In The Garden RR: Lillian's block and Lace Painting

Last night I worked on Lillian's block. I'm creating a nice vining motif and I also painted some lace. I had a hard time with the lace painting since I've only hand dyed ribbon and have never done the painting style. At first I didn't even use a brush but then I went and looked up a tutorial and went back and tried again. I still didn't like the results so I went to try and subdue it with an over dye of antique gold but that just took out the dye that was there, which was a good thing since I didn't like it anyway! LOL So I got to start over with it and paint very carefully so that the dye wouldn't run and this is the final results. I like it now. All my attempts took me hours though! LOL Here is a list of tips I had to learn the hard way!

Tips for first time lace painters:

1. Use a brush (with a nice fine tip)
2. Less is more, you can always go back and touch up if it's too little. Too much dye will start to seep and run into other areas.
3. It's better if your lace isn't sopping wet, squeeze it out between a towel so that it's just damp.
4. Dainty little taps work well to control where your dye is going, tap more in the middle when the brush is fully loaded.
   

Windsong Jewels: My work on Kari's Block

Here is what I worked on last night. This seam isn't finished yet. I'm planning on adding some running stitch roses with some leaves to the points of the scallops. I worked the chain stitch in scallops along the seam in a variegated hand dyed sewing thread I had bought at Joggles.com, then I added these interesting amber glass beads. I guesstimated with the scallops because I couldn't mark on the velvet and I didn't want to risk the chalky kind not coming out good. So they are a little crooked but not so noticeable that it's a bad thing...just a mark of it being hand done! Adds character!
Hey you all see that little tiny seam of silver fabric down in the right hand corner? I was wondering what I should do with it, if anything. What would you do? Leave it? Any idea's? I fiddled with putting a button or something but it all just looks weird so I'm thinking of leaving it alone and letting it just be.

Work In Progress

I finished the satin stitch the other night all I have left is the little embellishing design to fill in. I need to finish and send by 4 Dec. to get to Christina in Iraq by Christmas. Think I'm going to make it??? Depends on if I spend my time wisely! LOL

Windsong Jewels: My work on Kari's Block

Last night I worked one of Kari's blocks that I picked to embellish for our DYB RR (Do Your Block). I added some little branches using 4mm silk ribbon padded straight stitches. Also some little round spacers with a seed bead in the middle for little flowers. I have to admit this is one of the first RR's I've done and I am so scared to mess up her block! I'm just glad I've been taking Sharon B's Encrusted CQ online class! I didn't think I would get nervous or scared but now that I have the first block in hand I'm totally worried! LOL I'm going to take it one step at a time...do some more seam treatments, and think about some motifs to embroider. My hubby keeps telling me, just do what you like and what you think looks good because that's the whole point of doing a RR, to have other's work on your blocks. So with that in mind, I'm trying to relax, have fun and embellish how I think it would look nice!

What I'm Working On

Here are some monogrammed pillowcases I'm making for Christmas presents for friends and family.

The purple J is on a green fleece pillowcase for my sister Joyce.

The green G is on a pink fleece pillowcase for my Mother-In-Law Gloria.

The green C is still in progress and it will be for my friend Christina.

The finished ones were done one each on the airplane rides to and from visiting family. Each took about 4 to 4 and a half hours to complete, and they are about 3 inches tall. The little flowers are 4mm silk ribbon done with padded straight stitches.

A heart my hubby made!

Hi all! While on my trip my hubby made me this CQ heart as a surprise! Isn't it great!?! He got some fabrics at WalMart's remnant bin and wanted to try making a heart for me. I think it is very good for his first ever CQ heart! He said he made it so I could embellish it!

On Vacation

Hi everyone! I'm going to be on vacation visiting family this week. So I won't be posting, until I return. I'm taking embroidery projects to work on so when I come back home you all can see what I worked on.

