2012: A Year of Challenges - week 8

I can't believe it! I FINISHED "Sewing with Mama!" Cursing as I stitched but it's done. Have to say, I'm not a fan of the finished product --- the issues I had form the beginning with the colorways in the kit were magnified when the top stitching went on. A lot of it simply can't be seen. For example, can you find the eyeglasses in this photo? I can only because I know that that little sprinkle of white "confetti" near the sewing machine base is the silver filament used to stitch them --- no matter what light I used to photograph this beast, those glasses simply do NOT show up!

Oh well, it's done and now I can move on... to "Kimono - Revisited"! OMG

Oh, and FInishing Frenzy this week brought out a needlepoint piece I designed myself (!!!) back in 1974! It's now a pillow and I need to buy more polyfill  because this little 12 x 12 pillow ate it all up!

Take a Stitch Tuesday 2012 Challenge - Week 8

The Chain stitch --- I have as many back-of-fabric issues with this one as with the Lazy Daisy/detached chain. Don't know why. Anyway...

I added three new GAST colors to the mix: Cherry Bark, Buckeye Scarlet (even though it pains me!) And Raspberry Parfait (# 0380). And added beads to the two examples on the right...

And February's "page" looks like this right now:

IHSW February 2012

Again, I didn't exactly act like a hermit! In fact, I was SUPPOSED to be working on my taxes, but I kept finding excuses not to, so all I got done there was the category summary reports printed out for the year 2011.

I had forgotten about FInish Frenzy for the week so I worked on that over the weekend and got these seven ornaments sewn: 

The dated from back to summer 2002 and are the first seven pieces in my photo album for that year.

I also stitched on "Sewing with Mama! You may not be able to make out much difference from where I was at the start of the weekend, but I did get all the backstitching done and a good portion of the straight stitches and Lazy Daisies: 

Basically, I got the cream parts of the curtain drapes behind the sewing machine done (even though you can't see it in this picture as it really doesn't show up well), the outlines of the thread spools and the tea cup, the bottom of the pin cushion (again, not that obvious), the rest of the gold decoration of the machine itself, and I threaded the machine!

2012: A Year of Challenges - week 7

This week, I got the decks cleared! I completed week 7 of TAST (detached chain), the last Bargello Club entry  (Medallion), and my February CQJC/BJP/color palette challenge.  I forgot to do an FInish Frenzy, even though I have the pieces picked out... and the threads still aren't here for outlining my "Kimono - Revisited" (although I have an email saying that they've been sent!),  meaning all I worked on since Wednesday was "Sewing with Mama!"

I SHOULD be celebrating but, having gotten halfway through the drape behind the sewing machine, I realized I was using the wrong color thread and that meant I spent a day ripping out! Kind of put me off my feed, so to speak, and I simply couldn't face picking it up again yesterday.  So this is not as far as I should have gotten but I did get the lace in the drawer done before that frog moved in!


This is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend - February, but, what with taxes to do (my accountant's questionnaire arrived this week), I probably won't get a lot done on "Sewing With Mama!"  or anything else, for that matter.

Take A Stitch Tuesday 2012 Challenge - Week 7

Detached Chain --- I tried to get "arty" with a tree and falling leaves but it was too small to come across. Oh well...


I threw in some beads to spice it up a little.

Guess I'm not a big fan of detached chain because it made me tense --- the back of the fabric is  a mess as for some reason, I couldn't get the thread to tighten between stitches...

Crappy picture and for some reason, when click on, it gets all squashed up... Sorry!

Anyway, February's page looks like this so far - you can see the detached chains easier on this:

Two completions...

"Medallion" from the Bargello Club for February 2012:

Backgorund stitched in Kreinik fine (#8) white braid (032); medallions stitched in GAST Maple Syrup and Bittersweet, DMC 30676 and Kreinik  fine (#8) dark orange braid (027).

