CQJP2015...ready, set, go!

I'm gathering my fabrics and have my muslin (calico for you girls in the UK and Australia) cut out ready to be pieced.  Beginning January 1st, the challenge begins.  Well over 140 participants will begin putting together a crazy quilt block and will finish it embellishments and all, by the end of the month. And then we'll do it again in Feb...Mar...all thru the entire 12 months of 2015!  This is a personal challenge headed up by Kathy Shaw so that we can challenge ourselves to improve our skills. 

Hopefully, I'll actually get some skills because right now I'm sorely lacking. I've re-viewed Allie Allerton's craftsy class on crazy quilting, and dusted off my Judith Baker Montano DVD so that I don't feel so nervous.   I'm very much looking forward to this year long challenge and will post the pictures on this blog.   

Ribbon Embroidery Stumpwork Sampler

This is excitement! For the last several months I've been gathering the supplies I needed to work Di Van Niekerk's beautiful RES Sampler and am finally beginning work!  

There are several pieces that  Di Van Niekerk offers to get started on her RES Sampler, and as I am fairly new to ribbon embroidery and brand new to stumpwork and always like to have as much help as I can get, I bought the first of the DVDs (which covers how to do the first 4 panels on the sampler), the RES book, the panel itself and the starter kit.  This is the sampler itself. Isn't it pretty? 

 

And here are a few other goodies. The 1st DVD pictured below can be bought at Amazon. Well, actually all 3 of the DVDs and the book can be bought at Amazon, I just chose to buy the 1st DVD, first.  Also pictured are two of the 2 mm handpainted silk ribbons and one of the 100% pure hand dyed stranded silk (Au Ver A Soir) imported from France that go in the kit.  Many other silks, cottons and overdyed threads, along with handpainted ribbons are included in the kit. 

Di has many outlets world-wide where you can buy her kits and individual supplies, books, panels, etc, but I chose to order directly from her. She is in South Africa, but it was easy as pie to order from her. She and Renn (her trusty side-kick sister-in-law) are both so personable, and their customer service is second to none. I had a few questions (well, more than a few) but they always responded quickly and were so very helpful. 

After securing an inexpensive set of stretcher bars (I really want the Evertites but have to save up for them), I set to work and without too much trouble was able to stretch the panel on the bars and begin.

Below is a pic of the lavender, with stems and flowers finished - got to do the leaves and grass next! 

 Before I got the stretcher bars I tried my hand at the stumpwork hydrangeas in the same panel. I'm the world's worst at French Knots but after doing a few dozen I'm finally getting the hang of it.  These little guys are worked on a separate plain cotton cloth and will be cut out of the back cloth, gathered and attached to the hydrangeas on the panel.  Don't worry, Di explains in the DVD and the book exactly how to do that.   This is how you begin: 

Looks funny doesn't it? But all you do is make heaps of French Knots and then make a running stitch around them, cut them out and pull the threads of the running stitch to gather them up into plump little flower heads, then attach to the panel. I'll take more pics to share with you as I do that.  I have to make several more hydrangea heads before I'm to that point though. 

This RES sampler is a very good one for beginners. Di has many more samplers and beautiful works to be completed on her site, though so please wander around her site - it's a feast for the eyes. I'm sure you'll find several somethings you just have to have! 

If you're new like me, I don't think you'll have any trouble following Di's instructions. For a glimpse of her style, go to Youtube and search for Di Van Niekerk - you'll find lots of short videos on how to do many of the stitches on this panel. 

See you all soon and in the meanwhile, happy stitching!

Rewarding you all for your patience, I thought you might like to download a freebie for use in your crazy quilts or altered art projects.  I think this pic of a beautiful girl with violets is so lush! 

It is compliments of Lorraine at Over the Rainebeau.  Thank you Lorraine! 

Hello friends,

It's been just shy of two years since the last time I posted. I lost my husband in October, 2011 and only now feeling up to stitching and blogging.

I see that Blogger dot com has changed things around a little bit and I'll need to get used to that but my blog never looked as good as I wanted it to anyway - so hopefully the changes will be for the better.

Hope to see you all soon, with a picture of something I've stitched. In the meanwhile, you can look at my dog ;)  who is pretending to be a giant knick knack sitting on my end table.

Connie's having a Give Away!

We all love those give aways, and the bloggers & crafters who offer them.

Rush over to http://cwkalina.blogspot.com where you'll not only find information about how to win these fabulous goodies, but also enjoy the great eye candy on Connie's blog.

Baby blanket

Just when I was establishing a comfort zone, I've broken away from it. The first baby boy our family has expected in 57 years will be born to my eldest niece in August, so as a first-time great-aunt I felt it was my duty and pleasure to make him a baby blanket.

I was inspired by a wonderful Australian needlework magazine aptly named Inspirations. A photo of my hand-traced pattern for the needlework is shown . The instructions call for using long and short stitch on the bears but because I have no experience with those stitches I decided to needle punch the bears. I did manage to do the long and short stitch on the boy bear's t-shirt and I've started the cupcake. The hibiscus flowers are a pinwheel buttonhole stitch. I have a long way to go. Good thing Baby isn't arriving til August!

Back to CQ'ing!

I finally found the nerve to play with color. Well, I guess perhaps it's not that nerve-y, for most, but admittedly I am still afraid of my block and the use of color. With good reason - on another seam on this same block I stitched some red lazy daisies which turned out a bit...erm, 'out there' shall we say?

Here I laid down a gold ribbon with a green cast to it and a perle size 5 thread called Color Variations Monet's Garden by DMC. I made tiny running stitches between the gold embroidered shapes in the ribbon.

When I've figured out what to do about those bright red, too large lazy daisies, I'll share ;).

I 've also finished piecing my 2nd (ever) block. I ran into
a bit of a quandary on this block because one of the pieces is too large. Not having a piece of fabric that would do for that corner, I decided to use one of my doilies to off-set it. I'm hoping once the block is embellished, it will look like that was the plan from the beginning.