Hhere is the second block for the quilt. LOTS of sre, some beading, dimensional embroidery and stitch variations. This block is symbolic of life bursting forth on sparkling wings from a "broken" heart flying joyously to health and happiness!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Art Bra Quilt Block 1
Hi everyone!!! Goodness, I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted! I've been busy stitching and changing email addies and, and, and!
This is the first of two blocks that I did for the Art Bra Quilt project. The quilt itself will be hung in a cancer center in tribute to women and breast cancer. The theme this year was hearts and the colors were to be purple (primary) and jewel tones or victorian tones. Purple is NOT one I work with a lot so this is definately a challenge for me! :_) This particular block is a healing block. I have stitched lemon citrine and aquamarine into it along with a lot of other beads (of course)!!! On the left side I embroidered "dream", on the right side "hope" and at the bottom "life". All the blocks were to have our name and city/state or country in the bottom right corner. I have lots of stitch combos on here.... a tribute to TAST (www.inaminuteago.com) along with silk ribbon embroidery,dimensional embroidery, lace embellishment... hmmm....did I leave anything out? LOL!!! At any rate...enjoy!!!
This is the first of two blocks that I did for the Art Bra Quilt project. The quilt itself will be hung in a cancer center in tribute to women and breast cancer. The theme this year was hearts and the colors were to be purple (primary) and jewel tones or victorian tones. Purple is NOT one I work with a lot so this is definately a challenge for me! :_) This particular block is a healing block. I have stitched lemon citrine and aquamarine into it along with a lot of other beads (of course)!!! On the left side I embroidered "dream", on the right side "hope" and at the bottom "life". All the blocks were to have our name and city/state or country in the bottom right corner. I have lots of stitch combos on here.... a tribute to TAST (www.inaminuteago.com) along with silk ribbon embroidery,dimensional embroidery, lace embellishment... hmmm....did I leave anything out? LOL!!! At any rate...enjoy!!!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
WSDYB Kari
Another block done and i'm caught up on rr's! Woohoo!!! This one has more TAST (www.inaminuteago.com) variations. I saw this block as having a window in it with herbs and flowers drying on the beam above. I did a fly stitch lace on the ledge and the usual of the herringbone beaded variations. On the left side I did a seam with algerian eyes and detached/beaded chain stitches and above that, is a doubled herringbone with detatched chains, pearl knots and beads. The yellow seam treatment is a small fly lace (one row) with detached chain rosettes and pearl knot below them. Then, the yellow patch contains a neat little glass pansy bead and some glass leaves with lilac beads scatter around them all over a seam of detached chain stitches. Enjoy!
WSDYB Clairee
Hi all!!! i'm late getting this posted, but wanted to share with everyone! I have played with some of the different TAST variations (to date). www.inaminuteago.com ...and really enjoyed this block. The maker had requested a tree from me....i'm hoping she is happy with it. I tried to stay withing the color schemes of the block and it felt like "fall" to me! I added the leaves on the tree doing a rather random herringbone stitch that I over lapped in different colors and added a few detached chains as well. I created a "rock" out of a neat bead I found in my stash. It looks neat in person anyway. :_) and placed a fly stitch bush around it. Above it are some fall mums blooming away! Off to the left are some glass bead leaves, and the leaf that was embedded in the pattern of the fabric, I stitched with some silk to pull it out and show off it's colors. Above the leave is a beaded, herringbone, cretan seam treatment with algerian eyes that I varied just a small bit. Last, but not least, is the herringbone seam treatment on the right with beads and detatched chain stitches.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
DYBTW Cheryl
This is another block from a DYB round robin that has been completed..... more additions for the TAST (www.inaminuteago.com) project! I did herringbone for the dragonfly wings, a chevron/fly stitch variation and herringbone curly cues. The flowers on the cotton print are spruced up with some cast on petals and a bit of satin stitching to carry them over to the other block. I also added the metallic DMC thread web with a little spidey to bring luck to the block! I also added a brazilian embroidery bee! One of my favorites!! Enjoy!
