Spring Crazy Quilt Heart Kits

I've added some Spring themed 6 inch crazy quilt heart kits to my Etsy shop:









These would make the cutest ornaments for Spring holiday gifts!

Watermelon Cellphone Pouch

After taking some new things up to my showcase at the brick & mortar store yesterday, I finished this little watermelon cellphone pouch:



I didn't quite get it straight on the scanner but you'll see it again when I get the finishing done on it.

The watermelon was a little beaded pin worked on perforated paper that I made a few years ago. It was one of those Mill Hill kits. I literally made dozens and dozens of them. Many were gifts but I kept a few for myself which I never wear so I thought I'd start using them on my crazyquilts.

This isn't quite as wild as I thought it would be but it's still fun and funky!

My next project will be this "Lucky Lady Cellphone Pouch":



I feel like doing something with a St. Patrick's Day theme. I thought a little something Springy would be nice to stitch on. It might help me believe that Spring is only a few weeks away. It's a little hard to do with this terrible cold spell we've been under.

After this, I'll be doing another purse. The block is sewn up and ready to stitch. In fact, I just bought some beaded purse handles for it at Michaels this morning.

TAST - Algerian Eye

AKA - Eyelet stitch. This has always been one of my favorite stitches. I can do it for hours on end but until now, I've never used it on a crazyquilt piece. It has shown up many times in my charted work though:



I think now that it's been brought to my attention, I'll be using it more in CQ's. What I've done here is nothing new or unusual but the Algerian Eye is another suitable stitch for waste canvas so I've charted out my seam treatment for you in case you would like to try this:



Click on either image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the large version of the pattern.

So onto my crazy watermelon piece! I wanted to mention the large white flower beads. Those are carved Mother Of Pearl beads! I bought a little pack of them at the bead store in Galena the last time we were there. I wish I had bought more! We're planning on going again, at least for a day in March so I hope they still have some.

My feather stitch is a little different than what I normally do and I'm not sure if I like it or not. If anyone likes it and wants me to chart it out, please let me know.

I still have more embellishing to do on this and I hope to add the watermelon pin later today so stop by tomorrow to see another update.

Why I Accomplish So Much

First, I'm running a bit late again. That's because I usually go grocery shopping on Thursday mornings. It was slow start today as I had to force myself to venture out. When I left, the temp was -3 degrees. And ya'll know how I feel about that!

I'll start off with my completed Cherub Pouch:



I really didn't have much stitching left on it. I tried it keep it very pastel, almost washed out looking. I like it, but I'm glad to be moving onto something with more color in it.

Like this one:



Betcha can't guess the theme is for this! Ha, ha, ha!! Yes, it's a bit out there. But that's what I like about crazyquilting. It can be traditional or contemporary, Victorian or funky! In this case, it's quite wild & funky! But I like it. A nice change from what I've been doing.

This will be a gift for Scott's step-mom. We'll be seeing her next weekend and I want to take a little something for her. I don't think she reads my blog. Anyway, I have a beaded watermelon pin that I made a few years back and never wear so I thought I'd use that in the center. I'll be starting on this a little later this afternoon. I'm quite excited about seeing where the stitching goes on this!

I want to answer a few questions that I received in yesterdays comments. The first was from Patternnut. She would like to know where to find my new leaflets that I posted about yesterday.

Those should be available in all specialty needlework shops but if you don't have one near by, you can try Joann at 123stitch. Click here for the link.

Gail then asked me how I manage to get so much done. Well, my husband works near the city and is gone from 6 in the morning until 6 at night. We don't have children so it's just us and our 4 little cats.

I'm not one to cook much. Actually, I don't cook at all. Anything that requires the oven or the grill is my husband's job. Ha, ha, ha!!! Honestly, we eat alot of salad and fruit and that doesn't require much preparation, nor alot of clean up. We don't eat sugar so I don't bake. Other than taking care of my cats, the house and laundry, all I really have to do (this time of year) is design cross stitch, do my CQ's and sew. Once Spring comes, I'll be outside working in the yard here and there and although I like a bit of gardening, it's not what I live for so I keep it nice, I keep it weeded and watered, but I don't go insane over it.

I guess that's how I get so much done. I've always been good at setting goals and sticking to them and that probably helps too.

More Finishes

I was quite busy again yesterday, doing some more machine and hand finishing. The 2nd Blackwork Cellphone Pouch is complete with hand-beading all the way around:



This is all packed up and ready for it's new owner.

