Susan: CQJP2016, March Update

There was some inspiration for Seam 16, above, from a seam on Phyllis L's block. As usual, though, I got carried away and here it is. The purple is Sassa Lynne Fine Perle and the green in between is an Aurifil 12. Both are 100% cotton threads. The beads are glass Japanese delicas.

There's been a lot of talk about cotton fabrics in CQ blocks. I use only natural fabrics, usually cotton, silk dupioni and linen. This year's blocks are all linens pieced on cotton foundations.

Here's Seam 17, inspired by Cindy B's block. I didn't do the seam exactly the same as the left upper seam Cindy did, but similar. The seed stitching began as an idea to do running stitch around the lace heart, and went somewhere else.


The red-orange and the blue-purple are Sassa Lynne fine perle and the yellow is Aurifil 12, both 100% cotton. The beads are Japanese delicas.


The vine on Seam 18 is Valdani Perle 8, color JP 7, the greens are Sassa Lynne fine perles, and the beads are Japanese delica triangle beads. That one started out as something completely different-looking on the bottom of Flora B's block. Then I got carried away.

The whole block, just for Judy.

I apologize to everyone for not commenting on last week's posts. I did look at them, and I thought I'd come over and comment, but time got away from me and I just realized I never did. I'll do better this week.

Susan: CQJP2015 March Update

Seam 20, hard to see at this size. Needs beads.

Seam 21, not really seams, but not motifs. I just thought it would be fun to put a blue French knot in each yellow dot.

You can see the next part, a corner that isn't finished.

Slow and unsteady, but eventually a finish will happen. =)

CQJP2015: January: Good Progress

Here are photos of progress I made this weekend. Seams 5-6 aren't well pictured, sorry.

Whole block now.

As always, the pictures don't do it justice. I really love the look of this block, though it's bead-heavier than some blocks I do.

Cy - Crazy Quilting at last

Phew! Finally I have some stitching to show you. 

We've been so busy here on the farm lately that I've not had much time left over for sewing.

The grass is almost ready for cutting and bailing again and that will be another busy time here at 'Lewis Acres'.

But for now, here is what I've been up to.

Crazy Quilting with 'Kathy Shaw' inspired seams plus a few 'personal flourishes' of my own.

Plenty of room left on these seams for the addition of beads and SRE.

I'm just waiting for the postman to bring my new supply of Silk Ribbons.

I had to order more because my original stash is packed away in sealed boxes in the shipping container, and no way am I going in there to start opening up already packed boxes, lol, assuming, of course, that I can find the 'correct' box.

And just in case you are wondering about the background fabric.... it is all my own hand dyed neutrals.

Happy Stitching

Cyra

Susan: 1 Embellishment, 1 Seam

Not catching up very fast. The tree now has tons of French knots, 5 different pinks, 5 different flosses and 1 Sassa Lynne used. The floss was used 2 strand, and all the knots are double wraps.


Seam 58, small and possibly getting more small beads later, Kathy Shaw's TDiTM, #110:

Susan: Seam 51 & 52

Seam 51 was unfinished last week, but here it is now, beaded, and the way it lies under the corner piece.

Seam 52 has more color than many of the blocks have had. I've decided to mix in some with more color and some with less. This is a duplicate of Kathy Shaw's TSiTM #122, no stitching changes, which I almost never do. There are extra beads on mine, though, the greenish ones.

Both seams use many triangle beads. I love triangle beads, and have them in several colors, but not nearly enough! Here's how those three seams look together.

Slow progress, but at least moving forward. I hope I have more stitching time toward the end of this week. No Valentine's dinner to worry about, so I can stitch Friday night!

Cy ~ My Monogram for Crazy Quilt

This week I designed and stitched a Monogram for my

Straight From the Heart Crazy Quilt.

Stitches included are: Whipped running stitch, Laced Herringbone stitch, French Knots,Stem stitch, and Back stitch.

Step-by-step photos are on my blog

And the finished Monogram......... 

I know it it usually required to "sign" quilts when completed.

But, as usual, I am doing things back to front.

This Monogram of my initials is for the front of the crazy quilt.

With a bit of luck (and time), next week I can show you the setting I have planned for the Monogram.

Susan: Border Progress

About 2/3 done and another 5 days. Too bad I can't work every day on this!

This seam is my favorite find of the week:

This came from Ensamplario Atlantio Blackwork Filling Collection. It's #185.

Susan: Flower Fairy Border 1

I have made some progress this week. In fact, if it were a block, I'd be half-way to finished, except for beading! You should be able to click to enlarge photos, if Blogger is working right today. Here are some peeks, not shown in the order they were done.

This started with a buttonhole stitch, and I just kept messing with it.

Italian Knotted whatever. I liked this one.

The thread is a silk perle and the shine keeps it from photographing well.

Chains and straights. Triangle beads will go on the ends.

Same shiny thread, same problem. Copied 100% from a Sharon Boggon seam I liked.

I'll bet you can guess what this is.

Cy - CQJP & TAST reveal

TAST Week 5 - Herringbone Stitch

I managed to catch up with Week 5 TAST that I didn't get done last week.

Here is the unstitched hand dyed evenweave linen panel that is for February's stitches. 

The working area is 9 inches square and will eventually be put in a journal book along with the other 'pages' of stitches. There could be any number of different stitches on each panel. It all depends on how much time I have for stitching and whether I experiment a lot or a little with the various stitches.

 

The Basic Herringbone stitch worked in stranded cotton floss.

 

Stacked Herringbone

 

 Rows of Overlapping Herringbone

An experiment with curved edges

This next one was meant to be Long and Short Herringbone stitch, but I think I ruined it slightly by trying to do it on a curve. I probably should have at least drawn a guide line for the curve and spacing first, but I hardly ever plan ahead. 

Now this next one is actually called Ladder Herringbone, but I think it is very like a 'laced' Cretan stitch.

I really should not have used three different colour threads in my needle at the same time as it is difficult to see the stitch. Sorry about that. 

And here is a Closed Herringbone stitch.

Started off a wee bit uneven on the left for a couple of centimetres, but then once I got the hang of 'what-happens-where'  things got neater.

And to experiment some more with the Closed Herringbone stitch .....

(I like the solid look of this stitch)

I wondered what effect a variegated thread would have with this stitch.

I rather like the result. Only problem was that it uses up a LOT of thread, but sometimes it is necessary to use quantity just to get the right look to a project.

I shall definitely be using this textured stitch in my CQJP.

So here is my Journal Page so far with all my TAST week 5 stitches.

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TAST Week 6 - Chevron Stitch

A nicely productive week for me so far. 

Didn't get too many Chevron stitch samples done, but I shall add some more to my journal page at a later date when I get some time to experiment some more.

Chevron Stitch

Double row of Chevron stitch in two heights

Raised Chevron Stitch

And all together on my journal page they look like this

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CQJP February Block

Here is my "NAKED" block for February's Crazy Quilt Journal Project

(please excuse bits of loose thread I forgot to remove before taking photo)

 

And just a little bit of stitching completed so far this week.

I am so looking forward to more stitching on this block. I have some lovely beads eagerly waiting to be auditioned. And that butterfly in the middle patch is begging for embellishment.

I welcome your thoughts and suggestions on any of the above projects.
 

Happy Stitching