Wrist ruffles

I am afraid I can't call this wrist warmers as they are more decorative than what they are for keeping the fingers warm.  The patterns is fairly simple it involves worsted weight yarn, size 4.5 mm crochet hook and a few measurements.

I measure around my arm, just above my watch, make a chain and then work in continuous rnds until it reaches about five inches.  I then try it on to make sure that it will fit.  At this stage I change to double crochet and work a double crochet in each stitch around.  Next row work two dc and skip one, work 2 dc,this allows for the eyelet row.

Now work a complete round, and then start increasing first every second, then every third until you get the ruffle that you want,  and then add a decorative edge.

After working I then thread a long satin ribbon through and tie a nice bow.  These can be work as is or as in the ones illustrated below where the cuffs are turned down.

I made a series of these as well as neckwarmers and boot tops one year, and will try and write a proper pattern for these and share.

A few different fillers for blocks in their final stages.

 I did this on a block for a friend Pam in England, the spray was used to unite the blocks together for sparkles.  I first drew the main swag,embroidered with caron  wildflowers pine.  Went back in and added back stitches with wildflowers followed by back stitches with yli candelight in black verigated.  I used a crewel needle so the threads were easier to work with.  The sequins were added as an autumn type touch and held in place with a single bead.

When Pam's block arrived at my place there was not a lot of room left, but I knew from her previous posts that she wanted victoriana, so I took a two inch wide wired ribbon and sculted it to form the pen flourish above and held this down with seed beads.  I then added a special button and real feathers from a craft store packet.  It made me think of feather pens and also the encrusted beauty of a victorian hat adornment.

I loved using ribbon for embellishing and as shown in the picture below it can be scrunched and scattered overt a simple block and give it a look of elegance.  

The above block was donated to Leslie for her Making Memories wedding quilt raffle.  I used a lot of bridal type flowers and trims.

Blocks Finished Kathy's class 2014

This was one of the most interesting blocks to work on, it sort of told me what it wanted on it, and as you can see it is all embellished no seam work at all.  I truly loved this challenge.

 This was my, " I can't figure out what to do with " block, and it also turned out to be one of the focal points as I pushed through the course.  I tried to add different embellishments and this one does have a line of stitching to add a five point border with beads

This block was so challenging.  It made me smile in the beginning and then it made me work hard to get it filled in.  I am still missing the lettuce for the bunny, and I have intentionally left the corners as is for a reason.

I have another block that I made a long time ago and it has the silks of the babies from it on this one and it will be worked with a lot of stitches.

I also have one that will have the embellished silkie on it, and have one of the little girls in ballet that should fit on a large green on green block that I did not finish.

I loved this journey with Kathy.  I also was able to get a new sewing machine this weekend and will try and get used to the fancy stitches but first we crawl through the threading etc.  I had an expensive electronic and it lasted me almost thirty-five years of sewing clothes, quilts and everyone's mending.  On the day it came to do applique in relief it gave up the ghost, so to speak, and I picked up a small inexpensive machine rather than the caddie that I would love to own, but time will tell.

Embellished silkie

Kathy's roses. Loved working these on the course.

The pearls have to be re-attached and there is a lot of detail left to be done.  This is my favourite block thus far.

Updates on Kathy's class

Beginings of trim around pink silk lady block.

Quick Photos of Progress of Class Blocks Kathy Shaw

Blocks IN Progress Kathy's Class

From task one to task six.  Played catch up and have changed a few blocks, last one worked on was the monogram.  Working with perle threads and all blocks are done in a hoop..

Intermediate class pictures of Kathy Shaw's on line class.

From selection of fabrics to making of the blocks.  A colour in study and piecing out of our comfort zone.

Progress on Class Block

Added the swag of roses and leaves and now getting ready for some serious beadwork as well as putting on the charms and finishing touches, this class was so well organized and went along so well.  KATHY SHAW is a teacher extraordinaire.

