teal and grey hexie love

one thing about going away is that i get more handwork done than usual, since i rarely take my sewing machine with me. i'm still working on the project i started during this last trip, but it occurred to me that i never got around to blogging about the project i did on the LAST trip!

i posted an in progress picture last november.....




wanna see what they turned into?



a long long time ago, before Christmas last winter, i participated in a swap between the Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild and the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild. since i'm a member of both guilds, i said that they should just put me in wherever they needed to even out the numbers, and i ended up sewing potholders for Heather, one of my fellow exec members at VMQG. this was handy, cause Heather's not super active on teh internetz, making her harder to stalk for inspiration, but since i've been to her house plenty of times for meetings, i knew what her kitchen looks like!




i knew that Heather likes greys and teals, hexies and polka dots, and i decided to combine all of those for her potholders.


no flash

i also knew that she loves 60s style, so i decided to incorporate that into the coasters by adding an embroidered mod girl to one of the potholders. i'm not super happy with how it turned out - i used more strands than i normally would, because i thought it would read better on the grey background, but i think it ended up looking a bit sloppy because of that. it might be just in my head though, because i HATE using more than two strands of embroidery floss!



the embroidery really didn't photograph that well, but Heather's pic portrays it a bit better.



it was funny, because as i was sewing the hexies together, i was frustrated because they didn't feel as modern and streamlined as i'd pictured them. once i had them all sewn together and the sides trimmed straight, it changed the look so much!


no flash

on both potholders, i machine quilted (since i had taken my machine out for that trip, i refused to be without it for as long as i was out there!) straight lines through the solid portions, and echoed the some of the hexies in the pieced portions.



i improv pieced the backs of the potholders using strips of the fabrics that i used for the hexies, and i loved how the quilting looked.




since i was late sending out the potholders, i decided to make something else to go along with them. coasters!!



look familiar? yes, these were the first hexie coasters! you saw the xmas ones that i wrote the tutorial for and gave away, and then the third set that i gave away in my birthday giveaway, finally i'm blogging the originals!



i pieced the fabric that i used for the backs, just to add little pops of colour.




i have to tell you guys, it was SO HARD to mail these off to Heather! i was so glad that they were going to someone who i was sure would like them, and also that i mailed them before Holly's potholders were lost.... i don't know that i'd have trusted them to the post office if i'd known that they'd lost hers! and i love that we use the coasters whenever Heather hosts our VMQG executive meetings!





i'm going to link this up with a few different linkies, now that i'm back, am slowly getting caught up, and have INTERNET again! i missed out on Sew modern Mondays at Canoe Ridge Creations, damn being on the west coast!

but i am linking up with SewHappyGeek's Manic Monday!


i'm also going to link up with Fabric Tuesdays over at Quilt Story , because this is a recent post, if not a recent project..... (because really, since when do i blog ANYTHING right after i make it? i'm not that organized folks!)

Cheerful Dresden Mini! - now with more pics!

i finished it! isn't it pretty?

this mini quilt measures 18.75" square and is my entry in the Modern Mini Challenge that Jennifer of Ellison Lane Quilts is organizing.



it's obviously a dresden plate quilt, and it includes a combination of hand embroidery and machine quilting. i used multiple threads for the embroidery, some of which were more fun than others (rayon is such a pain!). i used all of my favourite prints in this quilt, and it makes me happy to look at it. it's going up on my wall, so it can make me happy every day!

the dresden plate was made using the darlene zimmerman dresden ruler, which is easy-peasy. remember the skirt i made with it back in september?

while i was cutting the dresden blades, i cut a few extra little pieces of each print, and used them to create a border around the quilt. i sewed the pieces all in the same order in the border as they were in the dresden and then cut the long piece for the border pieces. at the last minute i decided to skew the border a bit, just for a bit of added interest.

it's bound with more kona, and i put 4 hanging sleeves on it - i couldn't decide which side was the top! i haven't hand stitched them all down yet, but they're there if i ever want them!