My next finish is the little Pink Seascape Cellphone Pouch:



All that's left to do on this is add the chain which I'm out of at the moment. I'll pick some more up tomorrow when I go into town. I added some beaded fringe to the bottom and some sparkly sequined trim. If anyone wants this one, just drop me an email. I'm planning on taking this up to my Showcase at the brick & mortar store on Friday.

My next finish is this little embroidered and crayon tinted bunny which I stitched back at Thanksgiving:



My crayon tinted doorknockers do quite well at my showcase so I thought I'd get this one ready to take up with me on Friday. Again, if anyone wants this, just drop me an email.

If you would like to stitch this design (it's one of mine) you can find the pattern here on my Flickr site.

Finally, when all finishing was complete, I had a bit of time left to do some more stitching on this:



I didn't get real far but I expect to have some stitching time later today.

For now, I have to run to the Post Office and then I plan to sew up a few more blocks. I like having a whole stack of things ready to stitch on!

New Crazy Quilt Kits With Hand-Painted Pansies

Would you like to try Victorian Crazyquilting but perhaps you aren't sure how to do the piecing or maybe you don't have access to fancy fabrics?

I've put together several 9 inch "ready to stitch" crazyquilt blocks along with some lace, trim, beads and a butterfly charm. I've handpainted the pansy on white China Silk with permanent fabric paint and heat-set it.







Add your own threads and other embellishments to make a one-of-a-kind Victorian style Crazyquilt, then frame or finish into a pillow or purse.

A beautiful gift for you or a friend!

These are now available in my Etsy shop.

New Cross Stitch Design Releases

Just released by Imaginating, Inc., 3 of my new leaflet designs:







Yes, there will be an Autumn and Winter Quilt too!

Loads To Share Today!

Well, I have alot of photos to share with you today so grab some tea and enjoy!

I finished the stitching on the Pink Seascape Pouch yesterday:



It looks a little "washed out". One of these days I'll get the hang of using that camera! But it's enough for you to see what I did with it.

When doing a seascape, you have to work your way from the back to the foreground. As I mentioned when I started on this, the background is one of my painted dryer sheets applied to the foundation with Heat & Bond. I then added a piece of metallic gold mesh, tacking it on here and there with sewing thread. I did my feather stitching and my buttonhole wheels, then added the fancy yards and some tatted tendrils. After that, the seashells were added. If you want to drill holes in seashells, you'll need a 1/18" drill bit. Then I added the beads and sequins.

It's all sewn together now and all I have left to do is the hand-finishing which I plan on doing today. My little cat is there. Can you find him? I usually make him quite obsure on the seascapes.

The next photo is the completed Blackwork Peacock Purse:



This is so much more beautiful than it looks here! I added beaded fringe to the bottom and then some black braided gimp. I love that stuff! Anyway, it has a gold chain which is removeable so the purse can be used as a clutch. It's on a gold purse frame, lined with black cotton fabric and backed with the same silver Brocade that I used for the ruffle at the top. This is another one that I hate to part with but it already has a new owner so I guess I'll just have to do another one for myself down the road!

Another completed finish is my Green Painted Lady Cellphone Pouch:



Again, I love this one! It's backed with the teal taffeta that I used on the front. I lined it with an aqua and pink floral print and has a silver chain. While rearranging my bead stash, I came across 2 beautiful mint green glass beads that have painted flowers on them so I attached them to the sides with some glass pearl beads. I'm planning on taking this up to the real store on Friday so if anyone wants it, please email me. I like to give my blog readers first dibs!

When I finally had everything finished yesterday, I started on this little pouch:



I was thinking that this would be so cute for a First Communion or a flower girl at a wedding! Even for Christmas or Easter, this would be perfect for a little girl.

This what it looks like at the moment:



Yes, that is the Herringbone stitch with fan stitches over the ribbon. I did the exact same seam treatment on my Yellow Rose Purse. I guess I liked it! And it lightened up that gold ribbon just a bit.

So, that's my post for today! This afternoon, I'll be doing the hand-finishing on that Pink Seascape Pouch and the 2nd Blackwork Pouch. I expect to have photos of those for you tomorrow.

I also put some new CQ kits together. I'll have photos of those tomorrow. These "ready to stitch" kits have hand-painted pansies on white china silk as a focal point. I've included lace, trim, a butterfly charm and some beads. I'll list them in my Etsy shop tomorrow.

