This is a pic of a lap throw that was made for my son by his great grand mother. She did this for all the great grand kids one Christmas manyyyyyy moons ago. It was made with quite a variety of men's ties and some ummm....interesting polyester from blouses and dresses. (I presume anyway.) As can be seen there is a considerable amount of damage to it, inclusive of the feather stitch embroidery done on all of the seams.
I got a wild hair just after Thanksgiving and decided that it was time to get some projects (mmmmhmmmm) completed and dove head first into re-storing this quilt. There was more damage to it than met the eye. Like mildew damage to the foundation!!! Awckkkk!!! Sooo... I took some light weight flannel that I had and put it on the back. Keep in mind that i'm not a "planner" by nature and was flying by the seat of my pants on this one! I used the flannel as added support. Hind sight....should have traced the pattern of the original, taken apart the blocks and re-pieced it. Then...I could have made it straight, but then it wouldn't be an accurate reflection of the maker and the love she poured into this project. I then took out every piece of fabric that was damaged and re-placed it with pieces of ties that I have on hand. The embroidery overall was disintegrating, so I decided to take it out completely and re-do it pearl cotton in a similar color with hopes that it will hold up better under use. I wasn't worried about the monetary value of this piece, more about it's sentimental value to my son. I also wanted it to hold up for another 26 years without need of repair! LOL!!! It was with a HUGE feeling of relief and pride in the completion of this that after 80 hours, I can say I am done!!! I re-backed it, tied the edges, wrapped it up and fooled my son by saying it was from his great-grandma! :_) Oh! And the difference on this quilt....besides the fabric....and admittedly a bit of the stitching....I put a quilt label firmly on the back, documenting the date it was originally made, then re-stored and what was done! No one will ever wonder about this puppy again!! Now to get a pic of the "new" version so you can see the changes. I did quite a bit of reflecting while I worked on this and wonder how on earth a piece can be accurately restored with fabric from the period? The very thing that causes it to deteriorate would cause other "like" fabric to disintegrate too, wouldn't it? Hmmmm....something to explore! Enjoy!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
CQ'd hearts
I belong to the Hand Embroidery yahoo group and there is a heart swap going on there right now. soooo, I thought i'd jump in and join the fun. I don't normally work in purples, but had it out as I was making a block for the Art Bra Ladies quilt. I then did some stich variations on the seams and utilized the butterfly lazy daisy that Sharon B of In a Minute Ago shared with us in her first class last spring. On the top heart, I had a MOP button that I thought would look good, but didn't have holes or a complete shank. It was a part of some vintage buttons I purchased awhile back. Anywhoo, I created a web over the button to hold it down and added some lazy daisies and french knots along with the litle butterfly. I tried to keep a more garden effect with doing a buttonhole stitch, adding fly stitches on top and the some french knots for flowers. It was stretch to work with these colors, but I like how they came out, especially the bottom heart! Can't wait to see what comes back my direction for the swap!
Tradewinds DYB 2
I don't post forever and here I am posting a ton of stuff all at once! Sighhh..... I wish I could learn to post more regularly. New Year's resolution, right? Welllllll????? LOL!!
This is a block I worked on for Hideko who keeps a blog... http://hideko-windfromtheeast.blogspot.com. This is a luscious block of silks, velvets and some metallic brocade fabric. I was stumped by what to do at first, but finally got in the swing of it. I decided to create a monogram in the lower left hand corner. A beaded rose is in the center, some feathers and some of my seam treatment variations. Gonna have to definately start challenging myself on my stitches! But then....that's what Sharon's "Take a Stitch" Tuesday will be all about, right? http://inaminuteago.com/blog/index.php?tag=take-a-stitch-tuesday I will be participating in this with some members in a small group I belong to. We thought it would be a great way to nudge each other along and develop or stitching repertoire! Should be fun! Now....just got to remember to post about it! Enjoy the pics!
