CQJP 2014 June Block - A Purse for My Sister

Crazy quilted purse for my sister using a sew-in purse frame and my CQJP 2014 June block.

I made this purse for my sister using my CQJP 2014 June block.  (Unfortunately, in my rush to finish it and mail it out on time, I forgot to photograph the block before I sewed it into a purse.  Oops!)

The lighting in my home is horrible for photos.  The sun was so bright outside the morning I took these, it made it hard to really see some of the details.  Sorry about that.

The "C" monogram was taken from one of two fonts in Marsha Michler's book The Magic of Crazy Quilting: A Complete Resource for Embellished Quilting. (I am not affiliated with the book or the author.  However, I do receive a small credit if you go to Amazon.com through my site to order the book.  My husband bought this book for me for Christmas one year and it is one of my most used crazy quilting resources.)

This is the first purse I have made with a sew-in frame of this size, and I had a lot of fun putting it together.  I do hope my sister likes it.  (If not, I sent her a not telling her she could trade it in.  I suppose for her, I could take a special request - lol!  Black, purple and green are her favorite colors, so I hope she likes this one!)

Now... to see if I can catch up and stop running 2-3 months behind with the CQJP 2014 challenge.  To see tons of beautiful eye candy, or to learn more about the CQJP 2014 Challenge, check out CQJP2014.blogspot.com.

Thanks for stopping by!
Renee

My OSU Coin Purse

My Oregon State University Pink Coin Purse

For some reason, projects I decide to make for myself are frequently set aside to work on more pressing projects.  So, I am happy to announce I finally completed the little coin purse I began a few months ago.  If it looks a bit familiar, it could be that you recognize the TAST stitches I used along several of the seams. Or, you may have seen pictures on my list of goals on a WIP Wednesday post.

The back of my Oregon State University Pink Coin Purse

As silly as it may seem, I am simply thrilled to have this in my purse.  I used it today, and it was SO much better than my previous change purse.  (My previous change purse had a zipper and if there were coins in it, the cramped space made it a bear to close without bills catching in the zipper.) 

The curves are still a bit tricky, but sewing the frames in without the stitching showing is getting easier with each sew-in frame. (I am not sure why I am pointing this out... You can click on any image for a larger view.  With this last photo if you look at the upper-right curve, you will see a bit of my frame stitching. It's for me, so I am okay with it!)

Now, I am off to see about finishing another project.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

WIP Wednesday 08/27/14

Wednesday's seem to arrive faster and faster every week.  (Can you believe there are only 17 Fridays before Christmas?! 2014 will be over in the blink of an eye...)

As you can see, I have made some progress on my Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt.  Next week, I will have Barbara's name finished.

I also managed to knock a few items off of my list of goals.  :)  I may have added a few new items - but the total number has actually decreased.  (The total went from 21 to 18, and one of those is nearly complete. Whew!)

This week, I also shared about my first experience entering items in the county fair.  If you missed it, you can read about that here. 

To see Sharon's beautiful progress on her hussif, and to see what others are up to this week, check out this post on pintangle.com and the links in the comments.

Last Week's Goals:

 Short-term: 

1. The wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Progress seen above.
2. Make a TAST post. One stitch completed. View it here.
3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. As you can see, I barely touched it this week.  I will aim for 200 next week.
   
5. Paint guest bathroom. Waiting to surprise my hubby.

Long-term: 

1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
4. Embellish crazy quilted hexagon to participate in my first swap with the World Wide Crazy Quilters Yahoo! Group No one has posted pics of theirs this year - I am not sure it is happening.
5. A change purse for myself.  Almost done - I just need to sew the frame on.
   
6. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
7. Embellish June CQJP 2014 block. Done! (I forgot to take a pic before making it into a purse.)
8. Make purse with June CQJP 2014 block. This was a gift.  I will share pictures after it has been received.
9. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
10. Piece August CQJP 2014 block.
11. Make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop. 
12. Piece and embellish snowball for Kathy S. by September 30th.
13. Piece and embellish snowballs for Nicki Lee, Donna and Lori by end of October.
14. Piece and embellish snowballs for Lynne by the November 15th. 
15. Embellish next block for CQI Heart Round Robin. - Wow! Only 2 more blocks... I received the blocks on Friday!
16. Complete and mail a gift.  Done, but I have one more to make.

