A New Year

2019!  WOW
We have spent our second Christmas in Nova Scotia. Mind you, we didn't move in until late October, 2017 so about 14 months. During that time we have built me a new studio (among many other projects). That meant everything except exterior walls and ceiling. Ours is a split entrance bungalow so most of the basement is above ground. However, the basement had a shiny cement floor but nothing else done to it. I now have a comfortable, large space with lots of light and electrical plugs. The windows and door still need trim and baseboard has to be installed. Storage units aren't built yet so I'm still using those stainless steel open shelving from Costco (brought them from NL). BUT, I can work to my heart's content!

I'm slowly getting more organized. At least I can find stuff without too much searching. I'm very pleased with all the space I have. Can you guess, I'm excited about that!! I managed to hang a few of my pieces in the room a few days ago. All the hand stitching pieces are class samples. The quilted piece is from a workshop I did with Libby Lehman, in Toronto, years ago.

stitch sampler in wool

top sampler has 50 different stitches

 

Row Houses in Hardanger - original design

My first work using free-motion, overlays of tulle and sparkly threads

 Enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas

My sister has been doing the 12 Days of Christmas on Instagram. Me, I didn't even think of doing that. However, I have been working on a wall hanging by that name. Last year I came across a free pattern for counting down the Twelve Days of Christmas on All People Quilt.

As I was traveling home to St. John's, Newfoundland on December 4th, I needed something to stitch. This free pattern fitted the bill. However, it won't be finished this year. Hopefully soon. Time flies when you are having fun!! So far, all the 12 pear shapes are stitched. The stitching has been done on the tree stand but I'm not satisfied with it. I didn't trace the lines directly on the fabric but on tissue paper. This was pinned on and stitched. When I pulled the paper off, the stitches pulled a bit too. And I knew the difference - DUH!!! So I have decided to do a thin machine satin stitch over the hand stitching.

I love the nontraditional batik I've selected for the border. When it's done, I'll show it to you.

Have a very Happy New Year!

More stuff:

• Into puzzles? I've been known to do one or two. Here's a link for doing them on-line.  
• Ester has a wall hanging for counting down the days.
• Here's a Pinterest link for the 12 Days of Christmas
• Eye Candy 

Enjoy!!  

Art and a Sunset

I haven't been blogging very much this summer. For one thing, it has been way too hot. However, a heat pump was installed about three weeks ago so it is now lovely and cool inside. We have had friends from Newfoundland visit as well as family from Tennessee and Ottawa so I've been busy with them.

This mini garden was completed last week. It is matted 5" x 5". The background is cotton with free-motion stitching. The old basket was stitched on a tan coloured fabric and appliqued by machine. The foliage is a combination of hand embroidery and machine stitching. The tiny French knots represent dandelion flowers. When I was a child I would often pick them in the back yard and bring them into my mother. Most of my landscapes have a dandelion or two embroidered on them.

 

Under the Sea was finished a few days ago. This one is matted 5" x 7". It is also a combination of machine and hand stitching. 

I had to add this sunset. I took this from the car as we were driving home from Halifax this evening. Love those colours!!

Sunset along the 103, on the way home from Halifax

• You can see a few previous Under the Sea pieces HERE
• Another mini garden is HERE  
• Find Textile Art Inspiration HERE on Pinterest. Lots for everyone!  
• Check out my blogging friend's blog at Magpie's Mumblings. You will be entertained for sure.

Enjoy!
I'll try to be a bit more regular with posts this fall.

New Fibre Art Pendants

These Fibre Art Pendants were just finished. They are part of an order going to the Newfoundland Weavery, St. John's.
The base of the pendants are felted, surface stitched with glitzy thread and hand embroidered. 

You can also see my art and other 'stuff' on my Instagram page @jcfibreart. Have a look!!

• Interesting embroidery HERE
• Free floral embroidery  
• Stitching Freebies 
• Free Embroidery Patterns from Anna Scott  

Enjoy!
 

Happy New Year

This has been a very busy year. Not so much with my art and business ventures but with house renovations, packing up the house and moving to Nova Scotia in October. Our house in NL sold in November and closed just before Christmas so that was one of the best gifts we could have received. Since the move, I have visited Espanola, Ontario and taught there at the Fibre Art Festival. Of course, the very best thing, we get to see our family all the time, as they are just a 10 minute car ride away!
 
I managed to get to a few stitch days during the year with friends but not as many as I wished.
Thanks for your friendship as it means a lot. Thank you for following my blog posts and to those who leave comments. I may not respond to all of them but they are read and appreciated.

