Summer Challenge

 Finished my challenge piece in plenty of time for our stitchery guild meeting in September.  This is a picture I took of my hollyhocks which I printed onto fabric and did some hand and machine stitching on. My finishing techniques by trying to sew a quilt type border leave a lot to be desired but it's done!

Added the blue chevron stitches on my TAST owl.  So glad that Sharon is running Take A Stitch Tuesday again :D

Tried my hand at rust dyeing and used washers, nails, an old rusty horse bit and a long chain.  I spritzed it with vinegar water, put it in a plastic bag and let it rust for a day in the sun.  It certainly didn't take long at all to dye.

Here's another small piece that I rust dyed using washers and a bit of wire.  I forgot about it so after 3 days it was pretty black.  But I soaked it in salt water to stop the rusting process and rinsed and rinsed.  I'm rather happy how it turned out after all.

Very glad that these zucchini are all spoken for.  They've been very prolific as usual :)

I've never had such beautiful morning glories as this summer.  They seemed to like being planted along a row of bachelor buttons too.

Thank you for stopping by.  Have a glorious day and weekend :D

TAST Owl start

 I am so pleased that Sharon at Pintangle is running her Take A Stitch Tuesday again.  I loved doing it back in 2012.  Last time I did each stitch into a long banner but this time around I thought it would be fun to incorporate each stitch onto an owl.  Week 1 was the fly stitch - outline of the wing.  Week 2 was buttonhole - eyes, and I saw this morning that this week's stitch is the feather stitch.  Great :)

 My finished pulled thread chatelaine all ready to go to be "graded".  This was an Embroiderer's Association of Canada correspondence course that a number of us from our guild took.  I had no idea there were so many variations!

 Over the summer our stitchery guild members have a summer challenge.  We are to make an original piece however large or small in whatever threads or backgrounds but incorporate triangles into it.

I took a picture of one of my hollyhocks, printed it onto a piece of cotton, cut it into triangles and wonder undered them onto a green piece of fabric.  I'm now doing some stitching and free motion embroidery and beading onto it. It will be great seeing what others have done when we back back in September.

Hope everyone is enjoying their last few days of July :)

Pulled Thread Progress

 Very slow progress on my pulled thread chatelaine but it's coming along.  This variation is called satin bars.  To begin, 3 horizontal satin stitches are worked over the same 3 threads in the same space.  Then continuing to work down, 10 stitches are worked over 3 threads.  3 horizontal satin stitches are worked over the same 6 threads in the same space.  Having diagrams to go along with the instructions certainly helps!

 Beginning the double back stitch & blocks.

 I like the look of this step stitch.

 This design is worked with a double row of satin stitches and a honeycomb stitch variation called "bricking".

 We recently went on a road trip and while I can't do pulled thread in the car I can crochet :)

This sweet little 13 Lined Ground Squirrel has made herself quite at home in our backyard.

Have a most delightful and lovely July day :)

Reverse Applique

5 layers of fabric, 4 wonky free motion circles which were cut into 1/4's,  different layers cut out and then sewed down onto a back fabric.  Have begun to do some running and french knot stitching.  This is another Beryl Taylor inspired piece from this Quilting Arts youtube video.  Think I'll try another one of these now that I know the process.

Finished my first Beryl Taylor inspired melted Tyvek piece with stitched borders and a beaded edging.  Our annual stitchery guild dinner is this coming Tuesday and it will be great to see everyone else's pieces.

Thanks for popping by and have a joyful June day :)

Beryl Taylor Inspired

 The stitchery guild program challenge this month was to make a  9" x 9" Beryl Taylor inspired piece.  We were each given a piece of Tyvek and our choice of fabric.  Wanting to work with a different colour for a change I chose this purple cotton and painted my Tyvek with teal metallic acrylic paint.  To help prevent pulling of the threads when they melt I sandwiched stabilizer, batting, fabric and Tyvek. 

 Finished grid with lopsided swirls.

 Now for the really fun part with the heat gun!

 After I melted some of the Tyvek away I added a couple borders of ribbon and teal fabric.

 Herringbone, seed stitching, a border of beads, cross stitches and more beads and my piece is almost done.

 I think I'll give it a buttonhole edging and maybe add some beads.  This has been such a fun piece to work on and in a couple of weeks I'll see everyone else's Beryl Taylor inspired blocks.

Have to close with a bird photo.  I scattered some largish bread crumbs on the lawn and in seconds this greedy gus crow was stuffing his beak trying to fit in as many as he could.  A few were left for the watching magpie.