I want to mention too, that Allison Aller has a new blog! Thankfully! I was missing her daily posts and photos of her incredible stitching. Hop over to "Allie's In Stitches" and welcome her to Blogger!

Seascape Continued

Well, I didn't finish this yesterday like I had hoped:



Yesterday was my dad's birthday so went over to my parents house for a few hours. It was so cold outside! Much the same as today. The cold just zaps me physically and mentally. I honestly can't stand it when we have these extreme temps.

When we got home, I parked myself on my sofa with a quilt and just sat and watched the Superbowl. I'm not a huge football fan but I've always liked the Superbowl. Probably because it's the last football game of the season that I have to listen to! I was honestly hoping our Bears would win but at least they made it to the final game. Which is more than I can say for my Cubbies!

I'm about done with housework and chores for the day so I expect to complete the stitching on this later and if all goes well, I should have a ton of finished items to share with you tomorrow.

Blackwork & Seascape

Last night, I completed the 2nd Blackwork Cellphone pouch:



The black on white certainly makes for an interesting piece! I plan to sew this up tomorrow and get it ready to ship on to it's new owner.

It's a cold one here today! I think it was 12 below over night. Ewwww......these terribly extreme temps make me restless. I've been up since 3 am and started on this piece:



I didn't crop this image down because I wanted you to see how I mark my foundation. I use a permanent marker. It shows on both sides so I know where to cut and where my seam line is. On regular CQ's, the piecing covers it up so I run a basting stitch along the inside line but I didn't have to do to that on this one. I leave 1 inch between the seam line and the outside line. Honestly, I don't know why I do that, I just always have. When the stitching is complete, I trim down to 1/2 inch seams, sew my piece and then trim the seams to 1/4 inch. That allows for fraying and shifting that may occur during sewing.

As with my last Seascape piece, this is one of my painted dryer sheets ironed on with Heat & Bond.

After a few hours of stitching and couching, this is what it looks like now:



Scott just drilled the holes in my seashells for me so I can now add them and start adding the beads. I'll probably have this completed later today.

TAST - The Chevron Stitch

This another stitch that I don't care for all that much. I've used it, but sparingly. It is however, a good candidate for perfect spacing using waste canvas:



As you can see, I couldn't leave it just plain! I had to add something interesting to it so I added my beloved little fan stitches.

I've charted out the pattern for the basic Chevron along with the pattern for Chevron with Fans like I've done here:





Click on any of the images to go to my Flickr site where you can download larger versions of the patterns.

I hope to complete the stitching on this cellphone pouch today. I have a few errands to run and then I'll curl up on my sofa, watch movies and stitch.

More tomorrow.....

Assembling A Crazy Quilt Piece

I didn't get very far on the 2nd Blackwork Cellphone Pouch so I'll have an update on that for you tomorrow.

Since I don't have much in the way of stitching to share today, I thought I would talk a little about machine assembling.

If you're like me and have a tendency (or rather a bad habit) of putting beads and buttons too close to your seam line, you might want to give the Zipper Foot for your sewing machine a try:



This is quite a handy-dandy little item! I actually use this foot more than my all-purpose foot. And I've never done a zipper!

I use this foot not only when sewing CQ blocks up, but also for adding piping and twisted cording to my doorknockers. It attaches to the machine like this:



Be sure to move your needle over to the left:



My needle is right up against a large bead. The All-Purpose foot will not allow sewing on the seam line due to those beads because it won't go over them but the Zipper foot will run right up against them.

I hope you find my suggestion helpful!

You may notice that my seam is 1/2 inch rather than 1/4 inch. I do this because of the piecing with various fabrics and because some fabrics like Brocade tend to shred on the edges. It allows a little extra room in case there's any shifting or shredding while sewing. Once the sewing is complete, I trim the seam down to 1/4 of an inch. I only do this with Crazy Quilts pieces. For all other sewing, I only allow for 1/4 inch seams.

I'm off to piece some blocks and then I'll be stitching!

The White Peacock Purse is Complete!

I'm running late today. But better late than never!

I did alot of machine finishing yesterday and totally completed The White Peacock Purse!



I really hate to part with this one, but I can't keep them all! So I've added it to my Etsy shop. I found wonderful vinyl lavender colored handles for it and I backed it with a tan upholstry fabric. I used some heavy weight interfacing on the inside for stability and it's fully lined with a light green floral cotton print. Because I use my purses all the time, I prefer the sturdiness of cotton for a lining. There's more photos over at my shop if you'd like to see them.

