Mailart And Counted Cross Stitch

Robin sent me a photo of this piece that she did last week. It seems that Mailart has been noticed by counted cross stitchers and they want in on the fun too!



This is one of my retired designs that Robin stitched and adapted for Mailart. Mailart as most of us know by now is artwork, sent through the Postal System.

I Googled "cross stitch mailart" and didn't find much in the way of interesting websites. But I did find this one, the website of Lynne Nicoletti with charted patterns specifically designed for Mailart.

I was thinking, that you could use many of my 100 Days patterns to make MailArt. Stitch one of the borders down the left-hand side of your piece or stitch one of the motifs in the corner. Then embroider the address and you've got Mailart!

Now...I tried to find instructions for making a Mailart piece out of cross stitch fabric but no luck. This is where my creativity sets in! "Necessity is the mother of invention"! When I can't find what I'm looking for, I just make it up as I go along! Well, I don't have time at the moment to figure out how to do this but thanks to Fabric Follies blog, I found a site with all sorts of interesting templates for making envelopes, boxes and so on. Visit Mirkwood Designs and click on "Templates". I'm sure these will give you some really great ideas for making art with fabric and threads! And please be sure to drop Ruth an email and thank her for her complimentary patterns. I'm a firm believer in showing gratitude even for free things.

And while on the subject of Mailart, visit Beates Fabric Art Blog to see some wonderful Fabric Postcards!

100 Details In 100 Days - Day 60

Snowflake Border
Originally uploaded by Kitty And Me.

Can you believe we've gone through 60 days already! This project has been so much fun!

Today's detail is a charted design for a snowflake border. Guess I'm thinking Christmas again!

The dots represent beads. You could scatter these where you want them or use them as a border as I've designed it.

For those you who are interested in taking one of Sharon's online classes in Encrusted Crazyquilting or Creating A Personal Stitch Library, click here for more information. You'll never find a better a crazyquilter to learn from than Sharon.

Directions For Crayon Tinting

I've been asked many times about Crayon Tinting and how to do it so I thought I'd give you a quick tutorial on it.

It's actually quite easy and the results are beautiful!

I recommend using 100% cotton fabric such as Muslin, Quilter's Cotton or Kona Cotton. The fabric should be washed beforehand to remove the sizing.

Trace or transfer your pattern onto your fabric.

Before coloring, make a pad of several layers of extra muslin. Lay the piece that you want to color on top of the pad. This will give that soft tinted look that you see in my pieces.

Then simply color as desired. I usually start out very light and then build up my color closer to the edges. I also use several shades of the same color in my pieces. This gives it a little more dimension.

When you're satisfied with your tinting, place your piece between 2 sheets of paper or paper towels and heat set with your iron.

Then stitch as desired.

If you have any questions about Crayon Tinting or anything that I've discussed here at my blog, please don't hesitate to leave a message for me here or you're welcome to send me an email.

Please visit our Etsy shop for Cottage Style Comforts & Adornments

100 Details In 100 Days - Day 59

I was sitting on my front porch this morning, trying to decide what detail to offer today when one of my little female hummingbirds came to my feeder. Funny where inspiration comes from!

So today's crazyquilt detail is a Hummingbird Motif!



If you've never seen a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, you can see photos here. This should give you a good idea of what colors to use when stitching him.

If you have graphic software, you can size this to fit your space or your needs.

Enjoy!

Finishes

As I promised earlier today, here are several photos of projects that I managed to finish last week.

First, my Fruit Doorknocker. This design is from one of my vintage transfer patterns. In this photo, I've shown what to do with a doorknocker. You simply hang them on a hook or a knob!



This is my Crinoline Lady Doorknocker. Everyone seems to love this one!



Last but not least, I call this my "Reflections Of 1940" Handbag. I'm sure you all remember this piece from a few weeks back. I've lined it and added an inside snap for closure.



I've added these items to my Etsy Boutique. I'm going to try to do some more finishing tomorrow so I'll post photos as soon as things are ready.