Colonial Knot

Here is a photo tutorial for the Colonial Knot. I think the photos explain it better than I can but I will add written directions as needed. If you have a question just leave a comment and I will try and help or fix where the questionable area is.

Take needle under ribbon.

Swing the needle towards you a bit.

Bring ribbon over your needle...

...wrapping under...

Start to take the needle back towards the fabric.

Pierce fabric with needle.

Loosely tighten the knot on the needle.

Hold the tension with your Thumb and bring needle through to the back.

Completed Colonial Knot!

Take A Stitch Tuesday

Herringbone Stitch for Sharon B's Take A Stitch Tuesday

Even though it was really hard for me to just sit down and do this stitch, I finally got a few idea's to try. My first idea was to use the Herringbone stitch as a trellis and pair with the feather stitch and some ribbon stitches in 2mm and 4mm silk ribbon. I used 2 strands DMC floss for the herringbone stitch back to back and then used 1 strand silk floss for the feather stitch layered on top and then alternated leaflets in ribbon stitch 2mm and 4mm silk ribbon.

Then I wanted to try the idea of using it as a vine. So I stitched it skinnier and a bit longer and then added 2mm silk ribbon in sets of 3 ribbon stitches on each prong. I think it makes it look like one big leaf. It could be a tropical vine with some exotic flowers with it.

Flowers can also be added to both ideas, but I didn't want to waste any beads on a sampler. Besides there are so many types of flowers I could choose from that the possibilities are endless.

I think I have found my niche! How many of these stitches can I turn into vines?! Oh I love vines, now I'm really excited!

Windsong Jewels: My work on Clairee's Block

Well here is Clariee's block. I love how much garden flowers I put on it. I really love the feather stitch/purple flower vine AND I love the chain stitch glass bell flower bead vine. On that one I used a 2mm silk ribbon for the lazy daisy leaves.
I also used a beautiful piece of tatting made by Lillian for a flower adding beads to it.
I extended the Wisteria and added a butterfly and dragonfly with their flight paths. The dragonfly is made with gold sequins with clear Swarovski crystals on top and a trail of glass seed beads, the little eyes are black seed beads and the wings are gold metallic floss 1 strand.
Also I added a bit of a doily and added seed beads and flower and leaf beads to it.

Heart from my Valentine! Purse!

It's finished! Here's 2 photos one with the flash and one without it. I used the ties from a shirt I reclaimed fabric from. I had no idea at the time what I would use them for but couldn't just throw them away, and sure enough they came in handy as purse handles! Isn't it pretty?! I used 7mm silk ribbon for a tie closure. It's really small though and doesn't fit my wallet and barely fits the cell phone, so I won't get to use it as much as I'd like but I'll still use it.

On the back I created a running stitch with monogram of M + G!

Here is how we sewed it together:
1. Gerard took the lining and sewed the back and a piece of lining with the straps together(using the finishing method found Here except a section was left unsewn for turning instead of the cut in the back fabric)...then took the front and sewed that to another piece of lining with the straps.
2. Then I pinned the front and the back pieces together and sewed the edges with the whipstitch by hand. I felt this was the only way to get nice looking smooth, sturdy edges for the purse. It took me about 2 hours to sew it by hand, so that's not too long for something so pretty. The whipstitch looks like it melts into the purse so you can't tell that it's been sewn together...it looks like it was fused together! I consider the effect well worth the effort.

Guess What! I entered this purse into the CQMagOnline and I won the drawing too! Click Here to see it.

Heart from my Valentine!

I finally finished embellishing my heart from my hubby! Isn't it pretty?! The photos don't seem to do it justice because you can't see the Swarovski crystals or the other beads correctly or even the stitched "Love". I think the bottom photo is the most accurate. Don't you hate it when you can't seem to get a good enough photo of something you are proud of? Me and my hubby are now working on turning it into a purse...
Click on the photos to see closer.

Heart from my Valentine!

Last night as I was embellishing Clariee's block, my hubby decided to make me a Valentine's heart. I gave him the idea of a red on red color scheme and this is what he made! I started embellishing it already as you can see with more red and some gold. (click on the photo to see closer) I want to make a purse out of it so my hubby has already created a liner for the purse and I just need to finish up embellishing so we can sew it together.
I told you I buzz around to lots of creative things like a bee! LOL How many projects do I have going? 4 or 5! If not more if you count WISP's (Works In Slow Progress)!

Windsong Jewels: My work on Clairee's Block

First I made a large sized feather stitch vine (1 strand silk floss) and then I started adding 3 ribbon stitch leaves to each "stem" (4mm silk ribbon).


Then I added a 5 petaled flower with ribbon stitches (4mm silk ribbon). To me these flowers look like Clematis vines.

Here is a branch for Wisteria to hang from I created it with a dark brown DMC floss starting with 4 strands and the split stitch then I moved to 2 strands split stitch to the stem stitch to 1 strand stem stitch.
I then added a few shades of 4mm silk ribbon in purples in colonial knots, french knots (with different amouts of wraps from 4 down to 1), and I added seed beads in different shades and sizes.

