Tast week 5 - Herringbone stitch

Week 5 of the TAST challenge is herringbone.  These are my examples.  Other participants have posted some amazing examples on the TAST facebook page.

CQ tea cozy and TAST week 4 Cretan stitch

I finished my crazy quilt tea cozy.  With a layer of batting in it, it keeps my teapot wonderfully hot for ages.  Here is the second block completed.

  And here is both sides of the completed tea cozy.  It has a ribbon at the top so I can easily lift it off the teapot when pouring a cuppa.

TAST week 4 was Cretan stitch. Here are my examples.  The first is on my CQ Four Seasons cushion

This is a double row of Cretan in pink and blue and is on the Tea Cozy.

Up next, I registered for an online CQ course on embroidery motifs with Kathy Shaw.  The first task is to do two trees, one using a twisted method and another an embroidered method.

Tea cosy crazy quilt and TAST

I've started working on a crazy quilted tea cosy. I love having a morning cuppa but find that the tea is getting cool before I've finished.  Hopefully a tea cosy, as well as looking nice, will let me extend those lazy mornings!

Both front and back will be crazies.  One side is done.  This is also my May block for the CQJP2015 challenge.

I've been keeping up with the TAST challenge, but last week got slack about posting on my blog, although I did post on the TAST facebook page.  So here are week 2 and week 3 for the TAST challenge.

Week 2:  Buttonhole stitch.  As a seam treatment, buttonhole wheels and a buttonhole leaf.

 

Week 3 is feather stitch.  Worked here as seam treatments and also to join blocks and borders.

 

Anyone wanting to learn how to do these stitches, should click on the TAST badge to the right.  This will take you to the Pintangle page, then click on TAST FAQ which lists all the stitches and gives instructions on how to do them.  Mary Corbet also has great tutorials, including easy to follow video instructions.





 

Over on  Kathy Shaw's page a new free crazy quilting course will be opening for registration in a couple of days.  The course is Embellishing with Threads.  I'm looking forward to learning more on this course.   Anyone wanting to get into crazy quilting should take a look at her free classes.  They are great classes with easy instructions and so much fun seeing what other participants are doing.

 

 



CQJP2015 April block completed

After spraining my hand in April I wasn't able to do any embroidery for a few months.  I'm now working to catch up on the CQJP2015 challenge.
I've completed the April block which has a winter theme.

April block

Detail of the beaded snowman. This was made using the trapunto method, then beaded, then appliqued to the block.  This was my first attempt at trapunto and I was pleased with how he turned out.

Each of the 4 blocks features a Hardanger piece.  The Hardanger on this block was placed on top of a piece of lace to give a lace border, then beaded chain stitch around the edge of the Hardanger with a silk ribbon poinsettia flower.

While we don't get snow in Auckland, a winter theme has to feature snowflakes:

The first 4 blocks of the CQJP challenge are completed and I've made them into a cushion cover.

The 4 blocks are joined with feather stitch and feather stitch also joins the outside border with the blocks, there is a central lace motif to bring the pieces together.

Now on to my May block.  

TAST - take a stitch Tuesday

Sharon Boggon of pintangle.com has started a new TAST challenge.  Every week a new stitch is discussed with how to do it, and examples of it used in embroidery/crazy quilting.  See the TAST badge at the right and click on it to go to the pintangle web page for more info.

I discovered Pintangle last year, but by then the previous TAST was finished.  The instructions were still on the website and I found them very helpful in learning new stitches.

I'm happy to be taking part in the TAST.  Where possible I'll use the stitches on CQ blocks. 

The first stitch is the very versatile fly stitch.  Here I have done it as snowflakes and leaves on a winter themed CQ block.

June Update

 

 

 
 

This is the reason I haven't posted for the last few months.  I sprained a thumb ligament.  I was pulling a bolt of fabric out and twisted my hand, pulling the thumb backwards.  I was in a cast for 10 weeks, and now into week 4 of 6 weeks physio. Until the last couple of weeks holding a needle was just too painful, so no needlework or sewing - sigh! Thankfully it is all healing well now and I am able to do a bit of needlework and sewing, though I need to be careful not to overdo it.







I only needed around another 6 hours to finish this piece of Jacobean embroidery.  I finally got this done last week.  This is Just Jacobean from the book Crewel Twists by Hazel Blomkamp.

 

Close up of blue flower



close up of pink flower



Purple flower



The instructions were easy to follow and it was a joy to stitch this.  I made it into the front panel of a messenger bag.



Front of bag showing pocket under flap



Interior pockets





The bag has an adjustable strap and a magnetic snap closure on the front flap.  Underneath the flap is a pocket.  Inside there are 4 pockets plus a zip pocket.  I like bags with lots of pockets.


I realised I've done a fair amount of dressmaking since I started around 9 months ago, but haven't posted very much.  Here is a catch up.

KwikSew 3670.  The second top I made.  The front is lower than I'd like and I need to wear a camisole under it, but it's still a nice design.

Simplicity 2147.  The fabric was a beautiful red broderie anglaise I found hidden away on a bottom shelf at Spotlight. Unfortunately the back is really big and baggy, though the belt does bring it in.  Since making this I discovered the website PatternReview.com, and found reviews that said the same thing about the back.  I now check reviews on this website before committing to a pattern.

 Simplicity 1716.  What can I say, I love, love, love this pattern. The one on the left I made this from a beautiful purple ponte knit from  The Fabric Store. The one in blue as a beautiful fabric from Centrepoint for a ridiculous $5 metre. For the purple top I wasn't so keen on the cap sleeves, a bit frou frou for me.  However I love the way this top drapes.  It has pleats at the shoulder and the armscye which make it fall beautifully over the bust and the tummy, nicely concealing those tummy bulges.  I'll be sure to make more of these.  I have a pink fabric that I will use for a short-sleeved version.

 

 

 

 

 Simplicity 3568.  This was a brushed jersey from Spotlight.  I love the weight of the fabric for this top and the way the sleeves are wide at the cuffs and the split side seam.  If I make it again, which I probable will, I will change the neckline, as it is a bit too wide at the shoulders and too deep at the back.  I still wear it but usually with a t shirt underneath.  Just my personal preference as I think I have a skinny neck which is emphasised more if I show too much skin at the shoulders and back.

McCalls 6796.  This was a very simple jumper to make and very quick to sew.  The pattern has a beautiful scarf collar which I intended to make.  However I was about 10cm short of fabric on both so had to settle with the polo neck.  On the left is a blue merino fabric from The Fabric Store that was just $8metre.  However it must have a high nylon content, as when I pressed my first piece of sewing, at the shoulder seam, with the iron on a wool setting, the fabric melted.  Fortunately its just a small piece so hopefully no one else will notice.  I may try making a skivvy from this, but go a size smaller as these are both quite loose fitting.





 

March update

I started a new Jacobean embroidery in March from Hazel Blomkamps book.  I've not taken any photos yet.  Finished this month was my Autumn theme block for CQJP, with autumn leaves as the theme.

 

I did a beaded oak leaf

 

Also a couple of acorns and a hardanger featuring oak leaves and acorns.  Photo below shows one of the acorns and  the hardanger.

 

 

On the side of the block is a wheelbarrow that has tipped over and spilled its leaves, with a hedgehog heading for the pile of leaves.

 

 

Completed another page of Spirit of Winter.

 



 

 

Unfortunately I've sprained the ligament at the base of my thumb.  This means I can't do any craft work at the moment which is hugely frustrating.   I start physio on Thursday so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll be able to restart some projects.