Celebrating Canada . . .

Quite a number of years ago, my friend, Judy P., embroidered a hand towel on her Brother machine. She found this design, which was done in red, white & blue for the 4th of July but she changed the blue to red, so now it's just perfect for Canada Day! Since my birthday is in July, this was my gift from her.

Enjoy!

Quilted Sign

Today was spent finishing up some last minute Shimmer Ornaments and a new quilted sign for my display. I decided to use different colours for this one, more in line with the cool blue of winter. The background fabric is white with pale blue and sparkles. It's hard to see that in the photo. The snowmen aren't sewn on as I think I might attach them with velcro. The other sign, with the gannet, is all machine embroidery.

Wild Blooms & Colorful Creatures

Wild Blooms & Colorful Creatures, by Wendy Williams, has also found its way into my collection.
I think I was attracted to the vibrant colours on the cover. When I was teaching, I would tell the students that you can't tell a book by its cover. That is so true in most cases. However, for the applique enthusiasts, this is a nice book to have. The book is filled with fancy flowers and cute animals which are used in the various projects.

Read about new ways to mix wool, cotton, and linen to give a fresh new look to your applique. Continue to have fun by embellishing with both hand and machine quilting as well as hand embroidery. Add a few beads and bobbles for extra embellishment. In fact, use the designs to create your own piece of art. To me, the book is another source of inspiration.

Sewing Portifolio (2)

Sharon Boggon, from Pintangle, posted about What is a Hussif . I'm not going to rewrite what she has written as you can visit her blog to do that. She has made her own hussif in the crazy quilting / embroidery style. I, too have been interested in making sewing cases for carrying my stitching project supplies. A few years ago, I designed and created my very own and entered it in a show. It sold! Then, of course, I had to make another one for myself.

Closed, it measures 8" x 12" and when opened, it is 12" x 25". I used Bali Batiks for this project with nylon window screen used for the inside pockets. Some machine embroidery has been added to the pocket edges with variegated embroidery thread. I considered using fabric for the pockets but then I would never know what's inside them. As you can see, the front has been embellished with some of my Fantasy Fish. A magnetic bag clasp keeps it together. I added a length of green Velcro along one fold to hold small things such as a glue stick. The cotton threads are strung on a cord with a plastic toggle which keeps the threads from sliding off. There is a place for most of my small sewing / embroidery gadgets and supplies!

I did post about this same project in 2010. However, this post has more close up photos.
Enjoy!



The back of sewing portfolio with another pocket



Nylon window screen is used for inside pockets.

Note the clasp on cord to hold small pair of scissors and the
toggle on the cord beneath the threads,

The edges of the nylon window screen are embroidered

Velcro is used so needle case, pincushion and holder can be removed

Fold over pocket



Velcro stuck to the glue

New Stuff !!

I just finished a new quilted sign for my art work. It was machine embroidered in a large hoop so I didn't have to reposition it to get it all done. The size is 19" x 12 1/2".

I have also dded two new shimmers to my collection, an anchor and a lighthouse.

These items will be going to Halifax with me on Thursday for the Atlantic Canada Trade Show (ACTS) this weekend. I have been invited to show my wholesale products in the Newfoundland Labrador booth. It has taken me many years to decide to sell any of my things at a wholesale show.
Last March I was approached by the craft sector of government to attend the local Trade Show. It was a great success so here I am, going to a much larger event! It will be a great experience and I'll get to see some great art pieces in the gallery space.

Embroidery Guild Show & Tell for May

Take a look at these lovely pieces from the May Show and Tell, St. John's Embroidery Guild.

Machine Embroidered Clutch Bag

Tree of Life was won by one of our members
at the Embroidery Guild of Canada conference.

A finished stump work piece!

Drinks, Anyone?

Today's post is devoted to drinks of all kinds: tea, coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade . . . Of course, I'm writing about textile related 'stuff'! Below is my first attempt at needle felting. A few years ago, I entered it into a show about drinks, and the piece was purchased.

Now I'm going to post some links related to drinks. Some links have free patterns while others are just eye candy. Anyway, enjoy this one!

