At last I seem to be sewing again. I have been working on a couple of projects for lately. The first is Pam's Build a Seam blocks. I have finished 3. The first one is the Chevron Stitch

 I used Chevron to cover the seam and then had a nice play with fly-stitch, colonial knots, detached chain and pistil stitch.

The next block I did was the Cretan stitch

instead of doing the seam I filled in the little blue area with cretan leaves, bullion roses, colonial knot forget-me-nots and some detached chain leaves.

The last one I have finished so far is the Buttonhole Stitch.

For this I used knotted buttonhole on the seam with buttonhole and colonial knot hollyhocks with a few detached chain leaves thrown in for good measure. 

The colours in these photos are not very good but then I am not much of a photographer.

The second project is some butterflies using different methods of stitching for my U3A class I attend on Tuesday afternoon during term time. I am also experimenting with a way to transfer drawings to embroider to my fabric. For this series I am using a water soluble fabric with the design drawn on it. As the item I am embroidering on is to be used as a food cover it will need washing so I am not worried about whether I can wash it. 

The first butterfly is my version of Jacobean Embroidery

Not a great photo but there you go.

The second is Dorset Feather Embroidery 

This photo is better and you can see the water soluble fabric I am using.

And last so far is an appliqué using sheer fabric

I hope it works but we shall see. You can also see the sewing lines on the water-soluble fabric.

I also did a Dorset Feather strip that I will eventually stitch onto a hand towel.

With this I used an ordinary pencil to do the placement marks. I am sure it will wash out.

Hi all it has been an awfully long time since I came to play here but hopefully I am back. In March 2012 I had a fall and broke my left hip and then in April I had my left foot reconstructed. This had to be one of the silliest things I have ever done because I have spent since then in a wheel chair with only very limited access to my computer. At last I am now at least using a walking frame or, at home, a walking stick. I am sewing more and have just finished my bit on the 9 blocks for Joyce

This is the buttonhole stitch I did the little butterfly and the twisted buttonhole with buttonhole wheel flowers. The nest 2 photos are close-ups of my buttonholes.

This is the backstitch block and a close-up of my cornucopia.

Chain stitch is one of my favourites and the little octopus and sand dollars are both worked in chain.

Next is Chevron Stitch 

 This is the herringbone stitch I used 3 different colours and 3 rows of stitching one on top of the other.

Fly stitch is used on this block.

 close-up

 Straight stitch was a bit of a problem for an idea at first but then I thought of Pekinese stitch which is a sort of whipped straight stitch.

Just have fun so that is what I did. Black feather stitch which is very hard to see on the dark velvet and red needle woven daisies with black colonial knot centres.

I loved working on these beautiful blocks with their rich colours and textures. I am sorry I did not do more but I felt these blocks had been held up long enough so I just pu the best I could on each block.

I have just discovered a wonderfully generous Giveaway from Connie Go over and check it out this is to die for I just hope I am the lucky one
http://cwkalina.blogspot.com/

Amy's Block FFT#14

At last I am doing as I promised that is showing not only my stitching but where the ideas came from.
This is a very special block for Amy so I felt I needed to do something special. Once I started stitching it was a very hard block to put down I could have filled every space but I knew Sarma and Sue would like me to leave them somewhere to do their stitching. The Sturt's desert pea never got on the block it just did not seem to fit in anywhere but if you like Amy I will do you a little piece with one on it.

So here is my stitching the vine is stem stitch, detached chain, colonial knots (I like them better than the bullion knots for this sort of thing LOL ;-D) and bullion roses. The little beetle is bullion stitch, pistil stitch and once again my favourite colonial knots. The seam is double detached chain pistil stitch colonial knots and a mixture of herringbone and chevron stitch I forget what it is called.

And here is Amy's beautiful block so far. I am so glad i got to add my little bit to it.

Victoriana

A couple of weeks ago I uploaded the images of my block I intended to use for the Victoriana Symbols. Well at last I have done a little work in the first side. This will eventually become a handbag I am not sure how practical it will be but I hope it will be beautiful.

The first symbol is a spider and it's web and inhabitant is supposed to bring good luck.

The next symbol is a fan. Fans used by a lady in Victorian times could convey all sorts of messages. It all depended on how the fan was placed in front of her face or held in her hand. Now they are just beautiful things to keep us cool. In Asia they are used a lot and it is a puzzle to me why Australian do not nake more use of a fan. I for one carry one in my handbag at all times.

The little tatted fan is another of my firsts. LOL;-D. I have been trying to work out how to tat for at least 40 years and at last now at the age of 67 I can do it. The fan is the first big pattern I followed and is the 3rd try at the pattern but at least it worked this time. I couched it onto the block and the beaded the picots and some other elements. When the bag is finished I think I will make a tassel for the end of the ribbon.

This is a seam treatment I have used on the block. This block will not only have the Victorian symbols I also intend to use it to pratice new, to me, tecniques.

FFT #14 update

I have just finished working on Janet's  block. This was so scary as it was my very first embroidery done on something that belongs to someone else. I decided to put a little bit of Oz on her block so here is the Gum Blossom I did.
The blossom is pistal stitch with a colonial knot worked over some of the blossoms. The nuts and backing are bullion stitch. The leaves are either satin stitch or bokahara(Sp) stitch and the large leaf is outlined with backstitch, the stems are stemstitch.

I have just taught myself how to tat and the little butterfly was the first of my efforts I felt I could give to someone else. The body is a freshwater pearl that was exactly the right size and shape and the antennae are topped with a glass pearl bead.

The seam treatment here is a 3 sets of running stitch with  a double row of sienese stitch in silver over the 2 outside rows.

The second seam is a little hard to see but it is made up of herringbone stitch, straight stitch, detached chain and colonial knots. All my stitching is done with single strand DMC except the silver thread.

This is picture of the block so far and I think it is coming along beautifully and I can't wait to see it when it is finished. 







12 Months of Victorian Symbology

I was going to enter the purse contest in Crazy Quilting International but then decided the 12 Months of Victorian Symbols would be fun also. I am making an effort this year not to put too much on my plate both physically and metaphorically so I decided I had to do one or the other. I have already made the naked purse sides so that will be my Victoriana project and I will either keep it for myself or gift it to someone special.

Throughout the year I will post my progress.

The first thing I have to do now is prepare and stitch all the seams and decide where challenge one has to go on the blocks. The first photo is side one and the second photo is side two.

The idea for the shape came from a machine embroidery pattern I purchased some time ago, I can't remember where.