White on White CQ Block

Last night I worked on my block for the Encrusted CQ class. I added more vines and also straight stitches over the braid. I also added a fuzzy yarn laced in the lace, and I added a tiny bit of satin stitching to to top left lace. I'm thinking of adding some sort of flower to the middle of the holes. I'm not sure but I'm thinking a beaded flower or pretty beads, but we are not to the beading lesson yet so I'm still holding out! Watch out because when beadin' time comes they are gonna be all over this block!

In The Garden RR

Here is my block for our "In The Garden" RR over at Crazy Quilting Sisters. Our RR is inspired from the hymn "In The Garden". I have never heard this hymn but the words were found and I really love the second verse, which this block matches! Here is the words to the second verse:

"He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing"

White on White Motif and Seam

Today I worked on my block some more and finished the motif (for now, beads come later). Sharon B. suggested in her Encrusted CQ class that I just marry the colors into the block so that's what I did. I added the leaves in an in-between ivory color and then I added lazy daisy petals using the same 7mm variegated cream silk ribbon to the seam treatment.
I just love vining leaves! I'm trying to think of another way to add some more vining leaves in the upper left. I also need some suggestions on how to treat that lace in the upper left as well! I had originally thought I would lace it with ribbon but I tried to see how it would look and the gaps are just too big (using 7mm) and it looks weird!

White on White Motif

Last night I worked more on my motif for the Encrusted CQ class. I love how it's turning out except the color! I was using very light ivory and cream ribbon but on the block it looks yellow and orange. I don't want to tear it out because it's pretty but I just don't like the color.
The vine on the bottom is going to have leaves all over it. I'm thinking of doing white leaves or ivory/cream. Not sure which would look best.

15 minutes of stitching

Today I finally sat down and did my 15 minutes of stitching and started on my motif for the Encrusted CQ class on my white on white block.
I got 3 spider web roses done!

A rose by any other name...

For the rose challenge this week, I choose the spider-web rose. I know it's a tried and true favorite, but I wanted to test out some different ideas with it.

The first is a Large rose, I put a ruler in so you can see the size of it. First I wove a 4mm solid silk ribbon and then I wove 7mm variegated silk ribbon around that. Being that it was so large it needed to be tacked down so it wouldn't pull out. I'd also suggest trying a 7 spokes wheel instead of 5 as well. Then I added yellow french knots and beads to the center.

The next rose, I wove a normal spider-web rose in 4mm, but after I took 7mm and worked the chain stitch all the way around it. Then I added beads to the middle. I think it makes a nice plump ruffly rose.

Then with the next rose I wove 4mm part way then 7mm the rest. Then I took 7mm and worked the chain stitch three quarters around, then I added loops. I added beads to the middle and to top it off I made a few loose ribbon stitch petals that have fallen from the rose in 7mm.




The next to last rose I used an awl and poked a hole in the middle of the wheel and added a tiny folded center, then I wove 7mm around that.









The last rose, I just added since I got the idea from Eve, over at the Hand Embroidery Group. I used a fuzzy yarn with gold seed beads. It looks kind of Christmas-ish, also kind of looks like a birds nest! LOL

Another seam treatment: more added

Here is more embellishment on the seam! I added a scalloping chain stitch skipping every other one and on the opposite side is the pistol stitch. I tried adding some ribbon stitches around the pistol stitch but it kept not looking right. I don't know what I'm going to do! I may just wait and see about adding beads around it to look like a daisy instead. I think I'm going to go ahead and work on another seam now.

Another seam treatment

Last night I worked on this block. I originally wanted this seam to have curving chain stitching, I even used a scrapbook template, but I used an air-erasable pen and the line kept fading too soon on me! I kept having to do the frog stitch (rip it, rip it) and even then it came out crooked! Then I tried whipping it with a fuzzy silk chenille, that was nice but it was still crooked and then it looked more straight instead of nice and curvy! So I ripped it all out, remarked for a Chevron stitch and did that instead. It's not absolutely even but at least it's livable and I like it! So now I need to figure out some more stitches to add to this Chevron stitch. Humm...looking at it here maybe I can do a scalloping chain stitch hopping from one Chevron to the next. I might do another row of chevrons on the other side of the seam too.