This is a block I worked on for Hideko who keeps a blog... http://hideko-windfromtheeast.blogspot.com. This is a luscious block of silks, velvets and some metallic brocade fabric. I was stumped by what to do at first, but finally got in the swing of it. I decided to create a monogram in the lower left hand corner. A beaded rose is in the center, some feathers and some of my seam treatment variations. Gonna have to definately start challenging myself on my stitches! But then....that's what Sharon's "Take a Stitch" Tuesday will be all about, right? http://inaminuteago.com/blog/index.php?tag=take-a-stitch-tuesday
Windsong Jewels Block 1
I jumped into another DYB rr and this is the first block for this one! I decided to keep it light and more victorian to compliment the young girl. I, in fact, rather envisioned her looking out of a window so I gave her "lace curtains" done in the fly stitch. I outlined the pattern that was on the satin and gave it a small boost with some pearl beads and added the seam treatment variations that I seem to naturally drop into these days.... herringbone, lazy daisy and cretan. I really like the way they make things look victorian. Up top I added a feather with an outline stitch and feather stich then two fans on either side of the block. Soooo.....another block done! Yeahhhh!!!!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Windsong Jewels DYB RR
I seem to be on a mission to avoid straight lines (basically) in my cq blocks these days! I don't know WHAT has gotten into me, but i've been playing around more with various shapes and patch sizes. It will be really interesting to see what everyone comes up with on these!!!! I'm not so sure what I would even do! Actually i'm hoping it will encourage my compatriote stitchers to explore outside the normal boundaries and carry stitching past the seams! We shall see what they come up with! It will great fun, I think!
Tradewinds DYB Block - Jo
I am involved in a couple of DYB rr's. I believe I have posted the pics I have sent out and this is the first block i've done for this rr. I played with stitch variations for the seam work, i'm finding I truly enjoy handwork and that it has a meditative effect on me. If I don't get a little time everyday to stitch i'm lost! :) The combo's you'll see here are the buttonhole stitch with a lazy daisy popped onto the top of every other stitch. The a little french knot in between for contrast. Above that is a wide herringbone stitch that has been done twice, with little fly stitch flowers on top. To the left is a cretan, chevron combo with a fly stitch and straight stitch on it. The there is the herringbone with a fly/lazy daisy combo above that and then to the right is the feather stitch with french knots and lazy daisies. I stamped the butterflies on the patch then embroidered them. All the other embroidery, I free handed the pattern first. I did a feather to represent flight, a "dove" created with a padded beaded body and french knot wings. The pansies are just a rather favorite flower for me and touch of me to to the block. I added a beaded wind goddess to finish the block off along with some crystal beads on the feather. The little button is from my grandmothers button box soooo.....it's a nice vintage touch to the block, I thought!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Art Meme
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I've decided to take up the challenge of the ART MEME. I responded to Elizabeth's offer( http://www.veridianeyes.blogspot.com/ and need to post here. So the first five people to respond to the challenge via comments on this blog will get a small piece of art created by me. It will be something drawn, sewn, beaded or embroidered, maybe molded. I'm not quite sure what, but you will get something that I have made with love in order to 'spread the love'. The catch with this is that you also have to make the same sort of offer on your own blog. That means, this is not an exchange, you do not have to send me anything in return, but you must try to "pay it forward" though your own blog. So get commenting, and once I see you've taken it up, posted it and got people taking part then I will start making things.I can't promise how soon you'll get them, but you will get them. If you could post your snail mail addie to me privately, i'll be set! :_)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Tradewinds DYB Blocks
This isn't a super pic, but I thought I would post them all together then as they are completed I can share them with you. I have joined another DYB rr. Truly international! I'll try to figure out how to get everyones blogs linked here. :-] Emiko and Hideko are from Japan. Jo is from New Zealand, Anna is from Portugal and Cheryl is in Wisconsin! It will be great fun to see how these well traveled blocks turn out!
Sad fur kid!
