Slow stitching - wool trivet with flowers on each side

Another trivet!!  For this one I cut two 6" squares - one from light blue felted sweater and the other from a warm dark blue felted woven wool fabric.  I added a die cut flower on each piece - dark blue (felted) on the light blue and a red (light weight) on the dark blue.  Added yellow cotton below the center of each of them and stitched them into place then stab stitched the outer edge and then added longer stitches to each petal to add texture.  I used yellow embroidery thread to stitch them together using a line of wonky stab stitches.  I added a hanger made from black cotton cording to finish it off.  It can be hung as art and then also used to protect a surface from heat (pie or tea pot) or from wear from a vase of flowers, a candle or piece of sculpture.  Therese

 

Slow Stitching - wool trivet with a die cut flower and leaf

Another 8" wool trivet!!  This one has a green wool which was not heavily felted and therefore light weight.  I did add another layer below it to ensure enough protection when the trivet was in use.  I hand stitched the flower's center (cotton) with little stab stitches and yellow embroidery thread to secure the cotton to the flower and then used stab stitches using red thread to secure the flower to the dark green wool layers.  I stitched a gray maple leaf  die cut to the felted black square using stab stitches with coordinating embroidery thread.  I round the corners and whip stitched the outside edge using green embroidery thread.  I had planned to add anther row to create a bit of a cross pattern but made so many errors that I removed the stitches and added tiny stitches about 3/4" from the outside edge that did not penetrate to the other side instead which worked quite well.  I added a cotton cording hanger - in and out with a knot on the other side.  I will allow this trivet to be hung as art when I is not engaged for its other purpose of protecting a surface from a casserole or tea pot. I would work just as well under a vase, candle or sculpture.  Therese

 

September Card Club - Card #3 - quick and easy image with ribbons over scrapbook paper backgrounds

 I always make our last one a quick and easy one!!  This one fits the bill perfectly.  A printed image to colour, layer onto a precut cardstock layer, add some little snippets of ribbon and mount to your card which has a scrapbook background.  We had a wonderful evening with lots of connecting and sharing!!!

Therese

September Card Club - Card #2 - arty mosaic leaves over printed backgrounds

 This card took us the longest time because I had printed open leaves with only a few internal lines  - colouring book pages.  We used black fine tipped Sharpies to fill in our leaves with a fun mosaic pattern of our chosing.  Once we finished our doodling we coloured in the little pieces - some used watercolour others used pencil crayons which allowed more control in the tiny spaces.  We added a raffia tie on the leave and mounted it with 3D foam tape over our backgrounds which were adhered to coordinating backgrounds.  I did not realize I had chosen the same background and leaf for my second card.  There will be more coming later.  Therese

September Card Club - Card #1 - faux shutter with serendipity elements

 It was great to see my friends again after a busy summer and we had a new person join us which made it all the better!!

For our first card we made faux shutter cards.  The shutter is a square with the corners cut out and then the flaps trimmed into triangles.  The flaps are folded down to create the faux shutter.  For the first one I left the flaps on the outside on the second I tucked them in.  Everyone decided which one they liked best and made it that way. We put 3D foam tape under the largest part to give the shutter dimension.  Our central elements were serendipity elements which I found in my stash.  They worked very well!  We embossed our neutral backgrounds added some paper piercing and mounted them on coordinating cardstock.  It was nice to be doing a new to us technique.  Therese 

Sewing - back pack zipper repair

My back pack has been in the sewing room for quite awhile waiting for a new zipper!!  I had repaired the teeth several times but after a few repairs the teeth were too thick for the mechansim to go over them and it did not allow the zipper to close at the top.  Not effective!! So today I dug out the bin of zippers to see if I had one that could replace it.  I found several with double zipper and I choose this one with silver tabs.  I decided not to try to undo the zipper - the fabric is very thin and I expected it would be difficult to get the new one in with precision.  So I decided to see if I could remove the teeth of the zipper without damaging the fabric of the zipper.  I had stitched the teeth back into place previously so I concluded that there would be some sort of stitching that attached the teeth to the fabric.  Yes, there was and so  I used a blade and remove the teeth from the fabric of the zipper by gently cutting a few stitches at a time all the way along both sides.  Once the stitching was cut I was able to pull on the teeth to remove them.  You can see the "teeth" above - just a long length of very strong plastic which formed the teeth.  The other photo shows the intact fabric on each side of the zipper still in place.  I simply placed the new zipper inside and started stitching as I spread the fabric of the old zipper apart to accommodate the new one.  I did have to do a bit of hand stitching in both ends to secure the new zipper to the fabric of the old one but that was easy and now the backpack is back to being secure with a double zipper!!  We bought them from Lee Valley many years ago and I have used this one a lot so I will now be able to use it again when I go walking, kayaking, etc.  I have been "borrowing" Brian since mine was in need of repair.  Therese

 

