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. 

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! ;-) 

A Little Crazy Quilting

This is the second 4x6 block (Colleen's) I stitched for the exchange hosted by Kathy Shaw. It was a little challenging since there were squares with so many different colors so  I broke it up a bit with my seams. I feather stitched all seams and added a different type of "flower" to each. Then I added some sweetheart roses here and there.

On Ruby's winter themed block I added some motifs- a sleigh, wreath and tree -  in metallic threads. It's hard to catch the sparkle in the picture. Around the silky I ruched some organdy ribbon and some white bumpy yarn.  I was hoping it looked like snow. Most of the stitching was wrapped backstitch with a single strand of the metallic thread.