• Paper-Piecing Fun from Patchwork Pottery (check out the gallery)
• Tea Cosy, another HERE,
• Time for Tea mug rug tutorial (links to more mug rugs)
• It's Time For Tea stitching pattern
• Tea Card
• Cafe Latte quilting project
• Tea and Coffee Cups
• Beverages (EQ6)
• Cuppa Joe
• Sweet Temptations (ideas)
• Hot Cocoa machine embroidery

Projects for Canada Day

I realize that Canada Day is only a month away but you just might like to have a look at some simple projects to help you celebrate! Even if you don't have time to do something for this year, check out the Canada Day fabrics at the various quilt shops. Get some now for future use - make some napkins!

Anyway, check HERE and HERE for my past posts with lots of links.
I've also listed a few more place to visit - some free stuff, some eye candy, but maybe they will trigger some ideas!

Enjoy!

A great Notion just posted a free machine embroidery maple leaf
Free Download machine embroidery HERE
Canada Day cross stitch motif
Canadian Quilts to see HERE
Cross Stitch to see HERE, HERE (scroll down),
Table Runner
Small Quilt

 

Back Garden 05 - Work In Progress

Yesterday was a marathon day for working on this piece. This morning I put some of the last hand embroidery stitches in place. I have to do a bit more machine stitching on some foilage and it will be finished - well, the framing still has to be done!  Here's a bit of yesterdays progress. I wanted to add poppies to the garden. In the summer, it is loaded with them along the fence and over into the corner. They migrated from the garden behind this one. I decided to take a short cut in the top photo by making the poppies from red silk with French knots for the centers. But they did not look right so back to the sewing machine. I experimented with free motion stitching on red organza. I'm pleased with the outcome. I'm not looking for photo realistic flowers but representations of them. The daisies were all hand done on a wash away interfacing and hand stitched in place. I've used daisies like these in a number of my landscapes. The fence is from white cotton that I painted over with white paint. I found that the fabric before painting is transparent and that wouldn't do for a 'wooden' fence.

Embroidery

For those of you interested in embroidery, check out the various sites on the Hand Embroidery Blog. I guarantee you hours of fun! Too bad they aren't in alphabetic order.

Here's a few more to add to the list:
Feeling Stitchy
Curiosities 808 from Hawaii
Hand Embroidery from Sadalas
Teach Me Tuesday
Mary Corbet's Needle 'N Thread

This is one of my hand embroideries done with single strands of silk embroidery floss.





Enjoy!

Felting

I spent yesterday at a felting workshop with teacher, Caroline Lindsay from the UK. We used a combination of wet felting and nuno techniques to create rich fabrics ideal for hand or machine embroidery. Today, we will be embellishing our pieces with stitching. Here's a sample of her work:

Papillon

I have a little four legged creature visiting me this month. Pongo, my sister's dog, is a Papillon. Papillon is the French word for butterfly. Need I say more! The following links will have something to do with butterflies so enjoy! At the moment, our weather has been too wet and cold for butterflies to be out and about. Maybe I need to create some for inside.

To get you started, I found some free butterfly colouring pages and drawings.
This one is for inspiration. The colours are stunning. More inspiration.
Mug Rug Butterfly
Free machine embroidery Butterfly (scroll down)
Applique Butterfly Garden
Applique Butterfly Wall Hanging (inspiration)
Free Butterfly Quilt Patterns
Have a look back at The Butterfly Project on my site. Check out the Holocast Museum Houston

Embroidery

Today's post has a list of sites for hand and machine embroidery. Of course, if you spend time searching the web for ideas, you have already come across Stitchin Fingers and the Hand Embroidery Network. Now you can have a look at these:

Stitching Cow has some freebies as well as tutorials.
Stitching in the Sun with Daniela Maschera
Stitch Cloth Colour (check out the Flickr Photostream)
Bustle & Sew  
Pin Tangle
Susan Lenz - contemporary embroidery
Shirley Anne Sherris
Linda Matthews
Skunk Hill Studio with Karen Williams
Living the Creative Life

Enjoy!

