Author: Kay

I make stuff

Tie it, Whip it

by Kay, posted in Embroidery, slow sunday stitching

No I haven’t gone all ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ I have been working on two projects this Sunday. It is pouring with rain at last. It first started on Friday evening.  A cheer went up from next door as it has rained once in the past two and a half months.

It was dry and warm again on Saturday for a big family BBQ and it is raining today

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I finished the Dorset feather stichery sample and I am a quarter of the way through tieing the ugly quilt

A characteristic of Dorset feather is the amount of whipping on the stitches, I’m not so keen on some of the colour combinations I used but it is fine for a sample. It will be used  for the front cover of a new needlecase.

 

I used some of the same no 8 perle cotton to tie the quilt as it has a very thick blanket inside which is too difficult to machine. As I got to the bottom of the quilt I could see some very suspicious looking ‘tunnels’ in the wool! I hope the little critters are all dead or long gone! Better treat it to make sure

I used the paper template to make sure I was in the middle for each tumbler without measuring every time

I am a bit late writing this post so I hope I am not too late for Slow Sunday Stitching over at Kathy’s Quilts. Why not have a look at everyone else’s work

 

One Monthly Goal

by Kay, posted in Uncategorized

I have had the ‘Ugly Quilt’ hanging around for two years now – time it was finished! It has a wool blanket inside instead of batting and it proved to be too thick to go under the presser foot even when I reduced the pressure. I sewed one exasperating line of stitching and gave up. Even using extra long stitches didn’t help.

 

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So my monthly goal is to tie it instead. I have never tied a quilt only made samples so now is the ideal time to tick another goal off my quilt bucket list.

DSCF6420I am linking up with every one at Elm Street quilts One Monthly Goal July Link Up where Patty is encouraging us all to get it done!

Simply Colour Quilt

by Kay, posted in Quilt, Uncategorized

This was made from a single layer cake, ‘Simply Colour’ by V and Co as a suggestion by Fiona from my favourite quilting shop in Brisbane – Peppermint Stitches. I was wondering what to do for my next project and this was quite different to my previous fabric choices. The pattern is my own and it took some working out to deal with the chevron print but it was worth it in the end and now it is on the back of the settee, on me or under the cat!

Simply Colour Quilt

A Finish in Sight

by Kay, posted in City and Guilds, slow sunday stitching

I thought I would make use of some of the samples I had to make for the City and Guilds portfolio. I deliberately made all my applique samples in the same style to make a large mug rug/mat. Only the binding to finish now – although I seem to be adding cat hair to it too!

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I had played about with the order for quite a while

 

I don’t know why they look pink when they are actually black and white with different shades of blue applique, I must have got the white balance totally wrong when I took them last night. The types of applique are; raw edge with machine and hand stitching. zig-zag and satin machine stitching; feather, blanket and chain by hand – needle turn and difference types of interfacing in various combinations. The bottom left shape had only straight stitch so I added another row of machine stitching and chose the top left layout.

The other layouts have given me some ideas for other quilts.

I am quite glad I have been making a small project as it is so hot. It has only rained once this month in Essex and we badly need rain for the new trees we planted a couple of months ago

I am having a break from stitching to see what everyone else has posted on Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching which you can find here

The Endeavourers ‘Change’

by Kay, posted in The Endeavourers

I am late posting this morning. Couldn’t find my camera. Found camera. Took one photo and the battery gave up. Got more batteries. Camera comes on and goes off again. Found rechargeables that I charged a couple of weeks ago. Put in camera. They are flat. Is charger broken? Use tablet instead. Save photos. Can’t find them. Add to ‘creation’ new folder. Can’t find them. Go back and ‘save as’. I found them!!!!!

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Too late to remove random bits of fluff from these not very good photos of my interpretation of Change/Transformation

The ocean changes according to the weather on the surface but below the surface there is greater change in its inhabitants. The scary looking deep sea fish fascinated me as a child and still do.

