More Work on the Wedding Project…

Here’s my interpretation of Sharon’s Day 40 detail. I used it to embellish a plain grosgrain ribbon. I thought I'd have this little wedding project finished in no time, but the seams seem to be multiplying on this baby...

Beach Peas Gone Wild

This is just the start of lesson 2 of the Creative Embroidery course. I’m a bit behind…

Freeform Embroidery Sampler (WIP)

This is where I am so far with lesson 1 of Susan Sorrell’s Creative Embroidery class. And I still have miles of stitching to go! I’m thinking it could use some beads, too. I’m going to let it percolate for a little bit, though, and move on to the next lesson. This sure ain’t your mama’s embroidery sampler…

Scrunching...

Here are a couple of pieces of permanently scrunched fabric from the Machine Embellishment course just waiting to be stitched and beaded. I can’t look at fabric, now, without wanting to scrunch it! I’ll probably get myself banned from the local Jo-Ann’s…

Yet More Details…

Here’s the detail from day 19 – Cretan stitch with woven ribbon (I auditioned several cords and they were either too fine or too heavy – the ribbon seemed right.)


Next, I embellished previously sewn chevron stitches a la Sharon’s day 25 detail. I know I should have worked the stitches below the seam line (like Sharon’s example) but I couldn’t because I already had decorated that side. Also, I wanted to add flowers to the top of the stems but the only ones I could find locally were gold metallic and they just called too much attention to themselves way over on the far right of my piece. So I used the same “pearls” I’ve been using and kept the threads really neutral – so it just looks like added texture on the plain fabric.

Lower the Feed Dogs, Darn the Torpedoes, Full Speed Ahead!

Here is my first attempt at needlelace "leaves" from the Machine Embellishment class at Quilt U. Free motion stitching is new to me and I think I like it – I’m beginning to really “bond” with my machine!

A Few More Details…

Got a chance to do a little more stitching on my cq wedding project. On this seam, I added beads to the body of the lace - and detached chain, straight stitches and beads to the top. Adding stitches and beads to lace trim really gives it more of a presence.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

The Creative Embroidery course started this morning (but you can still sign up). It looks like fun! Lots of work, but fun! I’m in the middle of the Machine Embellishment course at Quilt U and have been enjoying that, too, although I’m having a little trouble with my free motion zigzag stitching (FM ZZs). I think part of the problem is that I can’t see where I’m going to follow my lines. I’m wondering whether a larger darning foot would help… (?)

And it’s nearly the middle of July and my poor Santa Claus dolls are sitting here, buck naked, shivering in the air-conditioning…so I really need to get busy dressing them!

Tinted Brass Button (Stash Sunday)

Here’s another old button from my collection. I love these little works of art…

More Work on the Wedding Collage...

Here's another seam treatment on the wedding collage. It’s Sharon’s Day 11 combination of herringbone, detached chain, oyster stitches and beads. I had never tried the oyster stitch before so I had to spend a little time studying it in Sharon’s stitch dictionary. And, being a southpaw, I had to change the direction of a few steps…sigh… but I finally got it! I was delighted to find some vintage silk twist thread spools tucked in among some vintage fabric pieces given to me by a friend. I used the silk to make the oyster stitches. It was such a pleasure embroidering with the silk – it’s so smooth! Anyway, I am really excited to be learning some new stitches and (slowly but surely) making some progress on this project.

herringbone, detached chain, oyster stitches and beads

Moss on Metal

Here is some “moss” growing on my “rusty metal.” The thread “moss” was created in the wonderful Machine Embellished Surfaces course (taught by Susan Brittingham) I’m taking at Quilt U. The “rusty metal” was a Try it Tuesdays challenge.

Stitchin’ with Sharon!

Here’s another seam on the lingerie case. What fun (“a fun of a stitch” hehe!). I have been embroidering with floss (just because it’s all I had on hand) and wanted something with more oomph for the half pinwheels so I went to Michael’s Crafts to buy some perle cotton - and it was on sale for fifty cents a skein – woohoo! Of course, the temptation is to go back and redo some of the previous stitching – argh!

Half Pinwheels, detached chains, straight stitches and beads