Susan: August Reveal

Finally! Here is the finished August block, followed by some close-ups.

Added to Seam A:

Some red French knots - I stitched this based on the background piece, and it has a little more wonkiness than I usually allow, but I sort of like it.

Something a little different I saw in Carole Samples' book on page 124, but the picture on p. 146 where she did it on a fan blade was where I saw it first, and it's a little different there.

Just playing around with things.

Only 42 Years Late!

Finished except for framing!

For those of you feeling guilty about being behind, take heart!  This piece was only 42 years in the making.  I bought the kit in 1971 to make for our daughter Catherine.  Somehow in the chaos of two kids and then three, it was put aside only to resurface this year.  (This is one on Julie Nixon Eisenhower's designs from the years she did embroidery.  I found an article in the Milwaukee Sentinel from 1976 where this birth sampler was mentioned!) As you know, Catherine's daughter, Stella, arrived exactly one week ago.  I hope they'll like it!

It took a while, but Opa finally caught her with her eyes open!

Cy - A Happy Stitching Week

It has finally stopped raining here long enough to be able to walk in the fields without getting the 'slurpy-slurp' of stuck-in-the-mud welly boots (gum-boots). 

The flowers in the garden are brightly bobbing their colourful heads at me, the plum trees in the orchard have that wonderful white blossom that looks amazing as I stand underneath and gaze dreamily skywards and catch the beautiful glimpse of blue sky as background to the white blossom.

I have to look for the tell-tale signs of newly scratched earth in the undergrowth to direct me to the nesting spots to collect the hidden chicken eggs.

Oh what a merry dance I perform on my daily rounds.

Spring has sprung.

And the stitching.................oh, the stitching.

First, here is the August Block final pic that I missed showing you last weekend ..........

And so onto the stitching done this week on the September block.

This drizzle stitched piece was actually stitched the previous week, but I attached it to the block this week and added all those lovely French Knots to 'embed' it in its new place.

Does it looks like a multi-layered cake or a flouncy ballerina's tutu to you?

Do you remember that 'string art' craze of your youth?

Or maybe you remember it as a required lesson in the math classroom.

It was created by hammering nails into a wooden board and then you had to wind string back and forth to create geometric patterns.

Or you started with a piece of card with perforated holes that you threaded string through.

Well.................

............. here is my free form stitched version. 

A happy accident that appeared while I was 'playing' on my block this week.  

And now for this weeks TAST stitch.

Week 39 

(at least I think it is week 39, I seem to have lost my memory track)

The Knotted Buttonhole Stitch

And I'm sure you know me well enough by now to know that this Knotted Buttonhole seam is going to get some extra 'Cy embellishing treatment'.

My crochet trim for this block has been created too, but just not added to the block yet, so pics of that one next week. Also, I have stitched most of the butterfly for the central patch, and a few more seams that are half-stitched so far.

This block is progressing nicely, but I'm not sure that I can complete it during this coming week as I have a couple of other project deadlines looming up fast. But at least it is mostly done now.

I'm happy.

Hope you all have a great week ahead.

Happy Stitching

P.S..  I have two people I'd like to give credit to this week, but I can't remember who it is that I wanted to thank.

One person mentioned putting ribbon in the crochet trim on my August block (so I threaded the black ribbon through it and love it even more now), 

and someone else suggested using my drizzle stitched piece on the Sept block. yes, it sure looks good there.

Thank you ..... stand up and be counted, lol,

 Remind me who you are and please forgive my sawdust brain.

Susan: August Reveal

Time seems to be flying by, and I'm slow to accomplish anything. There seems to be such a long list of things I must do before I can do what I want to do, and then I feel so tired by the time I get there!

The August block is as finished as it's going to be for now. There will be more beading and some stitching after joining, but this is it for now.

The picture is a little fuzzy when you click on it and then click to enlarge, but it's pouring rain outside and there's no getting a better one right now.

Barbara's August CQJP and Sheaf Stitch

One more block in this project is done, four to go.  This one felt like it didn't require as much stitching as the others, probably because of the machine embroidered patch.

Here's a close view of the top portion of the block,

...and here's my Sheaf Stitch, this week's TAST, in blue pearl cotton, at the bottom.

 
I added some French knots to the patch with the seagull to infuse a bit more blue into this corner.

Louie doesn't quite fit into the sewing room cat bed, but like Cinderella's stepsisters faced with the glass slipper, he tries.

I had a poem in the August issue of the on-line journal The Accentos Review.  And this is a three-day weekend.  Life is good.

Carol - TAST, August Reveal

Egypt -  land of rich history and exotic ruins..

Sarah has seen the sun set over the mighty Nile and been transported back in time viewing the treasures of Tutankhamun in the Egyptian museum, Cairo.  Pyramids and Sphinx, desert, ancient relics, bustling bazaars, murals, museums, temples and tombs a truly unforgettable holiday experience.

 

Colours for August Block - blue green/red orange

Black and gold buttons courtesy of Debra

 

as are the gold and black sequins

 



 

 

 Well, this time last week my block was very bare, but Debra laid down the challenge "I think I can".

Will someone please confiscate Sarah's passport!

 

Debra: Aug Reveal TAST & CQJP

This may be my favorite block to date. I love the restrained look and blue green is an all-time favorite color of mine.

The rick rack Pekinese band in the right hand corner forced me to rethink my idea for this block.  I ended up staying very close to a monochromatic color scheme and let the white become dramatic.  I feel I successfully accomplished my idea of 2 rings around the center.  The 1st with the black and white and the 2nd with the bold white embroidered treatments and/or embellishments.

 

As always, your comments are welcome!