Cream on Cream RR: Debbie's Block Finished

Here is an overall look at Debbie's Cream Block. I think adding the vintage wedding lace balances out the other lace patches in the block. This block has such a vintage or antique feel to it, just beautiful! It was fun to work on! Now it's ready to send on to the other ladies in the Round Robin, I'm glad I got to be the first to work on it and add what I did.

Here's a closer look. I ended up adding some of the reclaimed vintage pearls to the SRE vines instead of the matching size 15 seed beads. I felt like that brought the motif together better.

This is just an artistic photo, I just felt like being creative and doing a close up at an angle.

Cream on Cream RR: Almost Finished

I'm now almost finished with Debbie's Cream Block!
I used some of the reclaimed lace from a vintage wedding dress for motifs. I think they are the perfect touch! Now I'm glad I had to take so long on it...if I hadn't this lovely lace wouldn't have been used!

I also took out the button...it was bothering me, I liked it at first but after a while it just felt WRONG so I ripped it out and added 7mm sweetheart roses and some extra ribbon stitch leaves around them. Next I feel that the vines need just a touch of beads I'm planning on using a same color size 15 seed beads just to give a hint of sparkle without overpowering everything.

Reclaiming Fancy Fabric!!!

Wendy let me take home some old wedding dresses her mom had picked up at thrift stores for her to cut and use and she is so generously sharing the stash with me!!! I'm thrilled to get to reclaim it!!!

SRE Lazy Daisy/Bullion-Tipped Lazy Daisy Video Tutorials

Click Here For the Lazy Daisy video on YouTube
Here is a video for the Lazy Daisy Stitch AKA Detached Chain. This stitch is good for both leaves and for flower petals or buds.

Here is another video for the Bullion Tipped Lazy Daisy Stitch, which is just a variation of the Lazy Daisy with wraps at the tip. This is another good stitch for leaves, flower petals (like poinsettias), or flower buds.
Click Here for the Bullion Tipped Lazy Daisy Stitch video on YouTube.

Pair of Free SRE Patterns

Right-Click and Save the patterns to your computer.
You may embroider these patterns freely, however you would like.

Ribbon Stitch
Sweetheart Rose
Spiderweb Rose
Loop Flower or French Knot Loop Flower
Colonial Knot
Lazy Daisy
Fly Stitch

Feather Stitch

Cream on Cream RR: A Little More Progress

Yesterday, I did a little more work on Debbie's cream block. I added in leaves to the empty vines, and also added a piece of tatting with a white pearlized flower button. I also added glass pearls to the spiderweb roses. The piece of tatting is a motif made out of size 80 thread from the book Mini Tats. The motif curves upwards, which is perfect for this bouquet, adding a three-dimensional touch. Since I had never tatted that motif before, it became curved because I hadn't tightened up the chains enough, the good news is at least I can use my mistakes in my crazy quilting!
I won't be able to work on the block today, but hopefully soon I'll be able to add more!

Cream on Cream RR: Slowly More Progress

Here is a little more progress on Debbie's Cream on Cream Block. I just added a few little branching vines from the main vines using stem stitch for the stems and ribbon stitch leaves. I'm still planning on adding more, going slowly is driving me crazy but it's what I have to do.

New Program

Since my wrists have been hurting lately from typing too much, my Hubby bought me the program Dragon Naturally Speaking, that turns speech into type, and I am now learning to use it. I'm enjoying learning the ropes of the program and "training it" to my speech. Hopefully this will help me out, and allow me to do more tatting, embroidery, and crazy quilting with less wrist pain!

Tea Anyone?

For all you tea lovers out there, today I found a cool link for a pattern to make a reusable fabric tea bag!!! Perfect for loose tea! Here is the link! She also sells them made up in her Etsy Shop.
I just thought it would make a good gift for a tea lover also with simple tatting or embroidery added...remember it's gonna get dunked in tea and reused a lot! LOL

OH and I just found a neat tea shop on Etsy that makes unique tea blends! Here is the Link!

