Squash Squad Stitch Along is Finished!!

Nine weeks of stitching with Sue Spargo is over! I have enjoyed this project immensely. For one thing, I got to practise stitches, that under normal circumstances, I would probably not bother with! So thanks Sue!! 

These blocks are not yet stitched together. That will happen after I finish several Christmas presents. I am planning some more wool applique with vines and leaves, for the border. Stay tuned! It will be in the new year.

The squash used in this project are:

Spaghetti Squash           Long Island Cheese Pumpkin                           Queensland Blue Pumpkin

Baby Boo Pumpkin       Blue Hubbard Squash                                        Knuckle Head Pumpkin

Big Moon Pumpk          Mellow Yellow & Painted Purple Pumpkin      Porcelain Princess Pumpkin

 

Squash Squad Blocks 1 - 4

Squad Squad stitch along with Sue Spargo, started on September 22 (HERE). Since then, four out of nine blocks, have been featured on her blog. 

The following squash blocks are in various stages of completion. 

Block One, Spaghetti Squash

There are suppose to be small buttons added to the turquoise circles. I'm still debating whether or not I'll do something with them. Not buttons! 3 bees are waiting to be added to the vine on the right.

Block Two, Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Finished!!

Block Three, Queensland Blue

I have two more flowers to make on this one and some running stitches on the background.

 

 

Block Four, Baby Boo

This is day 1 / 4 of stitching 

Last evening the couching and chain stitching was completed. I'll probably get today's stitches embroidered tonight.

For those of you, who just found my blog, take a look at the 90 Circles Instastitch with Sue, that were hand embroidered during the lock down.

Enjoy!!

Snow Happens Update / Mega Storm in Newfoundland

Slow and steady wins the race. Really?? In any case, I have a bit more done to my hand embroidered snowmen. Here's the pieced border that had me say a few choice words over it yesterday.

I have the four sides trimmed and ready to stitch onto the piece.

On another note:

Thinking about my relatives and friends in Newfoundland today with the mega snowstorm playing havoc to the point that the mayor of St. John's declared a state of emergency today. My friend, M, has been keeping me updated on the storm.

To read more about it and to view some video clips, check out CBC HERE .  This weekend is going to be one of digging out for the residents of St. John's and area.

Now for some fun stuff (depending on how you look at it), here's a few links to explore:

• Mary Corbet's Needle n Thread blog has some free hand embroidery patterns for you to use.
• DMC has lots of free patterns for hand embroidery.
• Get a head start on 2020 Christmas by sewing up the Felt Christmas Tree Ornaments at Bugs and Fishes.
• Inspired by the snow, check out the free pieced and quilted Little Landscape wall hanging. 

Enjoy!!

Boutique at EAC Seminar

EAC Seminar always has a boutique that is separate from the Vendors Market. L'Atelier de Penelopne provided the embroidery merchandise this year. There were lots of embroidery items to choose from.

Yes, I did visit the boutique and made a modest purchase. I've been looking at DMC Coloris floss since they came out and decided to finally get them. Not sure what I will use them in yet. I did discover that I don't have # 2, #23 & # 24 and I have two extras of # 12. It seems that some of the colors were in the wrong boxes. Tomorrow I will pay another visit to see if I can get the ones I missed.

Enjoy!

Stitching!!

In honour of World Embroidery Day, I hope you managed to do some stitching. It was 31C in the shade at my brother-in-laws house here in the valley, NS , so I sat out on the deck and stitched for a short while.

Now for your pleasure, here are a few stitching links:

• Let's make a hussif tutorial (lots of stitching projects)
• Feeling Stitchy
• Stitch School
• Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread
• Sublime Stitching
• Embroidery as Art
• Racaire's Embroidery and Needlework
• DMC Threads
• Polka and Bloom
• French Knots
• Make It Coats
• Stitchin Fingers

My friend, Verna, made this beautiful Temari Ball for my birthday mid July.

Hand Embroidery: Trellis Work Fan

Happy May!! Now if the weather would just cooperate, things would be great. I think this is the first May 1st that I still had to wear my winter cost outside. Anyway, that's enough complaining. Warmer days will come. I'm hoping that if I say it enough, it will actually happen.

I belong to the St. John's Embroidery Guild. At each meeting, the program committee presents a project. The January project (a three month piece) was a Trellis Work Fan. Each kit ($5) contained 11" x 11" silk noile, 11" x 11" unbleached muslin, DMC perle cotton, pattern and directions. The pattern was designed by one of our members and is based on a fan drawing from the SJGE NeedleNews.

The two fans below were hand embroidered by my friend, Debbie. She gave me permission to photograph and show her work. Of course, she did her own thing by changing the stitches used, adding beads and using different colours from the ones included in the kit.

All her work is just beautifully executed. Thanks for letting me show your work, Debbie!!

Pearl Cotton Balls

Last summer, I visited Stitch-It Central in Ontario, Canada.  You can see that post HERE. They are now carrying DMC # 8, # 5 and # 12 Pearl Cotton balls. See all the colours they have on their website. That is good news for my NL readers as the # 8 Pearl Cotton is generally difficult to get locally. Fiber Lilly, St. John's, NL., has a limited supply, so please check them out. For most stitching needs, we have to order our supplies from out of province. I'd much sooner buy locally but if an item isn't available, then it's the next best thing.

Happy Stitching

This afternoon was for relaxing! I spent some time catching up with blogs I read. My focus was on hand stitching - something I hope to do more of in 2012. Several years ago I took part in a three year, 5 level hand embroidery course. I was not a lover of crewel work and stitching with wool. However, I came across some Jacobean leaves by Kelly Fletcher, on the Feeling Stitchy blog. I just may do some of these this year! Feeling Stitchy has some wonderful stuff.

Also check out the following:
Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread
Stitchin Fingers
Hand Embroidery Network (HEN)
Curiosities 808 (from Hawaii) - not just crochet
Racaire's Embroidery & Needlework (Ausrtia)
DMC Threads with Emma Broidery
Polka & Bloom
French-Knots: all things stitchy
Hand Embroidery from Sadalas
Pin Tangle


Hand & Machine Embroidery by Judy Cooper