Crazy Quilted Post Card

As I posted on November 27, I won a gorgeous crazy quilted postcard from Magpie's Mumblings. It arrived a few days ago and is lovely. The button embellishments are quite tiny and the beaded stocking is very dainty. Thanks again, Mary Anne.

• Crazy Quilted Christmas on Pinterest HERE.   
• Christmas Crazy Quilt  
• Christmas Stocking  
• U Tube how to sew a Crazy Quilted Stocking 
• Crazy Quilt Embroidery Stitches  
• Crazy Quilting at Needle 'N Thread       
• Tutorial from Pin Tangle  

I also added Sharon Boggon's Visual Guild to Crazy Quilting, to my library.  In this book, Learn crazy-quilting techniques with colorful photos that show every detail. Sharon combines fabric, embellishments, and 35 stitches as well as endless variations of these stitches to create stunning crazy quilts. This is a 'must have' if you like making crazy quilted projects.

Enjoy!1

TAST

Well, Sharon Boggon's,  Pintangle, Take A Stitch Tuesday (TAST), is back! For those of us who have followed Pintangle, this is indeed exciting. Even if you didn't do the weekly stitching, it was there as an excellent reference. You could also do the stitching at your leisure without any pressure. That was the part I liked best.

What is TAST? Check it out HERE.  This link has a list of all the stitches that were done over the last few years - AND is an excellent resource. Worth book marking for quick access.

So, everyone, check out the re-run of TAST!

For the beginner, it is a great way to learn to stitch and for others, it is a way to explore and use a variety of different threads and yarns.

So, get started and enjoy!

Fabric Books

I have been asked where I come up with some of the various topics for my blog posts. Well, some ideas are directly from my own art while other ideas are the results of reading other blogs. Sometimes a word or picture will also trigger something. Today's post idea is the result of reading an email from Pin Tangle. Sharon Boggon found a great tutorial from Shade Tree Art with a step by step tutorial on how to make a basic fabric book. Take a look at it.

For the most part, we consider fabric books as those for young children. Consider making one for your sewing samples. Or make a Sewing To Go Book (that name just popped into my head) with pockets to hold floss, needles, scissors and other small supplies!

This is my sewing portfolio that I designed and made a couple of years ago. It has a magnetic bag closure and lots of pockets. I could have added take out pages using velcro strips -  maybe another time. However, the glue stick is kept in place with velcro. A strip of the soft side of velcro is stitched on the wide fold over section and the sticky piece is stuck on the glue container. It works quite nicely.

I think this book from Shade Tree Art, can also be made with children in mind. For example, each page could be a different colour with applique figures added. I found a couple of tutorials for children's books here and here (this one is made from scraps). Add this one about shapes. You get the idea!

Enjoy!

Stitching Stuff

Here lately I have been looking at a lot of stitching sites. My search is for free-style embroidery that can be both functional and decorative, and can be stitched on just about any surface. I've been using the Pintangle site (I'm a member) as a jumping off place to find 'stuff'. Since TAST has started up for another year, most members signed in giving their blog or web site address. Find them HERE (scroll down). In case a blog is not written in English, use Google Translate to help you out. Just follow the directions - it's easy to use. These sites also have favorite places to visit that may be different from anything you have seen so far.

Here's some places to visit:
Antique Pattern Library
Freebies from Kissy Cross (mostly cross stitch)
Free charts at Tantes Zolder
The Work Basket
Gazette 94 - more freebies
Tom Pudding Designs
Britain's # 1 Cross Stitcher
One Day a Grid Cross Stitch
Pattern Maker Charts
Albums D'Anyan
Craft Ideas
Tams Creations (Black work & cross stitch)
Elsa Mora (two free embroideries)

This applique is an original design based on an Elizabethan Embroidery that I had previously designed. It was done a few years ago as part of an embroidery course. My intention was to make it into a cushion but so far it just sits in my cupboard.

TAST

TAST - Take a Stitch Tuesday, from Pintangle started on Tuesday. I had forgotten all about it. Now I have to scramble to do up some fabric to use for a stitch sampler. For a list of participants in the 2012 TAST with links to their blogs, go here. There's lots to see. Also, check out TAST on Facebook.
The first stitch for 2012 is the fly stitch. Go here for Sharon B's dictionary of stitches. The Art of Threads has a video of making this stitch (scroll down).

Fly Stitch from Stitch Magazine

If you are interested in doing some embroidery, Needlecrafter has a lot of free designs as well as a stitch dictionary, to get you started.
Enjoy!

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

Sketchbook Challenge

I did sign up to participate in the Sketchbook Challenge.
A while ago (year or two - not sure) I did an on-line course with Sharon B. from Pin Tangle called Studio Journal: A Designers Workhorse. It was the first on-line course I've done. It was quite a good one and I would recommend it if anyone was interested in that sort of course.
I have been looking through my journal as I had forgotten about some of the things covered in the six week course. Some of the pages from my journal are here on flickr.
January's theme is Highly Prized.