Wednesday, December 18, 2013

BOM 2013 Quilt

 A Craftsy Block of the Month 2013 with Laura Nownes.  I bought the material they had available - saves running around looking for the MANY different fabrics & I kinda like polka dots….

The final size is about 64 x 60.
I quilted the top myself.


The online classes are fun to do and you always come away with some new technique that is useful in later projects - it's also nice to see how others in the same class complete theirs and the fabrics they chose.

Engagement Quilt


My son, Marc, and Ashley became engaged Christmas 2012.  I made them this quilt as an engagement quilt.

She loves pinks and the greys\blacks are his - I wanted to 'symbolize' how they are mixed and matched and still come out beautiful.

It was another reversible quilt.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Stitches 59 to 61

Stitch 59 - Breton Stitch 

Stitch 60 - Diamond Stitch 

Stitch 61 - Raised Cross Stitch Flower 








Finally I am officially caught with TAST 2013 - at least the samples - I have yet to do any of the challenges or to start my own.

Stitch 59 is the Breton Stitch - according to Sharon B it is based on the herringbone stitch (week 5 in 2012).  It is said to make a good border and if worked row upon row it makes an interesting filling stitch - also changing the spacing of the stitches can change the look.  2 strand floss on the left & perle #5 on the right.

Stitch 60 is the Diamond Stitch.  I had some trouble with the stitch, seemed to be missing a step of Sharon's, but thanks to needlethread.com and Mary Thomas's Dictionary - I was able to grasp the stitch,  especially on how to wrap the thread.  Floss on the left and perle cotton #5 and #12 on the right

Stitch 61 is the Raised Cross Stitch Flower - also called the whipped cross stitch as the foundation of cross stitches are whipped around in a circle.  I am not too sure if I completed the flowers correctly, but I enjoyed trying. 6 strands of floss on the left and perle #5 on the right samples.

You will definitely enjoy the many wonderful samples at TAST FAQ.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Stitches 56 to 58

Sailors Stitch

Sailors Edge Stitch

Woven Detached Chain









Three new stitches from TAST that I have caught up on - always new things to learn - now just to take (have) the time to create an embroidered piece with these new stitches...

I have used floss for the left samples and perle #5 cotton for the right.

Sailors Stitch and Sailors Edge Stitch are similar, according to Sharon at TAST - listed as a border stitch, edging stitch or as an edge for applique work.

The third sample is the Woven Detached Chain - makes little leaves - guess I should have used green thread.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Stitches 51 to 55


Raised Herringbone Band Stitch

Triangular Feather Stitch

Herringbone Square Stitch
Laced Square Herringbone

Buttonholed Herringbone Stitch































Again, I am catching up - yeah!!  Here are Weeks 51 to 55 of TAST 2013 by Sharon B.  I have worked each of the stitches with:   on the left:  embroidery floss and on other right:  perle #5 cotton - perle always seems to be easier to work with and produces nicer stitches.

Stitch 51 was the Raised Herringbone - a nice simple stitch - you first needed a foundation with a band of satin stitch (stitch #13), then herringbone stitch (stitch #5).

Stitch 52 was the Triangular Feather Stitch - started off with the feather stitch (stitch #3) - stitches should be horizontal, but I did my vertical to fit my sampler...

Stitches 53 and 54 were together - Herringbone Square and Laced Square Herringbone - the Herringbone Square was a simple stitch and was used as the foundation for the Laced Square Herringbone - which was somewhat confusing and I am not really sure that I was able to follow Sharon's diagrams.

Stitch 55 was the Buttonholed Herringbone - this one I enjoyed as it started off with a simple Herringbone stitch and then worked single buttonhole stitches (stitch #3).

Hopefully I can catch up and then try one of Sharon's challenges...

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

BOM 2012

Front of the Quilt
Completed the Block of the Month 2012 quilt with Amy Gibson at Craftsy.com.  Had a lot of green in my quilting stash and needed a project for January.  Then Craftsy offered a free motion quilting course, with Leah Day, that was using the BOM 2012 as the sample - so I took that as well.

Definitely many hours later (some of them very frustrating...) I completed the quilt.  I had never 'really' free motion quilted before - so this is NOT my best work - nor will I be giving it to anyone - might make it to the cottage.
Back of the quilt
I have decided that free motion quilting is like driving down a very icy, curvy road with bald tires!!  Need LOTS of control.

Quite the learning experience - will try another course on free motion quilting - can only get better - right?

Yes, it is April here - and we still have snow on the ground!!! Will spring ever come?

Friday, March 29, 2013

Stitch 50

Inverted Feather Stitch
This is the Inverted Feather Stitch and I used three strands of floss and perle #5.

Sharon B writes that is is a wonderful braid like edge for fabric postcards, artist trading cards or needle book edgings.

Stitch 49

Knotted Feather Stitch
FINALLY, I have had the time to get back to Take a Stitch Tuesday!   I am ONLY about 10 stitches behind - so here goes.  I have had to renumber to match Sharon's - I must have included the challenges in my numbering last year.

This is the Knotted Feather Stitch - according to TAST 2013 it is a variation of the feather stitch or thorn stitch and knotted chained feather.  I worked these in floss and perle #5.

So good to get back!!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

TAST - Week 51

Knotted Cable Chain stitch
Yeah - I am so proud of myself - I completed all the weekly challenges for TAST 2012!!!  (I'll use the excuse that I started later in the year, so I am excused for not finishing in December...)

This last challenge was for the Knotted Cable Chain stitch.  Sharon at Pintangle said it is used as a linear stitch and creates an interesting textured line.

I must admit I had trouble grasping the instructions - as seen by the purple stitching, using perle #12 - which I removed at least 5 times!  Then the bottom pink row I followed the illustrations in Crazy Quilting - I used perle #5 and it seemed to look a little more like it should.  For the pink variegated pink curved line, I followed instructions in Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches - again I had used perle #5.

Now I'm ready for Sharon's TAST 2013 challenges...

Monday, January 14, 2013

TAST 2012 - Week 50

Berry Stitch
This is the Berry stitch - also called the double lazy daisy stitch or double detached chain stitch.  It is made up of two detached chain stitches.

I used floss for the pink, perle #5 for the burgundy and perle #12 for the purple.

More beautiful creations of this stitch can be viewed at TAST 2012.

TAST 2012 - Week 49

Week 49 - Buttonhole Eyelet Flower Stitch
Sharon found this stitch in the A-Z Embroidery Stitches: v. 2 - it is called the Buttonhole Eyelet Flower Stitch.  

You first work a buttonhole wheel and then you work bullion knots around the edge of the wheel. I got a little carried away wrapping the thread around the needle for some of the petals... the loops are a bit loopsided...

I used 4 strands of floss for the orange flower, Perle #12 for the purple and perle #5 for the orangish flower.  You can see many more samples at TAST 2012



Bella's Christmas Quilt


This is the finished quilted wall hanging that I gave to our granddaughter, Bella, this Christmas.  It is the 'Storybook Snowmen' quilt from the Stitch Connection.  I hand embroidered and hand quilted it and it is 48" square.  She is only 20 months now, but hopefully she will treasure it when she is older - I had fun embroidering while watching TV at night.

It's not the greatest picture - I had just finished it Christmas Eve afternoon!! so I could only photograph it Christmas night after she had opened it.