Tatting border

I think tatting is a gorgeous art form and consider myself lucky to have a few pieces in my textile collection. This is a favorite. I'm planning on making something pretty so I can use it as a border but my problem is that the tatting, while in the round, is not quite a circle and not quite a square. I absolutely do not want to cut into it so I may have to do some creative attaching.

A repurposed antique

I love this piece of embroidery. It was done by my great aunt and looks similar on both sides. It is a tea pot cover/warmer and was used on special occasions.
One day I was taking a closer look at it and realized it had been re-purposed. When I looked at the inside seams I saw it had originally been a long rectangular table runner that had been cut down and sewn back together. There is another table runner somewhere that matches it. You can still see some of the embroidery in the seams.
I'm contemplating taking some of the pieces from my collection that have been stained and re-using them so that they can have a second life :)

Airing out some of my antique textiles

All made by my grandmothers and great aunts. I do have colors but I just felt like sharing some of the white/cream/ecru ones :)

Project update - Cushion cover

I finally got out of Bellevue (by myself) yesterday, mainly to try out a couple of the roads that I need to drive along on Thursday. Parts are cracking open from the flood and one of the bridges is being worked on but on the whole it looks like I can get to where I need to be.
While I was out I headed over to Joanne Fabrics and got the other color I need for my pillow.

While I was out I headed over to Joanne Fabrics and got the other color I need for my pillow and some of the additional supplies I need for an SS project.

Project update - Cushion cover

I'm making some progress. Some parts of it will make more sense once my other color is added in :) Some of the loose-ish looking stitching will tighten up once the pillow form is added.

A project of a different nature

My santa sampler cushion is no more, ribbit, ribbit.
My brain is somewhat under stress from the catastrophic weather that has hit us so has gone on linear stitching mode :)
I'm still making a cushion and when it is complete it will be navy and (hopefully) lime green.

Birds in a Tree project finishes - #4

As usual my brain took me in a different direction to what I had planned :) Meet my new sewing pouch. It holds everything I need in one small convenient area which is great when my daughter wants to sit beside me on our wee couch.

Outside closed up measures 41/2"x51/2"

Inside is lined and has a ribbon strap so that I can wear it round my neck on long car trips. It's big enough to hold my scissors, seam presser, seam ripper, floss and some extra needles. AND it has some identity beading on the inside :)
The project needs a bit of refinement and I had some ideas for additions to it after I was finished,  so I might experiment with some of my orphan quilt blocks to see what I come up with.

My stitching frame and other questions.

I've been asked by a few people about the stitching frame I am using for Cirque des Carreaux. I found it at Joanne Fabrics and it comes in a couple other shapes and sizes. You put the inner section under your fabric of choice then carefully snap the upper section in place over the top. It holds the fabric very securely in place and as you can see from the photograph leaves an impression when you take it all apart. Last time that happened I was able to steam press the indentations out.

Do I back my stitching when I am finishing my projects? It depends upon the size and what I am going to use the project for. Everything I have done so far this year has not had an extra layer except for the intentional quilting projects which have cotton or bamboo batting. I'm working on a large stitch cushion at the moment which will have some kind of additional fabric backing to protect the stitches.

What do you do about the foreign language e-mail messages? I copy and paste them to Google to find out the content. Started doing that a few weeks ago. There are some English speaking people, set to no-reply pseudo bloggers, out there who are just being "silly". Others are genuine first language speakers with active blogs.

Am I using variegated thread for Cirque des Carreaux? NO.

Birds in a Tree pattern

For those of you who expressed an interest in the pattern go to http://cargaudlabrico.canalblog.com/
Click on One too "free" in the side bar then scroll down to 23 janvier 2009 "SpiraLbre" or go to http://storage.canalblog.com/19/36/196059/35024058.jpg

Birds in a Tree project finishes

We had unexpected guests this week courtesy of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. They had been at the same conference as John in Atlanta and were unable to return to the Netherlands so they stayed with us.

I finished stitching my Birds in a Tree and so far have made 3 of them into little gifts.

A long mini pillow 11"x4"

A small square pillow with a quilted back51/2"x51/2"

A little door hanger  4"x4"

I'm contemplating a pin keep or a flat fold for the last one.