Pink Purse Mystery Solved

I got an idea to try out this scalloping lace and I think it works perfectly! I think it helps with scale a lot better and showcases the block better. I'll probably add beads to it as I sew it on too.

The Mystery of the Pink Purse

I sewed on some edge pieces of pink satin with white lace overlay just like for foundation piecing accept going along the seam. On 2 sides I sewed all the way down to the size I want and on the other 2 sides I only sewed the inner square so that I could fold the edges under and create a faux mitered edge! I have the insides sewn and the rest just pinned down. The problem I've run into is I feel like the "framing" fabric takes away from the block and embellishment!
I don't want to tear it out yet so I'm trying to come up with an idea that will help fix the problem...right now I'm thinking of white pearls embroidered in a scallop around the edge? That way it will add white and the tips of the scallops will be pointing in and still framing it.

My wrists are hurting a lot lately so I'll wait for a few days to work on it or anything else. It's frustrating but I don't want to permanently injure my wrists.
So I'll be reading...wanna know a secret? I've been reading the classic Nancy Drew books lately!!! LOL And I love them!!! I feel like I'm making up for not reading them as a kid, they are so fun and very, very classic! Only problem is I can read one in just a few hours!!! I may need to delve into the Hardy Boys series soon! LOL

Pink Block Finished!!!

Well here's the pink block all embellished!

I finished up by adding a pearl butterfly, made by using seed pearls, small round pearls and size 15 seed beads. Then just some white thread.

The sequin flowers don't photo correctly but they really look alternating pink and white and match the block.

I just added some white size 15 seed beads to the feather stitch.

This fan is my favorite part of the whole block it just makes me happy to look at it.
Now to make something out of it! I think I'm going to make a purse but I want to make the purse a little bigger so I'm going to piece on a "frame" around the block.

Pink Block Almost Finished

So far I've added some green size 15 seed beads to the vines, and I added flower sequins to the top seam. I'm almost finished, I'll just be adding beads to the pink feather stitching, and I feel that the sequin flower fabric needs a little something so I'll experiment adding beads to it.

Cream on Cream RR: Debbie S. Block

I had put Debbie's block on hold for a few days while working on the pink block. While on hold the motif that I planned on doing was sitting on the back burner and simmering. I finally started putting it into action yesterday. I'll still be adding more to the vines they need some branching out still. When you look at these vines with all the ribbon stitch leaves you are looking at 3 yards of silk ribbon!!! Wow! And what's in my head will probably use another 3 yards!
I've learned about myself that anytime I need to stop and just simmer on an idea or block I go ahead and do it, because just like when you simmer a pot of chili it only gets better.

Pink Block Still More Embellishment

I still have more embellishment to add to this block, but I wanted to share what I added yesterday. I added the frosted AB glass flowers on the top seam with 3 ribbon stitch leaves at the tops, also some pink glass pearls to the white silk ribbon braid. Then I put in a feather stitch in the lower right, and a rose leaflet and bud on the left.

Thought you all might like to see a close up of the fan. I felt the corner needed some green so I added a rose leaflet using lazy daisy leaves, and a stem stitch stem, then I added the rose bud using a one wrap bullion tipped lazy daisy and fly stitch with straight stitch stem.

Here is a close up of the butterfly I had made...it's SO cute! I will for sure make more of these in the future. And yes I added the feather stitch after the vines...LOL...it wasn't that bad to maneuver around the leaves though and the seam really needed something more.

Tatted Cross

Tatman posted this cross pattern yesterday and I thought it was so cute! It uses only 1 shuttle and has something I thought was unique since I hadn't done it before of joining the the thread part between rings. I tatted this up in white size 80 DMC tatting thread for a CQ friend.

Small SRE Heart

Right-Click and Save Pattern to Your Computer
You may embroider it freely!