DYBTW Ana
This is a pic of a block I just completed for a DYB round robin i'm in. There are versions of the detached chain stitch, a herringbone varition so those are my small contributions to the TAST project (www.inaminuteago.com) and lots of beady butterflies and a teensy beaded dragon fly! The vines are topped off with cast on leaves, which I like to play around with for shape and size. This was challenge for me due to the cotton fabric patterns....but hopefully the owner will enjoy it.
Special project
Here I am with another marathon posting session! I haven't figured out how to keep up with blogging AND do everything else that needs to be done! :_) This is a special project I undertook for a friend. It is a small bag for her husband. He owns a Citroen and this is a stitched version of it. I added the border to keep it from rolling off the side of the bag! This was all done to her specifications and is stitched on ultrasuede. I added another layer of ultrasuede to the interior as I put it together to make it more substantial and hopefully absorb some of the wear with use.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Gaga quilt restoed (closeup)
This is just a closeup of the restored quilt and the initial that was embroidered on it. I bracketed it with the feather stitch to stay in the basic "flavor" of the original quilt. All the embroidery on this piece was redone as the thread on the original was disintegrating, pulled or missing. I tried to match the color as best I could, but chose to use a perle cotton instead of the stranded floss to help with wear.
Gaga's quilt restored
This is a pic of the full quilt restored. Whew!!!! I hope my son will cherish and it lasts another 25 plus years!!! :_) The only differences on this quilt from the original is that I did a couple of variations on the feather stitch and added a bit of herringbone here and there! I didn't realize how tiring it gets to use the same stitch for a project this size. Great learning experience! I also added the family name initial and the approximate year it was made along with the year it was restored on the front. I wish the makers had realized the importance of documenting their information in years past....but....alas...we have to rely on our own memories there! At least I had the opportunity to fix that problem on this quilt! Enjoy!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
TAST Button Hole Stitch
I am participating in Sharon Boggons Take A Stitch Tuesday. http://www.inaminuteago.com/stitchdict/stitch/Buttonhole.html. This is my sampler of some buttonhole stitch variations so far. I've a lonnnnnggg way to go yet, but this is a start. I'm really enjoying the varity of ideas that folks are coming up with for this. First are the flowers that can be made with the button hole stitch. These can be seen at http://www.needlenthread.com/2006/11/embroidered-flowers-using-buttonhole.html. I've actually used this stitch on pansies for some DYB rr's i've been in. It's a great idea for Holly hocks, etc. Then there's Pam Kelloggs ideas that can be found at http://kittyandmedesigns.blogspot.com/ She always comes up with some good information and ideas to use with different stitches. Give them a try! I better get going and see what else I can conjure up! :_)
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Bee diagram
A few days ago, I did a brazilian embroidery bee tutorial. I have since been asked to add a diagram.....and finally got a chance to make it. Each line running across the body of the bee represents the row of cast on stitches. Beginning with the rear row, the sequence of stitches is as follows: 3, 5, 8, 8, 5, 3. That is the number of cast on stitches that you will need to add for each ros. The head is made with a french knot....or a variation of it...I wrapped the needle 5 or 6 times to make a good sized knot. The antennae are made with the fly stitch and the wings are created with bullion knots. I wrapped the needle 35 times approximately. If you want a fatter looking bee or larger wings, all that is necessary is to increase the number of stitches or wraps. I have also made this little "hummer" with all bullion knots! That version is not as fuzzy looking, but is still cute. Another option would be to use the turkey stitch and cut the loops! Now THAT would be a fuzzy, buzzy bee!!!
Cabachon pin
This is also a result of my Fimo explorations! I joined into a beaded cabachon swap and needed to get this done and mailed. I layered the royal blue and the turquoise colors, cut a slice and pressed it in my noodle maker and came out with the base. I cooked that, then decided to add some metallic Fimo shapes which I attached with Liquid Sculpey and baked again. I then glued the cabachon to some interfacing, and started beading. I had no plan (as usual) but simply played a bit and this is the result. I'm a little worried about the loops at the top being a little too much, but...well...since i've already added some ultra suede to the back, i'm gonna have to leave it I guess. It was fun to do and the little group I belong too will be continuing to have swaps, so more are likely to come! Enjoy!
Fimo explorations!
I have also been exploring the wonderful world of Fimo and all that can be created with it. I mixed and mashed and pressed and played and this is a sampling of what I came out with! I think they are kind of interesting....especially the ones that look like wood. But....then.....I love wood and trees and nature and.... :__)
New additions!
