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!!

More Circles: (half way mark just passed at # 45) Instastitch With Sue

Have a look at a few more of my one inch circles. The colours shown below are not exactly the same as in real life. I have five full rows plus three on row six.

Seven more have been stitched to the above 'doodle cloth"

I like this one. Too bad my circle wasn't yellow but I am working with the colours that I originally stitched in place.

Lime green is a challenge when on a black background.

My Irish Owl!!! Some variegated threads in use.

I believe I used the wrong weight of thread for the wings but it works!

The circle turned into an oval. Oh, well . . .

The colours are off on this one. There is more contrast in the loops than in this photo.

I choose the wrong colours for the ladybug but I was not about to change them. In the group photo,  the body is a purple shade not a gray.

Enjoy!

Check out my Instagram page @jctextileart

Hand Embroidered Circles continued . . . Instastitchwithsue

I had this post already to go when, for some reason, the whole thing disappeared! Bummer!!!

It is a beautiful sunny day here and I got some time to sit out on the back deck. The temperature is above 20C and the clothes is quickly drying on the line.

I have been trying to play catch-up on these hand embroidered one inch circles from @instastitchwithsue on Instagram. These are a bit time consuming, depending on the design and I'm still about ten circles behind. I try not to take out stitches. In the first one, my spacing is a bit off but it's a practise piece and I only eye balled the distances.

 Lots of practise doing these bullion knots! I used two different variegated #8 pearl from Valdani Threads.

More variegated threads. Love the colours on this one.

The colours for this one worked out well. More bullion knots and a bullion rose.

 My basket is a bit tilted!

The lime green is a bit garish and it was difficult matching colours for this circle. Again, the middle is not centered. BUT these are practise pieces and it was late when it got done. That's my excuse.

Enjoy!!

More Circles - Instastitchwithsue

As promised, circle # 2.
My tension was off as you can see on the bottom left. I was going to take it out but that was more work than I wanted to do. So I added another outer edge as seen in 2nd photo.

A variegated chain stitch was embroidered at the edge. I thought that yellow might be the one but it was too garish. This will work for now.

# 3 Working with the colours of my felted circles, choosing the right colour was a challenge.

 #4 This one might need another outer edge added too.

 #5 Did I mention that I love variegated threads?!! Candy colours!

 #6 The center of this one is all fly stitches.

#7  This is suppose to be a seed pod. Not sure if I like the orange chain stitch on the orange felt. But it is what it is!!!

I'm using my own colour scheme. Most of the threads are Valdani, with a few from Sue Spargo's line of threads. All the # 5 pearl cotton is DMC that my sister gifted to me many years ago when I lived in NL. Thank you, Joan. They are coming in handy for this project.

Here's my colour pallet. It will be an interesting collection of designs when all 90 are finished!

• DMC Free Embroidery Patterns
• Hand Embroidery on Quilts   
• Stitch Doodles has a free cute Hello Spring hand embroidery pattern
• Hand Embroidery ideas from Spruce Crafts  
• DIY & Crafts 25 easy embroidery projects for beginners with free patterns

Enjoy!!

First Circle Stitched - Instastitchwithsue

Here's my first circle stitched from Sue Spargo's instastitchwithsue on Instagram. I'm very satisfied with this one. The cream fly stitch, lime pistil stitch and burgundy colonial knots, are embroidered with Valdani threads. The bullion knots, variegated outer edge and center, are from Sue's collection which were purchased at Sew With Vision, Halifax.

I do have number 2 finished but I am thinking of adding another colour to it as I'm not happy with it. I'll post the before and after photos on my next post.

Stay safe, stay home and wash hands! I keep a fragrance free hand lotion on the bathroom sink to help with skin dryness.

A few links to check:

• Stitch Dictionary from Pintangle
• Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread stitch videos
• Tutorials from Shawkl Designs (Stitches for Crazy Quilting)
• Kelly Fletcher Needlework Design 
• Pinterest HERE (stitch tutorial from Kelly Fletcher)  

Enjoy

Still Here

No, I haven't given up on blog posting. Trying to keep busy but not necessarily working in my studio.
We've taken up bread baking since been confined to the house. There is a shortage of yeast so bread baking maybe short lived!

 

The clothes line was fixed after it broke last fall so I am enjoying hanging clothes out instead of using the dryer.

 

A pair of ducks paid us a visit after a heavy rainfall a couple weeks ago. This kept me amused for awhile.

A new shimmer has been designed but that's as far as it goes. You will have to wait and see what it is. About a dozen sheets of shimmers have been stitched on my machine this month.

Another Reversible Fibre Lace Scarf was just completed.

I decided to join in with a 90 day insta stitch with Sue Spargo. There are 90 one inch felt circles stitched onto a felted background. I decided to use a bit of boiled wool coat fabric for this. As you can see, I'm about 17 days late starting as # 17 was introduced this morning. It's a cute bee. I have to get busy.

  
Here's the first embroidered circle Sue introduced so you get the idea. Each one will be entirely different.

My first circle is green. I will be using a combination of Valdani and Sue Spargo threads.

Enjoy!!

More Wool Applique

Some eye candy from Saturday's Wool Applique Workshop. Linda Naugler.  I have permission to show them. Sue Spargo designs were used for inspiration.

Needle Case

Needle Case

• Free patterns from Primitive Wool Applique 
• More HERE , HERE,     
• Wool Applique Winter Mat Tutorial