Swedish Cushion
I worked the remaining initials in TAST, S and T, in the same cross stitch pattern I used last week.
Q and P for Queenie Patch were then stitched in purple padded Satin stitch on either side of the Dalecarlian Horse, and the year 2014 added in green. The font is called Modern Gothic, and is from a book of monogrammes dating 1946.
The cushion was also decorated with TAST #128 Interlaced Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch in turquoise Perle 8. (I have now been cured of the dislike of #129-#130 Lock and Double Lock stitch, and will be adding them, too. This cushion might never be completed!!!)
Swedish Wool Embroidery Collar
The embroidery is completed, all those weeds, you know... and it is time to work on the edge. This will be a fluffy woollen edge called kavelfrans in Swedish. I did some online research and the English translation would be a napped edging.
When I added kavelfrans to the wrist warmers that I made last summer I used an old ice cream stick and struggled a lot. My fingers got pricked by the needle and became very sore. You can read about it and see the process and result here.
For the collar I thought I would use a different way.
Bias tape, marked along the middle, a triangular scale ruler, needle and thread, and a good selection of left over yarn were collected.
After placing the bias tape over one of the ridges of the ruler, I wrapped groups of yarn over it.
At the end of the tread I made a loop.
I then stitched Chain stitches on the ridge, catching both the yarn and the bias tape.
When that was done, I turned the ruler over and cut open the yarn.
This is the basic edge.
The next step is tuffting the yarn and attaching it between the collar's upper side and the lining. Hopefully I will blog about that next week.
Kafferepet
This quilt is so happy to be out of its protective summer storage! I am happy to see it, too!
Instead of marking the quilting lines with pen, I have basted the lines (roughly) and will start the quilting tonight. Near the edge of the quilt I won't be using a hoop and then it is good that the layers are firmly basted. Now what stitch will I be using for the quilting?
26 comments:
You are getting so much work done! Terrific, I get encouragement watching the progress,
it helps me get thru the tedious bits in my work. Thanks for sharing.
lots done this week Queenie, your initials and the year beautifully stitched. Love the way you are done the edging for the collar very creative of you. Good to see the quilt again even though it means the cold weather is on the way. You have certainly done a lot of tacking for the quilting, I am hand quilting at the moment but being new it the stitches are not uniform, never mind it is good practise.I have marked my designs with a pencil, quilting lots of butterflies
Now that the date has been added, it has to be finished this year.
How do you deal with tedious work? I usually listen to audio books or give myself a 'riddle' (why is my favourite colour purple, if I won on the lottery what would I do, what are the best ways to deal with the summer heat...) Then repetitive work becomes easy and quick. When I am working on something more interesting I will enjoy concentrating on it, and don't want to be disturbed by audio books or philosophical questions.
Basting/marking the quilt was a way to spend time on thinking about what quilting stitch to use and how to end the edge...
Quilt stitches will usually get more even with time and practise, but can still be uneven if there are different weights of fabric in the patchwork. The best to practise on is maybe on a wholecloth quilt.
I am sure your butterfly quilt will be lovely.
THANK you for reminding me!!! Yes, Julie, I know I have to complete this cushion soon!
Love the lettering on you cushion, it's good to see you're still adding stitches to it. But, as Julie mentioned, you just have to finish it this year because the date has been added. I had a quick look at last years post about the wool edging, it's good to see you found an alternative method for this pretty edge. I'm looking forward to see which stitch you're going to use on your Kafferet!
We learn so much visiting your blog, Swedish words and how to make kavelfrans. I think I shall have to try that out.
Wow! You have been busy this week. It all looks great.
Queenie, How do you keep track of all those projects....I feel you are so organised unlike me ! Your Kavelfrans is so innovative, how clever you are, it looks delightful !
I find that listening to music (Ludovico Einaudi) gets me through the tedious bits......I tend to float off on a higher plane......Ahhhhhhh, wonderful ! !
I really would have liked to do the Kavelfrans in the traditional way, which can be seen here: http://www.365slojd.se/projects/235-sla-kavelfrans, but then you need two people and a lot of patience.
Do you find Swedish exotic? I often feel I need three expressions for what I am doing to be able to converse with my Swedish, Japanese and English speaking friends.
You can see the traditional way of creating a kavelfrans here: http://www.365slojd.se/projects/235-sla-kavelfrans
It's been a good and productive week.
Keeping track, well the projects stare me in the face if the room is in a mess, otherwise I have to have a look in my notebook. It is a kind of rough studio journal.
The kavelfrans was fun to make so far, and gave me the opportunity to listen to something interesting.
I see what you mean about floating off on a higher plane while listening to LE!
Everything about your cushion is wonderful.
Badly pricked fingers? They say that necessity is the mother of invention and you have proved that by coming up with a different way to create the kavelfrans. Well done.
I really like the Italian knot border on your flower.
That was fascinating learning about kavelfrans. I remember your beautiful wrist warmers you wore at the quilt festival. Just gorgeous!
wonderful works in progress. visited your link and could understand-kavelfrans. your monogrammes are beautiful. happy to see the quilt again. let your project grow more with TAST stitches.
Wow I love your lettering on the cushion such a professional finish! You have come up with a brilliant method of doing your fringe I will wait to see how you sew it onto your collar
Your swedish cushion will be wonderful. I love the horse and your letters are so well embroidered. Thanks for the links with kavelfrans, it was new to me.
There are many folk costumes in Sweden where there is Kavelfrans used as a decoration, especially on mittens. I am sure the method mentioned in the link is old and original, but I needed to find a modern way to do it by myself.
I have some old pillow cases with padded Satin stitch. They have been washed and mangled many times and the stitches are so tight you can't see the individual stands of thread. The monogramme on this cushion will never be 'man handled' like that...
Yes, there is still space on the cushion for a few more TAST stitches. Believe it or not but I have been inspired by you to add to paisley designs!
I hope to wear both wrist warmers and collar at Tokyo Dome in January! Now I am tufting the fringe and it is BORING!!! I need a good audio book!
To tell you the truth, I pricked my fingers a bit this time, too! If I could train the cat or persuade someone in the family to help me with the traditional way to make Kavelfrans I'd do it! There is no needle involved and totally free from finger pricking.
That looks very dfficult, but I think it could be fun to do it with a friend!
Swedish exotic? In what sense, exactly? I do find it a rather cumbersome, clumsy, clunky language now, after having lived in England for over 35 years, attended a couple of good universities here and obtained two degrees. Swedish is my mother tongue, and there are expressions I cannot translate into English because there ARE no translations, quite simply, but I do find it very limiting, most of the time.
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