Thursday, March 26, 2009

Tried new stitches


Working on my CQ Encrusted Class I have tried some new stitches/motifs.

I don't mind stitching seam treatments "free hand", but I have a hard time getting the outlines to embroider motifs, flowers, butterflies, images, etc onto my fabric. I have tried using "Solvey", tracing/chalk paper, and iron on transfer pencil. "Solvey" has worked the best, but even using pernanent sharpie to draw on the "Solvey" I've had it bleed on to my project when put water on it to disolve it. Tracing/chalk paper the image brushes off before I finish stitching and the iron on transfer pencil didn't work at all.

I really wanted to try to embroider some of the flower motifs from Teach Yourself to Embroider book. So I tried a technique that Shawkl had mentioned, "tissue paper"!! Yes, it worked like a charm!!! I traced the image onto white tissue paper, actually leftover tissue paper from Christmas. Pinned it in place on my block and started stitching.

CQEncrusted Class block so far. I am going to start adding beads/buttons etc. next. I think it needs a little more stitching, but I need to add some beads/buttons to be sure, may be a few days before I get to it. I need to get going on my COF projects, I do have an idea for my FQ Challenge fabric.

Happy Stitching

Friday, March 13, 2009

Creative Slacker

Looking through all the blogs that I follow and clicking through to other blogs listed on their blogs...wow..lots of creativity. Looks like everyone is exploding with creativity and I'm just watching. So my question; When does everyone find the time to create all of this beauty?

Happy Friday, YEAH the weekend, my two days of the week to create.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

CQ Lesson 2 Stitching


I have completed the basic seam stitching on one of my CQ Encrusted class blocks.

Lesson 3 arrived today, I have yet to read it.

I plan to add a few more stitches to this block and then on to my 2nd block and lesson 3 "Motifs".

Round 5 of the HGTV CQ Round Robin ends this week. I need to write in the journal and I'll be ready to send it on to the next person. Two more rounds and our CQ Beauties will be on their way home. I am very excited to see mine. Along the way we have only been allowed to see two small "sneak peeks" per round. Only seeing very small areas doesn't give a very good idea of what the whole block looks like.

I'll also be mailing my Mermaid block out this week. Again, need to write in the journal and package it up.

Off to put my Encrusted CQ lessons in a binder and get organized to read lesson 3.

Happy Stitching

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

CQ Encrusted block 2, lesson 2, and Mermaid Block


Continuing to make progress, I finished piecing my 2nd CQ Encrusted class block.

I'm calling this my "Sunshine" block, a little more yellow than I originally planned.

Lesson 2 was emailed to the class today, seam embellishments. I am ready to stitch!!

I also finished piecing my Mermaid block, need to do a little embellishing.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Making Progress


I am making some progress on my swaps, challenges, classes etc. Wed., Feb. 25 was the start of Sharon Boggon's CQ Encrusted class offered through Joggles.

Lesson one was about color and piecing a CQ block. I hope to piece two blocks for the class, I have one finished. The lace and heart are just pinned in place for now, may change my mind as we start embellishing the seams.

I really like the print fabric but didn't have fabric in the correct shade of blue, so I dyed a piece of white dupioni silk to the shade of blue I needed for this block. I think it worked well.

I found a nice size piece of white dupioni silk in the remnant bin at JoAnn's. I check out the bin every time I'm at JoAnn's and often find pieces of dupioni silk in the remnant bin.

I finished piecing my Mermaid block, I need to applique a couple of seashells silkies onto it and maybe a few stitches before I send it off on it's RR adventure.

Still haven't started on my COF FQ or t-Shirt Challenge...soon!!!