I also did the machine finishing on the Blackwork Peacock Purse and the Victorian Lady Cellphone Pouch. I still have the hand finishing to do those which I'll start on later this afternoon.

I had a request for another Blackwork Cellphone Pouch so I pieced the block yesterday:



I picked up another fan button today while I was out and about and plan to start stitching on this later today as well.

Also, I'm offering a 20% off sale on all Vintage Lace, Embellishments, Cross Stitch Pattern Booklets and Fabric in my shop.

Ok, I'm off to do some more finishing. Stay tuned!

The Blackwork Peacock Purse Stitching Complete!

I know many of you are probably waiting anxiously to see this:



This has been such a joy to stitch! A bit challenging too in trying to balance the design using black, gold and silver do-dads. If you look closely, I did manage to add quite a few more beads!

The fabrics on this piece include: Brocade, Silk, Taffeta, Sequined Bridal Lace and a gorgeous heavy cotton with fine metallic gold threads.

The peacock body was hand-embroidered using DMC Cotton Floss in Long & Short stitches. I then outlined the body with Kreinik Silver Ombre and highlighted it with Kreinik Silver Blending Filament. The tail is done with black eyelash yarn couched on. The jewelry piece is a vintage pin. I cut the pinback off of it using wire cutters to make it lay flat. The "eyes" in the tail feathers are pearly sequins and small pearl beads.

I worked the spiderweb with 1 strand of DMC black cotton floss, the spider legs are Kreinik Gold Ombre and the spider body are done with 2 pearl beads from a vintage necklace.

The black seed beads on the fan stitch beneath my signature cat are vintage as are the small white pearls and end caps on the fan stitch beneath the large gold fan.

The "berries" on the vine with the gold butterfly charm are black Swarovski Crystals.

I was asked if I would post a photo of this peacock piece along with the white peacock purse so here you go Geri, it's my pleasure:



Click on either photo to go to my Flickr site where you can see a larger version.

My plan for today is to do the finishing on both of these purses. I've also had a request for another Blackwork Cellphone Pouch so I'll be piecing that block today as well. As soon as I have these completed, I'll post another photo.

The Blackwork Peacock Purse Continued

Are you ready? I stitched on this all day yesterday and loved every single minute of it:



It's not done yet. I will be doing some more beading on it this afternoon. I know you're probably thinking, "where is she going to put more beads?"! Trust me, there is still room for more embellishing.

I was actually a bit worried last night when my husband told me that he really likes this one! Normally, he doesn't care for crazyquilting but he actually said that my peacock done in black is beautiful and elegant. Hmmmmm.....that's a little scary!

I expect to complete this later today. Then I'll spend the next couple of days sewing. Check back tomorrow to see the completed piece!

Lots Of Stitching To Share

I pretty much just stitched all day yesterday. I'll admit, the cold and the snow outside is getting to me. Cabin fever always sets in for me around the end of January and I have a hard time focusing on anything but stitching or sewing. I am so looking forward to Spring now!

I finished the Victorian Lady pouch:



I added crystals to the centers of the silk ribbon roses. The "pin" on her collar is a crystal too. It came from a broken necklace that I bought at a flea market last Summer.

Once I completed the Victorian Lady pouch, I started on the Blackwork Purse:



I'll be working on this most of the day today. It will have a black peacock as a focal point. I have a pretty silver vintage pin with rhinestones on it that I can use for the top of the tail feathers and I have some black eyelash yarn that I'll use for the tail. I haven't decided yet what I'll use for the "eyes" on the tail feathers but I have plenty of beads and sequins so I'm sure I'll come up with something.

Can someone do me a favor and see if you can get into Etsy.com? I can't get into my shop or anyone else's shop or even the main page. I just need to know if it's the site or if it's my computer.

Thanks!

More Crazyquilt Cellphone Pouches

I now have the Blackwork Cellphone Pouch completely done:



I had some black diamond cut chain that I thought would look great but it was too heavy looking so I used silver chain and because it's so elegant, I added a Lobster Claw clasp. I am so pleased with how it came out!

Last night, I started on the Victorian Lady pouch:



It was screaming for pink! Which is one of my favorite colors!

