Easter Break

It is Friday, and it should be the time I posted my Sunday Stitch School homework - which this time is the Revision Homework with Sunbonnet Sue.

However, I have had far too much work, and have not had the time to complete my homework.

As it is Good Friday,  I have decided to take a break over Easter, so Sue will emerge next week. A new stitch on Sunday will not be posted either until a week later.

Anyway, I managed to complete the tatted cross I had not completed for my WIPW report last Wednesday.

Wishing you all a HAPPY EASTER.

WIPW - Tail Chasing

My Work In Progress Wednesday report for the past week ... it has been a Tail Chasing week, with FAR too much work, and too little play - in my opinion. Anyway this is what I have been up to.

Log Cabin Quilt

I have only managed to assemble two units of 12 blocks each.

Crazy for Crazy

Here are the twenty octagon blocks, and the outlay for the quilt top.

I might turn some blocks in another direction... A graphite gray cotton fabric with printed golden swirls is what I am going to use for filling in the gaps between the blocks.

Tatting

I am learning how to make a cross, but have not completed it yet. I want it done before Good Friday so two more days.

Saturday Sightings of Spring

The Kantha quilting continues.... more in my report on Saturday.

WIPW - Tandem Blocks Completed

 Hello and welcome to my Work In Progress Wednesday report.

Crazy For Crazy

I have now completed the last two blocks for this quilt, which I worked in tandem.

On the red purple block I attached the Buttonhole Petal ring I had made earlier, inserted a paste jewel in the centre. There are cut beads inside the holes of the tatted arch, too, and a sprinkling of sequins. The gimp that I couched down a couple of weeks ago looked a bit dull. I changed the couching thread to a raspberry one, but the difference is not that spectacular.

I decided that this block had all it needed, so simply declared it done without adding anything more.

Next week I will take out the other 18 blocks and play around with how to arrange them for the quilt. Furthermore I need to find some suitable fabric for the triangles I need to fill in the gaps between the blocks - they are octagonal and don't join beautifully as hexagon blocks do. A big planning mistake on my part!

Log Cabin Quilt

The five units I showed last week were stitched together, then joined to the previous length. I now have 120 blocks and you can see how much of the daybed they cover.

Saturday Sightings of Spring

More on this progress on Saturday, here is just another glimpse of the Kantha quilting.

Tatting

I am following the instructions of Rusti Kate to make a cross, but haven't had time to finish it yet. Too many other things get in the way all the time.

Hardanger

Norway has a wealth of fantastic folk costumes. The district of Hardanger is famous for its beautiful dress. The apron has a wide border of Hardanger embroidery. There are plenty of pictures on Pinterest. 

This Norwegian embroidery style from Hardanger has long been on my bucket list. 

Several of my friends have been an inspiration - Margaret in the UK starts her work spontaneously somewhere in the middle of the fabric and just works from there, totally without planning. The result is always spectacular. 

I also admire another Margaret, in New Zealand. She is a Hardanger wizard and makes lovely Christmas ornaments and angels. 

I have a Norwegian aunt who once gave me a pillow case, then some years ago a friend in the UK gave me 'The Anchor Book of Hardanger Embroidery', and today in the post I found some charts for Hardanger designs sent to me by Pamela, another lover of Hardanger. Look at the beautiful brooch with added beads.

she once made.

So you see, I just have to get started on my own Hardanger project. Before that I want to finish the Saturday Sightings of Spring silk cushion, though. Watch this space.

WIPW - Tatted Block

 Work In Progress Wednesday.

Log Cabin Quilt

I made five more units of 12 blocks each.


Next job is to join those five into a length like the previous one (see below). Then I will join those two together.

The quilt is growing steadily.

Crazy for Crazy

You might remember that I am working two blocks at the same time. 

The brown is almost done. First I made a shirtwaist button, then I added a set of dangling earrings as ornaments and attached the tatted arch I had made previously. I also added a few beads and stitches in silver thread.

The raspberry block still needs some work, but what I have done is the following:

Stem Stitch on the lace, then Petal Stitch on its edge and in between them the God's Eye Stitch.

The length of tatted Split Rings have also been added.

Tatting

I am still learning, so challenged myself to try the Block. I think this could be used for a pumpkin (if worked in orange, that is).

Saturday Sightings of Spring

More work on the Kantha quilting. This is a view from the back.

More on this project on Saturday, of course.

WIPW - Josephine Chain

How fast is not one week gone? It is hard to keep track of time.