Crazy Quilt Journal Challenge/Bead Journal Project/ Color Palette Challenge block for February:

Lots of acknowledgements to announce! This piece was influenced by the color palette challenge issued byJudy Laquidara and Vicki Welsh. The Crazy Quilt Journal Challenge requires at least a 6 x 6 block and I used the grid from block 39 of Sharon B's" (of Pin Tangle) "I dropped the Button Box" project, modified to accommodate ten fabrics. In addition, three stitches from the Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge adorn the seams: Cretan, herringbone and chevron. The Bead Journal Project aspect of the piece was the beading throughout the seam treatments.

All fabric was from my stash of quilting cottons. Mill Hill beads, DMC floss and scraps of ribbon and lace from my stash completed the piece.

This means I can stitch on "Sewing with Mama!" while I wait for "Kimono - Revisited" threads to arrive!

Take a Stitch Tuesday- week 6

OK, almost to week 7 but I sneaked it in!

Chevron Stitch...

done in three shades of GAST (Berry Cobbler, Antique Rose - 7014, and CIdermill Brown) on 28ct hand-dyed fabric from Silkweaver called "Strawberry Milkshake".

All caught up with Stash Busting!

Of course, saying that means there will be a email in my in-box announcing the next installment but, still...

Here is my version of "Scotch & Soda" --- variations on the Scotch Stitch. I stitched it on 18 ct canvas (4.5  square) using more than 15 shades of "brown" DMC floss that had been used in previous pieces. Background is ecru ten stitch and the border is Mosaic Stitches in DMC 4140 (which looked like a match to all those browns until I started actually stitching it!)

I also got Take a Stitch Tuesday - week 6 gridded up AND started outlining the motifs for the last Bargello Club piece.

2012: A Year of Challenges - week 6

Somehow, I lost my focus this week and several things did NOT get done, primary of which is Take a Stitch Tuesday, week 6. I hope to get that done this weekend.

And I still am waiting for the outline threads I ordered to come in, so I'm already more than a week behind in "Kimono-Revisited." I sod have the stretcher frames, though so I hope to stretch the canvas after gridding it (not taking ANY chances on messing this one up, count-wise) this weekend...

Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal Project/Color Palette has lain idle all week...

And not a single stitch was put into "Sewing with Mama"!

But the canvas arrived for the last Bargello CLub piece and it is kitted out...

Girls' NIght Out on Tuesday and quilt guild on Thursday took away two stitching days as well...

My Finishing Frenzy this week wasn't really a long unfinished project, but the Stash Buster Club "Beach Mat", which I've renamed "Aurora Borealis"! The photo is one my husband took of Hubbard Glacier on our Alaskan Cruise in 2008:

And I've picked out next week's Frenzy candidates: 7 ornaments I stitched way back in  early 2002 (Photos 1 - 7 in my 2002 album). 

As for this week's stitchery, I'm nearly finished with my version of the Stash Buster Club piece called "Scotch & Soda." My version is attenuated --- not only is the total area smaller, I gave up on Scotch stitches way earlier than the instructions asked for and am doing a background in ecru tent stitch. Even with over 15 different colors of brown, it was getting impossible to NOT put one color against another! What is more, the over-three stitches were so SMALL! Did I misread instructions again? Was the canvas a smaller count than my 18? Possibly... but now it is less Scotch & Soda and more pebbles on a sandy beach!

WIPocalypse 2012 - 2

This month has been an attempt at clearing the decks...

There have been completions - A Stashbuster Pyramid Stocking and Nana's Afghan; a Finishing Frenzy for a Butterfly Pillow, a "Coeur de Letters" pillow, the linings for three zippered cases, and two sets of curtain tie-backs;  four Take a Stitch Tuesday bands, and therefore an 8.5 x 11 "page" for January's TAST; and a Crazy Quilt Journal Challenge/Bead Journal Project/Color Palette Challenge block.