i have more pictures, and i'll post them later tonight, once they're edited. my computer is being very cranky, and i need a break from fighting with it!

wanna see more pics? here you go!



i originally sewed the dresden down, did the rows of echo machine quilting, and then started on the hand embroidery. part way through the hand embroidery, i realized that folding it up and carting it around with me was not working well for keeping the dresden and the batting smooth! i ended up ripping out my initial stitches, pressing the dresden plate well, and resewing it down after i'd finished all of the hand embroidery. this time i stitched along the sides of each wedge as well, and i'm soooo glad that i did! i think it looks so much better, and it'll shrink up much more evenly when i wash it.



it was so nice to have an excuse to play with the embroidery. i've sorely neglected my handwork since quilting has taken over my life! i used a variety of threads, and mixed up the stitches as well. i repeated a few stitches, but with varying threads, so none of the rows look exactly the same. i wanted to stick with narrow stitches, to maintain the thin rows of embroidery, so i avoided fun but wide stitches like an open chain or chevron stitch.


the first row of embroidery is a very very tight chain stitch. it was kind of hellish! ha! i used a rayon/viscose thread much like this dmc thread, but made by a german company, i think. i picked it up when my local stitchery store closed. i used very short lengths of the floss, which required a lot of ends to be lost inside the quilt, but i LOVE the pop of the satin thread.

the second row of embroidery, lime, was backstitch, using a standard 6 strand cotton floss. i lost the wrapper of this colour, so i don't know if it was dmc or anchor.. and i want to buy more, i love this colour! i'm guessing dmc because it's a bit duller than other brands.

the third row, pink, used a standard 6 strand cotton floss, anchor #57. apparently i used two different stitches for this row, though i just learned that! i didn't know that stem stitch and outline stitch are actually two different stitches, with the thread kept below the needle for stem stitch and above the needle for outline stitch. i think i usually do stem stitch, but for this row, i had alternated at each corner, switching back and forth. you learn something new every day!

for the fourth row, dark teal, i got smarter! i used the german viscose satin thread again, but this time i chose a stitch that wouldn't require me to sew the rayon thread through the quilt. i did an interlaced running stitch, and used cotton floss (anchor #189) for the running stitch, and wove the rayon thread through it. much easier!

the fifth row, pale blue, used cotton floss (dmc #3846) and a neat stitch called a scroll stitch.



the sixth row, purple, used two threads again, the rayon thread and a cotton floss, and the couching stitch. couching is such an easy stitch, and such a great way to use difficult threads!

the seventh row, light pink, uses thread common to modern quilters, pearl cotton. this was actually the first time that i'd used it, and i just did the simple running stitch. i think i need to pick up a pack of chenille needles, as the largest embroidery needles were a bit of a tight fit!

the eighth row, light blue, was stitched using a "cotton lace yarn" sold for crochet. it says that it's an egyptian cotton, but it also says "made in turkey". ha! i did a stem stitch for this row - stem stitch only, not alternating with the outline stitch! these stitches are bigger than they were in row three, but it's also a thicker thread, and i quite like the details created in the corners by the stitch formation.

the nineth row, bright blue, is cotton floss (anchor #1089), and i did a split stitch. i rarely use this stitch, and i'm not sure why... it lends itself well to sewing-style embroidery, which i prefer, so you would think that i'd use it often! maybe because i really like stem stitch, and they're used for similar effects. hm.

the tenth row, lime green, uses pearl cotton again, but you don't really see much of it, because i did a whipped running stitch, combining it with the rayon satin thread.



because the dresden is offset, some corners of the mini-quilt have more rows than others. the eleventh and twelfth rows are only in two corners, and the thirteenth row is just in one.

the eleventh row is pink (dmc #3804) cotton embroidery floss, and i've done a chain stitch again, cause i like it.

the twelfth row, light teal, is cotton embroidery floss (dmc #3812) as well, and i was loosing my creativity by this point, i suppose, so it's just basic backstitch again.

and the thirteenth row, the final row! this row was stitched in cotton embroidery floss (dmc #3809), and is one of my favourite stitches - french knots! as much as i love the look of them, i knew that i'd get bored doing very many of them, so i saved this stitch for one of the outer rows, that only showed at one or two corners!



and that's my modern mini dresden! that was a lot more detail than you were expecting, wasn't it?