Cardmaking - a fun girl card

 My youngest grand daughter is having a birthday and she loves to dress up so I made her this fun card with shoes and flowers!!!  I trimmed the shoe paper into four pieces, added paper piercing with my PT wheel and them adhered them to my large pink card.  I stamped the birthday greeting in the center of a stamped floral frame and silver embossed it.  I coloured the flowers (SU) to coordinate with the papers.  I layered it with some pink papers - one of them is shimmery!!  Perfect!!  Therese

Slow Stitching - wool trivet with a maple leaf and a diamond design

Another wool trivet - part of a project which I have been working on for a while.  This one combined and brown felted wool square (7") to which I slow stitched a orang maple leaf die cut.  I used small stab stitched around the outer edge using coordinating cotton embroidery floss and then added some running stitch inside the leaf to simulate the veins.  For the other side I used felted wool which I had to join.  I stitched the two pieces together butted cut edge to cut edge and then added a strip of camel light weight wool with turned over edges with running stitch to cover the butt joint I had stitched.  I stitched down both ends as well to prevent any fraying.  I laid these back to back and ran a double row of running stitch all the way round filling in the gaps on my second go around.  I added a cotton cording hanger to allow it to be hung as art while it is in the wings waiting to protect a surface from the heat of a hot dish or tea pot OR from a vase, candle or sculpture.  Therese

 

Cardmaking - handmade paper, die cut hearts in red and white layered on gold with a little knot

 I started with the layered heart which I found in my stash.  I embossed a white background and added a coordinating wide grosgrain ribbon which I adhered on the back using double sided tape.  I layered this onto gold.  I trimmed a coordinating piece of handmade paper (my own), tore it into two strips and adhered them to a red card.  I added my large focal element and then used glue dots to add a little knot made from gauzy gold ribbon.  Therese

Slow stitching - Wool trivets/ hot pads/art/home decor

 

I have been working on wool trivets for a while and have finally finished a few which I will be posting over the next few days.  You can see my first one here. 

I cut 7" squares from felted wool which my daughter gave me a while back - one from a red wool coat and a harlequin one from a black wool sweater with a diamond design.  I rounded the corners  I hand stitched a navy die cut flower to the red one.  I added a small piece of yellow/orange cotton below the center and stitched all the way around with cotton embroidery floss using running stitch to secure the cotton to the flower.  I then placed the flower onto the red square and stitched all the way around with navy embroidery floss using small stab stitches until the circumference had been secured to the square.  I added some long stitches on each petal to give it a bit of dimension.  I did not add anything to the black piece as it was already nicely decorated.  I stitched the outside edge with camel embroidery thread using the blanket stitch.  I then added black cotton cording by whip stitching into the top of the blanket stitch.  Worked really well.  I added a hanging loop using cotton cording so it can be displayed as art when it is not being used to protect a surface from a hot dish or teapot.  On the other hand it could also protect a table from a vase of flowers, a candle or a sculpture.   Therese

Sewing & slow stitching - chicken pincushions made from scraps and filled with poly and cotton

 I have finished another set of chicken pin cushions!!  They are very cute!!  The process of making them used up some scraps and orphaned blocks (4"square or so) along with small orange pieces for the beak, the comb and the tail.  Then, came the slow stitching - black beads for eyes and then the stuffing!!  I put poly fiber filling in each corner and then filled in the sides some.  I added some of my own stuffing - bits of fleece and cotton scraps too small anything else which I cut into tiny pieces - then I added some rice and then another piece of poly fill to keep everything in place while I hand stitched the bottom opening closed to finish off the pincushion.  10 in this batch!! That makes a total of 22!!  Therese

Sewing - slow stitched potholders with quilted backers

Two potholders that I have created using a slow stitched fabric collage on one side and a quilted square on the other side.  These are cacti on one side.  

 

This is another set featuring a dog and a cat which are slow stitched fabric collages with quilted squares on the back. 

These two feature tea cup fabric collages with quilted squares on the back

These two feature two fabric collages of flowers again with quilted squares on the other side.

These last two feature little bird fabric collages with quilted squares on the back.  

It has been a wonderful experience to create the fabric collages and then to use some of my scraps and acquired pieces to create the other side of these potholders.  I have added two layers of flannel with a layer of terry cloth in between.  I have laid the collages/flannel pieces front to front and added the terry cloth and then stitched around the edges leaving a gap in order to be able to turn them inside out.  After turning I pressed each one well then I hand stitched the openings closed.  I top stitched the outside edge about 1/4" from the edge in black.  I added another row of stitching 3/4" from the outside edge in order to secure the layers more firmly without interfering too much with the fabric collage.  I have added a simple hanger of heavy weight cotton cording in the middle of the top side which I stitched in and out and tied it off with an over hand knot.  These can displayed as small fabric art collages, hung in a kitchen as potholders and/or used as a trivet for hot dish on the dinner table.  Therese

Cardmaking - embossed handmade paper with two fussy cut and watercoloured hearts

Another card for a special occasion!!  I started with a deep burnt orange card and embossed the center of a coordinating piece of handmade paper (my own) with a spiral design (CB).  I stitched on two strips of the same cardstock using white thread and my sewing machine.  Framed the middle section very nicely.  I watercoloured the fussy cut hearts (Melonheadz) and then adhered them to my card over the embossed area with 3D foam tape.  Therese

 

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Cardmaking - embossed & stitched handmade paper pieces with embossed vellum and fussy cut heart with a bow

As a new month starts there are always special occasions that deserve to be celebrated!!! 