Here is my weekly Work In Progress Wednesday report.

Log Cabin Quilt

I stitched 24 blocks together.

Crazy for Crazy

On the raspberry octagon block I added mirrored Buttonhole Stitch and grey pearls as well as a meander of grey gimp.

The brown block got a stem of Stem Stitch and a few ribbon embroidery buds.

Tatting

I learned how to do the Josephine chain - like a corkscrew.

Saturday Sightings of Spring

On the silk cushion I have now started the Kantha quilting. More pictures on Saturday's report.

WIPW - On Track

 My Work In Progress Wednesday report shows that my progress is on track.

Log Cabin 

I have joined together the five sets for the first panel. 

(The big white blobs are pieces of paper to indicate the order or the panels, they will of course be removed later.)

Placed on top of the day bed you can see how wide the quilt/bed cover will be.

Tatting

I used the instructions in Elizabeth Healey's excellent book 'LACE Reimagined', to make this length of Split Rings for the octagon block.

Crazy for Crazy

It was also instructions in the same book I followed to make the Buttonhole Stitch ring. This will be attached to the block later.

I have also worked a smattering of Colonial Knots on top of the pink pic-rac.

The brown block got more stitching.

I over stitched the printed pink flowers with light blue silk tread.

Two seams were treated to Zig-zag Chain Stitch, Herringbone Stitch and Fly Stitch.

Sightings of Spring

Here is a peep of what I have been working on. A full report will be posted as usual on Saturday.

WIPW - A Birthday Present

 Here we are again, ready to report on Work In Progress Wednesday.

Crazy for Crazy

I pieced the two blocks.

Log Cabin Quilt

Another 12 blocks were selected, and assembled (after this picture was taken). Together with the previous four sets, I will have the first panel. I hope to show it next week.

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

I prepared the new Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart. There are 45 boxes, and I have to find 45 new stitches to fill them with!

Tatting

Do you remember the white circle of tatting lace with orange beads? It was too large to fit the white and orange Crazy for Crazy octagon block I recently completed. 

Instead I added a sting of orange beads and made a necklace out of it. This will be a birthday present.

Saturday Sightings of Spring

Here is a peep at the progress made. A complete report will be posted on Saturday.

WIPW - Third Reference Chart Full

 Welcome to another Work In Progress Wednesday report.

Crazy for Crazy

I have only got as far as to mark the foundation fabric.

I also made a small tatting ornament to add to the brown block once it is pieced. See below.

Tatting

Here it is, light blue thread and small blue beads.

Log Cabin Quilt

I have assembled two more 12-block units.

One more unit and I have the width of the bed cover (15 blocks), and 1/6 of the length. 

Slow, but steady progress.

A Soft Toy

I was asked to teach a young student how to make a little soft toy. In the process I had to make one myself, of course, and here is the result. 

This little bird will wing its way to a newly born boy, so the teaching job turned out to solve my problem of getting a baby shower present.

Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart

With stitch #160, I filled in the last box on the the third reference chart for the Sunday Stitch School.

I have printed out the names of the stitches and ironed on the labels. To keep the names stuck I have also stitched them down with nylon thread. I use these charts so often I need to make sure the labels stay put.

Here they all are, the 160 stitches, and more to come! Now I will have to prepare a new chart for the next set of stitches. 

Sightings of Spring 

Just a teaser before I give the full report on Saturday on my progress on this silk and felt cushion.

WIPW - Crazy Tandem?

It's time to write my Work In Progress Wednesday report  -  a week passes so quickly, don't you think? It has been a very busy working week, and progress on the stitching front has been limited.

Crazy for Crazy

I am getting impatient and want to finish the octagon blocks. In total there will be 20 blocks and I have completed 18. Two more to go. The colour ways, fabric and thread for both have been picked out. I am now toying with the idea of working the two blocks at the same time, a kind of tandem work. You can see how keen I am to complete the work!

One block will be brown and ornamented with light blue and silver.

The other is a deep red purple, leaning towards shocking pink. Threads and ornaments in grey.

I hope to add both tatting and a lace shirtwaist button, and check the other blocks to see what else I might need for a good balance between the blocks.

Log Cabin Challenge

Another set of 12 blocks were stitched together. This set will then be joined to the first unit I showed last week.

Tatting

0% work done! I haven't even lifted the needle.

Saturday Sightings of Spring

Two more shisha mirrors got stitched to the flowers. A better view will be reported on Saturday.