**random note - everytime i think "modern mini" it turns into "thoroughly modern millie", which is a terribly wonderful julie andrews musical. i wonder if i could find it online, i haven't seen it in years.....**



EDIT! since i finished this quilt in 2012 and it's made using SCRAPS of my favourite fabrics, i'm entering it in Stitched in Color's Festival of Scrappiness. there are currently 300 entries!

not much to update for WIP wednesday!

hello blogland!


so, what's new? what did i miss? i highly doubt i'll manage to get caught up right away, so if you posted something fun that you think i should see, pop me an e-mail, kay?


like i said in my last post, i've been away. i actually stayed with relatives who have internet for part of my trip, but i didn't find much time for the computer. i visited one grandma in the hospital most days, did a little bit of thrifting, spent time with most of my relatives, but especially an aunt and uncle that i don't usually get to see much of, ignored my grandfather's incessant nagging and grouchiness, went to a mini reunion with second and third cousins who i haven't seen in years, searched my grandma's house for family photos to scan, and on the day that i was supposed to leave, took my other grandma to the hospital, rescheduled our flights, and sat there all day waiting for test results. it was an eventful trip!

i also managed to sew quite a bit, which is really the biggest reason why i didn't use the computer - when i wasn't spending time with family or sleeping, i was sewing. i tried one grandma's machine, which was an annoying singer that was high shank and took weird bobbins, so none of my supplies would work, plus it had crappy tension, then i hauled my other grandma's machine out of the basement, an old kenmore that will probably work well if it was serviced, but is all seized up now, and finally borrowed a cheapy brother from one of my aunts. it was very basic, and occasionally skipped stitches, but was my best bet by far.

i finished up my ornaments for the Trim The Tree Ornament Swap on flickr, and a few others beside, and i'll post them soon. i'm going to go mail them tonight. i also started on a mini quilt, and worked on a couple of hand work projects, but none of them are finished yet. which is okay, because today's wednesday, which means WIP Wednesday!

this is one of the hand projects that i'm still working on -




before i left, i was working on a tree skirt for my parents, based on Monica Solorio-Snow of Happy Zombie's tutorial/quiltalong posted on Sew Mama Sew back in october. i have the top finished, and need to spray baste it. it's made using a vintage holiday tablecloth, and red linen, so i think it needs the added stability of spray basting.



i'm pretty happy with it so far, and impatient to finish it up.



i had a few finishes before i left, the Bleach Discharge Bats wall quilt, and my Outfoxed "Improv is Foxy" quilt. as for the rest of my WIPs.... nothing to report!!



as for recent finishes, i plotted out a quilt today. i started doing it on the plane, but got tired of the guy in front of me leaning back and making it impossible to open my laptop entirely! i finished it up this afternoon after a nap in my own bed with my Sofie-bean (sooo good!).

which do you like better?





i'm linking up to WIP Wednesday over at Freshly Pieced - don't forget to go check out some of the other projects linked up!

a flowery message for the future (iron craft #18)

this week's Iron Craft challenge was "May Flowers".

there were so many possibilities for the theme, i contemplated making a quilt or apron out of flowered fabric, a painted art quilt, flower brooches or hair clips, a button flower bouquet... so many options!

however, this has been a pretty shitty week. on sunday i did my taxes and realized that i had severely underestimated how much i would owe this year, so that was kind of scary (i'm now officially banned from buying any more fabric!). and then monday was election day, which was heartbreaking for intelligent, socially conscious Canadians. (as my mom says "stupid people's votes count just as much as smart people's votes") my little brother has been massively cranky and is being rude to everyone, and today i had a bit of a fight with my sister. on top of all that, i've been feel super crappy for weeks now, and i'm beginning to suspect that what i've been optimistically referring to as a flare up is more likely a new reality, which anyone with chronic pain can tell you sucks royally.


