Springtime in ribbon

Broderie ruban et relief

Originally uploaded by Sophie Michel

Isn't this sampler beautiful? I think the peach irises and apple tree are my favorite parts. Just a hint of pretty for your Tuesday.

Spring will come-Inspiration

Butterfly Pillow in Blue

Originally uploaded by bstudio18

I know in the midst of the damp, dreary cold that spring will come. This pretty ribbon embroidered pillow reminds me of that fact.

This and that

I hope you had a wonderful holiday. I know we did. Since I had to wait until Christmas was over to share a couple of gifts I made and had a part in making.

A friend celebrated a BIG birthday right before Christmas so a group of us got together to mark her big day. Then we did a gift exchange and I pulled this same person's name. That made it easy to decide what to do for her for Christmas. This is an armchair caddy. I used the pattern I found here. Very easy but turned out well I think. Her directions and pattern were wonderful. I could have done more embroidery on it, but then it would have been a Valentine's gift as opposed to a Christmas gift and that is not what I was going for.

If you are looking for a nice gift for a sewing pal this one fits the bill.

It is made from silk dupioni in an orange that is shot through with hot pink. That doesn't show real well in pictures. Then trimmed and lined with hot pink/white gingham. Added a touch of SRE to the pin cushion and voila! If you need a gift I would recommend this one.

For her birthday we made a reticule as immortalized by Beverly Sheldrick. I can't even count the number of these that I know friends have made, won or bought. My contribution to the gift was I did the embroidery on it.

 

Another friend constructed the reticule. She did a great job.

The ladybugs are chocolate, not embroidery. These reticules are great to carry a project in and they hold way more than they appear they would.

What gifts did you make?

A finished UFO

How many UFO's do you have squirreled away thinking you don't have time to work on them? Well if you are like me you have dozens. And dozens. We were having TV service done today and they needed to get into my sewing room. AGGGHHHHHH, I forgot until this morning, so I was in there furiously trying to clear a path for the guy.

While there I unearthed this little pincushion project. All it needed was was to be stitched together because the silk ribbon embroidery had been completed ever since our SAGA chapter had a workshop with Jane Briscoe in the spring. How long did it take? 30 minutes exactly. I know this because I did it while I was on the phone, when I hung up the phone it told me I had been on the phone for 30 mintues. So even if you don't think you have time, try it. You will surprise yourself.

There are a few stitches I am not overly pleased with, but overall it is a sweet little pincushion. And now it is finished. Take that UFO pile!

I do still sew

Even though it hasn't looked liked it in two weeks. These are gifts I made for some friends in my Tuesday Cursillo group. Less than $10 can be made into a nice gift. I stitched silk ribbon embroidery on silk dupioni. I made each person a silk kleenex cover and a ditty bag. It can be for makeup, medicine, coupons, illegal drug paraphenalia or what ever they choose. I don't think they will do the drug thing. :)

For the Kleenex cover I used one I had received as a gift as a template.

For the bags I used the cover pattern in Inspirations magazine Issue #58 as a base for the pattern. I don't know about you but I seem to be on this kick lately that I am going to one up the design or the directions. It has bitten me in the ankle every time. I am an instructions kind of gal and just need to resign myself to it. The brown and pink bag I stitched 3 times because I thought I could do it better/different, something. I didn't want seams on the inside. I am sure there is a way to achieve that, but I couldn't work out the geometry and or physics in my head to make it work. So the bag that I liked the embroidery the best I hated the construction the least. Isn't that always the way?

I have one more set to do, this one will be for my spiritual director. In addition to being a spiritual director, a speaker, teacher and a nun she is a fine arts artist. Since it reminded me of watercolors the bow is done in a ribbon I wouldn't normally choose. Just a teeny bit more embroidery to do and then I can construct it. We have bad weather coming, so it is my project tomorrow to finish it. Maybe the geometry can resolve itself by tomorrow. I doubt it though. Then it is onto a t shirt quilt for youngest daughter.

Do you keep all of your supplies in pretty, neatly organized drawers? Me either. But even this homely old box I love. It is not something I would have ever made, bought or been drawn to but it belonged to my best friend and her mother. So like most of her craft things, it came to my house after they died. Her mother loved glueing "stuff" to other "stuff." The quilted fabric on the box has to be 30+ years old and the box a whole lot older. The glue is beginning to let go in places and even though it is really really ugly, I love it. I even kept the old pair of Eva Lou's glasses I found in the box in there with my silk ribbon. I have no use for the glasses but its too soon to be able to get rid of them. Maybe one day.