Slow Stitching Sunday

I've appliqued all 7 of my butterflies I made last week to my quilt.   I then made a bullion knot  (with between 15-30 wraps depending upon the butterfly) for the body.  The antennae are pistil stitches. I used 1 strand of #8 black perle and 2 strands of DMC glow in the dark embroidery floss.  The entire quilt is quilted in glow in the dark threads (more on that in another post later on) so I think the butterflies needed a bit of glow too.  Now I need to finish sewing that purple spider and web binding down around the 59x63 quilt and I'll be ready to show off my challenge project in more detail. So...I'm about ready to sit and relax and stitch down that binding. 

And if there's more time left before bedtime after that then I'll work some more on my CQJP 2013 Project - my Crazy Cravings lap quilt.  

The way things are going in this crazy world all of the foods in my quilt might well be banned in my descendants life times.   

Registration is open for Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2014 in case you are interested. I already know what my project will be! 

If you are doing some slow stitching this Sunday or want to see some awesome slow stitching projects visit Kathy's Quilts Slow Stitching Sunday. 

Crazy Brown Color Study RR

BEFORE

I've been participating in a Brown Color Study Round Robin with a group of 4 ladies from the CQForNewbies Yahoo Group. Each person sends off a pieced brown block to make the rounds to every lady in the group for stitching/embellishing. All of the embellishments are supposed to be brown. Above is Angie's block as it came to me after Beth, Ruby and Toni had their way with it. I'm the last person to stitch on it and there doesn't seem to be much room.   Well, I've never done this before...but I removed those YELLOW sunflower buttons because they were not brown and they bothered me. But I'll send them on with the block to Angie when I mail it out.

AFTER

Here is the block after my additions and it's ready to mail on home to Angie.  I tatted a butterfly and attached it with a bullion and above it added a brown leaf button. I crocheted a few star flowers and added bead centers - one in the lower left space and a couple of others on the right hand side. I added a whole bunch of bullion "flowers" around the pig button and along that seam below and I added a few kiko flowers below the wheelbarrow...

EXTREME CLOSE UP

...And, most of this stitching is mine - bullion roses with leaves, ribbon flowers, kiko flowers and the seam treatment with beaded flowers.

Can't wait to see what my block will look like. I've had a heart on all the Color Study RRs I've participated in. I might make a fancy bed runner or wall hanging. But I'm really not much for wall

hangings. 

Tale of Two RRs

This is the final block I need to work on for the Fool's Goldwork RR hosted at CQI Yahoo Group. Wendy requested a peacock theme and so here's my peacock. I cut the peacock from gold ribbon, and padded it with felt. I then trimmed the body/feather with gold trim. Rest of body was stitched with 3 different gold threads.

Before I added the peacock I had embellished all the seams with treatments of white (or was it ecru?) perle #8. It would have bothered me if those seams were bare but I also didn't want them to detract from the peacock.  The bottom of the block has some other chicken peacock scratch stitched with various gold threads and beads. I added a butterfly also cut from gold colored organza ribbon and trimmed in gold threads to break up the white space but it occurred to me after I was finished that the butterfly is as big as the peacock and it reminded me of those old Japanese movies where two giant creatures fight each other. Who would win? Butterfly or peacock. Ah, my mind wanders...Anyway...when I thought I was finished I thought that dark brown triangle looked like a tumor protruding from Mr. Peacock so I think I toned it down with a trail of bullion roses made of 2 strands DMC and 1 strand gold DMC antique effects. Some of the leaves are stitched with DMC pearlescent and sparkle more than shown here.

I wasn't sure I would like the fool's goldwork because I'm not a gold/sparkly person; however, I have really enjoyed this, have a book on real goldwork to use for further ideas and have an entire tub of gold stuff I need to use up. So...maybe something will be in the works soon (or not).

Hosted on the CQ4Newbies Yahoo Group is a "Brown Color Study" RR. The block and all embellishments are supposed to be done in brown. Each lady sends her block around to others in their group to embellish and then eventually each block makes it's way back to each owner.

This is Toni's block and it had a lot of rectangular spaces. I find it difficult to stitch seams on blocks made in this style but look at each block as a challenge so..

Since it is hot here and I'm without A/C (I did go to work and experience some today, though) my thoughts of course led to fans. I embellished a long seam with my rendition of chain stitch/buttonhole fans with lazy daisy handles of variegated perle. Below that I added a variegated silk ribbon fan since I needed something to stand out on that striped brown.

Continuing on with fans...Toni's block had an Asian looking dragon in the fabric she used in the middle of the block So, I stitched an Asian lady with fan next to it. (Yes, that's supposed to be an Asian lady with fan and some bonsai in the background.) That's a stray thread near the bottom of the lady's kimono on the right. I think each of my pics has a stray thread somewhere. I also added a feather stitch/bullion seam between dragon and dragon  Asian lady.  Like the peacock block I used two strands of DMC plus one strand of antique effects brown metallic thread on the bullions. That's why they look kind of stripey. 