I started with a white card, tore the lavender handmade paper ( my own) into four pieces, embossed them with two different embossing folders and then stitched the edges with white thread.  I tied the thread ends on the back and then adhered them to my card front.  I embossed a piece of vellum (SU) which I adhered to the front of my card with double sided tape.  I watercoloured the heart  (Melonheadz) and then added gold glitter pen to the dots on the bow.  Fussy cut it and adhered it to the vellum with double sided tape.  

Good to be cardmaking again after a fairly busy summer with camping, company and canning.    Therese

 

Slow Stitching - wool trivet with stitched embellishments

I have been working on some wool trivets cut from some felted wool that my daughter sent my way several years ago.  I used a lavender piece and a brighter purple piece (8" square with slightly rounded corner) to which I stitched some wool elements made of a lighter wool fabric.  The flower was die cut (SZ) and the leaves were hand cut and them I stitched their edges down with simple straight stitches along the edges using cotton embroidery thread in coordinating colours.  I added a line in the leaves and straight stitches and french knots in the center of the flower.  

I cut a balloon from yellow wool, stitched the edges with straight stitches all the way around and all through the middle for a bit of texture.  I added a black cotton string which I couched with black embroidery thread.  

I laid them back to back and then added a row of straight stitches all the way around in a light lavender cotton embroidery thread which combined them into a unit which is stable and will serve very well as a trivet for a tea pot, a warm pie or a pan of brownies.   I have a few more cut and they will show up as they get stitched up.  Therese

 

Slow Stitching - balloon squares

I cut out a few extra balloons as I was preparing the squares for the other balloon quilt squares so I ripped out a few more off white cotton backers (8" x 9") and then stitched my spares onto them.  You can see that the two bottom ones are different.  These were too light compared to the others so I coloured them with Inktense paints which gave them a motley look but was not what I preferred for the other blocks.  So these will go on a different quilt -maybe as a row or a line depend on what I decide to surround them with.  On hold until I get inspired!!!

Therese
 

Slow Stitching - balloons for a quilt

I have been stitching on these quilt square (8" x 9") this summer and just got them finished this week.  I have taken them camping a couple of times.  It has been simply stitching to secure the balloons to the backers.  I created a rough balloon shape on paper, folded it in half and then cut it it out roughly.  Made a few adjustments and then cut the bottom part which adds a bit of an area where I will couch down some black strings once the quilt top is finished.  I traced the balloons on to solid cotton fabric and them cut them out.  I placed my balloons onto my backers - some tilting one way - some the other way.  I used daisy stitch with white cotton embroidery thread to embroider the highlight.  I stitched the outside edge using blanket stitch with two lengths of stitches using matching embroidery thread which I think will secure them sufficiently to the backers.  I have chosen my backing fabric but not yet what I will put around these squares to make them big enough to finish a quilt for Linus Project.  I have really enjoyed stitching these and will have to do another simple shape for my next quilt.  Therese

  
 

Cardmaking - several batches for butterfly and Thinking of you cards for IWIN

My sister came for a visit and we worked on cards for IWIN which vulnerable people in our communities.  It is always so satisfying to make these cards because they have so few criteria - at least one butterfly and a "thinking of you" greeting.  We just go with it and combine as many things as we want and try new layering methods or new ways to use standard materials.  I bought a bag of butterfly diecuts at a garage sale earlier this year and so we used some of those on our cards.  There were some 3D ones in there as well so they were added to our cards.  They will be packaged and I will bring them to my daughters and she will drop them off to the office for me.  I have 90 in this batch.  Therese

 

Sewing - chicken pin cushions from quilted squares

 About 4-5 weeks ago I made up these little chicken pincushions using instructions from online. Lots of people are making them!! You need two quilted squares (3"-4") lined with flannel and some orange fabric to make the tail, the comb and the beak.  You position the beak and the comb and sew up the three sides leaving an opening in the bottom and then fold the two seams to each other, insert the tail and sew the last seam.  Once turned inside out you stuff it with batting, polyfill, etc and stitch up the bottom opening by hand.  They are very cute.   I have another batch coming!!  Therese

Wedding card with fabric hearts on rose petal paper

I made a card for a nephew that got married on May 3rd and we saw at our family reunion in July!!  I added some lace to one of the fabric hearts and then used a bit of glue to secure them to the handmade rose petal paper and stitched them in place.  I added lines of paper piercing with my pattern tracing wheel before adhering it to an off white card.  I gave them some handmade cards as a gift.  Theres