Working on some ufo's this weekend.

I save my little works in progress in small wicker baskets and must admit that they are sure piling up. I have a series of about six comfort kitties to finish and mail off to Pat Winters, her cause is so beautiful.

I have a mouse in a red velvet suit that needs some silk ribbon work and lace and she will be finished.

I have numerous purses that just need to become purses as the work is done on them.

I think I had better stop now or I will lose my creativity to finishing before I start something new.........oh well, at least it is keeping my fingers busy.

New Project on the Horizon

I received my beautiful piece of silk duponi in the mail this week from Barbara for this year's art bra quilt project and I sketched out what I thought I would do on the next block. The one just finished was 12.5 inches finished and the one for the art bra group is 8.5 inches finished and I want to do as much detail as I can on their block as well. Off to see if the sketch works. I normally just wing it and create, but this time I wanted to try to be professional.

More Pictures of Finished sections

Finished block with a bouquet of hearts in every corner. Fabrics used in this were from my daughter's confirmation dress, her wedding dress, and velvet saved for a very special occasion. I also used tea dyed lace over satin and a nice piece of diamond pleated fabric received from a special friend.


Laced heard with puffed ribbon work.
Rusched and ribbon work heart
Silver herringbone stitched heart with bead work and swinging heart.

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Centre of block which was the inspiration for this block.

The small heart in the upper left hand corner is done with herringbone stitches. It also has seam lines done in krenik number eight braid and has beads added. I also used some vintage beads and sequins. I stitched the fan stitch with one strand of sulky thread.

Highlights from the block

Some small pictures of the finished block. This is the centre surrounded by heart double ruffled lace and held in place with beads and a dove of love.

This is a original heart design that is made using 35mm over dyed lace and pink and green lace with touches of colour. I added falling hearts from the centre. I will make this pattern available in a few days as a free pattern.

Hearts

I stitched for quite a while this afternoon as time allowed and I found it hard to put this little block down। I added some more hearts and created hearts from lace from my heirloom sewing days and pulled them to fit। I also had a gorgeous piece of lingerie coloured 35mm ribbon that was begging to be placed on the block so I made three cupped flowers and started a heart on one side and then used the specialty lace that had some pink and pale green work in it। I am very pleased with how it is coming along and will share some more pics later on today.

Building the hearts

This morning I took some time to start filling in the hearts as they were overtaking the block and I did want them to set a mood। On the first one. I added a collage of sequined daisies and to the centre of this delicate little soft yellow sequins added a seed pearl. Of course, it covered up all of the gold herringbone stitches, but then this must have been for a reason. I then took some vintage heart beads as well as a few rice beads and an irridescent bead and did a collage that dangles from the centre. I did attach it to the block as swining items would have a way of being moved to easily.

I then moved down to the larger heart. I was getting braver. I had already selected some pale pink to white overdyed silk ribbon in 7 mm and made a collage of flowers and buds. I then went back in with some soft mint green 7 mm ribbon and added little leaves. I do want to add some beads and little bits of baby's breath. On the opposite side I have added rusched 15mm rayoln ribbon. I will also add beads to this and collage something special at the top. I can also picture a heart hanging inside a heart here.


Not being overly sure of what I wanted to add to the opposite side of the block I decided I had better do some work there so I came across a spool of antiqued beads and let them meander over the block and have them tacked down for now. I also want to add some bleeding hearts in a bowuet and try and see if I should bring the other large heart to life. I have it stitched in line art so I can just pull the threads if I decide not to..............then on to paisley heart buttons and beads.

This block is very addictive, but then they all are once we start on them.

What no pictures of progress yet?

I must admit that I have been taking pictures as I work along each day, but as we have had company have not taken the time to download them or resize them but will in a few days.

Today I wanted to infill more of a theme on my block. Leslie said she wanted " hearts " and I thought wow, how can I fill in with hearts now that I have centred so much lace so I dug out my paper and scissors and cut out some primitive and fancy hearts for embroidery. I am pleased to say that I have cut and recut and now can find that there is more than enough places for the hearts that I am choosing to put on my block for a theme.

I also tried a new flower it is done in the overdyed soft to medium yellow 7 mm silkribbon. I was reading an article where gathered sicruclar flowers could be made to look realistic and wanted to try this. You start with a double strand of matching thread. Backstitch so secure on the top of the fabric through a 2 inch piece of ribbon at one end. Now take the needle and gather to the other end, and before pulling loop it around like a bow and push it back through the secured ribbon on the bottom. More like joining elastic in a waistband. Pull and it falls ever so gently to the top of the herrigbone stitches I had created previouisly. I then went back in with some soft green 7 mm overdyed white to minty green and added some greenery ever so lightly.

While visiting my family at the nursing home yesterday we were in the garden's and I saw some gorgeous bleeding hearts and want to replicate them on this block as well. I also held and examined a real fuschia. I cannot believe the beauty and daintiness in these gorgeous flowers. All abloom in the walkway at a nursing home. Next time I take my camera with me.

I also laid out some buttons on the block in curly cues and want to add them as well to give some dimension to the block, will show this in pics before I add them with glass beads.

Off to get some rest and then to work some more on my block. I truly love working on this challenge piece.

Day One on Wedding Block

I have thoroughly enjoyed what I was considering a challenge and must admit it has taken me outside of my realm of work. Yesterday I started working with one strand of floss, silk, at that, and it was some that I had dyed myself many years ago. Andrea Avery sent me some silk floss and I used cake dyes to play with them and the colours are so subdued. I did one seam in herringbone with a fawn beige. I then went back in and used rayon sulky to add a dimensional aspect to the top of this.

I secured the double heart ruffle around the bride in the centre and then added an oval of braid to offset this. I will add some more ribbonwork and beads as time moves on.

I then got real brave and, although, I do not like the feel of dmc linen thread, I used one strand and did another seam in a soft salmon colour and it was worked with a wider stitch. I have now started to go back in with some sulky verigated mint to dk green, that is so suttle it hardly shows so I can see where beads are going to be a definite asset on these seams.

I dyed some ribbon in tea and will add some pics later before I start work on the block again today.

A new Charity Block for Leslie

My special friend Leslie of pinyoncreek fame has put out a request for blocks done out of wedding dresses for a ' cancer quilt ' challenge. I could not help but want to be part of this wonderful gesture. This is one lady who has just gone through a tornado and still plans on moving forward, the least we can do is help. My friend Dee brought this to my attention as I am not an avid reader of blogs lately, only due to lack of proper time.

I went through my white on white and fanciest pieces of lace that I owned and put together a square that is so gentle it makes me feel honoured to work on this. I would not have had this success if it were a block for myself, so I know my hands are being guided.

My so called ' sewing room ' still has not been saved since the last renovations and it has gone into a small corner of a bedroom so this was a learned experience. I am pleased to say it went well, even standing on one foot with the other on a foot pedal as there was not room for a chair in the room yet. Dh felt sad and said he would take the spare room bed out and it could be converted. God love him, but I can still see this going to the bottom of the ' honey do ' list, but we will see.

I have all of the lace and ruffles tacked down for now and want to start some actual stitching this afternoon and keep it as gentle as possible, and for me, that in, itself, will be a challenge.

I am taking pictures along the way and will share as time permits.

Prayer Bear

This line is dedicated to the memory of David Zimmer, husband of Carolyn Zimmer who lost his battle with leukemia and is at peace in his eternal home.