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!!

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!!

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

Red Work Done in Blue

I'm trying to do a little hand stitching everyday during 2017. So far, I've managed to do just that. My doodle cloth, which I started last year, is for experimenting with different threads and yarns using a variety of stitches. My one 'rule' on the doodle cloth - no taking out stitches. I will try to self correct as I continue stitching or do a 'restart' next to the fumbled work! Like my word? 

I have several other different pieces ready to stitch. These are my TV watching pieces as I really can't sit with idle hands. I don't know about you, but I need something fairly simple at times like that. Concentrating on a complicated pattern is for other times.
Here's my latest finish:

I don't know where I got this image - sorry! It was traced onto fabric a few years ago and put aside. This one will be quilted and probably made into a small wall hanging. I used a back stitch using Valdani Threads.

There are thousands of images out there to use for hand stitching. All those Adult Colouring books, for example, that are flooding the book stores, supermarkets etc, have excellent images to reproduce onto fabric. Maybe bits and pieces from several images can be combined to make a totally different piece. Experiment!

Here's a few links with images / patterns to use:

• Hand Embroidery Patterns on Pinterest HERE, HERE,  
• Red Work on Pinterest HERE,   
• Free patterns from Bird Brain Designs   
• Red Work Patterns 

Enjoy!  

In my 'spare' time, I've been stitching up a snowman mini. It is my take away piece when stitching with friends. I find that when we get together, it's hard to concentrate on a 'follow a pattern' piece.


I'm using an 8 inch hoop and # 8 Valdani Pearl Cotton. Note the tiny magnet holding my needle. It's easier to let the magnet catch the needle.

Stitching Patterns:

• Redwork Embroidery (note the alphabet series)
• Redwork and Embroidery on Pinterest  
• Quilt Inspiration Redwork Patterns    

If you are looking for something different, check out the 'adult colouring books' that seem to be all the rage these days.

Or maybe Zentangle Designs might be something different to stitch. Check Pinterest HERE  & HERE for some and this YouTube on How To Draw Zen-tangles, is a good one.    

Enjoy!!      

1st. UFO for 2016

I finished my first UFO for 2016 today. This small hand embroidery was started just before Christmas. The pattern is from Redwork, Winter Twitterings by Pearl Louise Krush. Valdani thread was used for the tree and birds with silver metallic for the tree trim and snowflakes. The blue border is a royal blue batik but shows up much darker in the photo.

Winter Dog Berries

Here's my latest 5" x 7" framed textile piece. All the dog berries are French knots using Valdani threads. The sky is hand dyed and the tree is made from burlap. The inspiration for stitching Dog Berries came from the view of all the Dog Berry trees I can see from my kitchen and studio windows.

Some New Fibre Art Pendant Shapes

I just finished some more Fibre Art Pendants. First, have a look at one of the base fabrics I used. Some of this felted piece didn't work for pendants but I managed to get 11 felted abstract Art Cards from it.

The circle is covered with French Knots done with Variegated Valdani Pearl Cotton

Wine Time!!

I made a mug mat this morning. Now I'm enjoying a glass of wine while writing this post. I think the wine glass looks great on my new mat!

Why is making a mug mat significant? Well, the pre-cut fusible applique is our own design and cut on our Klic-N-Kut Maxx Air machine. This machine has been sitting around for the last year and we finally got some time to experiment with it. It does an amazing job of cutting the fabric. So far, I've been using batiks with Heat N' Bond Lite on the back. Any shape designed on the computer can be sent to the machine for cutting. I'm thinking silhouettes in the near future!

I will have a few packaged pumpkins and leaves at Some Good Market this coming Saturday. There will be in a limited supply of these! 

Cutting out leaves

Another set of leaves. Lifting the fabric from around the cut-outs

Leaves that were just cut and still on the mat

Close -up view & I just noticed the thread on the pumpkin!! Bummer!

Valdani Threads were used for the pumpkin outline.