 And finally...I crocheted a little brown basket and added cast-on flowers/beads to it. And the seam above is satin ribbon, french knots and kiko flower stitches.

And here's what it looks like before it passes on to the next lady to stitch on (except I somehow managed to chop off some of the top half of the block in the photo.

Oh, one last thing...I'm not sure I showed MY brown color study block that is going around for the other ladies to embellish. I wonder what everyone will choose to do.

Fool's Goldwork

I'm in a Fool's Gold RR over on the Crazy Quilting International Yahoo Group. The purpose of this RR is to use faux gold threads and trims with goldwork techniques instead of the more expensive gold threads. Each member of the RR stitches together 6 - 6 inch blocks to send around to each member to embellish one. 

Kerry had some lovely wedding dresses on her block and wanted romantic theme. I started on the block by adding lace and stitching to each seam. What's more romantic than lace? 

Roses might be just as romantic as lace so I added a couple. I first cut felt and then covered it with silk on one and organdy on the other. Then I stab stitched them to the block and added stitching first with backstitch then I wrapped the backstitches with perle 5 gold threads. The outside of the roses are couched with flat gold trim.  Next I laid down a couple of different trims to simulate some foliage and added beads. I also added a few leaves. Then I added some feather stitch of variegated pale pink and white perle and added bullions wrapped in gold thread. The leaves were done in 2 strands of DMC and 1 strand of gold DMC antique effects. I really like to add DMC to all the antique effects threads. More beads and gold trimmed ribbon with french knots finished it off. 

The end. 

Do You Have Elves in Your Garden?

I finished my elf I'm going to use on another Midnight Fantasy Garden block. I chain stitched his shirt to look like a knitted sweater. His beard is made of french knots and bullions. You can't really tell but his ears, nose and hands are outlined in black metallic thread.  I think his shirt will glow in the dark. 

And, if you look around my garden you may just see a few elves hiding among the flowers.  Oh, and garden tip...fabric scraps make for good mulch. I put some of the scraps I collected all winter around the roses today. 

If you'd like to see what's blooming in the garden visit my garden blog - Down and Dirty Gardening. 

I've Been Working on the RRs All the Live Long Week

This is my work on Connie's Be My Vintage Valentine themed block. I added a yoyo heart, a little garden of hearts, rosebuds and flowers like the little girls are holding in the silky. 

This is a bigger block and an RR where everyone works on the same block. The theme for this one is Butterfly and Dragonfly. 

I added a curvy buttonhole flower seam, a buttonhole stitch seam with flowers, bullion roses and one of those 3D butterflies cut from fabric that has a butterfly motif. 

And here's another attempt at a dragonfly - this time silk ribbon and beads. Also made a fluttery butterfly out of layers of fabric and then added some Kiko Flower stitches all around. 

Here's what the block looks like after Candji and I have stitched on it. Kathy did the butterfly embroidery in the middle herself.  I really had a hard time staying with pastels!!! 

Midnight Fantasy Garden

This is my work on Lyn's Midnight Fantasy Garden block. I stitched some fuschia in silk thread. I didn't take a photo of the bottom of the block but she has a deep purple patch there and the fuschia picks up the color in that. There is feather stitch with variegated orange bullions, an embellished chevron stitch seam and a chain stitch and french knot motif both in variegated threads. 

Fanning for Gold

This is my work on Arlene's block for the Fool's Gold RR over on CQ International Yahoo Group. I chose a block with a fan on it so I didn't have to rack my brain for a  motif to add. First I added did a feather stitch between the two middle blades of the fan.  Then I added some bullions to the feather stitch and outlined them in gold metallic effects DMC with a lazy daisy stitch. Next I couched some trim along the first fan blade and added some bullion roses made out of perle #5 gold metallic (not the easiest thing to do). The other fan seam has double herringbone, straight stitches and beads. At the bottom of the fan I couched down some cording with dmc that matches the second blade of the fan. I wish I had used some darker thread so it would show better...but I didn't. I couched in a brick pattern. Then I added a black perle8 bullion fantasy flower surrounded by some gold flat trim raised leaves and pistil stitches. Oh, and I couched on the black bullion with gold. Then I added gold rick rack with zig zag chain stitch of 1 strand of gold metallic thread and 1 strand of dark purple DMC. Then I cut some leaves out of gold ribbon I fused with interfacing and made a gathered fantasy flower out of some wired gold ribbon and surrounded it with a variety of gold beads. 

And so...I'm done fanning for gold! ;-) 

Winter and Oranges

I've finished my stitching on one of Peggy Sue's winter themed blocks. A couple of different types of yarn to simulate swirling snow in the sky plus some snowflakes, a couple of different laces to simulate snow, snow drifts laced with silver thread, herringbone stitch with shimmery sequins and beads, a sequin flower that doesn't show up very well in lower right hand corner, drizzle stitch snow along the "ground" level and finally a big giant snowball made of spiral trellis stitch which I just learned to do.