While not about embellishment (for the moment) I just had to post about one of my furkids. What a face, isn't it?? Poor girl developed an oral hematoma at the base of her ear and had to have surgery to drain it. She's been good about the bandage so far. I may have to make her a cq ear warmer tho cuz she's completely bare from the top of her ear down her throat! Can't have her getting a cold from this! Sooo.....many dollars later and a few trips to finally locate a vet who wouldn't scare her to death, we have her home and recovering! There has been talk about Noni juice on one of the lists and the miracles that it can work for allergies and such, so i'm going to try to locate some for her and see if her ear infections will clear up! More on that later!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Painted buttons
Goodness time flies!!! I've been busy with stuff and forget to keep up with my blog! Welllll....you're in for it now!
In one of the online cq groups I belong to, a class for painting buttons is taking place. This is a sampling of my beginning adventures! I think my favorite isthe black button, but some finishing touches still have to be done on these....like the top coat (minor detail) giggle! Plus I need to add more definition to the flowers for depth. But....for a first shot at doing something like this i'm pretty happy with the results. These are mostly roses, but I tried out some poinsettias and what I had hope would be some pansies but turned into more of a clematis! LOL!!! Then....of course....I had to do a tree! I will definitely have to do more of them in different styles! This is certainly a techinique worth trying!
In one of the online cq groups I belong to, a class for painting buttons is taking place. This is a sampling of my beginning adventures! I think my favorite isthe black button, but some finishing touches still have to be done on these....like the top coat (minor detail) giggle! Plus I need to add more definition to the flowers for depth. But....for a first shot at doing something like this i'm pretty happy with the results. These are mostly roses, but I tried out some poinsettias and what I had hope would be some pansies but turned into more of a clematis! LOL!!! Then....of course....I had to do a tree! I will definitely have to do more of them in different styles! This is certainly a techinique worth trying!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
JDBear
This is a block for the cq teddy bear juvenile diabetes project! Late....but done! I hope it will blend with the others and be enjoyed. I know I loved making it! Have fun peeking into all the corners of the block! Theres TONS to see!
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Wool CQ1
I'm off on a new adventure! I'm going to make a wool cq for hubby for xmas! Think i'll get it done? LOL!!! Here is the first block. I've already learned quite a bit and have decided how i'm going to continue with the rest of the blocks. I've been told that it's best to butt the edges together and do a three sided zig zag stitch in invisible thread to secure them to the foundation. Well....since this quilt is going to be utilitarian and i've already seen some areas for potential pulling just through basting, i've decided that I will overlap the pieces and still secure them with the zig zag stitch. The wool isn't particularly think and the seams won't be any thicker than a cq seam so i'm not worried. In fact, I feel better about it's longevity this way. I'll post pics as I progress!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
CQD5
Finally decided to stop working on this block. I would like to have done a bit with the butterfly batik, but....it's pretty the way it is. This is rather a healing type block. I have added some lemon citrine and some aquamarine gems stones known for healing. This block along with some others i've been showing, is a part of a quilt to commemorate a dear friend and remind me of her courage, humour, kindness and love. There are many other bits on this block alone that remind me of her, which makes it even more special. It's time to start considering what I need to do with the sashing, etc. Guess I better go ponder!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
DYB Block completed
This is the final block in a DYB round robin. It's going to go on home to its owner who will be making a wall hanging I believe. I went with an image of looking through a window into the garden. I created dimensional embroidery iris' and echinacea. I then added a branch that houses the blue bird family; the lace butterfly flitting through a sunset sky and a spidey getting ready to peek out and see what is
going on! I love to add dimension to the cq blocks I do and find I use quite a bit of variegated flosses as are shown in the pansies to the left of the block. I used up some stray bits of thread and create the little fuzzy flowers on the window sill! Great fun! Off to get things done! Hope you enjoy!
going on! I love to add dimension to the cq blocks I do and find I use quite a bit of variegated flosses as are shown in the pansies to the left of the block. I used up some stray bits of thread and create the little fuzzy flowers on the window sill! Great fun! Off to get things done! Hope you enjoy!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Melfi Red Lthr Bib
This is a second bib (a piece of fabric that buttons to the front of a western style shirt) that I did for the same re-enactor. I hand drew the design, scanned it and digitized it. This piece is leather "suede" with fringe. The whole shirt is leather actually. Its and awesome piece. Anyway...from the designing of the flowers to the digitizing and machine embroidery....I spent about 60 or 70 hours to completion. It looks super in person. I was amazed that the embroidery actually had an antique quality to their coloring, which is good considering that is the image the owner wants. Authenticity and originality! This is another piece i'm proud of and thought I would share!