Have a most delightful, creative, joyful June day :)

Whooo's There?

 I loved working on this piece! I started with wet felting and putting a foam circle to add as a resist.  When dry I cut it out and needle felted the owl.  A friend at work who knits and spins very kindly saves all her bits of yarn for me and I needle felted and couched them down. Thanks Wendy :) Seed stitching was also added to help give it more texture and depth.  My daughter named it "Whoooo's There?"  It is going to be part of an exhibit for the months of July and August titled Join the Thread at the Signal Hill Arts Centre in Weyburn.  Anyone could submit 2 pieces for the exhibit so I entered this one and my felted Whimsy Woods.

Slow progress on my crazy quilt block.  The ideas truly are endless what one can do.

Have a most beautiful day everyone :)

First Crazy Quilt piece

 Progress on my first ever crazy quilt piece.  It's a 9" x 9" block for this month's stitchery guild project.  Some of the stitches I've used are:  chain stitch, french knots, chevron, lazy daisy, fly stitches, bullion, ribbed spider web and straight stitches.  I'm going to try a herringbone next on one of the remaining seams. 

 I'm learning a lot about what not to do on my pulled thread chatelaine project.  #1 save doing the neat hedebo edging to the end so that it can go into a hoop easily #2 don't pull too tight as it can warp the design (as you can see on the left hand side sample).  Once I get the rhythm of the pattern going it's quite enjoyable and relaxing to do.

 4 layers of roving with bits of wool and silk hankies all layed out and ready to begin the felting process.  There's a rubbery circle piece in the middle to act as a resist.

 After wetting and rolling and shocking and throwing, I removed the inner circle and voila.  I was very happy that it turned out to the size I wanted.  I started with 15" x 15" and it felted down to 12" x 12" which is just what I wanted.

 This is a different felted piece that I was experimenting with some needle felting on as well.

It was lovely to see the bees on our blooming Nanking cherry tree.

Happy May everyone :)

Whimsy Woods

 I had a miscellaneous piece of wet felting that I didn't know what to do with so it just sat waiting patiently.  I also had a few needle felted owls that needed a place to call home.  I embroidered a few blue beetles and wrapped thread around a few beads.

 Needle felted a couple of caterpillars and wrapped more beads

 and added a butterfly on a tree

 and voila, my owls are happy with their whimsical home :)

We spotted this Sharp-shinned Hawk in the back yard no doubt looking for a tasty sparrow or chickadee.  It was gorgeous to see but it eventually flew away empty clawed.

Have a most beautiful day!!!

Felting and Hedebo

 The more I wet felt and sew and stitch on my pieces the more I'm enjoying it.  The ladybug was so enjoyable to do.  Sew in Love has an excellent stumpwork ladybug tutorial for anyone interested.

 Bullion knots and gold thread wings for a few bumblebees amongst the flowers.

 How to stitch a caterpillar came from Jane Nicholas's book:  Stumpwork Embroidery Designs and Projects. The body is worked in raised stem stitch over 3 lengths of couched perle cotton threads.

 Since taking this picture I've added threads of green grass all along the bottom with straight stitches.

 I've also begun a pulled thread chatelaine project.  Here is a piece of the edging which is being worked using the Hedebo stitch.  I could not for the life of me figure it out from the pattern and written explanation but thankfully I know someone who could show me.

What's a post without an owl or 2 so here are a few needle felted owls that I've also enjoyed making.  I gave my 2 daughters one each at Easter :)

Wishing everyone a delightful and beautiful day.

Felting & Marbling

 Here's my finished little felted piece.  The tree was lacking something so I needle-felted a wee owl to it.  Once a year a small art gallery in the city puts on an exhibit of members works and that's where it is hanging right now.

 I've been enjoying more felting lately and here is another piece that I laid out on bubble wrap ready for soapy water and a lot of rolling.

 Felted and free motion machine embroidered and ready now for some hand stitching.  I'm thinking it needs a few bees to begin with.

 Chain stitch, stem, straight, french knots and fly stitches for the cover of another owlet accordion booklet.  I'll do a buttonhole wheel for the eyes and add beads too.

I had such a fun marbling afternoon with a few friends from our stitchery guild. 

We marbled fabric and paper using Pebeo marbling on sodium alginate

and also on shaving cream using Dye-na flow paints.  We also marbled papers with shuminagashi japanese inks on water which was also fun. We were challenged to do something with our pieces before the next meeting so now I just have to do something with them besides look at them.

Wishing everyone a beautiful day and a lovely weekend :)