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
 

Cardmaking - a stitched square of collaged fabric scraps that make a gift

I started by stitching small scraps to a substrate of white cotton ensuring that all the pieces were secure.  For the first card I stitched it to the handmade paper and added a stitched bow.  For the second one I added short strips of yellow and green fabric folded in half about where they needed to be and stitched them into place on their bottom edges.  I added a yellow strip to my collaged fabric square and then placed it over the bottom of the strips and stitched it into place.  It created a very different kind of bow but still effective.  I stitched a border all the way around each of these pieces.  I added paper piercing lines to the top of the green one and then watercoloured white cards on their edges to coordinate with each of these large elements.  A different look which I like!!!  Therese
 

Cardmaking - circles of fabric forming a flower

For these two cards I cut three circles from red fabrics and a small one from yellow.  I positioned all the element and then stitched the stem and leaves.  Next, I stitched the largest circle of the flower in place then added stitching from the outside to the middle several times to secure all the other pieces of the flower.  Lastly I stitched an outside border in coordinating thread.  

Therese