Update on class with Kathy

Have reached the silk ribbon work stage and added a few more lines and beads.  I can hardly wait to work on this, it is so intriging.  Such a well taught class. I did the seam with the yellow/pink roses and the one with the all pink french knot style roses/

Lesson done and completed this morning.

Block to date

Have added a series of iris in the corner.  Using overdyed fine chenille for the beard.  I have also started to work with the metallic threads, some beads and laying out some of the small lace sections for auditioning.

Over the River

This is completed so far and as ususual I have also cut the design larger so I can determine the finished size.

Over The River

Once again I have started back to work on the panels for Crabapple Hill Design " Over the River and through the woods ".  I am using one of the special overdyed brown shades from dmc and enjoying this little challenge.  I am blogging this as a work in progress in hopes that it will get finished before winter.  It will be set together with all autumn browns/oranges etc.

Project in Works

This is my next applique project that I hope to start on.   I have to start collecting fabrics and setting them aside.  I love Jeanne Sullivan patterns and was introduced to them through Esther from Love Entwined, bought the book and the rest is history.  I have already done one of her simpler medallions and love the way they are laid out and instructed.

Course on line. Kathy Shaw

This is the halfway point in a class given by the very talented Kathy Shaw in beginner crazy quilting.  What a wealth of knowledge.  I can hardly wait to start adding the lace, beads and silk ribbon work.

August project in the frame

This is my project to finish in August.  It is the Miss Tweets medallion wall quilt. Now where are all the flowers.  They are all three dimensional and stand off the quilt so I am chosing to take a chance and quilt all of the lines in first and then add the deep pink set of flowers to the top vines and leaves, three on each side.  I then have a gorgeous yellow daffodils that I want to put on the end of the individual overhanding stems and about five rusched roses to put in the flower pot along with dimensional leaves and some embroidered ferns.  This is an exciting project for me.

Keeping up with the class

The above is the amount of work that I have done so far on the class by Kathy Shaw.  She is fantastic at teaching how to piece outside of just slapping down fabrics.  How to make sure the design works within the lines and takes us out of our comfort zones to stitch more accurately.  I have a long way to go to be a structured stitcher as I freehand, but after using perle cotton and a hue of colours I would never have chosen I feel it is a great break and learning new techniques to use is always inspiring.  Kathy is a wonderful teacher and she gives great criticism as well as enables us to move forward with structured firm ideas.

On top of working on an online course and promising myself to finish more projects I have finally finished collecting the supplies I need for kumihimo beaded braiding.  I also have the round loom, square loom, thread bobbins, and now I need the patience to follow one pattern through.

If there is ever anything that is so calming it is kimo braiding and I can understand the joy of wanting to try this artform.

Promise to take pics and share my labours with the cording that came in the kit, and the new cording that I will work with.

I think  a bracelet is in order.

Kathy Shaw's online class

     I have my work cut out for me this weekend.  I want to embroider the seams on the quilt block that Kathy has designed. I cannot show pictures in progress as this is a copyrighted online class, but it is so well structured that after crazy quilting for well over ten years it is amazing what one can still learn, and learn a lot from someone who specializes in this art form.

Panels to Quilt

The above is a series of panels that I put together into a wall hanging for my sister in law.  I love the colours in the oak leaf and acorns and would love to make this on a smaller scale.  \once she has this quilted we will put prairie point borders on it to make it look country.  The rusts greens and browns in this particular block truly bring it to life and being so oversized the large print on the oak leaves works well.  I would make the block  a bit smaller, add some faded vintage beige for background and then pick up the colours and stitck with all rust rather than the rust red, but in the larger blocks it does look lovely.

Ready for Quilting

This is one block from Peck's Piece's Spooky Halloween quilt.  I have done one of these blocks in the past and donated it to a local nursing home.

This one needs some embroidery, cat's eyes, whiskers and a spider and web, and then it will  be sandwiched for handquilting.  I found just enough of the bargello type orange multi fabric to make it stand out.