Meanwhile, I managed to get in a little stitching (all surface embellishment and not all that visible) on "Sewing With Mama!". Here's the start of the full moon: and here's today:

And I started - completed - a third Stashbuster project just last night: (OK, not quite "finished" - it's meant to be a mat in a picture frame so it needs to be wrapped around a card and inserted in the frame - which I have -  but I have to find the right weight card that can stand up to being wrapped with a relatively stiff needlepoint canvas...)

Also underway, but not finished is the February Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal Project/Color Palette Challenge piece. The base block is pieced and some of the embellishment is attached. Beads, embroidery and more embellishment to come...


Unfortunately, I didn't quite clear the decks because another Stashbuster Club project and a Bargello Club Project arrived while I was stitching - both are kitted up although I am waiting for the canvas for Bargello Club - as did the threads and fabric for "Kimono-Revisited" (although I'm awaiting a special order for the outline thread and I discovered I don't have my stretcher frames any more so I need to go to Hobby Lobby today!)


And of course, Take-a-Stitch Tuesday and the Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal Project/ Color Palette Challenge are ongoing...Therefore, my "decks" are as cluttered as when the moon started!

2012: A Year of Challenges - week 5

I thought I was clearing the decks of WIPS this week --- I had completed every challenge item waiting on my work table except "Beach Mat Frame" from Stash Buster's Club and "Sewing with Mama!" when Tuesday rolled around and more challenges came in the door!

So I am behind again: there's a new Stash Busters Club piece (I've kitted it out); a new Bargello Club piece (I'm waiting for the canvas to arrive in the mail); a new Color Palette/Crazy Quilt Journal/Bead Journal Project Challenge (I've pulled the fabric, beads, threads and embellishments and gridded out the foundation) and "Kimono-revisited" is officially started (although I haven't! I still need to search my stash for my stretcher frame and am waiting delivery of some metallics to do the outlining).

I did get the fifth week of Take A Stitch Tuesday 2012 done, which also means page one of my "stitch book" is ready to go as well, and found more fabric so I can start page two next Tuesday.

Limited progress on "Beach Mat Frame". It's a slow mover because it's just not interesting to stitch row after row of satin stitch! Oh well, it's finish is in sight:

And I did get a Finishing Frenzy piece done --- I "finished" the curtain tie backs I embroidered on linen bands back in 2009. I lined them with white felt (if I decide later that I want a fabric backing on them, I can do that, but lining was imperative since the linen was pretty much "see through"), attached some rings to each end and:



Pull the small ring through the large ring and you get this:


Replace the current white cotton tie backs, which have a nasty habit of sliding down and untying themselves:


with this:


These were stitched to match my spring/summer quilt so now I need to look into something that goes with my winter quilt.  I have enough banding (one dark green and one white edged with dark green)  and two possible patterns in mind... but that is some time in the future. I have enough on my plate right now!

Take A Stitch Tuesday 2012 Challenge - Week 5

The Herringbone Stitch, primarily in GAST Blue Spruce but with touches of Green Apple, Shutter Green and Green Pasture as well...

I would have liked to try more variations but a) the space limitations for my "pages" meant I was out of room and b) one of the variations - the twisted lattice double herringbone - completely defeated me. Don't know why but I just couldn't "see" it to get it right. But I will try on doodle scraps and see what I can do...

Here is "page one" of my stitch sampler book (the pages will be 8.5 x 11):

Just can't get that Green Apple to show in the dull light we are having of late.

Crazy Quilt Journal Challenge 2012 - progress report/February

Here is my "design floor" for the Crazy Quilt Journal Challenge/Bead Journal Project/ Color Palette Challenge for February:


Ten fabrics and only nine "spaces" in my Crazy Quilt grid. Hmmm. Also need to check out the embroidery floss I will be using, and maybe add some beads in the orange range.

What is cool is that two of the purples (second and third form the left) and one of the greens (second from the right) were in the January block, so there won't be too much of an issue with getting things to "work together" --- I hope!

I did a WIP survey this afternoon, and I'm back in a deep deep hole... Oh my, when WILL I find the time?