This is a little heart motif I created in Feb. last year.
I hope you enjoy it!
Sweetheart Rose
Ribbon Stitch
Colonial Knot

Pink Block More Embellishment

Today I've been adding more and more embellishments! The fan is completed with 7mm silk ribbon sweetheart roses, pink Swarovski crystals, pink glass pearl beads, and the vintage jewelery finding as the handle. I added a glass AB heart to the sequin flower fabric, a white silk ribbon flower braid that I plan on further embellishing, and worked on a SRE motif, it still needs beads in the vines. I also did a little butterfly made by doing 2 lazy daisy stitches and 2 ribbon stitches all in 4mm silk ribbon. Then I used a clear bugle bead for the body, and whitish AB sulky metallic thread for the pistol stitch antennae and the whipped running stitch flight path.

Added Tatting to Pink Block

I've been a busy bee today!!!!! LOL I couldn't resist sewing on this tatting! It is the piece I've been working on from that doily I bought. So far I had gotten half way but when I finished this block this afternoon and tested the tatting on it I thought it would make a perfect fan! For the handle I'm going to use the vintage jewelery finding Jill gave me. I think it's the perfect lacy touch on this block, and I'm going to add 7mm sweetheart roses to the middle of the edge medallions, and probably beads to the smaller middle rings that are connected.
So the "fan" will be motif #20 of the 25 Motif Challenge

How To Create a Crazy Quilt Block

Remember there are no hard and fast rules in CQ, so your personal preferences are perfectly okay, this tutorial series is only showing how I enjoy creating blocks, there many ways to crazy quilt out there. Have fun developing your own style of Crazy Quilting!

Part 1: Preparing the Foundation
Part 2: Selecting Fabrics
Part 3: Foundation Piecing
Part 4: Continuation of Foundation Piecing
Part 5: Basting and Trimming

Creating a Crazy Quilt Block: Part 5

Now to baste in the 6 and 61/2 inch squares. I like to use a contrasting sewing thread so it's easily visible.

I start basting with a running stitch on the back and follow the drawn in lines I made on the foundation fabric. Usually before piecing I flip over my foundation fabric so that the lines are darker on the back and faint on the front, but I forgot to this time.

You could baste by machine instead of by hand, but for myself I think hand basting is easier and gives me more control. I don't have to pin everything, and it's a much smoother result with the fabrics laying nicer without any puckering.

Front view of basting.

I also like to baste the outer line that I marked, but I use a much larger running stitch.

Now to trim down excess fabric.

I still like to leave a little extra fabric around the edges, you don't really have to trim at this point but I just like to so it looks neater.

The reason for the outer line and extra fabric around is so just in case during embellishing if the fabric puckers in and shrinks in size or contorts you have wiggle room to get your 6 inch square back, with room for seam allowance too.
Now you are ready to embellish however you wish! I think embellishment is the most fun part of Crazy Quilting!

Part 1: Preparing the Foundation
Part 2: Selecting Fabrics
Part 3: Foundation Piecing
Part 4: Continuation of Foundation Piecing

Creating a Crazy Quilt Block: Part 4

Continue to line up, flip, sew, trim, iron, and trim again if needed, making sure to keep going in the same direction.

When you get to the area of the last side, you will start to overlap pieces. I cut and sew this one extra large, again it's easier to cut away than have to make up for not enough.
(You could sew a piece all the way along and call the block done at 5 pieces, but I think overlapping a few more looks nicer.)

I also sewed the seam pretty far down just to be sure it wouldn't be too short for the overlapping piece.

I eyeball where I want to overlapping piece to go.

Flip it over and sew through all the layers again.

Trim away excess.
Again estimate where you want the next overlapping piece to go.

Sew all the way across the edge. Trim away the excess fabric.

I just cut any stitches from previous pieces with small scissors or a seam ripper to the new seam and cut the fabric away.

Flip back over and iron. At this point you could leave the block as is or add a few more overlapping pieces. I think another piece over the lower left would look nice but chose not to this time since I want to show the silk velvet in that corner off to full advantage.
Every block you piece is going to look different just go with it and do what you think looks best.
For larger blocks you would continue around the block overlapping fabrics, until your block is filled in.
Almost ready to embellish now comes part 5 basting and trimming.
Part 1: Preparing the Foundation
Part 2: Selecting Fabrics
Part 3: Foundation Piecing
Part 5: Basting and Trimming