More Brazilian Embroidery

Between the weather and the garden, there has not been much stitching going on here at my house of late. One small project, another CQI Round Robin block, was completed. 

This is my last round in the Brazilian Embroidery robin, and this block only had a small "pie slice" of gold fabric to cover. I started by adding trim above and below to frame out the fabric. Then stitched a simple stem-stitch vine with detached chain leaves. A trio of extra long bullions in graduating lengths created some whimsical blossoms along the vine.

The whole block was just gorgeous! My stitching buddies included Diane M., Karrin H., Deloris D., and Rebecca B. and all did wonderful work on all the blocks. I can't wait to get my own block back to see what they created for me!!

And here is my favorite part of this block..of course you could have guessed it would be the ROSES that Karrin stitched! I just wish I had stitched it! Aren't they just gorgeous!If you enjoy crazy quilt blocks...and want to stitch and see other's work as well...I encourage you to consider joining Crazy Quilter's International (CQI) Yahoo Group. They have numerous round robins going ALL THE TIME...giving members plenty of opportunity to stitch!And...if you are specifically interested in Brazilian Embroidery...please consider joining the BDEIG_Online_Chapter Yahoo Group (BDEIG=Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Group). They have loads of good information about Brazilian embroidery and great eye-candy in their photo section.

Beading Lust is Alive!!!

Oh goodness! I have found a great site for beading information. Beading Arts has a free E-book chapter on surface beading available!

And she has follow-on Chapters 2 through 5 available for sale (only $3 each...for 60-90 pages each chapter!). I just had to have all of them! And, each one is just great! Beautiful photos and simple how-to instructions...and lovely charts and diagrams! Wow!So run over there and check this great deal out! I am flabbergasted at the amount of information in each of these chapters...for only $3!...and now, can't wait to see what else she creates.I'm also her newest blog follower!

Marvelous Monday Motifs - 5/2/11

Sharing more of the pages from J. F. Ingalls Company, 1886 Catalog of Perforated Parchment Stamping Patterns. Here are pages 3-4.

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.

Mother Nature is Busy!

Today is a nice restful Sunday...a slight breeze is blowing and the sun is shinning! But, Mother Nature is still busy at work. Our garden is planted (mostly) and look what I found popping their heads out!

Mom has tomatoes, green beans, and squash up on her garden spot. I'm still waiting to see my squash seeds sprout up. Also planted lima beans and okra...so hoping they will get growing fast too! I still have a little part of two rows that need something in them...but have not decided what. Leaning towards peppers...
We still have about 30 tomato plants that are in little cups...if ya'll need any, come on over! I'm thinking about taking a couple of them and putting two large pots on the steps...for Aidan to have a "garden".  She has that little bed over at her play house...but it is full of bulbs and her rose bush. I don't want to do anything that would hurt them...so thinking pots might be a good alternative.

The Dress...

Needle-work is fascinating to me. All types and all themes. But, a wedding gown...especially a Royal Wedding Gown...is so romantic. This day, a gorgeous gown was worn by the newest princess to-be*...and I arose at 3:30 in the morning to see my first glimpse of her magic day. I was not disappointed.

And I was expecting to learn that a fabulous fashion designer had created such a masterpiece. But, it was so much more than that; for the Royal School of Needlework also had a huge part of it's creation. 

If you have not heard of this school, check out this video to learn a little more. And, if you so desire...you can also take classes from the school! How magnificent would that experience be! A dream come true for sure! Here is the official RSN website...for even more information.And, here are a few facts:

• The RSN was founded in 1872 and will celebrate its 140th year in 2012 
• The RSN was granted Royal patronage in 1875.  Its current Patron is Her Majesty The Queen
• The RSN is a charity. It receives no government support and has to generate all its own funds from student fees, donations and Studio commissions
• The RSN is the only embroidery school in the world which teaches so many types of hand embroidery to the highest standards
• The RSN has created many pieces for past Royal events including The Queen’s coronation train in 1953 and the Buckingham Palace balcony hanging for The Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Train in 1953.

“ A six yard train in best quality handmade purple silk velvet, trimmed with best quality Canadian ermine 5" on top and underside and fully lined with pure silk English Satin, complete with ermine cape and all being tailed ermine in the traditional manner, and including embroidery by the Royal School of Needlework” were the royal design specifications based on tradition.

And...a little off topic...but, what wedding day would be complete without the cake! Princess Catherine's was stupendous! Bet it was super yummy too!

* Thanks to all my UK followers whom graciously informed me that Catherine can not be a princess until Queen Elizabeth bestows that honor on her. However, in my fairy-tale world...if you marry a prince, you are a princess...just like Cinderella! How wonderful that would be...and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before "Kate" will be given the title. 