Sunflowers

I know this is the wrong time of year to be talking about sunflowers but it does go along with my previous post! The sunflower is an annual herb and not just a large yellow flower. It has been used as a folk remedy for many ailments but today is mainly used in food preparation. Sunflower oil is used for cooking, margarine, salad dressing and soaps. For more information, check here.

While visiting the National Gallery, London, I had the pleasure of seeing Vincent van Gogh's Sunflower painting. The one pictured on the site is the one I saw which is one among a series that he painted. I did purchase a small matted print of the sunflower. It's amazing how many things have the sunflower motif. There is even a National Sunflower Association.

So, to help get you through the winter months, why not make something bright and colourful! I've found a few things with a sunflower theme. Most of the patterns are freebies - not all are quilt related!

Twirling Sunflower Quilt Pattern
Sunflower Serenade
Wendy's Sunflower Quilt - check this one for the machine quilting
Rise and Shine
Textured Sunflowers
Provencial Sunflower - for inspiration
Sunflower colouring page - pattern for a quilt?
Sunflower machine embroidery design
Cross Stitch Pattern - scroll down
Sunflower Cake - baking idea
Sunflower Pillow 
Cat and Sunflower

Realistic Tapestries by Jill Draper

I just came across some fantastic realistic stitched tapestries by Jill Draper from the UK. These photos from the Telegraph say it all! Jill "renders pictures of rural life and shimmering seascapes in her embroidered tapestries recreating scenes with astonishing accuracy from photographs. Each picture measuring around 15 x 30 inches takes up to 120 hours and contains hundreds of thousands of stitches done by hand and machine." Read entire article here.

Everything Blueberry

photo by Judy Cooper

This is blueberry season here in Newfoundland and we just finished cleaning and bagging several gallons of them. As a result, I decided to see what I could find that was related to textile art and blueberries. I  searched for blueberry art quilts, blueberry stitching, and just plain blueberry. Then I remembered an art quilt I saw in 2001 at the Houston International Quilt Festival. One of the pieces that intrigued me was a very large quilt displaying a cluster of blueberries. The use of hand dyed fabrics to get the blending of shades for the berries was fantastic. I don't remember the name of the quilt or it's creator. If anyone knows about this quilt, please contact me so that I can give credit to its creator.
I did find a few sites with a blueberry connection. Have a look!

• Heidi Lund has an art piece called Blueberry Chrysalis (scroll down a bit)
• Blueberry Teapot by Jeanette McCall
• Blueberry Pin keep (pincushion) directions included!
• Pie anyone! This one is a pie pincushion. . . (scroll down for the blueberry one)
• Machine Embroidery alphabet (B is for Blueberry)
• More Machine Embroidery (scroll down)
• Needle Felting - Bird & Bloom
• Machine Embroidery - Blueberry Coaster
• Baking Designs for the kitchen - using blueberry fabric for a border on potholder
• Blueberry Tea 
• Blueberry - Food Museum  (interesting stuff)  
• Blueberry Recipes
• More Recipes

photo by Judy Cooper

Just writing about these delicious berries makes me hungry! What will I bake?

Landscape Quilting

I was reading some of the postings from Valerie Hearder's landscape group today and came across a reference to Quilters TV, specifically videos on Sewing with Nancy. The Art of Landscape Quilting videos part 1, 2, and 3 are listed and you can view them at your leisure. I have seen these before but had forgotten about them. If you google landscape quilting videos, you will find a fair collection on that topic to watch. It's amazing the number of full videos and video clips that are out there for free.
This landscape (not quilted) is one of a series I made with icebergs in the distance. It is mostly hand appliqued with some machine free motion stitching and hand embroider. The sky and water are hand dyed.
For more information on landscape quilting, check out the landscape quilts on Paintings With Fabric.
Interesting article here on How To Make a Landscape Quilt.
Quilted Views by Joan Jamieson.
Veronica's Sewing Supplies, Saskatchewan, Canada, has beautiful landscape fabrics. Check out the store.
Now it's your turn to try your hand on making landscapes!