My main goal for the new year is to have a fully functional studio where I can create new fibre art. I have some new yarns and I'm just itching to try them out! 

I wish you health, happiness, time with family and friends, and lots of fun in 2018!

From my house to yours:

Happy New Year! 

Autumn Splendor!

A few photos for inspiration - in quilting and stitching. I take lots of photos and sometimes one of them inspires a new piece of work.

  

Needle Felting

This afternoon, with the sun shining in my studio window, I did a bit of needle felting. I totally ignored my felting machine as I wanted to see how long it would take to do a piece 4" x 6" using a single needle. The felting machine is much faster. However, on another note, the surface texture was more pronounced than from the machine. The machine tends to flatten the piece out. Flattening out isn't an issue, as that can be fixed with the addition of more fibres and gently felting into them.

I started out with two pieces of dark gray felt and added wool roving, bits of cut up felt and yarns.

 Usually, using a sparkly thread, l will free motion stitch over a piece that will be used for wearable art. I didn't do that for the first two pendants below. Instead, I hand stitched into the felt.

You can see the back stitch in the oval. I used lime green purle cotton #5

beading completes the pieces (colours are a bit off in this shot)

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!  

Goals?

Do you have any goals for 2017? I want to stitch something every day even if it is just a few stitches. Last year, I started to do this on a scrap of fabric but did not follow through. I experimented with some different yarns and threads but other things took over. I used all kinds of unusual fibers, some were so thick that couching was the only way to tack them down. Now I'm going to give it another try. Some of the stitches below were used in several underwater scenes.

I also have another small snowman in one of my hoops. It may get done by next Christmas!

Here's a few embroidery links for you to check.

• Needlework and Embroidery Techniques  
• Artfabrik - Wool Stitch Along 
• Aventures Textiles 
• Let's Learn Embroidery 
• The Splendid Sampler 
• Penguin & Fish - Embroidery Stitches   

Enjoy!              

Snow Happens

Finally, my UFO is pieced together, sandwiched and ready for quilting. Now I'm stumped! How will I quilt it? Any help would be much appreciated.

'Snow Happens' is a Bird & Brain Designs by Robin Kingsley.

four of the fabrics used in the border

A few snow related projects:

• Snowmen quilts on Pinterest    
• Snowmen Stitching Patterns on Pinterest, more HERE   
• Free-Motion Snowman  
• Making Snowmen Smiles 
• Free Snowman Quilt and Patterns   
• Snowman Quilt 
• Snowmen A to Zzzz    
•   
• Enjoy!!!            

Thank You and Other Stuff!

I'm overwhelmed by the number of views my posts are generating lately. Thanks so much! It's much appreciated.

I'm having a stay at home day (in the motor home that is). My granddaughter, Gale, is a bit under the weather and just wants to lie around but I'll bet she'll be at my side when I take out some stitching. A couple days ago she asked to work on her rainbow stitching. This project was her own idea. The rainbow is straight not curved as she told me it was her own 'design'. Yes, she used that word! She also has a specific order for the colours. Her other comment, 'Grandma, isn't this so relaxing!' Her mom said that she likes the process of creating. In any case, she likes all things related to fibre and textiles.

I will show you her work when it's finished. Bet you can't guess I'm a proud grandma (GRIN)!

Here's a few sites to visit:

• Snow flake / flower patterns for stitching at Magpie's Mumblings (check back a few posts for others). Also lots of crazy stitching as well
• The Basics of Thread Weights from The Sewing Loft
• Pinterest: Craft: Hand Stitching
• 10 Picnic Items to Sew at A Sewing Journal
• Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish It Up Friday (lots to check out) 

I'm having great internet today! 

Freebies

There is nothing better than finding sources for free patterns and useful stitching information.

• By chance, I found Eglantine Stitchery with its extensive list of sources for free stitching patterns. 
• Free Vintage Patterns at French Knots (all things stitchy for crochet, embroidery, applique and quilting)
• Some embroidery ideas at Hayfield Cottage  
• I like the Bedside Pockets Organizer at Sew Can She. This is a free tutorial. Using the non-slip shelf liner is a good idea for holding this organizer under the mattress
• Of course, you can't go wrong with Quilt As You Go Tutorials from Patchwork Posse. 

I hope you find something interesting to consider making!

Enjoy!!

