Cross Stitch Patterns inspired by nature, animals, holidays and scripture by Pamela Kellogg
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Crazy Quilt Block For My Mom
I did some more stitching on this block yesterday. I added the black trim with the red flowers to the bottom right corner and the added the blue braid over the edge of vintage lace. I sewed on a few ribbon flowers on the edge of the black fan stitches as well. Those little flowers are about a 2 - 3 inch piece of picot edged 1/4 in satin ribbon that I hand-dyed myself. They're simply gathered along the edge and then tied off. I had a feather stitch along the edge of the brocade patch at the top but I didn't like the way it looked so this morning, during Simply Quilts, I took it out. I'll have to figure something else out for that seam.
Monday, August 22, 2005
A New Crazy Quilt Block
Well, I was going to start on the Harvest Peacock next, but after sewing up several more blocks on Friday, I decided to do this one instead. This will be a Christmas gift for my mother. She doesn't know anything about weblogs so I think I'm safe in posting about this!
Anyway, here is the block before I started stitching on it:
And here is the block after 1 day of stitching. I worked on it most of yesterday afternoon and part way into the evening:
The large floral print is a brocade. Geez, I wish the lovely shine of this fabric would show up on the scanner! The light blue is a printed satin, the black is crushed velvet, the aqua is a poly of some type, the blue with the gold is a cotton with metallic on it and the other medium blue is a batik.
On some of my last blocks, I noticed that the needle was pulling my fancy fabrics, snagging them really. I always put a new needle in my machine everytime I sewed so I couldn't figure out what the problem was. My sewing machine is a Singer so I always bought Singer brand needles. Well, I was whining to my mom about this little problem so when she was up at JoAnn's, she bought me a pack of Schmetz needles to try. Wow! What a difference! No more snags! I was pleased to find them at WalMart for under $3.00 a pack! From now on, it's only Schmetz needles for my sewing machine!
Anyway, here is the block before I started stitching on it:
And here is the block after 1 day of stitching. I worked on it most of yesterday afternoon and part way into the evening:
The large floral print is a brocade. Geez, I wish the lovely shine of this fabric would show up on the scanner! The light blue is a printed satin, the black is crushed velvet, the aqua is a poly of some type, the blue with the gold is a cotton with metallic on it and the other medium blue is a batik.
On some of my last blocks, I noticed that the needle was pulling my fancy fabrics, snagging them really. I always put a new needle in my machine everytime I sewed so I couldn't figure out what the problem was. My sewing machine is a Singer so I always bought Singer brand needles. Well, I was whining to my mom about this little problem so when she was up at JoAnn's, she bought me a pack of Schmetz needles to try. Wow! What a difference! No more snags! I was pleased to find them at WalMart for under $3.00 a pack! From now on, it's only Schmetz needles for my sewing machine!
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Robin's Vintage Style Towel Challenge
We have another addition to our Vintage Style Towel Challenge today!
Robin has shared 2 towels with us. These designs are from an Aunt Martha's Iron-on transfer and Robin enhanced the designs with some crayon tinting!
I love the purple fruit with the yellow border! So cheerful and happy looking!
Robin is going to continue on with the rest of the set and she kindly offered to send me photos to share with my readers.
Thank you Robin! I think it's safe to say that we're all looking forward to seeing the rest of the set! These are lovely!
Robin has shared 2 towels with us. These designs are from an Aunt Martha's Iron-on transfer and Robin enhanced the designs with some crayon tinting!
I love the purple fruit with the yellow border! So cheerful and happy looking!
Robin is going to continue on with the rest of the set and she kindly offered to send me photos to share with my readers.
Thank you Robin! I think it's safe to say that we're all looking forward to seeing the rest of the set! These are lovely!
Friday, August 19, 2005
Reproduction Vintage Iron-On Transfers
I've been asked several times now, where I find my cute and charming transfer designs. Well, some of my vintage transfers were given to me. And some of you already know that I find many at Flea Market & Antique Shows as well as Antique shops. I've also purchased a few through Ebay.
A really great source for Iron-On Transfers is PatternBee! Vicki's transfers are reproductions made from her own extensive collection of vintage transfers and they are "iron-on". PatternBee offers over 500 reproduction designs including transfers for baby items, towels, redwork....you won't believe all the great designs there are to choose from!
I have several of Vicki's reproduction patterns. They are packaged beautifully and come with complete and excellent transferring instructions!
I met Vicki through her Turkey Feathers Blog, which is absolutely wonderful! Every day is like paging through a lovely Home Arts magazine. Lots of beautiful photos too as Vicki shares her sewing, embroidery, gardening and cooking & baking with her readers.