Other happenings on the home front, the day after Christmas....Caleb joined us! He popped into the world, weighing in at a mere 6 pounds, but if he's anything like his dad he will soon be chomping his way thru all the food in the house!
Snowwwwww!!!
I'm not always the best at keeping up with this blog...and this isn't really stitch related. BUT!!! It is precisely why there hasn't been as much stitching going on as i'd like there to be!!! I have had to keep on bundling up and going out to shovel this WHITE stuff!!! :_) Here in Colorado, we have been absolutely covered up since four days before Christmas! The first snow we got about 31 inches here at my house with five foot drifts. We lost our blazer for a while there! LOL!! Next week we got about 8 inches of it and now THIS week we are supposed to get another 12 inches!!! Sheesh!!! What happened??? I like snow....but....WOW!!!! I thought this was rather a pretty rendition of our frosty covering tho!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Honey Bee tutorial cont.
Voila! Completed honey bee!!! I just love to make these little dimensional gems! Sometimes, I will do a twisting, run stitch behind the bee to symbolize the movement and flight of the bee! Let your imagination run wild and have fun!
Honey Bee tutorial cont.
It should look a bit like this when you have pulled the thread through. Take your thread back to the back of the fabric, right next to where you came up. That will complete the wing. Repeat the process for the other wing. When you are done..........
Honey Bee tutorial cont.
When you are done, it will look like this. Also, if you are using Edmar rayon thread, you will want to wrap the thread clock-wise instead, to accomodate the "z" twist of the thread! Now, you need to hold the wraps and pull the needle through, completing the bullion. If the bullion twists a little bit, either tickle its tummy by running the needle gently under the loop or turn it a little bit between your fingers until it straightens out.
Honey Bee tutorial cont.
You will now thread a needle with some white thread, knot it and pull it through the fabric directly to the side of the body of the bee. Pull the thread completely through. For the bullion stitch that makes these great dimensional little wings, you will need to take a tiny bite right beside the spot that the thread originally came through. Like the cast on stitch, DO NOT PULL THE NEEDLE THROUGH THE STITCH! giggles..... Wrap the thread around the needle about 30 to 35 times.
Honey Bee tutorial cont.
For the next set of black stitches, move your needle slightly outwards from the yellow stitches to accomodate for more stitches. This will create some dimension to the body and make the bee look more "pudgy". Now you will create eight (8) cast on stitches with your black needle and eight stitches with the yellow needle that will follow. Thennnnn....you will be back to the black thread! Reduce the number of cast on stitches to five (5) and again, park the needle. Yellow is the final row of cast on stitches and will consist of three (3) stitches. When you take the thread to the back of the fabric, knot it and cut it off. You're done with the body! Next, we will make the head with a french knot. If you prefer to use a colonial knot, go for it! I like the french knots (which for some reason I keep calling them pearl knots giggles...), as I can increase or decrease the number of wraps on the needle as I want and affect the size of the knot accordingly. In this example, I wrapped the needle five (5) times then took the thread to the back of the fabric again.
Now, for the antennae, bring your needle and thread to the top of the fabric approximately a quarter of an inch and to the right of the head, pulling the thread completely through the fabric. Move directly to the left, about a quarter of inch ( I eye this to make it look more realistic. All the "measurements" I am giving you are just approximations) and take the needle to the back of the fabric, then back up in the middle, right beside the pearl knot. Take this slowly, making sure that you catch the loop of thread. You will then tack the thread down by pulling the needle over the loop and back to the back of the fabric. Repeat these fly stitches four more times for the legs as shown here.
Now, for the antennae, bring your needle and thread to the top of the fabric approximately a quarter of an inch and to the right of the head, pulling the thread completely through the fabric. Move directly to the left, about a quarter of inch ( I eye this to make it look more realistic. All the "measurements" I am giving you are just approximations) and take the needle to the back of the fabric, then back up in the middle, right beside the pearl knot. Take this slowly, making sure that you catch the loop of thread. You will then tack the thread down by pulling the needle over the loop and back to the back of the fabric. Repeat these fly stitches four more times for the legs as shown here.
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