... on a quilt finish over at Ivory Blush Roses ~ hand embroidery, lace, tatting, buttons, beads, antique appliques, specialty stitches, medallions ~ each block is breathtaking. What a huge privilege to have watched this treasure come together, you can see Lisa's finish HERE .
Tootles, Sue
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Linens, Hoops and Hogs
Hi all, thanks for your sweet comments, such a lovely way to greet and create a new day, and I so appreciate your taking the time both on and off blog:)
HMMMMM, NOW WHAT WAS THAT LINEN... I like things simple, not lazy as such, just like to be organized. Here's how this stitcher keeps track of linen swatches, a simple handy tool, not rocket science but it works for me:) After collecting linens for a couple years, I've many more swatches to add, but I do so only after a new piece has been cut. How does everyone else keep track of their fabbys?
STITCHING FRAMES... we all have our preferred faves don't we! Mine is Q-Snaps, when I find them cumbersome or just not right, hoops work well for me. As much as I treasure my vintage wooden hoops for their patina, I do find the newer plastic models are more effective as they do a much better job gripping the fabric.
FABRICS... they all crease, some more, some less. We're funny creatures us stitchers, for prim finishes we like hand dyed, tea dyed, coffee dyed, Kool-Aid dyed, mottled, stained, grunged, basted/baked, flea-bitten and moth eaten fabbys ~ but... we do not like creases ~ can I get an Amen to that!
WRAPPIN A HOOP... I thought it'd be cool to share this quick tip on how to bind or wrap your wooden or plastic hoop giving it a cushion and hopefully minimizing hoop marks and preventing any possible fabric damage or creases caused by tugging, just in case this method is new to anyone.
MATERIALS... You can use twill tape, bias tape, seam binding, hem tape or soft ribbon, best to avoid any that are iron-on as they have adhesive. For 5" and 6" hoops a single package (3 yards) is plenty, with a few inches left over.
Pretty simple, I dug into my stash and found twill tape. It's soft, sturdy and the inside label says it's from 1971 (thrift purchase) so it's finally getting put to use, love that!
Take your hoop starting at the top with your wrap of choice leaving a 1 inch tail. With the tail flat, wrap tightly around the tail several times to secure the tail and proceed wrapping tightly, overlapping with each wrap, a clothespin works well to keep your wrapping taught as you work your way around. At the other end I make a couple extra wraps and secure with a few hand stitches.
Thanks so much for stopping by today and sharing a little bit of what's been goin on around here, wishing you all a sweet week to come!
Tootles, Sue
HMMMMM, NOW WHAT WAS THAT LINEN... I like things simple, not lazy as such, just like to be organized. Here's how this stitcher keeps track of linen swatches, a simple handy tool, not rocket science but it works for me:) After collecting linens for a couple years, I've many more swatches to add, but I do so only after a new piece has been cut. How does everyone else keep track of their fabbys?
each card has specs for easy reference and reordering
~~~~~~~~~~~~
STITCHING FRAMES... we all have our preferred faves don't we! Mine is Q-Snaps, when I find them cumbersome or just not right, hoops work well for me. As much as I treasure my vintage wooden hoops for their patina, I do find the newer plastic models are more effective as they do a much better job gripping the fabric.
FABRICS... they all crease, some more, some less. We're funny creatures us stitchers, for prim finishes we like hand dyed, tea dyed, coffee dyed, Kool-Aid dyed, mottled, stained, grunged, basted/baked, flea-bitten and moth eaten fabbys ~ but... we do not like creases ~ can I get an Amen to that!
WRAPPIN A HOOP... I thought it'd be cool to share this quick tip on how to bind or wrap your wooden or plastic hoop giving it a cushion and hopefully minimizing hoop marks and preventing any possible fabric damage or creases caused by tugging, just in case this method is new to anyone.
MATERIALS... You can use twill tape, bias tape, seam binding, hem tape or soft ribbon, best to avoid any that are iron-on as they have adhesive. For 5" and 6" hoops a single package (3 yards) is plenty, with a few inches left over.
Pretty simple, I dug into my stash and found twill tape. It's soft, sturdy and the inside label says it's from 1971 (thrift purchase) so it's finally getting put to use, love that!
