WIPW - Hexed by Hexablooms

Work In Progress Wednesday report.

Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

I added a circle of felt whose edges I stitched with  #289 Armenian Edging Stitch. 

Not wanting to waste any thread I stitched not only once around the circle but used up what was left in the needle. Doesn't it look like lace?

Once I add a detached stitch to my collection of Sunday Stitch School stitches, I will use that to fix the felt to the wool foundation. Until that time I will keep the basting thread in place.

The Green Man

I have added more Colonial Knots to the Green Man.

Hexablooms

Beware of Hexagons! I found out that you can be hexed by the Hexablooms! 

I know I said the hexagon quilt I started last week would be a slow project, yet I have spent quite a lot of time on it. 

I have cut some more cardboard hexes from empty boxes, and I have cut square pieces of fabric,  from both quilting cotton and fancy metallic (mainly gold or copper). The former will be used for the flower petals and the latter is destined for the centre part of the hexagon flowers. Unfortunately the metallic glitter does not photograph well!

Rescuing a Furoshiki

A Japanese furoshiki is a large piece of square fabric, similar to a large handkerchief. It is used to wrap things in. 

When I am not working on the Green Man quilt I wrap it up in a large nylon furoshiki. However, it is an old furoshiki and has begun fraying at the edges.

I seldom use my sewing machine, but for once it was set up on the table. So I decided I would take the opportunity to rescue the furoshiki by re-hemming the edges. 

With the machine came a presser foot for making a rolled hem. I have used it once but the result was disappointing. It was time to give it a new try. Lo and behold, I managed to stitch a beautiful even rolled hem!

It has been a good and productive week!

WIPW - A Book Cover

 Here is this week's Work In Progress Wednesday report. I am happy to say I managed a lot of work.

Rescuing the Sweater

I completed the restoration work on both sleeves and can now pack away the sweater together with some mothballs. In autumn it will be lovely to once more put it on. I hope to wear the sweater for many more years to come.

Book Cover

I made a simple birthday present - a notebook cover. This pattern is for a reversible cover - the lining can become the outside cover if you turn the cover inside out. 

I had a piece of blue and white gingham check (used for the lining), a remnant of kimono cotton (Yukata) for the pockets and a fat quarter with a charming print designed by Mutsuko Yawatagaki. 

Ms Yawatagaki is a famous quilter who usually works with kimono silks. She operates a charming quilt art museum in the countryside and I bought the fabric from the museum shop some years ago. I was happy to use the fabric for this book cover.

By the way, my friend Pamela of Hokkaido Kudasai, made a beautiful wall hanging with fabric from Ms Yawagataki's collection.

Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

I added one more stitch, #288 Fairy Lights Stitch to my sampler of Sunday Stitch School stitches. 

Rachel of Virtuosew Adventures pointed out that metallic thread would be good for the Fairy Lights Stitch. She is so right! The lights glint and glow!

I threaded the needle with three colours and started with red metallic. After three 'lightbulbs', I switched to the blue thread, and so on. The non-visible threads are wrapped over the Running Stitch on the back of the fabric.

The Green Man - Final Work

Do you remember What's In A Quilt - The Green Man?

Click on the link to see the start of the embellishment of the bias tape.  

Life got in the way and I never completed the Herringbone stitches. Until now that is. I started on the embellishments again, finished the HB stitches and began adding French Knots.

A New Start - Hexablooms

So many bloggers work on Hexagon quilts. Whenever I see these English Paper Pieced quilts I feel an itch in my fingers - I want to make such a quilt, too! The problem is finding time for quilting...

Then I threw caution to the wind and decided to indulge in a SLOW project. 

I will collect any piece of scrap cardboard, e.g. food containers, that otherwise would end up in the recycle bin, and cut out hexagon shapes. 

I will then make use of the many small scraps of fabric I have in my stash to make flowers for my Hexablooms quilt.

It will be a SLOW project, without any time limit, I might be working on this new quilt, a large one, for 10 years or more! No pressure allowed!

WIPW - Knitting With a Needle?

I have made progress, but not only on my embroidery projects. Some time has been used to 'knit with a needle'.

Here is my Work In Progress Wednesday report.

Sunday Stitch School Stitch Sampler

I added two stitches, #280 Flower Loop Stitch (red) and #281 Rhodes Stitch (various green squares).

Saving the Sweater

Trillions of years ago I was given a hand-knitted sweater by a dear friend. Not only the wonderful soft woollen yarn but also the knitter's kindness make the sweater one of my most worn and loved pieces of clothing. It's like getting a hug every time I put it on.

As you can see, the white yarn is weaker than the blue and many of the white stitches 'hang on a thread', literary. So I have started to mend the sweater by replacing the old white yarn with new. I thought the best way would be to 'stitch' the yarn into the knitting:

I stitch on top of the old white wool and remove the worn yarn once the new white stitches are securely in place. It is a process that takes time but with a good audio book, it is relaxing work.