I expect to complete the stitching on this one later today. My house is clean and other than doing 1 more load of laundry, I plan to spend the rest of the day stitching and watching movies.

If I finish the Victorian Lady today, I'll be starting on the Blackwork Purse later.

Stay tuned for more eye candy!

Next Blocks

I didn't really have any stitching time yesterday. I focused on some more finishing. I like to stay on top of that! If I have too many things that need finishing, I find it overwhelming and don't know where to start so I try to finish as I complete the stitching on my projects.

One of the things I focused on completing yesterday was the Blackwork Cellphone Pouch. I assembled it and then hand-beaded around it with black 2-cut beads. Oh, it is so pretty! All that's left to do is to attach the chain and sew on the snap which I'll do today and then I should have a photo of the completed piece for you tomorrow.

I also sewed up the ornaments that I promised to Kim. Boy, she does some beautiful and perfect stitching! She's been my model stitcher for years and years and I don't know what I would do with out her!

I just have to stuff them and I'll do that today too!

All that's left for me to finish will then be my White Peacock Purse. That's on my schedule for next week. Of course by then, I'll have more things stitched that need finishing!

In the meantime, I have 2 blocks ready to stitch:



I just love these little Victorian Lady images! I thought it would be fun to use one on a cellphone pouch. I'll probably do this one next so I have a couple of new things to take up to the shop in Richmond next week. Oh, and I am so excited! A couple of my Crayon Tinted Doorknockers have found their way into new homes!

Also on my schedule for this week:



This is the Blackwork Purse. Or it will be when I stitch it! The fabrics are the same as what I used on the cellphone pouch. I've already been to Michaels today to pick up some more black Perle Cotton and some fancy beads for it. I found some gorgeous little Cloissene (I know I didn't spell that right) beads that I want to use on it and I bought another Fan button for it too! And a few other things because I have no self-control when it comes to beads and other do-dads to stitch with!

So stop by tomorrow if you have time to see what I accomplish today!

TAST And Blackwork Cellphone Pouch

I completed the stitching on my Blackwork Cellphone Pouch last night and if no one minds me saying, this is absolutely stunning! So elegant!



I might do the large purse like this after all. It truly does have the look of Elizabethan Blackwork which is a style and technique that I have always loved!

If you look closely at the seam on the bottom left, just above the butterfly, you can see my TAST Cretan Stitch. I mentioned the other day, that this stitch is completely new to me. I've never done it before and had to check out Sharon's Stitch Dictionary to see how it's done.

It was pretty easy to get the hang of but I'll admit, if I ever do it again, it will probably tear a hole in the universe! I just don't find it all that attractive. And my addition of beads is nothing unusual or creative. Still, I'm pleased with myself for at least giving it a try.

I worked this seam with 8.5 count waste canvas. If you like to work perfectly spaced stitches like I do or if you're just used to working on a grid, I've charted out this stitch for you:



Click on the image to go to my Flickr site where you can download the larger version of the pattern.

I'm going to run my sewing machine today. If all goes well, I might be able to get this sewn up! I'd like to sew up a few new ones too and I have some finishing that I promised to do for Kim so I'm off! See you tomorrow.

Purses Finished

I've completed the finishing on the Summer Rose Purse and the Bee Purse. I swear, the assembly takes longer than the stitching!

This is the Summer Rose Purse and it's now available for purchase in my Etsy shop:



I did something really fun with the ruffle at the top. I folded it down on the left side and added that pretty button. It reminds me of a 1930's hat!

And here's the Bee Purse:



At the suggestion of my friend Cherry, I made the tassel out of purple eyelash yard. I love it! If anyone wants this purse, please drop me an email. I plan to take this up to Richmond next week and put it in my showcase. I still need to pick up some gold chain for it next time I'm out and about but it only takes 2 seconds to attach.

Both are on purse frames which does cut down a bit on the finishing time but the frames are rather pricy. If anyone knows of a good online source for purse frames with reasonable prices, please let me know!

Blackwork Cellphone Pouch

This is certainly interesting, isn't it?



The fabric at the top left is beige, not pink. This is quite elegant although I'm not sure I'd want to do this on a large block. I guess I like working with more color even though I really like this look. I plan to use actual chain for the neckcord on this one. I have some diamond cut black chain and I have some silver. Will have to see what works with it. But first I have to complete the stitching which I hope to do later today.

For now, I'm off to Richmond to rearrange my showcase a bit and pay my rent for February!

More tomorrow....