great ideas...that my hands can not create! Ha!
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.