Vicki and I recently did a fun craft swap. She had found some beautiful vintage cherry fabric which I fell in love with. She kindly offered to swap 1/2 of it with me!
Scott is currently in the process of refinishing a set of 4 mismatched antique pressback chairs. I'm going to use this to make some seat covers for them.
Also in our swap, Vicki sent me a beautiful vintage style towel that she made as well as a handmade potholder that she did from a vintage kit.
In return, I sent Vicki some various fabrics, some buttons and trims and few other things that I thought she would like.
Anyway, if you're looking for transfers, try PatternBee!
A really great source for Iron-On Transfers is PatternBee! Vicki's transfers are reproductions made from her own extensive collection of vintage transfers and they are "iron-on". PatternBee offers over 500 reproduction designs including transfers for baby items, towels, redwork....you won't believe all the great designs there are to choose from!
I have several of Vicki's reproduction patterns. They are packaged beautifully and come with complete and excellent transferring instructions!
I met Vicki through her Turkey Feathers Blog, which is absolutely wonderful! Every day is like paging through a lovely Home Arts magazine. Lots of beautiful photos too as Vicki shares her sewing, embroidery, gardening and cooking & baking with her readers.
Vicki and I recently did a fun craft swap. She had found some beautiful vintage cherry fabric which I fell in love with. She kindly offered to swap 1/2 of it with me!
Scott is currently in the process of refinishing a set of 4 mismatched antique pressback chairs. I'm going to use this to make some seat covers for them.
Also in our swap, Vicki sent me a beautiful vintage style towel that she made as well as a handmade potholder that she did from a vintage kit.
In return, I sent Vicki some various fabrics, some buttons and trims and few other things that I thought she would like.
Anyway, if you're looking for transfers, try PatternBee!
Thursday, August 18, 2005
More Doorknockers!
First, I'd like to thank you all for your lovely compliments on my Autumn Holiday Doorknockers yesterday. I may not reply to every comment, but I do read them and I truly appreciate hearing from my readers!
It seems, that you enjoy seeing photos of my stitching. I don't have any new stitching ready to share with you but I thought I'd scan a few of my doorknockers that I currently have displayed. I think I made all of these last Summer.
This is a charming little Vogart pattern bordered with some of my reproduction 30's fabric. This little doorknocker hangs on the knob on my backdoor.
Worked in Redwork (also known as Turkeywork), this little kitty comes from my cherished collection of old Workbasket transfers. My mother gave me her entire collection! I'm not even sure why she gave them to me because she still does this type of embroidery. Maybe it's because I was always drooling all over them!
Another Redwork design done in green, this also comes from my Workbasket transfers. I think I may have enlarged these patterns a little bit on my computer. Redline transfers such as the Workbasket ones, are hard to see through the lightbox so I usually scan them into my computer and then print them in b/w.
Redwork became popular in the late 1800's. Red thread at that time, called Turkey Red, was one of the only colorfast thread colors available. To read more about Redwork, click here.
It surprises me when I hear of stitchers concerns over red floss colors bleeding when wet. Esp. since red thread was colorfast back in the 1800's. I've never had any DMC thread color bleed, not even the reds.
Oh, and if anyone is interested in trying Redwork, good DMC reds to use are #321, #304, #498 and #816. I've also used #666 and although it's quite bright, I like it!
It seems, that you enjoy seeing photos of my stitching. I don't have any new stitching ready to share with you but I thought I'd scan a few of my doorknockers that I currently have displayed. I think I made all of these last Summer.
This is a charming little Vogart pattern bordered with some of my reproduction 30's fabric. This little doorknocker hangs on the knob on my backdoor.
Worked in Redwork (also known as Turkeywork), this little kitty comes from my cherished collection of old Workbasket transfers. My mother gave me her entire collection! I'm not even sure why she gave them to me because she still does this type of embroidery. Maybe it's because I was always drooling all over them!
Another Redwork design done in green, this also comes from my Workbasket transfers. I think I may have enlarged these patterns a little bit on my computer. Redline transfers such as the Workbasket ones, are hard to see through the lightbox so I usually scan them into my computer and then print them in b/w.
Redwork became popular in the late 1800's. Red thread at that time, called Turkey Red, was one of the only colorfast thread colors available. To read more about Redwork, click here.
It surprises me when I hear of stitchers concerns over red floss colors bleeding when wet. Esp. since red thread was colorfast back in the 1800's. I've never had any DMC thread color bleed, not even the reds.
Oh, and if anyone is interested in trying Redwork, good DMC reds to use are #321, #304, #498 and #816. I've also used #666 and although it's quite bright, I like it!
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