Memory hangings for Christmas

Since my last post I have decided to downsize from the larger block to smaller ones that are turning out adorable.  I am impressed with how well the images have turned out and taken on a life of their own.  I did finish them all yesterday and here is a sample that was on my camera of one that I first started with until I misplaced my camera.

Motivation is starting.

     I took yesterday to piece a large fourteen inch square block with tone on tone in shades of beige to soft pastel browns.  I actually got to start some stitching on it as well and will take a picture and share before I work any further on the block today.  I needed an inspiration and chose to jump from making journal covers as gifts to large pictures and now pillows.  All  in one afternoon.

    As this blog is so full of bits of everything I am debating creating another one to share my ways of making items from start to finish, in particular pieced, embroidered , beaded, brazilian , and silk ribbon embroidery, along with my own ' prayer pouches ' , that I design and share.

Motivating myself with a personal challenge.

     I sat down with some silk fabrics and a large square and challenged myself to at least piece the block, as I have not been stitching as much as I would like to lately.  I wanted to start some early special surprise presents for family and friends and could not seem to stop from being overwhelmed, by my sewing room.

     I must admit there is a lot going on in there.  Between sane quilts, sane projects, silkribbon work and beadwork, not to mention embroidery in different stages it was time to take the plunge.  I lost and the room won. 

     I hope to not admit to defeat and will take the time to straighten out the room so that I can stitch in comfort in the fresh breezes of day.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Memory picture for a friend - original

Over the years my friend has sent me beautiful pieces of fabric, treasures of lace and beads and also shared her love of life and travel.  I have combined this in an anniversary picture and sent to her as a gift from my heart to remember those good times with.  It was a very rewarding project to work on.

Summer has arrived.

Summer has arrived and along with it comes some finished projects, which I have marked as ' done ' on my blog.

I must admit that I took a long break from writing and have done some serious cleaning out and up of projects that were started and never finished.

I am proud to say my angel bluework wall quilt is hanigng proudly on my wall and will share pics of this later on in the week.

I also have almost finished one more thread crocheted long christening gown, and it will be added to my page shortly., and , of course, have two more in the works.  I love to crochet and have done some small roses etc. for my quilting both sane and crazy.

Winter scenescape again.

     With another winter weekend coming up and the snowing falling it will give me time to finish some other items that are on my to finish in January list.  I have done some adult Inn from the cold crochet caps, as well as preemie caps, finished the two quilts, and done a blanket.  I have also almost finished a cuddle sack for a baby with a hood, and did finally finish a baby set, but it left the house before it could be photographed, as dd needed a shower gift.

     This seems like one of those weekends where I just want to curl up and read and put the rest of the world away, but won't do that.  I have to make room to set up my knitting frame and take some sweaters off to be ribbed and finished for next Christmas, and in this way solve two problems at the same time,tooooo much yarn in one weight, and presents ahead.

     I promise to share pics of the quilts and baby items soon, they are silent quilts so will wait until they are received.

Kick Butt List

     On encouragement from a group of on-line friends I have started to participate in a Kick Butt list that almost forces you to find the pleasure you once did on a project and get it finished.

     The last few days I have spent time on a cross stitched sampler I had set aside as not interesting enough, but it was at the time and is now.

     I have put a rug I started about ten years ago at least back into the beautiful adjustable hoop stand that I received as a gift and spent the afternoon in front of the living room window watching the birds and nature on our country lane.

     I have spent the last few nights finishing one prayer quilt that I had to make a decision on, it was not overdue, just needing a decision and I made it.  I am so pleased with how it went together and I chose to use a small batt and bead each bordered block into place by hand.  A lot of beading and  I hope to finish the beadwork this evening and then pick up a fabric for the backing.  Then I move onto prayer quilt number two and will make two missing blocks and finish this one in a similar manner.  The beads on black are amazingly beautiful and make each block a little masterpiece.  I will share some pics when they are finished.

     I have to look at my list on my blog and pick a couple of fast finishes in order to add something new to my list.  Hope this inspires others to move forward on projects they have set aside.  My philosophy is either finish it or give it to someone who will.

Happy New Year

Just dropping in to wish all a wonderful New Year.  I have some mini plans on the back burner to bring to the front and hope to finish a lot of little items that I did not get finished thus far this year.

I did get my quota of hats for the homeless done as well as baby sets , scarves, chemo caps etc. for the local hospital and I feel good inside for having achieved this.

I must admit that I have a list of things I have wanted to finish and in order to do someof the new things I want to do this year have to do two lists, one to finish and one to reward with a new project.

I will post my new system of time management before the first of the year.

Making Memories Block Two

Making Memories Block Two, shades of pink and blue.

Making Memories Block One

Making Memories is a quilt block that is going to Leslie Urhlich of Colorado who kindly donates her time and talent to making quilts for those less fortunate and to aid special causes, this one is very dear to all o four hearts ' cancer ' and is made all with wedding dress materials.  I have a second block that I do as well and this is for my mom who lost her battle at the age of 49.  God bless you mom, I do every day.

DYOB Faces 2 - Colleen's Block

Having finished working on Colleen's block, I fell let down as I wish I had another one to work on, I love this type of work and have headed my cq work off in another direction after all.

I used an antique piece of vintage lace aged naturally at the corners and attached the face cab, which I must admit I love.

I then hand gathered about four inch wide silk/satin fabric and added the rusched collar.  Following this I embellished with mostly earth items and then decided when I was finished it was time for it to take on a new life of it's own and glisten with gold and emerge from it's cocoon.

This block felt so much like " Mother Earth ", when I worked on it, that it was so hard to put dazzling beads on it until I realized the earth is filled with jewels.  I did not add silk ribbon to this one just ran a ribbon wave of burgundy double sided satin and couched it down.  The butterfly is from the scrap booking section and is three dimensional.  I have hand stitched the butterfly down and it does give the block a bit of colour.

