Flowers and Hearts Block: Finishing Touches

 I finally completed the finishing touches!!! YAY!  What I did was add more purple details!

 I added a purple beaded flower near the dragonfly which is made of bugle beads and one seed bead.  I also added colonial knots inside the tatted rings in a purple buttonhole twist silk thread.

 Using the same purple buttonhole twist silk thread I stitched scallops in stem stitch and added purple silk ribbon sweetheart roses and colonial knots.

I also added some stars using the same purple buttonhole twist silk thread and the same purple silk ribbon colonial knots to the centers that also repeats the feel of the beaded flower in the opposite corner.

Flowers and Hearts Block: More Details

 I needed a little something in this spot so I added a mother-of-pearl heart with purple delica's around it and purple flower sequins to top it off!

I also added a little honeybee charm to remind her of me!  I stitched a running stitch flight path in a metallic thread.  I also added another feather coming out toward the bee even though it covered a bit of rose print.  I don't like covering pretty prints unless I really have to and there was no way around it.

I also used a pink metallic thread and added highlights to the rose print around the dragonfly.

I added a silk ribbon bow to the silkie and some tiny size 15 seed beads one for her earring and one on her necklace the chain of which I used a metallic thread.  I also stitched in the bouquet in sweetheart roses and colonial knots in silk ribbon embroidery and added a touch of white french knots too.

I also added some silk ribbon embroidery at the base of the silkie creating more sweetheart roses and knots along with added tiny green seed beads and a fire-polished heart bead.

I still feel the block needs more but I'm not sure just what that is yet.  I've been letting it sit on the back-burner of my brain for a few days so hopefully it will come to me when the time is right.  Just like putting together a puzzle sometimes you leave and come back and BAM you find the exact piece that was missing that you searched for previously! LOL

Flowers and Hearts Swap: Kathy's Block

I'm doing a private 8 inch block exchange with Kathy, the theme is Flowers and Hearts! I sent her This Block and she sent me this one...(which I forgot to take a photo of it blank)
Click on any of the photos to see them larger.

The block is made up of a lot of prints that compete with each other and that was a bit of a challenge for me when trying to start! With competing prints you have to find a way for them to go into the background a bit more without them being too hidden or them swallowing up the stitching. Also the few more solid fabrics stood out too much and they needed to blend into the block more.
In this first photo you can see I added some lace that I hand dyed and sewed to the top right corner. In the lower left corner I added some tatting that I had created with a veriageted pink thread. I sewed the tatting on and added some purple beads to alternating rings down the middle.

I also added a dragonfly lace applique that I hand dyed as well to the upper left, filling in the gap in the print there.
I also needed a focal point for the block so I added a silkie of a girl with flowers with more lace I hand dyed

I added around the silkie some vintage purple flower trim and a piece of white feather.

I've also added some more of my tatting that was made using a purple variegated thread to the silkie as well as another feather on the other side. I also added some little flowers to the hand dyed lace applique.

I also added some of the purple variegated tatting to the seam under the dragonfly. I sewed on some white lace in the lower right and purple lace in the lower left.

I feather stitched in some green holographic thread in the dragonfly's wings. I wish the camera captured the sparkle of the thread better.

I added the same little flowers to the other alternating rings of the pink tatting.

Atop the white lace in the lower right I added a white feather with a green gem on top then added a piece of jewelery component that looked like a bow with two gold bugle beads to act as the tails of the bow.

I also added some little pink fire-polished glass hearts down one seam that I'm not sure I'm finished with yet. I also added some purple flower sequins with a darker purple seed bead to the other seam to the right.
I'm not finished with this block yet but this is my progress so far...more to come!

Gift of Tatting from TattinChic!!!

Today I got a wonderful gift in the mail from TattingChic!

What is that you see, so elegantly peeking out from my little red bible?

Why that is my Hand Tatted treasure of Friendship made just for me by TattingChic!!!

