Beppy Berlin, a very popular embroidery tutor locally, took the workshop, bringing designs we could work to make a square pincushion. We all worked with silk fabric and stranded threads in a variety of colour combinations. It was quite careful work, you needed to be as accurate as possible, difficult for me! The simplest pattern was probably this one, but Beppy gave us so many tips and ideas for extra bits of stitches and beads, and good threads to use that every one finished will be original! This one is different, the hearts are the other way round.
Some nice centres.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
West Country Embroiderers again . . .
Journal quilts again - April
This year's JQs are 12" x 12", bigger than last year's A4 size, and I'm finding it a nice shape to design for. I'm having to combine my jq's this year so far with work for other things, and this one serves 3 purposes. Another exhibition at our church is on currently, Stones and the Sea, and this fits the bill. The local Contemporary Quilt Group manifestation, Infinity, is doing a jq bimonthly, and this is Beachcombing. (I started thinking about hair combs and the lines in your hair as the comb passes through it!). And of course the national CQ challenge of one 12x12 jq a month, for which this is April's entry.The shells are attached by hand-stitching a small piece of net over them. Practically all the rest is machined, the 'combing' lines with twin needles.
... and more wildlife - the damselfly on the lower leaf with the limey green leaf behind it. It's easier to see bigger, sorry! There's a shadow of it on the darker leaf below it.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Can't resist the flowers . . . .
. . . and the wildlife. Cplours, colours, colours.
I've lways wanted one of these blue flower bushes in the garden and now we have one - ceanothus, I think it's called.
And a rhododendron - nice deep pink
Friday, May 02, 2008
More houses . . .
Our cottage again ... that stepped gable edge is used a lot . . . Going down to the harbour at Crail . .
Art in the cottage . . .
Scotland - the southern coast of Fife
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Tulip time, hooray . . .
Monday, April 07, 2008
Loose ends . . .
Another sort of kantha stitching, each line of stitches shifted slightly to the side of the one above. And what to do with the loose ends, the bits of thread left over. It's getting a bit obsessional I fear, but I keep all these bits, (generally not shorter than 4" though) and do something with them. Here its running stitch lines. Its the sort of doodling I like.
What I've done with it . . .
Granddaughter number 3 painted herself a couple of bits of fabric - paw prints were what she wanted. She added some stripes with an oilbar, and I managed to get her to stitch a few lines with purple thread. Then it was left to me to turn it all into a bag. The shadow appliqué piece done at Beverley Wood's workshop with WCE has been turned into a bag too, for me this time, though it may get given away somewhen.
Close up of the centre - the appliquéd shape and some beads.
Happy Christmas, no, April
Yes, well, no wonder the English are always talking about the weather, there's always something to say! Last Sunday, just before 8am there was a bit of a blizzard.
Doesn't look quite right with the azalea and next door's mimosa tree in bloom.
Ah well, it looks quite pretty, for an hour or two.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Postcards, latest . . .
We did a mini workshop at Crooked Boro' Quilters last month, making fabric postcards. I focussed on 2 kinds, the strippy ones (see earlier posts for pix) and an appliqué one (see below). Both ideas were tried. The idea in this one is to use a print strip and pick up the colours in it for the other pieces - thus yellowy top strip, purples for flowers, green stems, couched thread and stitching. Its a way of linking it all together, promotes a pleasing feel. I also did this one, another in the 'palm tree' series, as a demo, and some made this design. I finished it off yesterday. Hopefully there will be a nice show n' tell at a future meeting!
When Beverley Wood (see earlier post) came to WCE in Feb. we made a piece of crazy-like patchwork by piecing, cutting up and joining, stitching and embellishing, and eventually I turned my bit into 3 postcards.
Reviewing . . .
Linda at Occasional Jottings was reviewing the other day how she is getting on with her alternative to new year resolutions, it makes interesting reading - go and have a look at March 27th.
My own goal of blogging more regularly has not been met. Although starting well in January I have slipped back into leaving it for a week or more then putting lots of posts up at once. Must try harder.
It often is to do with pictures. Because this is a blog where I want the pictures to say as much as the words (probably more, most times!) I find I'm short of pix because I forget to keep up with taking them. Then I don't do much stitching for a bit so have no fresh work to show. Then the flowers and scenery pix outnumber the work pix . . . and so it goes on. Well, perhaps I should get out more, not take it all too seriously, this blog is not a masterpiece for all time after all! (Now there's a goal and a half!)
Last Month at West Country Embroiderers . . .
Friday, March 28, 2008
Canvaswork . . .
I finished the canvaswork piece we started at West Country Embroiderers this month. Except that it needs some more beads and sequins. And I have to decide what to do with it! As usual. I really enjoyed doing it, and want to do some more.
This is my practice piece. Having only tried canvaswork once before, a small and unsuccesful attempt, I thought I'd try a few threads and see what worked best. I had bought single canvas with a larger mesh (eyesight) and wanted to see before the workshop day which ones would cover it enough. We did paint the canvas first, so bits showing were not a problem. I guess with white canvas you would want to cover it all up? I thought it needed the thicker threads - stranded cotton, soft cotton, some wools, thicker perlé, those knitted ribbon things or else finer ones used double. Our tutor used some torn chiffon strips but I didn't get round to trying that.
Easter celebrations . . .
A representation of the empty tomb we had in church at Easter. It started life as a pair of stocks (!) but some creative people with hammers, cardboard, paper and paint transformed that, others worked on the garden setting , and with the candles lit on Easter Sunday it made a great visual aid for the resurrection message. Interestingly, this cross is made from the tree we had in church at Christmas - an interesting symbolic link.
The flower fades . . .
My Mothers' Day tulips now. DGD asked, quite politely, 'Grandma, why have you got a vase of dead flowers on the table?' The answer could have been of course that I hadn't got around to clearing them up yet. But the real answer is that Ive been finding the drying, twisting petals so fascinating! 'I see,' grandaughter said, a bit hesitantly! The last 2 amaryllis when they were beginning to open. They are coming to an end now, more a soggy mess than interesting curls, so soon now the flower stalks will be cut off and when the leaves have died down they will be put away till next year.
This is the first one I bought, several years ago, buy one get one free in the Co op in Marple, and I gave the other one away as a Christmas present. I wonder if that one is still flowering?
How to keep amaryllis flowering year after year:
When the flowers are finished, cut off the flower stalk. Keep watering the leaves till they are dying down too. Put the bulbs away somewhere dry. After Christmas somewhen take the bulbs out, soak them in water for half an hour, pot them up and put them on a windowsill. Keep a little watering going. Eventually you will have the excitement of spotting the first shoot - is it a flower shoot or just a leaf? - then keep them well watered and they will flower for you.

