Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Embroidery

Here it is, February already. The rat  groundhog saw his shadow so we are in for more winter. As long as I can remember he has seen his shadow. Oh well, I guess that means that I have more projects I can work on before planting and all. Once Spring arrives here in MT, everyone hits the ground running – seeds to plant, last years plants that never got dug up – you know the drill I am sure!

Today was very Spring like. I went to the Embroidery Guild meeting.  I am very jazzed about joining. The women were very nice, very friendly. LOTS of talent there! I am joining just in time to get in on the project they are working on – ribbon embroidery. It is something I have been meaning to get to, and now that I have a project, or maybe now that I am working with others, I will get to do this. I had spoke a couple months back with Linda, and she has dyed ribbon. I will have to seek out her stash ;-)

The other thing they will be working on is Schwalm. I picked up a book a couple months back.  Here is a piece online: http://www.heritageshoppe.com/heritage/essays/images/schwalm1.jpg

This technique looks HARD! So in April, if I understand right, those who signed up will get a Schwalm piece to work on - together. Gads I hope they do a LOT of hand holding!

 

Diana

done, done
Mood:  hungry
Topic: Embroidery
I finished the tea towel – yeah! I like this one much more than the Redwork towels below. I even made sure this one had some lighting when I took the picture 

 

I loved working with the linen embroidery thread. I went to Fiberworks to see if they carried any – nope. So I will stick with the DMC that I can find around town. It worked well, although it fray a bit more than cotton. 

Now for my next project.  DH had bought me several Janlynn embroidered candlewicking pillow kits.  I have the Wildflowers and Butterfly, Ivory Butterfly, Bird and Berries pillows, plus a couple more.  Think he wants to keep me busy!  The problem is, there is a stitch called Twilling.  The closes I can come to it is a German knot?  Anyway, I will keep looking and asking around before I start them.

 

So I am back to thinking about a throw again.  Squares about 9x9?  Art Nouveau designs?  I have some thin knitting yarn - mohair and wool blend.  It is a deep red.  I had talked with a couple ladies from the Embroidery Guild, and Toni came up with a good idea - crochet them together!  So maybe it is time to take on this project.  I bought some of those transfer crayons to play with also.

Diana 

still having fun
Mood:  happy
Topic: Embroidery
I am almost finished with the tea towel. After doing the Redwork towels – color is nice LOL I forgot to mention, the thread am using is linen. I am not fond of spinning it, knitting with it is even less of a thrill – but I LOVE embroidering with it. I like the fuzziness of it.

I found this poem, and thought you all might like it:

A Poem Regarding Fancywork

The Husband's Complaint

I've heard of wives too musical – too talkative – too quiet

Of scolding and of gaming wives and those too fond of Riot;

But yet of all the errors I know, which to women fall;

Forever doing fancywork, I think exceeds them all.

 

The other day when I went home no dinner was for me,

I asked my wife the reason; she answered, “one, two, three.”

I told her I was hungry and stamped upon the floor

She never even looked at me, but mumbled, “one green more.”

 

If any lady comes to tea, her bag is first surveyed,

And if the pattern pleases her, a copy there is made.

She stares too at the gentlemen, and when I ask her why?

Tis, “Oh, my love, the pattern of his waistcoast struck my eye.”

 

Ah! The misery of a working wife, with fancywork run wild;

And hands that never do naught else for husband or for child;

Our clothes are rent, our bills unpaid; my house is in disorder;

And all because my lady wife has taken to embroider.

 

A History of Needlemaking

 

M. T. Morral, 1852

Fun!
Mood:  happy
Topic: Embroidery
Thanks Linda! Amazing how distance and bad lightening can make them look nicer! LOL

5 minutes after I had tied off the last knot, I started in on another towel. This time it is Aunt Martha's flour sack towels – much nicer fabric. The design is from 2 different places. The teapot is from Chickadee Hallow and the scroll work at the bottom is from a free site NeedleCrafters.