The Night The Lights Went Out...

I had no idea when I posted about the Alabama storms...that the same tornado that came through Tuscaloosa...would also march up the state...and come within 15 miles of my home.

We are fine. However, we have no power. We got a generator for Mom's house today..so she has a refrigerator/freezer and her breathing machine hooked up. I'm working with lanterns and a flashlight. We also have no cable or internet. Right now, I'm 30 miles down the road at my sister's ... laptop in hand...so I can post a quick not to let ya'll know what's up. The local power company has said it could be 3-5 days...or more...before the lights are back on. So, you know that I'll post just as soon as I can...we are safe! PTL! Some homes in the area are simple...no longer there. Horrible!Continue to think of us and remember all of Alabama in your prayers!
UPDATE: Woot! Woot! Hooray for Alabama Power and the City of Piedmont Utilities crews...OUR POWER IS BACK ON! We were 29 hours in the black...but now, the lights are back on! Hoping all will get back to normal tomorrow!

Why Can't Teachers Follow Directions? Or am I just too sensitive?

Here's what I'm sewing on today...

Right after Christmas Holidays ended, I approached Aidan's 1st-Grade teacher with an idea for an art project for her class. She put me off for a few weeks because it was so hectic right after the holidays...and we got together in late February. I asked her to invite the other first grade teachers to the meeting...cause I was considering doing the project with the entire grade if they wanted to.

Of course, they did. So I have blocks from all of the teachers. I asked them to keep each class separate and I'd deal with them that way too...so we didn't have a big mix up of blocks. The project was a Crayola block...any design of their choice. I offered to create the muslin square (with freezer paper backing), purchase all of the fabrics (front, backing, batting) and sew all of the pot holders. Their job was to come up with a design in black Crayola (not the cheap crayons...); trace that on to the muslin squares (center the image) and have each child color their square. Then, when the squares were ironed (by me) the dye in the wax would go down into the fabric...and it would become a washable product. I brought a sample of a Crayola quilt, and showed them how the process would work. They all agreed they could do that, what a wonderful idea.
Here are my instructions to them:1) Each drawn image needs to be no larger than 7 inches...so it would "float" in the middle of the 8 1/2 inch muslin square without getting into the seam allowances.2) Crayons should be used so that the finished pot holders could be washed...cause they would get dirty.3) Make sure each block had the students' name on them and keep each class group separate.

As you can see from the photos...they sent me 93 blocks back...all with a simple hand image done in Tempura paint. Many of the hand prints are larger than seven inches...so some fingers are being chopped off in the seam allowance or some names are being truncated in the seam allowance since they are not inside the seven inches either.

All ninety-three blocks are done in Tempura paints...which I am pretty sure is water based and washable paint. So, I have effectively purchased, measured, and cut fabric for the backs, fabric for the fronts, batting, and freezer paper...for a project that when washed...will be just blank squares of muslin with a calico back! All, because six teachers decided it was fine NOT to follow instructions...NOT to do what THEY agreed to do...and none of them even had the manners to call me about this change BEFORE doing it. (And I wonder who thought this was okay...I hear my Grandmother's voice (if one jumped off the bridge, would all of you jump off too?!?) Sure, the kids won't care...and probably the parents won't either. The people that should care...if they knew...would be the 2nd Grade Teachers...because I will not be offering to do a project like this for them next year. And, I have lost a great deal of respect for these first grade teachers...whom I'm sure could really care less about that too.
ETA (5/3/2011):  Thanks for all the comments. In the end, I returned the potholders to the teachers and decided just to keep quiet about my disappointments. After all, it's just a simple little art project...not important in the larger scheme of things. Thought ya'll like to know that I did receive a nice thank you note from Aidan's teacher yesterday...and thank you notes from the students in her class as well. 

That was a nice thing for them to do!

Severe Weather Today/Tonight

Keep all the folks in the state of Alabama, my home state, in your prayers tonight. Here's what we are dealing with today. 

This image is of a tornado presently (5:30 p.m. CST) at Tuscaloosa, Alabama University campus location. Several others have hit in the northern part of the state around Huntsville. We are due north east of the Tuscaloosa storm...and expect to get severe weather from that in about 3 hours. Keep all of us in your prayers please. Thanks.

Cabochon Brooch

Got a note from a friend; her mom had a cabochon...and would I bead it for her?

Well, that didn't take long to answer! You know I love beads...and beading cabochons! Here is the end result, ready to go home...just as soon as I get a tie-back glued on so she can wear it on her jacket.