I also added some gold seed beads to the center of the clematis flowers.

Click on any of the photos to see them closer.

Dimensional Embroidery Bee

I thought this little bee was so cute, so Leslie offered and made a tutorial on the Dimensional Embroidery Bee. Click Here to see it. Be sure to browse around to find all of the tutorial! I can't wait to try and make it!

Embroidering my Jacket Part 1

Well I've been wanting to embroider a motif on this jacket ever since I did that motif on Lillian's block. I realized that I haven't done any embroidery for myself in a very long time. So I decided I may as well just do it.
I got this jacket at the PX last summer on sale for 75% off...I can't remember how much it was anymore but it was a major good deal that I couldn't believe especially when it fit me! The lapels (and pockets) are just begging for Silk Ribbon Embroidery.

So to start off I put the jacket on stood in front of the mirror and took my air-erasable pen and marked where I'd like the roses to be. Then I had ribbon and floss tryouts and these are what I picked...nice spring colors.

Then I took my coordinating DMC floss for my ribbon for the roses and made the spokes for the spiderweb roses with 1 strand.

I decided to put a lighter color ribbon in the center of the roses and a darker shade around that in 3 different colors of pinks.

Next I'll be adding some clear Swarovski Crystal beads to the center of each rose.

...to be continued...

Valentine's Heart: Part 2

For the leaves I choose 2 of my favorite green for roses in DMC floss. Using 2 shades will help give depth and shading to the leaves, creating a more interesting motif.


First I took the darker shade of green DMC floss and with 1 strand embroidered the stems in using the stem and outline stitches.





Then I used the lighter shade of green and with 1 strand DMC floss stitched in the veins and outer edges of the leaves. I used the stem and outline stitches and the occasional straight stitch on tiny spots.


Here is the motif with the tracing paper removed. I had a hard time with removing the paper. I think I need a fine point tweezers, I used a normal slant tip tweezers and kept pulling my stitches along with bits of paper. In those moments I wished I had used Solvey's water soluble stabilizer to transfer the pattern so that you could just stick it in water and let it melt away.


Now to tack the loose and loopy stitches down so the motif looks nice and tidy.
First I'm taking the needle up on one side of the loose stitch.






Now I'm taking the needle and thread right over the stitch creating a very tiny tacking stitch.







This is the finished tack...can you see it? LOL You'd need a magnifying glass to see it but hey that is the point right? To make the stitches look tidy without being obvious that it's being fixed.

Here is the motif with all the loopy or pulled stitches tacked down. Ah much more neat looking.







Now that this motif on my Valentine's heart is complete I can move on to my next step. I'm planning on adding the word "Love" and a rose leaf...to be continued...

Click Here for Part 3

Windsong Jewels DYB RR: My block by Leslie

Go check out what Leslie did on one of my blocks for the RR we are in together! Her work is so darling! I love the tree with the cute little blue bird in it! I love it all it's just so creative and pretty!
Click Here to take a peek!

Valentine's Heart: Part 1

This is the template I use. I chose to cut out the inside of the shape to trace and then I've saved it and re-used it many times.
I chose a pretty white fabric that has a white floral print on it. I liked it because it feels lace-like and since it will be a Valentine's heart for the Valentine's Day Heart Swap over at Hand Embroidery Yahoo Group it fits nicely. This swap is for a 6 inch unfinished edges heart.
Also I cut a nice generous size square so I have room to hoop my heart without worrying about hoop marks, pinching or dimpling the fabric. It also makes it easier to finish the heart if there is excess around it as well.

I used a water-erasable ink pen to draw out the heart shape. Later on I will baste the shape with some contrasting thread so that I can rinse off the ink but yet the basted thread will mark the shape for whoever receives it so that they can finish the edges the way that they would like.

Next I found some floral motifs I liked and put them on tracing paper. I got this rose and leaf from Decorative Floral Designs and Motifs CD-ROM and Book.
I'm planning on using the water-erasable pen to write 'Love' in between the rose and the leaf.

Next I pinned down the tracing paper with my motif on it. I thought about turning it into an iron-on transfer, but I think I get more detail if I just embroider through the tracing paper. This rose has a lot of intricate spots that I didn't want to lose in the tracing and ironing process.

Next I hooped it with a spring type hoop. I'm using the stem and outline stitch so I like my fabric to be loose for those stitches. Otherwise it is too hard to work them, and the spring hoop gives what I want...to hold it up but give me loose fabric.

Next I chose my floss colors. I picked 3 shades of a rose color DMC floss, so that I can get a feel of depth to the rose instead of just one solid color.





Then I started my embroidery. I used the darkest shade floss for the center flowers. I used 1 strand DMC in the stem and outline stitches. I switch between the 2 stitches as I need to for the direction to be going left to right, that way the lines look more neat when finished.


Now I took the medium color floss and stitched in the middle petals of the rose.









After that I took the lightest shade floss and stitched in the remaining outer petals.









Then I took tweezers and pulled out the tracing paper from around the stitched rose.

Next I will be stitching in the leaves...to be continued...

Click Here for Part 2
Click Here for Part 3