A Crazy Pincushion

 I have been enjoying myself this week with embellishing the little pincushion that I showed you in my last post. I have been taking photographs as I go along as some of you may be interested in how I worked the embroidery - skip to the end if you just want to see the finished pincushion!

So this is how the basic block looked.

The pink fabric in the centre section was not lying as flat as I would have liked so first of all I added some tiny colonial knots to flatten and hold it in place, then some beads in the spaces.

The next job was to position the mauve lace and I decided to add it across the corner.

I then added the chain stitches around the edge to hold it in place and some straight stitches to emphasise the flowers.

I like a curve to lead the eye around the piece so this stem was added in next using stem stitch.

I then moved onto some seam treatments. This first small section uses some flower shaped sequins held down with beads then some fly stitch and chain stitch flowers.

For the seam next to it I worked a row of closed buttonhole. In the open spaces I sewed alternate tiny hearts and chain stitches. In the closed gaps chunky colonial knots. I topped the points with chain stitch and straight stitch flowers. Note the gap on the left - a little heart will be added there after construction as it would otherwise get in the way of the sewing line.

I used a simple row of colonial knots along this third seam.

Next I decorated the stem with ruched roses, leaf ribbon stitch and some straight stitches.

Which just left this last seam. I didnt want anything too fancy or complicated here so following the dotty theme of the last seam I used a row of beads to decorate this.

Now all that was left was to add in a spider for good luck. At this point just the legs as again the beads for the body and head would get in the way of the sewing machine during construction.

After I had machined the pincushion together and turned it through, but before stuffing, I added the missing heart and the beads for the spider.

And there we are, one crazy pincushion!

I am back to quilting now - a nice, simple, narrow border on my Red Manor House.

Friday Night Sew In, 2021 style!

 

Many thanks to Wendy for organising our Friday evening again and for setting up the facebook page - great idea. Pop over to Wendy's blog here to see who else was taking part.

I started after lunch by pulling out some of my hand dyed fabrics as I fancy making a crazy pincushion. As always, it takes far more time deciding which fabrics to use than it does to make the block! Anyway, after a couple of hours I had this little 3.5" block pieced and framed ready for embellishment.

In the evening it was nice to sit by the fire with my Red Manor House on my knees! I am still quilting around the Irish chain border but thankfully the end is in sight - just one more move of the frame will do it.

Somewhere around halfway round this border I wished I had diagonally quilted the squares but by then too late! Anyway, it will be nice to move onto that narrow blue border. But first, my 'reward' for completeing the Irish chain will be to embellish my crazy pincushion!

Another frosty morning here.

And a very pretty sunrise which this picture does not do justice to!

Have a great week.

Friday Night Sew In

Last night it was time once again to join with Wendy for a stitchy evening with friends. Thank you Wendy for getting us together. Click on the link to see who else took part.

After a large lunch and a brisk walk I got down to getting this little bag (for a small person) finished. I had to attach the lining to the bag, add the straps and then the popper. Very happy with how it has turned out.

I used that large pink spot as the lining too.

Time to move to a seat by the fire - it has been a chilly few days here. I needed to finish embellishing this heart which is now ready to make into a lavender sachet, along with another one. Hopefully this afternoon!

I have had a busy week in my sewing space, nearly all of it I cant share for now! However, I think I am safe in showing this postcard.

I made an acrylic print onto brown wrapping paper, then when it was dry scrumpled it up. After a bit of smoothing it was pressed onto pelmet vilene with bondaweb and embellished with machine embroidery. Its a while since I made a post card so this was fun. I made two actually - similar but not the same! I love using this technique and have a few more - different designs - waiting to be made up.

Right! Now to get on with finishing those hearts and then hopefully a walk between showers. Enjoy your weekend.

FNSI for August

Many thanks Wendy for inviting us to join you again for a stitchy evening - see what everyone was working on here

Friday was a cooler day for us and so much of my time was spent in the garden. But I found an hour in the afternoon to start basting some shapes for my new applique project.

Fiddly small pieces! This project deserves a post of it's own so watch this space.

After an early fish and chip supper sitting outside a local bar we came home to watch another exciting T20 Blast match. Of course I had some sewing on the go too. I have started work on a new crazy block and this is how it looked at the beginning of the evening.

And here it is after I had added some silk and organza ribbon embellishments.

Lots more to do as I plan to pack this with embroidery, but I am enjoying this very much.

Enjoy your weekend.

EPP Tuesday and some crazyness

Thank you Anthea for hosting our link up again. Not a lot of EPP going on here. This is as far as I have got with my border for the Hexathon quilt.

There will be lots of units like this that will make up the border on two sides of the quilt. I am awaiting more supplies of the grey fabric from my favourite supplier Strawberry Fayre

You can see more EPP linkups on Anthea's blog here.

Meanwhile there has been some secret stitching going on - it involves red thread and a fat jolly person. I am saying no more!

Also I have been working on my small crazy project which you last saw looking like this.

Well, then it looked like this.

And now it looks like this!

A few details.

I am glad that I went with a stitched frame rather than glue. It took time and patience but I am really pleased with the finish. I have also learnt about placement of stitches having made up the bag - for instance that Fargo Rose is in a totally inappropriate place and the beading round the lace is lost as that is the base of the bag. But I treated it as a learning experience knowing that this one would be for me and am very happy with the result.

There is a storm a rumblin round as I write and some very welcome steady, heavy rain. Good to know that my water butts will be filling nicely.

I am also linking up with Heather's Needlework Tuesday - here

Enjoy your week.

Catching up

So here we are having gone past the middle of January already and I have lots to catch up on. I now have a new computer and am trying to find all the lovely things I used to find so easily and trying to find passwords for some of the sites I use.

So the first thing I need to tell you about is the wonderful giveaway that I won back at the end of November.

I have been following Christina Erickson on Instagram for a little while now - she does the most amazing embroidery - so when this popped up on her feed I entered.

And, lucky me, I won! Now, Christina lives in Washington and I live in France. But during the course of our email conversations it turned out that not only were we both going to be in UK at the same time but actually going to the same exhibition on the same day! How much of a co-incidence is that. So we arranged to meet outside the V&A and Christina handed over the package which was this beautifully framed piece of embroidery.

The embroidery is aprox  8" x 3.5" and covered in beautiful stitch. Many thanks Christina

it was good to meet you and your Mum and the chocolates were delicious!

The exhibition we had gone to see at the V&A was Opus Anglicanum and what a treat that was.

Do click on the link and scroll down the page - there is a video of how some of the embroidery was worked which is fascinating.

And now a finish for 2017 - four of my CQJP2015 blocks framed, bound, labelled and with a hanging tube.

All I had to do was complete the black feather stitch around the sashing but for some reason perle thread is not available in my neck of the woods so I had to wait for my Christmas trip to UK to buy some more.
The quality of my pics is not good - I think the black sashing must affect things.

So just a reminder of my original four blocks before framing.

So that's it for now - but lots more to show you so I will be back soon!