And yes, if you have one...I'd love to bead the edges for you too! Just drop me a line.

Getting Personal

How would you like a needle case, tote-bag pocket, or other project with your name monogrammed on it? Don't have an embroidery machine, or just prefer to do hand-stitching? Here are a couple of my friends' names done in Edwardian Script with Illustrator software.

The little "bee" is one of the motifs in my Embellishing Crazy Quilts books. I think the "open" section of these letters could be filled with satin stitch, or left as is...or colored with art pencils.

If you would like to have your name or any name created...just drop me a note or leave a comment here (as long as I have your email address). I'd be happy to create a free design file just for you. I would email you two files (a pdf version & jpeg photo version). All you have to do is print the 3-inch high Monogram and use that as a pattern for your hand-stitching. You can also adjust the photo file to reduce or enlarge the size of the monogram before printing. Even simply stitched in a basic back-stitch, the script looks so pretty! Here's just the "B" done...

You can personalize anything you want to create! And to you moms...yes, I'll do your child's or grandchild's name too! Even a basic name like "Baby" for a gift would be fun! It only takes a little while to create the files; but if there are a lot of requests...they will be first in/first out!

Crazy Quilts in the 1800's

I've been checking out some old books on line at the U.S. Archives Organization. Here's one I came across and loved the artwork on the front and back inside cover! Published in 1886. Lovely colors and artwork!

And, although the book is primarily about embroidery threads and such (being published by a prominent company that manufactured the same)...it had this paragraph regarding the possible origin of crazy quilting. Just made me shake my head!


QUOTE: "It is a mystery where the idea of “crazy” patch-work originated. It would not be an unreasonable supposition that it opened its eyes of origin among the unfortunates in some of our asylums, for, although partially demented, the majority are neither idle nor lacking in sensible adaptation to various works of skill." END QUOTE
Just made me shake my head!

Marvelous Monday Motifs!

Thought I'd try something new! Each Monday, I'll be posting two embroidery motifs. No, I'm not going to be creating new ones each week...that would make me "crazy"...and not in a good way! Oh, sometimes they will be something I did myself...but I can not create two each week!

I have over the past couple of years noticed a lot of embroidery motifs (like the one above), posted on the web. Usually these are yellow and terribly hard to use after printing the design out. And a great many of these are not actual motifs really...but scans of a scan (of a scan?) of an old catalog created by the J. F. Ingalls Company. While digging in the archives I found the original scan of the entire 1886 old catalog, all 286 pages! It is full of lovely embroidery designs; hundreds more than I could ever draw! However, it also takes up 223 megabites of memory...and a LONG time to download. And it's a secure pdf file that can not be altered...making pulling photos very tedious. (It takes me using several softwares...(Illustrator, Cute PDF Writer, Picassa, Paint, Adobe Reader) to create a usable motif image. I'm sure there is an easer way, but these are the software packages that I have...and can work!) Because the file is so large, and a secure pdf...I figured that many folks reading my blog might not have taken the time or trouble (or space) to download this entire catalog. And if they did, have found they can only print it. So, each Monday (when I don't have a design of my own to share)...I'll be sharing two pages from this catalog as jpeg files. These can be resized using your photo software. I will also upload these pages in pdf form into the Yahoo Files so you can get them there as well. So, check out these first two pages:

We'll just keep going until we work through the entire catalog!

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 Easter!

Thought I'd share some great graphics from the Graphics Fairy with you!

This one is pretty amazing ...miraculous even!! And so perfect for Easter weekend. According to the book it was taken from, this fantastic pen flourished image of Jesus was originally all done with the "single stroke of the pen"!!

These are just too cute!

AND, I also found this post over at We Love Quilting and thought you’d love it too!

“All I need to know, I learned from the Easter Bunny!”

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.

There’s no such thing as too much candy.

All work and no play can make you a basket case.

A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.

Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.

Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.

Some body parts should be floppy.

Keep your paws off of other people’s jelly beans.

Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.

The grass is always greener in someone else’s basket.

To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.

The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

Hope you have a great Sunday…dye something!

My Muse is Complete!

She is a little wild and crazy...full of the joy of creativity!

She loves to dream up ideas for me to pursue!She refuses to let me become bored with daily chores!

She does not sleep!Instead spends her nights distributing dust bunnies and threads on my floor!She occasionally changes my clocks to make me late!She hides important things so I have to spend loads of time looking for them!She makes me smile when  I look at her!(She is wearing a hat in honor of William and Catherine's wedding!)

andif you want to make your own...the pattern and instruction sheet areloaded on the Yahoo Group Site in the Files section