with all of that in mind, i decided that i wanted to make something simple and fun for iron craft this week. i wanted to sit on the couch in front of the knowledge network, watch documentaries all night, and make something pretty.


so this is what i made -



i started with one of the awesome vintage embroidery hoops that i love, the kind that have a rubbery outside ring, and stretched some kelly green linen in it, because i've been obsessed with linen lately.



i ran across these vintage plastic flowers in my jewelery supply stash a few weeks ago, and was thinking that i should use them for something. i had three different bags of them, and i don't remember where all i got them from. i KNOW the biggest bag came from snapcrafty, and there are others on etsy that sell them as well.



i used purple and clear beads to hold the flowers on, and added a few individual beads to pull it all together.



and then i picked a shade of purple embroidery floss that matched the flowers, and embroidered the word "trust", alternating between chain stitch and stem stitch, just for the hell of it. i thought it suited this week specifically - we have to trust that the groundbreaking NDP opposition will be enough to stop Harper and the Tories from ruining Canada anymore than they already have, because if we don't, we'll never get out of bed in the morning. and it suits my life overall, because trust is something i still struggle with a lot of the time, trusting that people will be true, trusting that my health will be manageable, trusting that things happen for a reason. i thought about "faith", but knew it could be misinterpreted as a religious belief, so "trust" it was!


i'm really happy with how it turned out, it's been a long time since i've done a simple project that could be finished in one evening, just for the hell of it.

Friend Love is True Love

with everything that's happened over the past 3 days, i think we can all use some heartwarming happy thoughts. i've been meaning to post this for a while, but now i'm glad i waited - it's the perfect time.


i've talked about my friend j before. to say that she's amazing is a complete understatement. she's one of the most incredible people i know. she's thoughtful, kind, inspiring, nonjudgmental, knowledgeable, supportive, strong and gentle. and, on top of that, she's an incredible fibre artist. (i posted her wedding invitations, but i think that's all... i really need to post the amazing mini quilt she made me a few years ago)

one of the many wonderful things about j is that she occasionally sends me the most incredible packages. you all know how much i adore mail love, but j's packages go so far beyond just mail love! she's someone who takes such delight in the small details of everything, so every single aspect of her packages is meaningful and heartfelt, and that makes them absolute treasures.

just before valentine's day, i received a package from her, and she completely outdid herself.

i opened the envelope in the car, but made myself wait until i was home to actually open the package, knowing that j's packages often include small details that might be lost otherwise.




but the package was exciting! lookit the pretty ribbon!

and then i came home and opened it and it was even more exciting!


a bundle of valentine themed embroidery floss and the most wonderful needlebook


with a beautiful hand embroidered and beaded typewriter - the keys are beads!


when you open it up, the first page has a lovely heart milagro, a beaded border, and hand sewing needles.


the centre pages have pins and pockets


there's a little cupcake in the centre of a beaded heart outline, and matching red and yellow pins.


the pocket page held a little tissue package wrapped up with pink waxed linen thread and another little piece of cupcake ribbon (which always reminds me of j, i know how she loves waxed linen thread!)


the tissue package held more heart milagros, a small brass heart, and a lady of guadalupe charm


inside the back cover, there's another little heart pocket


with a little book folded up inside


the book used two kinds of paper, one that's very lacy


and one that can be written on, with a valentine's day message


on the back of the little book, she wrote all of the materials she used


and on the back of the needlebook itself, she embroidered my name

isn't that most amazing package ever?

back to needlework!

i'm kinda alternating between halloween and needlework here, and since i still haven't had a chance to write up my thoughts on the class this weekend (i've been housesitting with no computer - i need a laptop!), i thought i'd post a project that i'm really really happy with.

again, this is a project that i've been planning forever, and just recently got around to doing. now i can't wait to do more!



this was really hard to photograph, but i think you get the idea. the stitching is all done in metallic thread (which is SO much easier to use on vinyl than on fabric!), and the vinyl has a bit of a sheen, so it's a very luminous and sparkly piece.



cool, huh?