Garden Sewing Box

In 2005, I was contacted by Carla A. Cantonica, publisher of A Needle Pulling Thread, a new Magazine promoting Canadian needlework. Carla asked if I would design and create a piece for the spring 2006 Volume 1 Issue 2 of her magazine. Apparently she had seen one of my fantasy fish pins that a friend had and liked it. I agreed to do something and the result is my Garden Sewing Box. This piece started as a sketch showing various parts of my own garden and evolved into the piece you see here. When I start sewing, things change as I go along and the drawings are sometimes ignored, modified and/or adapted to suit the evolving idea. But that is part of the creative process. This is a functional piece with an inside box that comes out for easy accessibility of my sewing tools. Included in the box is a small embroidered needle case to match the outside, pockets for various things and a pincushion. I found a jewelery magnetic clasp at Michael's that was perfect to stitch onto the inside of the box to hold my needle. The closure for the top is large hooks & eye that go together perfectly. The feet are made from thin cording knotted to form balls and stitched in place.The full pattern for the box are published in the magazine.
Since its publication, this piece has won a couple of awards:

• Award for Excellence in Craft for Technical Mastery from the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2006
• A National Award for Original Design from the Embroidery Association of Canada, 2007

As a result of designing this piece, my mini pics series, Flower Pots, was born. These are a combination of machine and hand embroidery. The containers are stitched and appliqued onto the background.





 Since the topic is flowers, here's some freebies to get you started on your own project:

• If you are into machine embroidery, check out Erica's flower pots and watering can
• Free hand embroidery patterns at Craft Gossip 
• Flower motifs from Needle 'N Thread
• Native American Inspired Floral Embroidery Motif from You Can Quilt This
• Floral Sampler from Coats & Clark
• Spring-Colored Felted Bowl by Sarah E. White, About.com
• Baltimore Album Basket by Judie Rothermel

This is just a small sampling of what's available. Have fun!

Spring

Well, tomorrow is the first day of spring! I must say that St. John's has experienced a full week of beautiful weather. Maybe we'll even have a spring this year as the weather is often quite unpredictable. I have finally gotten some work done in the studio. It's been a struggle to get the mind in gear and do something productive. I have signed up to take a seminar next weekend on Cultural Product Development. This should prove interesting.

Last evening, I did some searching for Spring projects for both embroiderers and quilters.

• Erica's site has patterns for machine embroidery. Welcome spring with a free embroidery of flower pots and a watering can. 
•  The Floss Box and Needlework have lovely free line drawings for hand embroidery.
• For quilters, You Can Quilt This, has lots of free projects to help welcome spring! Here's a spring basket from Quilters Online Resource. This site has lots of nifty stuff for quilters.
• A floral sampler, from Coats & Clark , might be the right project for you !
• About.com has some spring paper piecing patterns for scrap-booking. However, why not use them with fabric instead. The baby lamb is a cute one for a baby quilt!
• I like this spring-colored felted bowl. This also comes from About.com.
• I love the spiders introducing Homeberries! Scroll down to see the little 'Whimsical' free hand embroidery designs.
• Check out e Quilt Patterns for a Spring Treats Quilt Pattern and Spring Celebration. These are paper pieced.
• There is a Welcome Spring Quilt at Cranson Village.
• Hoffman Fabrics, Spring Fling, is ready for quilters.
• Need a new tote for spring? Try the Luscious Bow Tote from Kaufman fabrics.
• Cross stitch your way into Spring with Free Patterns Online.
• McCall's Quilting has a simple Flower of Spring quilt block.
• I like this coiled fabric basket from Cultured Expressions. This is a nice site to visit.
• If Easter is your thing, go to Craft Ideas.
• If you like Baltimore Album applique, check out the block at Marcus Fabrics.

I think I have exhausted the list of Spring stuff I found last evening. Enjoy looking at the sites I found. If you find some more interesting sites, please let me know. You can reach me at judy@cbiz.ca 
or leave a comment at the end of this post.