Burdastyle 7/16 #114 Woven top, and Hardanger finish

I was waiting very impatiently for the July issue of the Burda magazine to appear in the shops here.  Finally mid-October it came in the shops.  There are so many patterns in this issue that I want to make, but I especially had my eye on this woven plastron top.

 I wasn't sure how the woven part would work, so didn't want to get expensive fabric in case it went horribly wrong.  I'd already picked up some striped shirting fabric from the Hospice shop for $5 with this top in mind.
Here is my version.

The pattern calls for soluble stabiliser to be used and the woven plastron strips to be sewn to this before attaching to the shirt.  The only sort I could find in Spotlight was some plasticy type stuff.  I was a bit worried that it would move too much, and I was right.  The plastron shape got horribly distorted and I had to pin and tape like crazy and then mark the plastron tape from my original traced templated onto the woven strips.  However it came together well in the end.  I found out later that there is a soluble stabiliser that looks more like interfacing.   This would have worked better, or even possibly tear away stabiliser.

The only change I made was to increase the number of buttons from 6 to 7.  The pattern markings are for size 36 and it tells you to alter the top placement according to your size and to leave the bottom button placement where it is, then evenly space the other buttons between the top and bottom.  As I made size 42, if I evenly spaced the remaining buttons there would be 3 7/8" apart which I felt was too wide.  When I increased it to 7 buttons, the space reduced to 3 1/4".

The other issue with the buttons is to do with size.  The pattern says to use small buttons, you really need to use the smallest you can find.  As the buttons are underneath the band, the buttons have to fit within the stitched seam lines,  One of my buttonholes was ever so slightly to the side, which in normal buttonholes wouldn't have mattered, however trying to put the button in is very fiddly as the edges of the button are right up against the stitched line.  If I make it again I would be tempted to make ordinary buttonholes, apart from that one wonky buttonhole, the buttons are fiddly for fastening.

I like the outcome of this top.  I plan to make the dress version in a floral poplin with plain contrasting colours for the plastron.

On to other things.  I actually finished this Hardanger piece a couple of months ago, but forgot to post.  About a year in the making.  The base fabric is a light purple, I wish I could remember what fabric I used and the count.  If I remember I'll add to this post.

New Sorbetto top and WIP's

I made a pair of trousers from some blue chambray using Simplicity 1699.  I don't have a photo of those yet, so will post separately when I get around to that.  I had enough fabric left over to make another Collette Sorbetto top.   I added red bias binding to the central pleat and around the neck to make it more interesting.   I toyed with the idea of using mismatched red buttons down the centre pleat, however I decided less is more, and just used one button at the top, again for a bit of added detail.   This time I lengthened both the top and the sleeves.

As always I have a few WIP's on the go.  This is from an adult colouring book, Enchanted Garden.  I haven't joined in the current craze for adult colouring, not really my thing.  However some of the designs would look really good done in embroidery.   I first made some copies of the page I wanted to embroider so I had copies I could colour in and one to trace the design onto fabric.  Once I was happy with the colour scheme I found threads from my stash that matched.  This is the embroidery progress so far on the owl I am doing.  Stitches used are detached chain, rope stitch, feather stitch, fly stitch, satin stitch, fishbone stitch, french knots and buttonhole stitch.

 I am also doing a Hardanger.  It is on a purple fabric with white thread.  In hindsight I wish I'd used a white fabric, but with so many hours invested already I don't want to stop and change now. This is using an old Burda pattern. I want this to go on top of a scotch dresser in my bedroom so needed to change it somewhat so the dimensions are the correct size for the dresser.

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.  

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.



More finishes

I finished my February block for the CQJP2015 challenge.  This is a summer block with a butterfly theme, as part of the four seasons theme that I'm doing.

Close up of stumpwork butterfly, done on sari silk, and a sunflower.  My sunflower centre is a bit on the small side.  I did a practice piece first.  As is the way of things, the practice piece worked up perfectly, but then the 'real' piece didn't come out so well.

Close up of needlelace butterfly and Hardanger piece.  This was my first attempt at needlelace

Close up of beaded butterfly.  This is based on the colouring of a monarch butterfly.

 

Last month I completed Kathy Shaw's beginners CQ class.  I made this up into a cushion.

 

I have a photo of my skirt and top that I made and blogged about in the last post.  Here it is.

 

I also made a couple of tri-pillows.  My mother has a lot of neck problems so I made one for her and one for myself.  These have tabs on the end, so it is easy to reach behind and position them.

 

 

That's it for now.  Time to start planning my March CQJP block.

 



January crazy quilting

For Xmas I was given some toiletries in a snowman shaped tin.  I thought the tin was an ideal shape to make into a matryoshka doll.  I wanted the embroidery to give the fabric a textured feel so for most of the pieces I used thread in a similar colour to the fabric.

The face took me about 3 attempts to embroider.  I did it on felt and then appliqued it.  Once embroidered I then mounted it on a piece of card, glued some lace around the top of the tin so the lace covers the sides of the tin and then glued the card to the top of the tin.

I'm using this to store my buttons.  It stands up nicely, just like a doll should.

I've also finished my January block for CQJP.  My them is the seasons, 4 blocks for each will be made into cushion covers.  This is spring.  It has a Hardanger centre, this was a freebie from the spring biscornu on the victoriasampler website

At the top right is a beaded daffodil.  I did the beaded flower on felt and then appliqued it to the block.  The leaf is filled with chain stitch and surrounded by coral stitch.

At the bottom sits a stumpwork spring rabbit in a basket and to his right is a bunch of tulips.

At the left is a fat bumblebee.  At the top left corner is black rick rack with interwoven chain stitch in gold on top.  In the corner is a needlewoven wheel in red and gold.



Below is a close up of the lace on the bottom right.  At the far right is black lace overlaid with red lace.  The photo doesn't show it very well but along the edge of the 2 laces is alternating chain stitch done in both black and red thread

New Hardanger finish and other past finishes

I've just finished this Hardanger doily.

These are older Hardanger pieces.  This pincushion was my first Hardanger piece, learnt at a class.

Hardanger coaster

Hardanger table runner, in cream and pink

Hardanger runner in pinks

 

Here are some older embroidery finishes.  This is a thimblepip.  It opens up so you can store something small like a thimble.

 

My first stumpwork piece, an Anchor kit.

Sideview of stumpwork

 My first goldwork piece.

Finally a progress pic on cross stitch piece Mini Intermission.  Page 5 completed

 

 

 

April update

Im hoping to have  more time for other embroidery projects and to learn new techniques.

This is a project I started years ago and have just picked up again.  It is a raised gold stumpwork kit  called Extravaganza. The goldwork won't be worked until the silk embroidery is completed.

This is a Hardanger cloth.  I started this last year when working away from home, was easy to pack into a case to do in the hotel in the evenings.

This is the latest update on Spirit of Winter.  page 13 now completed