Melfi Burg Bib & Collar
Embroidery is my "life blood". Literally! If i'm not digitizing (creating the computerized version of a design where I tell the machine to place the stitches) designs and logos i'm working on projects like I posted yesterday! Needless to say, I LOVE crazy quilting and I LOVE embroidery! LOL! That said, this is a sample of a project that I just finished that I drew out by hand from aged pictures then spent approximately 60 to 80 hours on creating it on the computer then two and half hours in the actual machine embroidery. I'ts a massive design. There are over 100,000 stitches there. That's a lot when you consider the average logo is about 8000 stitches! But....the owner was speechless and quite happy so...that's what counts! :_) He is a western re-enactor and these flowers are a modern day version of the flowers that can be seen on Buffalo Bills shirts. I am actually quite proud of this one. It came out very well and I don't normally brag...but had to with this one!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Kerry's DYB block
Taaaadaaa!!!
This is a block from the DYB rr that I am participating in. This has been sooooo much fun! It's great to be able to see what everyone does on these blocks!
On this particular block, the center patch had a silk impression of a feather that I thought would look good outlined or beaded. As you can seen, the embroidery is all I did. I wanted to keep this block a bit more airy and light in keeping with the colors and think I succeeded! The owner of this block raises sheep so I gave her a mini version that won't require quite so much maintenance! :_) The vine is done in a Caron watercolors thread and i'm realy pleased with the way it helped pull together the yellows and pinks in the patches. Then...my (sorta) trademark, a tree. This one is a bit different and is more along the lines of an oak. I hope she enjoys it!
This is a block from the DYB rr that I am participating in. This has been sooooo much fun! It's great to be able to see what everyone does on these blocks!
On this particular block, the center patch had a silk impression of a feather that I thought would look good outlined or beaded. As you can seen, the embroidery is all I did. I wanted to keep this block a bit more airy and light in keeping with the colors and think I succeeded! The owner of this block raises sheep so I gave her a mini version that won't require quite so much maintenance! :_) The vine is done in a Caron watercolors thread and i'm realy pleased with the way it helped pull together the yellows and pinks in the patches. Then...my (sorta) trademark, a tree. This one is a bit different and is more along the lines of an oak. I hope she enjoys it!
CQD4
Last, but not least in the project is my Madame Butterfly block! I'm not as good as I would like in the pre-planning phase of block creation so the use of braids and lace and such are an oddity for me. However, I thought the lace soften the overall look on this block and I finally found a trim the blended with the silk print enough to let it shine. I again added some stitch variations to the seams and some dimensional embroidery. The beads are huge by my standards, but...that soon will be corrected as well!
CQD3
Another completed block!! Woohoo!!! Rather the same scenario as the others. Not quite as much beading on this one. I did a bit of ribbon work, added a brazilian embroidery bee and other dimensional embroidery into the seam treatments. This isn't quite as encrusted and probably for the best as it allows the silk print to show a bit better I think!
CQD2
Another of several finished blocks for an 8 inch block project I’m working on. I’m feeling a tad rushed but things are pulling together. This particular block is more of a dragonfly theme, although all of the blocks for this seem to have fans of one variety or another as well as other insect life. I’ve done a smidge of dimensional embroidery and stitch variations. The beads are a bit larger than I normally enjoy using, but the ol’ glasses bit the dust and I’m waiting for my dr’s appointment to tomorrow to get some new ones! I like to do button trails…but I’ve got a long way to go before they look as good as Annies at http://www.loopylace.com/anniescrazyworld/ and Sharon's at http://inaminuteago.com/blog/index.phps! Oh well! Practice makes perfect, right? Just like figuring out these durned links! GOT to learn that HTML!! LOL!
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