HEN Swap

I signed up for the Hand Embroidery Network swap a month or so ago.  Apparently I hate deadlines because I didn't even start until this weekend (which is way late, let's just say).

The swap's theme is spring time.  My favorite part of spring time is how everything is so full of blossoms, fresh, clean, and green.  So, I let that feeling take me away while stitching.  And of course, I got inspired by beads and fabric.

Hopefully my partner likes this.  I still have another to make for my partner, since we agreed over email to make two.  I don't know much about her; she only uses facebook (and I don't!) so I haven't seen any of her work.

Valentines!

I decided to stitch up some Valentines for my sisters.  These photos were taken after the embroideries had already been framed.  Each valentine has a combination of embroidery and bead embroidery.

Embroidery Scheme

Tonight was the Young People's Sit and Stitch at Quilting Adventures. I love going to this once-a-month meeting.

For a few meetings now we have been talking about doing some sort of swap, block of the month, or bee. Since most of us (at least, the ones that always attend) are hand embroiderers, we figured it should be an embroidery event.

Tonight we decided to do a block of the month (or something like it), but we can't decide on any patterns! We all love the Melly & Me Once Upon a Time BOM. It's only nine blocks, but each block costs $13. Kind of pricey, but they are so cute! I secretly wish we would do this one, and I think everyone else does, too.

But...

This Wee Wonderfuls Four Fairies Stitchettes Pattern is also really cute. Of course, there are only four real blocks, with some small additional designs included for each fairy.

I looked on Etsy and found tons of awesome patterns, including a couple I have seen around the internet and wanted to try for myself. Here's a run-down:

-1109 Poplar House Pattern from juneatnoon.

-Bird and the City and all other patterns from revi1001

-Christmas Embroidery Set from Badbird

-F Fox and all others from the Alphabet set at penguinandfish

-Princess and the Pea by kloin

-Tree of Life and others by polkaandbloom

-Little Houses, Cakes, and Cakes 2 by The Floss Box (plus These bunnies!)

-OWLSTRAVAGANZA by LaurenReeser

-Sadie and Oliver has some cute, weird patterns

-Acorn Cap Pattern by Cate Anevski

Lucky!

I received my swap quilt yesterday! My mystery partner was Jill. I felt so lucky when I opened the package to see the beautiful quilt that she had made me (plus all the goodies!).





This quilt is one that I had marked as a favorite in the group pool and truly hoped that it would be coming my way.



The strip of patchwork is so random and wonderful, and in fabrics from one of my favorite designers! She used that gray color that I have been secretly trying to work into every project, which makes me think that not only was she reading my blog but she was also reading my mind.

Not to mention the wonderful strip of embroidery...



Thank you, Jill! I appreciate all the work that you must have spent on this gorgeous quilt.

Embroidery Again

All finished with Bareroots Little Stitchies #179 - October. The pumpkins are very cute and I got to try another new stitch.



I enjoyed this block, but I'm getting the feeling that something needs to be in the sky other than the moon and some smoke from the chimney. Next block, I might just add something in.

The pumpkin vines were created using the cast-on stitch I blogged about earlier. It took a little bit of practice, but I have gotten quite good at creating those little curlicues. The grassy hills were stitched with a square stitch. I did some couching to create the pumpkins and quite liked the look, as they now look like they have texture and thickness, the way a pumpkin rind does. As before, the tree trunk was filled using a satin stitch and the roof was done with feather stitch.

In case you were wondering, you can find all the patterns for this embroidery block of the month right here on the Bareroots website.

Cast-On Stitch

DSCN7758
Originally uploaded by kleio's belly

Look at this cool thing! Turns out, she's using something called a Cast-On Stitch to create those curlicues.

Thankfully, on her blog, she linked to Sharon B's Stitch Dictionary, where she found the Cast-On Stitch Tutorial.

Totally going to try this.

Handwork Continues

After neglecting my current embroidery block, I have rallied and finished it completely (to much delight!). Check it out.



This is Bareroots Little Stitchies #178 September. Just as with the August block (#177, of course), I made a few changes in stitching and color, and I added a few beads this time!



The tree trunk was filled using a satin stitch, and I did most of the leaves in yellow, rather than adding the light green the pattern called for. I embroidered the roof with a double feather stitch to mimic shingles (like a gingerbread house), just like I did on the August (#177) block. The apples in the foreground were satin stitched, and I added a single green bead for the stem leaves. I outlined the windows and door with the same cerulean floss I used for the house-- that color is too lovely and I had to have more! Lastly, and probably my favorite change, I used bead embroidery for the smoke plume coming out of the chimney.