Kimono 2010

     Finally the Kimono Quilt is finished and I am pleased.  I have visions of another one in my head and will have to plan it out carefully as I will carry it further than I did on this one.  I loved the actual piecing and final constructing of the blocks and must admit that I discovered a nice way to border a quilt and have it hold it's shape at the same time.

     I hand basted as shown below, then decided to cut the borders back to 2.5" and basted them down. I then added a braided upholstery trim to the front, carried it to the back and tacked it down.  It makes a very nice finishing edge.  I did the same for the kimono collar.

     I am setting aside the ribbons and fabrics that I had intended to use to skirt this one for a future quilt along with some drawings, but must finish some more UFOs that are as large as this and need to be done.

Silkribbon Pillow with design ideas for first sashing on kimono quilt.

On the sides of the above quilt I had wanted to add some dimensional flowers and wanted to audition some floral sprays that I felt would work.

I also find that rather than wasting the thread and fabric that a large gorgeous pillow could result if I were fortunate enough to carry the design through, as it was one I had wanted to try for some time.  It is not an orginal.

I am very pleased with the coloour of the background, the tlace and the threads  as well as the silk ribbon used in the design.

I will use this design with a sweeping type of design down the sides of the kimono quilt in the style of chery and peach blossoms to accent the quilt, just not sure how much of it to work, and if I will fill inthe background with a darker silk or not, but I have won in two ways I have a pillow that will be about eighteen inches squared, to be edged with braid and have a large flouce and done the block of my dreams from a pattern by a desugber in an issue of Embroidery and Cross Stitch.

Victorian Boquet Of roses and daisies.

This is an original design using colours from a kit that I received from Ribbonsmyth.  It was for a basket of flowers and I changed it to meet my own personal design as I love big boquets, baby's breath, fern and beads.  The little butterfly passed his audition and will stay.  this will be a frilly pillow aboout twele inches square with a double ruffle of lace and fabric.

Brazilian Embroidery kits to date

This series of small designs are not going to be framed, rather they will be turned into a good sized wall quilt to remind me of how I got started and the different stitches I have learned.

I highly recommend these kits from Edmar to anyone wanting to learn this beautiful artform.  This is my first attempts at this art form and how I wish the threads were more readily available in my area but I can order them on line.  They are so lovely to work with.   I want to thank those who encouraged me to persue this artform.

Christening dress for 2010

This christening dress has taken over a year of working off and on to create and is a true labour of love.  The full skirt is a true full pleated circle when set out

The hat is an exceptional and pleasant way to create a bonnet that looks both vintage and very modern,....the self gathers of lace at the front and the ruffle on the top set if off beautifully.

Pictures of Kimono quilt in progress

Kimono Quilt

     While I would like to post pictures of how far I have come with my quilt I am holding back as I have found it difficult to go further.

     Yesterday I added six inch silk borders around the "T" shaped quilt and put a collar on.  I had originally wanted to add pleated flowing skirts of silk from the edges and after it was laid out changed my mind over and over again.  Now I have decided that I will wait and see as I can always add them later and make them truly a skirted edge.

     I also wanted to silk ribbon embroider a floral arrangement similar to cherry or peach blossoms around the exterior as if they were falling from branches and add some small items such as little birds etc., but not sure what I should do at this stage as it is a wall quilt.  It is very heavily encrusted.

     The original pattern belongs to a quilt block of a month series from Victoria Adams Brown of http://www.ribbonsmyth and it was so beautiful to work with.  I received mine as a gift and I worked on it for more than two years to make all of the work my own as well as taking the ideas and instructions from the wonderful handouts that Vicki added with each block. 

     I decided that I did not want this to stretch so used warm and natural batting behind it and to date have tacked it with long running stitches every two inches so that it does not move and will now proceed to think of how I truly want to finish this quilt.  I have felt wonderful working on it and did most of the work on a fold out fabric board over my ironing board so that I could bring the quilt to my level. 

     I have decided to use a small oriental inspired bead or miniature butterflies to secure all of the blocks so that they do not move around.  I can do this from the front and have it go through all layers as I have enough of the silk left to back it with.  I chose a fawn beige silk that has some stiffness to it and it does bring out all of the colours.  I was first going to use black.

     After perfectly mitering the inner corners under the arms I am tempted to now go in and add a piece of fabric to bring it out to the arms edge, perhaps in a darker brown, and this would allow the break that I want to make the kimono look like it is walking in through a door.

     I will lay the whole quilt onto the dark silk and see what it looks like.  This has now given me more ideas on how I would finish blocks that do not belong to any set pattern and are all stitched and sitting in a safe box in my sewing stash. 

     I am proud to say after almost eleven years of doing blocks I finally have a quilt that will have all of my own work in it.  I also have a collection of oriental fabrics that will go into a fan quilt that will not be as decorated as this one as I want to be able to drape it so heavy encrusting would be out of the sorts, and I do want it to be all mine with seams done in the " Carole Samples " style of quilting.    I also draw inspiration from J. Marsha Michler books as well as my books from all of the quilting artists out there.

     A special bouquet to Sharon B., Allie in Stitches, Jo in NZ, for trying to make us the best at what we do and, of course, to my mentor Vicki whose choice of colour and design have taken me from upholstery fabrics to silk.

     I will share some before pics and then add the others as the day progresses.

Bead knitted amulets.

I should be ashamed to admit but all that these two needed were to be sewn together and have their necklace portion added.

The champagne coloured one is a bride's bag and the gold one is a swag bag.  I love knitting them and have a few more I would love to do when time permits.