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I had been looking at them recently and it struck me how much fish change according to the depth of the region in which they live. Of course they vary depending on the region of the ocean and the temperature but not in such an extreme way as depth.

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They were all created by decolourising with bleach. It’s interesting to see how differently the blues decolour as they are made up of different dyes.

 

A little tidying up was done with a permanent blue marker and a little white inktense pencil was added to the white areas on the two deep sea fish.

Lines of zig-zag and straight stitch add a little movement to the scene, with more lines onthe upper layers to contrast against the more sluggish currents in the deeps

I particularly like the way the dyes decoloured differently adding to the texture of the fish fins

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Why not visit The Endeavourers to see what everyone else has created on the theme of change/transformation

Not Quite Midnight Stitching

by Kay, posted in Embroidery, slow sunday stitching

I really shouldn’t stay up so late sewing but I have again, at least I didn’t sew a corner in and so no unpicking today.

Dorset feathery hoop

I’ve finished the outlines of the ‘pinecones’ and have started to fill them in. The book ‘Dorset Feather Stitchery’ by Olivia Pass suggests using satin stitch and feather stitch.

It shouldn’t take too much longer to finish this sample and then it will form the from cover of a needlecase.

I think I should take a leaf out of Sock’s book and go to sleep! First though I will take a peek of all the work at Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching why not take a look yourself

Midnight Stitching

by Kay, posted in Embroidery, slow sunday stitching

In a word – don’t. This is what happens when you do

Bad Stitching

The annoying thing is, the stitching was ok on the other side but had to be unpicked

Good Stitching right side

So I went to bed and started again in the morning with better results ha ha

Dorset Feather Stitchery worked sample close up

As you can see from the photos below I have been working from a book by Olivia Pass printed in 1957. A group of ladies from a Dorset WI (Womens Institute) had fun reviving simple stitches in a new form that they called Dorset Feather Stitchery.

 

Mostly they were inspired by the stitching decorating English smocks worn mainly in the Nineteenth century although they were worn as late as WWII in a few cases. Principally worn by male agricultural workers they were a practical and beautiful coverall – I intend to make one myself as I have another lovely old book by Alice Amess called English Smocks with Directions for Making Them. I particularly like one worn by a milk maid from Essex. As I am from Essex and have milked a few cows I think I can wear one!

You can find more about them here

Before that though, I will pop over the Slow Sunday Stitching to see what everyone else has been making, why not see for yourself!

Sashiko Sample Completed

by Kay, posted in Embroidery, slow sunday stitching

Done and dusted – unless I decide to quilt it and make it into a dolly quilt.

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Sashiko complete

I don’t have to quilt it but it would make a useful little mat to put under the fruit bowl. I managed to complete another sample too; hand-stitched reverse applique. I quite like the stepped appearance and it certainly highlights the centre. It would be a good way to mount any hand work and  this little piece of Botanique from Joel Dewsbury almost looks like embroidery.

I really must concentrate on the main assessment piece now – a wall hanging. Here are a few pages from my sketch book mostly worked from photos I took in Australia.

I made a printing block of a simple leaf shape and roughly painted it to print these

Next I will try it on fabric.

I have sketched a few possible designs but that is for another day, now it is time to link up to slow Sunday Stitching here

Sashiko Number Three

by Kay, posted in Embroidery, slow sunday stitching

The penultimate sample. The first curved one and it came out better than I thought it would.

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Definately not perfect but it will do. I have also sketched out a second curved design but realise that it needs to be lowered by half an inch as it is too close to the first sample.

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Again, it comes with free cat hair ha ha

One more to go and another sample finished! As a hailstorm has started outside it might be a good time to start – the snow may be gone but winter has not.

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The cat has settled on my knee so I will be popping over to Kathy’s Quilts to look at everyone’s work for Slow Sunday Stitching which you can see here

What are you stitching?