One of my past sewing projects: Pisci Fantasticus (original design)

Sashiko

Awhile back, I posted a glimpse of a piece of sashiko that I had just finished stitching. Well, I'm not happy with the piece! Most of my stitching is fine. However, I had decided to put a stitched border around the pattern. Since this is an open weave fabric, the straight stitching is not straight. If I put this down on a table, my eye would always go to the edge of the piece.

I had a look at some other Sashiko pieces and discovered that none of them had stitched Sashiko borders outside the pattern. Instead, the stitching pattern came right to the fabric border.  This piece below has an inch navy binding around the edge (not visible here).

This little piece above has some straight stitched Sashiko that worked well. It was done on cotton and didn't distort when ironed and when binding was attached. 
 

This piece was destined for the discard bin!
I was ready to throw it out. Notice the stitching around the pattern. The pencil lines won't come out so removing the stitches isn't an option.

I did get a solution that I can live with. I will put another border on the piece and attach it right up to the pattern. Thank you, Verna, for that suggestion! At the moment, it will remain behind the studio door until I can tackle it again!

I will pay more attention to my next Sashiko project!

Christmas Trees

There are lots of projects with Christmas trees as the focal point. Here's a few I found:

• Festival of Trees 
• Free Christmas Quilt Patterns on Pinterest   
• Christmas Tree Card  
• Tree Applique Patterns (free)   
• Christmas Tree Wall Hanging 
• Scotch Stitch Needlepoint Tree
• Christmas Tree Quilt  and another HERE 
• Applique Quilt 
• Free Embroidery Tree 
• Fabric Tree Project 
• Free Tree Patterns 
• Origami Tree Tutorial 
• Hot Pads 
• Embroidery 
• Felted Tree Ornament     
• Pintangle - free tree embroidery         

Kitchen Tree

Shimmers Tree at Some Good Market

Side entrance tree

Trees made about 35 years ago

    

Hand Stitchery!

When I got up this morning, the ground was covered in a soft blanket of snow! Yikes!!! And snow flurries on and off all day! That's much too early . . .  I'm not ready for this. In fact, I'm never ready for snow. Did I mention that I'm NOT a winter person?

Today was spent finishing up things for the Christmas Craft Fair, getting the mail and picking up the car at the dealer (snow tires were installed).

I've decided that I'm not going to dwell on the cold, but on stitching projects instead.Have a look at these:

• Jolly Wee Elf to knit
• Felted Gingerbread Ornaments
• Christmas Cross Stitch on Pinterest
• Primitive Christmas Stitchery
• Christmas Embroidery on Pinterest
• Christmas Bauble Free Stitchery

My hand stitched Charlie Brown Christmas Tree (original design) made a number of years ago

 

Making Memories

Yesterday, my 4 year old granddaughter asked if she could stitch something. She learned to do a little stitching with me at Easter when I was in Chicago.

 

This time, I decided to trace her hand (thanks T. for suggesting it). Gale wanted it hooped just like grandma's stitching and a magnet for resting her needle. I removed the hoop to take the photo.

I was very pleased to see such interest in hand stitching for one so young. She was determined to finish stitching her pinkie. Halfway through, she said, 'Grandma, I like to do stitching'. She also wanted her foot traced. We will see how much will get done.

My grandmother taught me to knit at age seven. I remember it was a bright green yarn and I made a scarf for my doll. It's amazing that I remember that but it had such an impact on me and on the things I like to do with my hands.

It's all about making memories!

 
 






















Make Your Mark!!

This year, I took over the job of librarian at the St. John's Embroidery Guild. So, my first job, was to order a few new books. One of the books was Helen Parrott's Mark Making, Fresh Inspiration for Quilt and Fiber Artists. This book was printed in 2013.

'The subject of this book is the making of stitched marks.'  There are no patterns to work from. Instead, the author shows how marks can be used in textile work. The book talks about marks, how to observing, record and collect marks, making marks on paper, making stitch marks, making it real and living a creative life.

She explains the crossover between stitch and drawing. Several hand stitched marks are discussed and demonstrated: running stitch, radiant stitch, spiral stitch, loop stitch, reef knot, French knot.

Next, machine stitched marks with the feed dogs up or down, is introduced. Some of the many variations of free-motion stitching include: single marks, massed marks, all-over stitch marks, continuous marks, layered marks, dots, webs and tufts. These various machine marks can be explored and expanded by using a variety of threads and fabrics, by layering them, changing their placement or combining them.

Coloured photos throughout the book demonstrate the various techniques discussed above. However, the real aim is to get you on the road to creating some original work by looking at the natural world. That's about it in a nut shell! It has given me lots to think about.