Cross stitching

I have rediscovered an old love recently - cross stitching.

Cross stitch was what first really got me into crafting a few years ago. In fact, a couple of these pieces were done in those early days - chrysanthemum, wisteria and tiger lily.

There are 12 flowers in the series, each with an Oriental feel.

I now have them all but I have only recently begun to work on them again.

I have another two finished, camellia and lotus blossom ...

And magnolia just needs a few more gold outlines and it will be finished too.

It is also only recently that I have decided what to do with them all once finished - they will become a wall hanging. Or probably, three or four wall hangings.

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Weekend sewing - A quilt top

What did you do with the bank holiday weekend? I decided to make a quilt top. Yeah, just like that!

A while back I purchased a book on quilts using charm packs, jelly rolls and layer cakes.  There was one pattern that really struck me.

And then I saw the Good Fortune fabric range by Kate Spain for Moda.

The two came together nicely and I ordered a nice big stash to make said quilt, including a layer cake and lots of yardage for the sashing, binding and backing.

Having sat in my stash for a few months I decided to put some time aside this weekend to make the quilt top.

Here are all the pieces cut out and ready to go. It doesn't look like it, but they are laid out on the arrangement I wanted.

The blocks were nice and easy to do - snowballs using the 10ins squares from the layer cake, then twist blocks using a smaller square and sashing.

The pattern actually called for two different fabrics in the sashing but I wanted the trellis effect to really stand out so I just used one.

After several hours of cutting and sewing on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning my quilt top was finished, borders and all.

Here's a quick pic to give an idea of how it will one day look on my bed.

 
Yummy fabrics! I love this range and I think I will call this my Japanese Trellis Quilt.

Now I have to get some wadding and decide whether to brave the quilting myself. And if so, how to quilt it.

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Do different things: an owl embroidery

Something I really must do more often is experiment and play with my sewing.

 

 

Most of the time, whether I'm doing cross stich or patchwork, I work from a kit or a pattern. I often make changes or do things differently along the way, or I make up the finished piece in my own way, but I feel the need to truly do my own thing sometimes.

 

 

I feel it a lot after our monthyl Embroiderers' Guild meetings. There we have such an amazing group of women who take inspiration and guidance from things they see all around them and incorporate them into their work.

Well, I'm not quite at that stage given that my technical abilities leave much to be desired, but I am trying to "do different things".

This little owl is one of them. It's not exactly cutting-edge, but it is nice to play around with some different techniques - a bit of applique, honing my blanket stitch, testing out some ribbon flowers.

The only other thing I have to contend with is not spending hours looking at inspiration on the internet and actually getting down to some stitching!

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A new craft - beading

The Art Library in Leeds is a truly marvellous place. Aside from the millions of books, friendly staff and inspiring exhibitions they also hold a craft workshop once a month.

This time we had two ladies showing us how to make a beaded bracelet. Rather fiddly but very enjoyable and I managed to get mine finished in time to wear home.

We're doing Japanese beading at Buns & Roses next week so hopefully I will now be able to cope with that!

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Exciting goodies

I have been crafting a lot recently, but today I just wanted to drop in to share some exciting goodies that I haven't made.

First up, my lovely friend Kat sent me a box of biccies. Just because she is so darn nice.

They came from  Biscuiteers and are now almost all gone!

And not only are they yummy biccies - they're sewing biccies! Balls of wool, buttons, cotton reels, thimbles and pin boxes! ALMOST too good to eat!

And an exciting purchase from a charity shop...

Love, love, love it! Looks so cool with the tissue smoke coming out of the chimney. I have some plastic canvas somewhere so I must try to make one.

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A present for my mum - canvaswork paperweight

At the Knitting and Stitching Show last year my mum kept eyeing up the canvaswork kits by Sue Hawkins.

In the end she didn't buy one, so when it came to her birthday at the beginning of March I knew just what to get her.

Rather than sending her a kit, which she probably wouldn't find time to make, I decided I would make it for her and send the finished item.

I chose this paperweight which is finished with a pansy and bee with 3D wings and petals.



Unfortunately I didn't get it done in time for her birthday, so it was to be a Mother's Day present.

But that too came and went. As did Easter.

But now it has been finished and posted off to my lovely mum.

Canvaswork is a favourite of mine because you can create such wonderful texture with just a very simple stitch. I must find time to do it more often!

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Rejected patchwork blocks

With any new technique there is a learning curve and things always go wrong along the way.

For me with the patchwork course at the WI office, the main difficulty seems to be with choosing colours.

I decided to use pinks and purples and collated a decent pile of fabrics in different shades of these two colours. But when it comes to choosing ones to go together and work with the other blocks I don't always get it right.