Embroidered Halloween Headbands

ohmygoodness, halloween is SOON!

i was originally thinking that i was going to try to post a halloween idea every day, or at least every second day, up until halloween, but that has sadly fallen to the wayside. i'm working on projects, but getting them photographed and posted is a whole other story!

this week in particular is really overwhelming - thursday night is the next meeting of the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild, and then this weekend i'm taking a 3 day encaustics class with Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch, which i am hella excited about!

but! i took some pics last night, so i have a few projects to share. the first is a really simple and easy halloween project that doesn't have to be for halloween at all - i just love halloween!

Embroidered Headbands!

it's been no secret that i really love embroidering on non-fabric surfaces (paper, speculums, safety glasses), and this idea has been rolling around in my head for close to a year, waiting patiently for me to find the time to get started on it.

the first thing you'll want to do is find some plain, solid, fairly wide, plastic headbands. these were trickier to find than i'd expected, there are so many fancy headbands out there! however, dollar stores prevailed, and i managed to find a variety of them.


take your headband and trace it out onto a piece of scrap paper. you might need to tape two pieces together, headbands are usually longer than 11".



cut out the strip, and make sure it fits your headband



now play! think up some designs, and sketch them out, using your cutout piece as a pattern. these headbands have a fun outline that felt kind of gothy to me, and seemed to lend itself perfectly to a spiderweb design. after you've drawn your designs and you're happy with them, go back with a marker and draw dots where you want to drill holes. make sure they aren't too close together, and that you have holes at corners and places where the embroidery floss will join. once you've finished your pattern, tape it onto your headband with invisible tape.



now, i cut a styrofoam head in half for this. you don't have to, but it makes it a lot easier, because you have something to put the headband on while drilling it that will keep it from bending oddly or possibly breaking. i had to cut the head shorter, because it was too tall to fit in my drill press! if you're using a hand drill, that won't be an issue at all. the styrofoam head i used had been rolling around in the trunk of my car forever, and was pretty beat up anyway!

put the headband on the head, and get ready to start drilling. i used a 1.5mm drill bit, which i bought on amazon.com.



drill! slow and steady wins the race.



you can see how the pattern was taped on, and the bits of styrofoam that stick to the inside of the headband. they'll blow away, it's all good.




when you remove the pattern, remove it carefully, because depending on how fancy your pattern was, you might need to refer to it when stitching. this is kind of like connect the dots embroidery, but without the numbers!



now start stitching! i LOVE these dental floss threaders for stuff like this (they also work fabulously for mending holes in sweaters, and for stringing beads onto yarn), but if you don't have any, or can't remember where the hell you put the pack of them, you can also use a piece of wire folded over.



rather than knotting your embroidery floss, when you begin and end a piece, use a little bit of the invisible tape to secure the ends. once you've embroidered the entire thing, go back in with a clear glue (i use glossy accents, because it doesn't seem to affect the plastic the same way crazy glue does) and glue the floss to the headband. once the glue is dry, you can go in and remove the tape, and trim the floss right down to the glue.




and here are the finished headbands!

(i've been waiting for a good hair day to take action shots, but i've accepted the fact that i'm not going to have a good hair day until i get around to dying my roots, so you'll just have to settle for pics taken over my awesome pink formica table instead.)

the spiderweb headband, which i stitched in grey floss with a silver metallic thread.




(see how neat and tidy the back looks?)

the bat headband, stitched with embroidery floss and two strands of guttermann metallic machine embroidery thread.









and the star band, with just embroidery floss, no metallic. i don't like how the tortoise shell is slightly see through, and you can see where i carried the floss from star to star. i'd go in and fix that, but i'm never gonna wear it anyway - i don't really like tortoiseshell anyway!






so! what do you think?