So elegant and perfect with tiny little stitches! Also it will match all the work I'm doing on the hand bag for this little bible!

Here is both treasures that she sent me tucked lovingly in pink mulberry paper!

As you can see it will be a perfect addition to one of Bekah's Princess Blocks...just what Princess Bekah will need, a delicious lace strawberry Ice Cream Cone, on a hot day! I just know she'll love it! I'm thinking some whipped cream with a strawberry on top will be the perfect touch to this wonderful tatted cone!
Thank YOU TattingChic!!!!!!!!!!

Mail Call!!!

I received this beautiful heart in the mail from Jill!!! Isn't it sweet!!! She remembered that I love red roses and so made a little climbing rose landscape with some pretty little flowers at the base! I don't have a project in mind yet but I do have an idea for how to applique it when I do find the right project. I'm going to put roses and vining leaves all around it to frame the lovely landscape Jill made! Thank you Jill!!!

This is the last block in the Dreams of Spring RR that I'm in, it is Cobi's block. It was hard to photograph because of the large size of the block, also Cobi mentioned that because of the size she doesn't expect it to come home finished. I'm going to have to stare at it a few days and maybe look through a few landscape embroidery books because I have absolutely NO ideas so far! LOL Good thing I have a month to work on it!

Finished Cream and White and Pink and White Hearts

Here is the finished Cream and White Heart applique!

Also here is the finished Pink and White Heart applique for Jill!

Pink & White Heart for Jill

I finished the embroidery and embellishment for Jill's Pink and White Heart!
The first photo is without any extra lighting.

And this photo I used the normal lighting that I always use for photos. I just wanted to show how it can look different in different light, I just love it!

Cool close-up!
I added in some 4mm white ribbon stitch leaves to the vines and some pink seed beads as well. I also added random 4mm sweetheart roses and colonial knot "buds" as well as some of the pearls I also reclaimed from wedding dresses.
Now I just need to sew it up as well...need to get the sewing machine out! LOL

Another Tea Swappy HOME!

Lookie Lookie!!! I got another Tea Swappy home! And I love all the contents of this one too! Click on the photo to see everything better. Check out the silkies everyone gave me I love all of them but I really admire those 2 Victorian ladies in the upper right I think they will need a special project! Also got some interesting trim that has butterflies on it in the lower left, the wings go out off the edge of the trim, it's really neat! I took a few close ups of the vintage stuff that needs close ups to be fully enjoyed!

Love it a monogram in white I will surly be using this! I always look through the hankies for our monograms but I don't always find them and then pretty ones at that!

And just look at this lace!

And this one! It's a half but that is very generous for such beauty!

Also this whole crochet doily! I don't think I can cut it...LOL!!! Ya know though that brought me to thinking, all those pretty doilies I collect for CQ that I can't bring myself to cut, I think I'll make blocks that are solid with a doily on them to showcase it and add to the size of my bedspread/or throw! That way they can be enjoyed and I won't have to cut them! I can even embellish them! I love that idea!
If anyone wants to send me some doilies for my quilt I'd love to accept them! LOL I hear there are those out there who don't like them (how can this be? LOL) so if you are reading this and have some and don't like them or whatever I'll gladly take them off your hands! LOL

Pink & White Heart for Jill

Jill and I agreed to swap hearts and I've already started working on hers! She asked for a Roses theme and Pink and White.
So far I've got on a foundation of white Dupioni Silk, 3 pink roses that are spiderweb roses in 4mm and they have some outer petals in 7mm ribbon stitch and added pearls to the centers. Then I put some 7mm white sweetheart roses. Added some bridal lace leaves, and stem stitched in some vines.
I'm going to add white ribbon stitch leaves to the vines and probably some sort of pink bead. Also I'm thinking of adding in 4mm white sweetheart roses randomly.

Tea Swappy Just in!!! More Stash!!!