So here are some rejects that are now being relegated to another project. I like them in themselves, but they don't work in unison. Ideas for what to do with them are very welcome!

I love this Log Cabin pattern, but those two dark purples just don't sit right.

Within this Corner to Corner Curve block I think the colours are great, but they do not go with the other blocks for my quillow. Also, this block was too fiddly for my liking so I don't think I'll ever take to it!

And the effect of the Courthouse Steps block is lost as I used different fabrics for the steps.

So, I have learned to take more care when choosing fabrics that work together and also given myself extra projects!

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Patchwork blocks

I now have five patchwork blocks completed as part of the course at the WI Office.

For the quillow (a cross-breed of a quilt and a pillow - all will become clear when it is finished) I need seven
blocks so just two more to make. And conveniently, there are two more sessions to go.

Next week I will also be able to start quilting as I have bought my batting and picked out some fabrics that will (hopefully) work as the sashing and backing.

Anyway, here are the blocks.

Tumbling Blocks

Monkey Wrench

Log Cabin

Inner City

Courthouse Steps

I am very in love with these blocks and can't wait to get the finished article together.

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HST pinwheel table runner and pot holder

As promised, here is my second entry into the Festival of Half Square Triangles.

I had a charm pack of Fa-La-La-La-La by French General for Moda to put to use, and since I'm not that keen on the patterns myself (which makes me wonder why I even bought it) I decided to make something for my mum.

Her house is bursting with cushions, stitched pictures and all sorts of random things I have made for her, so I decided that a table runner and pot holder were the way forward. Actually, I mostly decided this because they are square/rectangular, I had all the bits needed and they're not too fiddly.

First I matched up the charm squares - in each pair I tried to get one busy and one more plain so there was enough contrast.

Then I made the half square triangles and stitched them into pinwheel configurations.



I used a thermal wadding and mottled red fabric for the backing, basted together with pins and hand quilted using embroidery floss.





The pot holder comes complete with ribbon loop for hanging!





I ran out of the red fabric so I had to give the table runner a black edge using satin seam binding.



It'll be going in the post to mum soon (as soon as I have finished another project I am working on for her!)

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Rainbow chevron bunting

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

In this case, two plans came together!

I had in mind to create some new bunting, but to do it a bit different from the traditional style.

I also wanted to enter the Festival of Half Square Triangles linky party.

So I got out the rainbow charm squares from a share I took part in and set to work.

First I had these ....



Then these ...



And finally, a string of rectangular bunting ...





I am so absolutely in love with it. It's bright and quirky and great fun.

It's also not exactly straight or even because I was too anxious to get going and couldn't wait to pick up my quarter-inch foot from the office.



I edged each piece with some white bobbly trim - fun!



I have another project to enter into the Festival of Half Square Triangles - come back to see that later in the week.

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Festival of Half Square Triangles

Over at Canoe Ridge Creations the Festival of Half Square Triangles is underway.

An HST is as it sounds - a square made up of two equal-sized triangles. These pieces are quick and easy to make and you can arrange them in all sorts of different ways to get some awesome patterns.

The Festival has some amazing ideas and inspirations and next week we are all invited to show off our own HST creations with the chance to win some amazing prizes.

Of course, I never have enough to do so I decided to make two projects to enter.

They're not quite ready to share yet, but here are some sneak peeks.

First up, a stack of rainbow HSTs.

I made these from the Rainbow Charm Share I participated in a while back - lots of yummy rainbow fabrics in 5" squares.

And look! I caught a rainbow too!



And then I decided to make some pinwheel squares using a charm pack of Fa-La-La-La-La by French General for Moda.

I can't even remember when or why I bought these charms, but they are being put to good use now.

I made nine of the blocks, and one has now become a pot holder.

Hand quilted with embroidery thread and the wadding is a thermal one. I managed to find a piece of red fabric big enough for the backing and binding - I just folded it over and stitched it down!

Rather pleased with my very first HST attempts. Next week I will reveal the full projects and link up to the Festival of HSTs.

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Oops! Giveaway winner

In all the excitement of Easter (I was home for a few days being fed and watered by my dad - he makes the best roast dinners and full English brekkies!) I totally forgot about my giveaway for a Japanese folded hexagon and instructions.

I had three entries, but two were anonymous so the winner is ... Kat!

Now, Kat didn't leave an email address either, but I think I know who she is! And if it is who I think it is then I know she is keen to make her own quilt, although maybe not such a labour-intensive one!

Congrats hun!

I will be back soon with a proper blog post of what I have been up to craft-wise. Promise.

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