Take your hoop starting at the top with your wrap of choice leaving a 1 inch tail. With the tail flat, wrap tightly around the tail several times to secure the tail and proceed wrapping tightly, overlapping with each wrap, a clothespin works well to keep your wrapping taught as you work your way around. At the other end I make a couple extra wraps and secure with a few hand stitches.
daylight was fading so I took this pic then put a few hand stitches in the top left to keep wrap snug and secure
~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOGS... Living next to a pasture can be very entertaining, furry and feathered friends come and go as Mother Nature leads the way. This new guy came to the barn a couple of months ago as a piglet, he was the size of a football ~ not anymore! Won't you please meet Wilbur! Yesterday Wilbur experienced non-legislative *farm integration* (my own phrase) and was moved into the pasture to meet his new partners in *farm crime* (my own phrase again)! Gentle Warning ~ any Vegans are welcome to Bid Farewell to the rest of this post. Wilbur's such a very friendly chap and as I like to say *a well fed hog makes a nice fat ham*. Think I'm gonna have to chart that:) Yes, animals come and go, some are ridden, some milked, some cheesed, some egged, some butchered, some sheared for wool, some put to work like the gentle donkeys who protect their friends by keeping the coyotes and fox away from their pasture. Some are simply here one day and gone the next, we're now used to it. We're happy Wilbur's here for as long as he can stay, it's a nice peaceful moment to share kitchen scraps with a new friend now and then:)
Tootles, Sue
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Round 'Em Up!
For your viewing pleasure, a little volume if you please. Don't worry, I wouldn't ~steer~ you wrong:)
You're welcome:)
You're welcome:)
Monday, October 31, 2011
The house around the corner...
... and down the hill. And no, this hasn't been Photshoped!
Happy Halloween to those who observe the spooky Oct. 31st tradition!
Tootles, Sue
Happy Halloween to those who observe the spooky Oct. 31st tradition!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Paris Embroidery House ~ Lesage
Sharon over at ~My French Country Home~, treats us today with a lovely post about the Paris embroidery house Lesage, which is also a school.
Take a peek HERE.
Amusez-vous bien!
Take a peek HERE.
Amusez-vous bien!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Snickerdoodle Snippet ~ NOT ...
Hi again ~ didn't expect a double-post today, but this day was filled with a very sweet surprise and I couldn't wait to thank Ma Teakettle!
Ma recently shared Sassy's newish color Snickerdoodle on her blog . It looked nice and prim but monitors can be deceiving, so I asked her how it compared to Sassy's Golden Promise. Ma was so helpful and patient, she even offered to mail me a scrap ~ YAY! You know, a snippet from being trimmed, just so I could get a first hand look at the color before ordering from Sassy's. What stitcher would have turned down Ma's sweet offer? Not I!
So this afternoon my plan was to slather on the butt glue and hit the stitchy chair, but then I got called out unexpectedly.
Can you believe it? Not a snippet, but a beautiful piece of Sassy's Monoco 28 ct evenweave in Snickerdoodle (superb prim mottling), delicate counting pins (pretty pretty), a perfectly prim pincushion (my fave drab colors), happy Jack-O-Peeps (hiding them), and a note from sweet Ma!
I've seen Monoco online but never handled it. Snickerdoodle is a nice prim shade, I now know why Ma favors it, will definitely be ordering this ~ love it. Of course, I already have something in mind for this fabby, can not wait to get started!
Ma, your teakettle runneth over, you're too kind and too sweet and I thank you from my surprised stitchy heart, you really got me good! Oh, the Peeps... half gone now, well a little more than half gone, guess I'll hide the rest... or not:)
Tootles, Sue
Ma recently shared Sassy's newish color Snickerdoodle on her blog . It looked nice and prim but monitors can be deceiving, so I asked her how it compared to Sassy's Golden Promise. Ma was so helpful and patient, she even offered to mail me a scrap ~ YAY! You know, a snippet from being trimmed, just so I could get a first hand look at the color before ordering from Sassy's. What stitcher would have turned down Ma's sweet offer? Not I!
So this afternoon my plan was to slather on the butt glue and hit the stitchy chair, but then I got called out unexpectedly.
When I arrived home tonight, I found this at the door...
What the heck? A box? Who sent me a box? It was Ma. For a snippet? I'm a shaker, so natch ~ I shook it, something rattled, then I got that *confused in the brain* sensation and that blasted crater wrinkle between the baby blues. You know, the one that grows deeper with age, at least mine does:)
Opened it and found this...
Can you believe it? Not a snippet, but a beautiful piece of Sassy's Monoco 28 ct evenweave in Snickerdoodle (superb prim mottling), delicate counting pins (pretty pretty), a perfectly prim pincushion (my fave drab colors), happy Jack-O-Peeps (hiding them), and a note from sweet Ma!
I've seen Monoco online but never handled it. Snickerdoodle is a nice prim shade, I now know why Ma favors it, will definitely be ordering this ~ love it. Of course, I already have something in mind for this fabby, can not wait to get started!
Ma, your teakettle runneth over, you're too kind and too sweet and I thank you from my surprised stitchy heart, you really got me good! Oh, the Peeps... half gone now, well a little more than half gone, guess I'll hide the rest... or not:)
Tootles, Sue
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