WooHoo!!! This was a fun Tea Swappy we did it like a RR where we send on a baggie and each lady add items to your baggie as you are adding and sending on their baggies too! As you can see we swapped teas and stash! So lots of tea drinking and stash admiring for me! If I had to pick just one thing (I know hard to pick just one huh! LOL) to be my absolute favorite it would have to be that vintage lace cuff that has roses...Wowie when I saw that, I just flipped and I'm such a nut that if I had the other matching cuff I'd wear them!!! LOL But really everything is wonderful thank you so much to each lady you all are just the sweetest!

Pincushion Swap

Once I decided on a pincushion pattern to do, I got to work on it! I had been tatting up a clover edging at the time and thought it would be perfect as a circular motif on the pincushion so I finished tatting it up and then sewed it onto the fabric. Then I embellished my tatting with alternating glass pearls and Silk Ribbon embroidery. Then I added tiny pink size 15 seed beads to the picots at the tips of each clover. The Silk Ribbon Embroidery I did was sweetheart roses in 4mm YLI silk ribbon and in the center I added 3 ribbon stitch leaves in 4mm silk ribbon.

My swap partner loves Victorian things and I hope I succeeded in a vintage Victorian feel. I want her to be able to use it so I left open space at the top and the fabric I used doesn't show holes when needles or pins are removed.
The pincushion is made with CD's as a base and is about 5 inches wide and 1 1/4 inches tall. No glue was used making this pincushion it is all hand stitched together!

SRE Motifs

Here are 2 Silk Ribbon Embroidery Motifs that I designed and created for Lori to swap with her for some crochet lace she's made. She told me any colors so I chose to make 2 spring themed motifs the first being a leafy heart with sweetheart roses and colonial knot forget-me-nots. I backstitched using 2 strands DMC floss for the heart shape and then added 4mm ribbon stitch leaves as well.
The second motif I created a bouquet with sweetheart roses and colonial knots using a rainbow of colors. I used bits of leftover 4mm silk ribbons that I save for small projects and this fit perfectly, I didn't use 2 of the same color for the sweetheart roses. Then I added 4mm ribbon stitch leaves. She could make this into a button cover if she wants to since it is the perfect button cover size, or just use it for crazy quilting.

CQ Heart

I embellished this CQ heart by just letting myself be free with it and just did it! It was fun and I love how it turned out!

Valentine's Heart Swap: 2nd heart

I think it's pretty neat how people can use the same design and do it in all different ways. This Heart Pattern is meant for redwork but Gerard and I did it in totally different ways. Here is a link to Charlene's version of the heart done in silks! Here is a link to Leslie's done with Brazilian Embroidery.
The pink fuzzy is pink eyelash yarn couched down to the flower shape and also has a Mother-of-Pearl button with a glass heart bead in the middle. I also added glass bead flowers to the heart. I used different shades of floss with different stitches. All the stitches I used are: back stitch, chain stitch, lazy daisy, stem stitch, split stitch, couching, and french knots.

Valentine's Day Heart Swap

These are going to be my hearts for the Valentine's Heart Swap. I got the pattern for the unfinished one Here, and the red one I made up my own design. What I did on the red one was cut out a heart shape in white lace and then couched it down with the colonial knot heart motif in 4mm white silk ribbon, then I added bead embroidery hearts to the middle of the colonial knot hearts with silver lined clear seed beads. I added a running stitch between the lace and the edge of the heart with 4mm white silk ribbon and then made a "bow" at the top by making a large loop and taking my needle up the middle of it and doing a french knot. I added a little silver bee with seed beads tassel to the bow.

Have A Heart Swap

Here is the heart I received from the Have A Heart Swap over at the Hand Embroidery Yahoo Group! It is from Gayle! Isn't it stunning? In person it just sparkles and shines, and her use of texture is awesome! I love it, it is just an absolute treasure to own! When I opened the package and saw it all I could say was "oh wow" and stare at it soaking in all the details! Click Here to see the heart I made for the swap that Gayle received!