When I put the teapot into my text program, it just looked small by itself. Luckily for me there are LOADS of free designs out there. Now I know that this design is larger than what most do on tea towels. But I checked around on the net and found that this was common enough in the Old Country. I don't have what the Estonian knitters refer to as “a fear of open space” haha

I could NOT resist a teapot design. Actually, I went out hunting for teapots to embroider. I love her designs. I didn't get the preprinted ones shown, but instead bought the picture she uses so I could embroider my own: http://www.chickadeehollowdesigns.com/9__embroidery_6.html

She is supposed to have more teapot designs, so I will keep checking back!

  

Diana

Topic: Embroidery

Today I got the towels washed and ironed. I was worried as some of the darker colored flosses have been known to bleed. Ironic considering how Redwork came about in the late 1800’s (Victorian Era). There was a new red thread introduced to the world named "Turkey Red". It was dyed with madder root and didn’t bleed. Women were thrilled and set about stitching on just about anything that didn’t move too fast!

Now, you may have noticed that the Days of the Week (DOW) are spelt a little different. I went with the Old Norse/Old English spelling. Works for the geeks group I am in.

Diana

Done, done, done!
Mood:  don't ask
Topic: Embroidery

Thanks Linda – I LOVED doing The Tinks up for the girls. I couldn’t have done any of it, if it wasn’t for my dh. Man do I owe him LOTS of homemade goodies!

I finally finished my "Days of the Week" towels. I don’t even know where to begin. First, NEVER, EVER buy Targets organic cotton towels to embroider on. Seriously, just smack yourself around if you're into abuse, but in the name of all that is holy – NEVER try and embroider on them. I am just a beginner, so it was the month from hell for me.

In the very beginning I knew I should have stopped and regrouped. But dh had drawn them all out for me, and I didn’t want to ask him to do it again. :::sigh::: so I kept going, and going and going. I honestly thought, "okay, you are new to this, and you are using the wrong hand, it’ll get better". What is that saying -  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results!

My mantra for this year is "No more online exchanges" Those things are just deadly. You start off thinking your going to do something simple. Okay, I know a set of Redwork flour sack towels is not simple. I thought I would use the running stitch and be done in no time. I never should have listened to dh who suggested I use the chain stitch. It never did sit right on the towels. Dh thinks I am too critical, but when I ship these towels out, I will put a note in the box stating these are "shop towels".

Diana

PS
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: Embroidery

I forgot to mention that the flower colors were picked out by my grand daughters.

I was at JoAnn's with them and posed this question – "if you were a flower, which color would you be". They didn't know about the pillowcases. Beth, found a color that was similar to "chewed bubblegum" I don’t know if Sarah heard her sister, or saw the color, because she came up with a similar color. Beth announced that Sarah had picked a "fresh bubblegum" color. I then asked them to pick another color. It was great how their second color matched up so well with the bubblegum color. They then picked a color for Emily.

Each of the pillowcases has one flower done with my favorite color – yellow.

Diana

Pillowcases
Mood:  bright
Topic: Embroidery

I had tea with Linda today.  I had a great time.  I came home and felt all kinds of jazzed.  Thanks Linda!

I created a new "Topic" for my newest interest - embroidery.  Pictured below are pillowcases I did for my grand daughters.  My dh used fabric markers and I embellished with outline embroidery.  I found the picture of The Tink online.  The font is also available as a free online download.  :

 

I did these up for xmas. I did have to make the pillowcases from some Kona cotton.  With the storebought kind of pillowcases, the ink from the fiber pens would bleed.  This put me behind schedule, so unfortunately, I didn't finish Emily's in time.  I explained to her, and let her know that this would NEVER happen again.  Being mature for her age (2 months old) she took it in stride I know she is too young for a pillowcase, but it does make for a nice cover, or sleeping bag as her older sis uses hers!

Diana

PS Emily's isn't included here, I gave her the case before I got to take a picture of it