This is my work on Toni's orange tone on tone block. We are to use nothing but orange for embellishments so I added bullion roses, orange ribbon, fly stitch leaves and a few french knots.

I also added some herringbone stitches, rick rack, eyelet lace with beads and some buttonhole stitches along the bottom, a crocheted butterfly (hey, it look like I stitched her feelers in the wrong place), and feather stitch with french knots.

I do not really like orange but with this RR have built up some orange embellishments and have a greater appreciation of what can be done with tone on tone.

Celebrate Life Challenge - My Grand Finale

I participated in a "Celebrate Life" challenge over on the CQ For Newbies Yahoo Group. Basically we learn new stitches or a different way to apply old ones. I've finally finished my 12 inch block I call Midnight Fantasy Garden.

To recap..week one was outline and and stem stitches.

Second week was buttonhole stitch.

Third week was cast-on stitch.

Fourth week was whipped spider wheel and whipped chain. I also challenged myself to make some angelina fiber leaves.

Fifth week was herringbone and...

...chevron stitch.

Sixth week was turkey work (or is it knot?) so I made some thistles with it.

Sixth week was also spiral trellis. I had a difficult time seeing where I was to put my needle for each stitch so you can see a few little holes where I missed a few stitches (or was that where I decreased stitches and shouldn't have?)

That was it for the required stitches but we also had to add two extra elements from a list of several. I did a spider and her web and it looks like the albino spider has a broken leg. There is a black spider hidden in there too. Both of them made the web but I think they were into the booze when they made it. The other element was a silk ribbon motif so I added some silk ribbon roses.

So that brings me to the finish of this block. The fairy body is painted with glow in the dark paint and I may also add stitches over the paint in glow in the dark thread. Or then again, I may not.

And that brings me to the end of this "Midnight Fantasy Garden". I have several others in the works, though.

More Roses

This is Kathy's completed block ready to return home to her. This was a roses themed rr over on CQI Yahoo Group that 5 ladies participate in. I was the last to stitch on this block. Rita, Meg and Ruby did their magic before me. 

I added a wired ribbon wild rose and bud and leaves and to the right some peach colored spider web roses to fill up a gap where someone's lace didn't quite extend to the edge. 

Over on the left hand side of the block there was a naked seam so I added a few sweetheart roses. 

Here's my addition of a "shabby chic" butterfly and some bullion roses. There is another shabby butterfly on there somewhere too. 

So, that ends my stitching for both rose themed RRs I was in. Now I can't wait to get my own blocks home! I have really enjoyed this RR. I think I will make two more blocks for myself since I bought a new book on ribbon roses. 

Flowers in Winter

The following are some pics from some RRs I am participating in:

This is Lauri's 6 inch angel themed block. I added 4 different seam treatments in variegated DMC then framed Lauri's silkie with silk ribbon flowers. I tatted a butterfly for upper right and made a bullion fantasy flower for lower right.

This is a different type of RR where everyone stitches on one large block. This is Ely's roses themed block. I added sweetheart roses, spider web roses and bullion roses around the fairy center and added a crocheted butterfly.

And this is Ely's block after Arlene, Paula and I have stitched on it. One more lady needs to add her stitching and then it's going home to Ely.

This is another rose themed RR block. This time it is for Meg and she requested yellow roses so I added a large one plus some other rosebuds and flowers...

...plus some bullion rosebuds.

This is Meg's block after Rita, Ruby and me. Then it's on to Kathy to stitch on and then home to Meg who says she will auction it off for Texas firefighters.

In Between Sane and Crazy

It's never boring around here. I always have my choice of sane or crazy project to work on after a hard day on the job. And I always like challenges. I think they keep the mind functioning.

Another challenge I hope to work on in 2012 is Sharon Boggon's "Take a Stitch Tuesday" .

I love gingham so decided to make some 4.5 inch squares into little canvases to stitch on for the TAST challenge. I figured it already has some lines marked for me to follow while stitching. If there are some stitches that involve circles I guess I will use some pastel polka dots for the "canvas". The 4.5 inch squares are bordered with 2.5 inch white on white strips and I figured I could stitch on those too. Then it will turn into a lap quilt. Crazy, huh?

This is my work on Rita's rose block. It is for a rose themed RR over on CQI (Crazy Quilt International) yahoo group.

And this is how Rita's block looks after Ruby and I have worked on it. Now there are two more stitchers to go.

And, yuck, I don't really like orange but I am participating in an Orange Study RR with some ladies on the CQforNewbies yahoo group. This is my stitching on Doris' block. I added some pale orange eyelet trim, tatted a little butterfly, crocheted a few flowers, added some kiko stitch flowers, a bullion flower, some leaves...

...and this is how Doris' block now looks after Doris and I have stitched on it.