Under the Sea

My latest art piece, Under the Sea, is a combination of free motion stitching and hand embroidery. Valdani Threads were used for the fly stitch and French knots. The background is Bali Batik. The piece is custom framed 5" x 7" with a black metal frame. The mat is a bright white but I couldn't quite get it right in the photo! An unframed version is also included below.

The hardest thing, is coming up with titles for my pieces.

Valdani Threads Have Arrived!!

Look what arrived at my door today: my order of Valdani Threads!  Guess I have NO excuse for not stitching now. I have Perle Cotton # 8, silk floss and 3 strand floss. These threads are guaranteed colour fast.

My Drawn Thread Forest

As promised, here's my work in progress. After the threads were taken out, the piece was painted with fabric paints (part of the class kit). The vertical threads were painted brown. I just realized that the second photo is the demo that Catherine used and not mine. This one shows a stream flowing through. I meant to do one but got so involved that everything went green. Maybe on the next one!!

For the tree foliage, I used one strand each of Bella Lusso 100% merino wool (from the class kit). I also used my own Valdani #8 variegated  pearl cotton M 19 and Valdani variegated 3 stranded floss # D528. All three were stitched together. It was my choice to use my own threads instead of the ones from the kit.
I put a large needle through the branches to show that they are only attached at the ends. It is very dimensional.

My embroidery stand clamps onto the table.  It was made by my husband a few years ago when I was doing a five level hand embroidery program. It works perfectly to hold my hoop, allowing me to have both hands free to work on the trees. I can turn my work at any angle by loosening one or two of the black knobs.

I also have another embroidery stand that sits on the floor. However, as I prefer to work standing up in my studio, the one pictured above is perfect. The table is a converted drafting table and is quite high (at least for me as I'm just 5 feet tall)!

This swing free magnifier light is perfect  for up close work.

Here's a close-up of the arm of my light. Not pretty but holds some of my tools and keeps them off the table. The donut shaped magnet is from an old computer that was taken apart years ago. It's very powerful and quite handy to have above my work table. Note the other hooks hanging there. Depending on the project, I can hang floss for quick reach, scissors, needle cases. pincushion (to the left). Note the blue & red clamps (magnets on back). These come in handy.

Catherine Jordan provided a comprehensive set of directions for this piece. It's great when a teacher goes to so much preparation. In many cases, there is a handout with the minimum of directions and you are sometime scratching your head, wondering what to do next. Thanks, Catherine!

My piece so far. I have not finished with this tree  yet. (Last night, after I finished writing, I did some more embroidery on the tree to the farthest left - you will see updates periodically so check back).

Enjoy!!

Tiny Gardens

Today I will have five (one not shown) 'Tiny Gardens" Fibre Art Pendants at the Anna Templeton Tea & Sale. The background was needle felted. I also machine stitched this with Valdani variegated thread before doing any hand embroidery. The Valdani silk embroidery threads are just lovely to use!

I have created a couple of these before (sold) but didn't give them a name. They will cost a bit more than the others as they do take time to hand embroider.

A Few More Fibre Art Pendants

This week has been taken up with finishing the Christmas Shimmers, and packaging them. Four more new scarves have also been added to the list as well as lots of Christmas Wearable Art Pins. Last evening I did get started putting the finishing touches on more of the fibre art pendants. I have been adding a few stitches to some of the bases, using my new Valdani Silk and Perle Cotton Threads, . It's very subtle, so look closely at three of the ones below. Any pearls used are either glass or sterling silver.

Garden Snapshots

We have been having record temperatures the last few days. In fact, Sunday, October 19, it was 21.3 C and broke the record from the late 1800's. At midnight, it was still quite warm, which is not the norm for this part of the country.

 

The colours in my garden are quite gorgeous! I use the colours from nature in my work.  

My new Valdani Threads will be quite useful in my next small pieces.

 



Taken just after midnight on October 19 /14