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