See my hand for scale? All in all, I really love the way it looks. I used stabilizer this time, and thank God, because the foundation help up much better than the August (#177) block.

***

Summer is coming to a close, and that's bringing me down. As some of you know, I am an inner city public school teacher. The concept of heading back to work after a long relaxing summer is making me anxious. The possibility of having another terrible year is looming large in my mind.

With September comes the DQS7 swap deadline! Oh no! I hope my partner likes what I'm working on...

Wish

thrifted long ago
Originally uploaded by bricolagelife

I found this photo in the flickr embroidery pool. It's awesome, right? The user who uploaded this photo lamented in the description that she wishes she "could embroider like this."

Don't we all?

As my summer vacation draws to a close, I'm starting to get kind of down about the lack of craft time I will have in the future. Since this spring I have attempted and succeeded in areas of craft I never thought possible. Even though I've always felt craft-incompetent, it all boils down to the fact that, really, I just had to try it.

In the words of Nike (not the goddess), I had to just do it. And I do feel victorious about my accomplishments (even if my apartment is a god-forsaken mess).

So, I left a comment on bricolagelife's photo.

"I bet you can embroider like that."

Because, I mean, I bet I can too. We just have to get to it.

My Lightbox

My Lightbox
Originally uploaded by jenamoured

Don't have a lightbox but need to trace an embroidery pattern?

Use your television (as long as it's not one of those fancy plasma or LCD models). Simply use masking tape to affix your fabric to the printed pattern, like so, then tape the whole shebang over the illuminated television screen.

Voila! You have a lightbox. The light from the television screen will allow you to view the printed pattern through the fabric. Pull up a chair and get to work.

Finished!

As promised, here's a look at my first finished handwork item of them month.

You're looking at Bareroots Little Stitchies #177 - August. As mentioned, there's one embroidery block for each month of the year.



I've made a few changes. The only stitches the pattern called for were backstitches, lazy daisies, and French knots. As a general rule, line-only embroidery doesn't appeal to me. I prefer to have fill stitches and variations in texture, not to mention dimension and color. Changing up the stitches called for in the pattern really allowed me to do this.



I chose to use satin stitch to create the tree trunk, and I think it looks beautiful. The roof was created using feather stitches (though I auditioned square stitches and couldn't get them quite right). The sun embroidery includes a buttonhole wheel stitch and French knots to create sun sparkles. The hills were embroidered using a (not so neat) stem stitch to create texture to mimic grass.

Additionally, I differed from the pattern in outlining the door and windows in blue rather than brown only because there was so much brown in the block already. All leaves for flowers and on the grass were embroidered in a different green than the hills and tree leaves, just for variation. Lastly, I added a circle into the middle of the front sunflowers. It adds detail, plus I thought it was cute.

Not too bad... I learned three stitches for this block-- buttonhole wheel (as discussed), lazy daisy, and feather stitch. And after all that practicing, I'm pretty much a French knot expert.


Of course, the whole fabric is distorted and I wish I had used stabilizer. Good thing I cut the foundation one inch larger than necessary.!

Buttonhole Wheel

TAST Portuguese Knotted Stem
Originally uploaded by Kay Susan

A while ago I purchased the Leisure Arts Embroidery Pocket Guide Leaflet. It's laminated and folds up just like a map, which is extremely handy. I love using it to refresh my memory on stitches that I already know how to do-- the diagrams are great.

However, it lists some stitches I don't know, which looked pretty cool. The stitch I taught myself today was the buttonhole wheel stitch (seen above in Kay Susan's awesome embroidery).

If you're curious about how to do it, check out this video tutorial for buttonhole wheel stitch from Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread.

Variety Hour

I'm getting some brainwaves for my DQS7 project. My partner seems to like applique, so hopefully she will like what I'm cooking up!




Many quilters love putting binding on quilts, because it is slow and meditative-- at least, that's why I love it. But, I do so hate making the binding. Halfway there... all that's left is the ironing. :(



Finally, I got started on some embroidery. I'm working on the Bareroots Little Stitchies #177 August. There's one homestead scene for every month. I don't normally go in for this sort of thing, but those houses were irresistible. I'm tweaking the pattern a bit... stay tuned for details.