This Week's Goals:

 Short-term: 

1. The wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. 
2. Make a TAST post. 
3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 200 x-stitches by next week. 
5. Paint guest bathroom.
6.  Embellish next block for CQI Heart Round Robin. - Wow! Only 2 more blocks...

Long-term: 

1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
4. A change purse for myself.
5. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
6. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
7. Piece August CQJP 2014 block.
8. Make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop. 
9. Piece and embellish snowball for Kathy S. by September 30th. - An Africa theme - new for me.
10. Piece and embellish snowballs for Nicki Lee, Donna and Lori by end of October.
11. Piece and embellish snowballs for Lynne by the November 15th. 
12. Complete and mail a gift.

TAST 08/26/2014

This week, I completed one TAST stitch.  I just love the variety of stitches Sharon B. of pintangle.com shares with us!

TAST 126: Alternating Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch:

I used a light pink shade of size 8 Perle Cotton for this stitch so it would stand out on both the pink and the black fabrics.  I really liked this stitch!  Next time, I will try another way to dress it up. This time, I added French knots and straight stitches using more size 8 Perle Cotton - using a dark shade of pink and black to match the fabrics. Simple, but fun.

Next week, I hope to have the beaded variation completed - most likely in red, white and blue - to share with you.

To learn more about Take-A-Stitch Tuesday (TAST), click here.  To see what others have done this week, check out the comments here.

Thanks for stopping by!
Renee

The County Fair

If you read my post on August 6th, you know I entered two items in the county fair - a first for me.  I honestly had no expectations of earning ribbons.  (My eldest son told me he thinks I was the only one that thought so. He's sweet.) 

We attended the Clackamas County Fair on Saturday, August 16th, and I found my purse.



Then, I found my stocking.

Needless to say, I was happily surprised.  I shared the news on the CQI Yahoo! group, but had to wait to say anything here. 

Several months ago, I decided to give the purse to a dear family friend.  She spent years volunteering at the aquarium in Newport, Oregon, so the under-the-sea theme was perfect.  She also introduced me to embroidery through cross-stitch when I was in high school.  And, she gifted my sister and I with our first sewing machine, with the condition that we actually use it.  (The motor finally died about 2 years ago.  I still have it and plan to have it repaired one of these days.)  After picking my items up at the fairgrounds last Monday, I mailed the purse to my dear family friend - with the blue ribbon still attached - and thanked her once again.  Apparently, it was the perfect gift.  She loves it - which warms my heart.

I would love to encourage everyone to make an item to submit at their local fair.  It was such a fun experience.  The Hobby Hall is always my favorite place to visit.  And, I frequently find quilts and other items that I like better than the ones adorned with ribbons - so even if you did not earn a ribbon, others would have the opportunity to enjoy your work.

You might be surprised by the results.

If you do enter a piece in your local fair, I would love to hear about it!

WIP Wednesday 08/20/2014

Wow! It has been a very busy week.  I have spent SO much time stitching, yet feel like I still have very little to show for it.  I suppose that is a consequence of having too many projects going at once.  Particularly when they are not quick projects.

You can see the progress I have made on my Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt. (You can click on any photo for a larger image.) I added the second name and began on the third. For next week's photo, I will remove this waste canvas so you can see it a bit better. 

To learn more about Work In Progress (WIP) Wednesday, check out this link.  To see what Sharon and others have been up to, check out this link and remember to check the comments!

Now, to see the progress I have made on my (way too long) lists:

Last Week's Goals:

 Short-term: 

1. The wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. Progress seen above.
2. Make a TAST post. 2 stitches completed - you can see them HERE.
3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. Done - Completed over 500 x-stitches.
   
5. Paint guest bathroom. Still waiting so I can surprise my hubby.
6. Weed front yard.  (Like the way I added my chores - lol!) Done!

Long-term: 

1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
4. Embellish crazy quilted hexagon to participate in my first swap with the World Wide Crazy Quilters Yahoo! Group
5. A change purse for myself. Almost! I completed the second panel.  Now to assemble it!
   
6. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
7. Embellish June CQJP 2014 block. Almost done! All seams are embellished.
8. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block. Finished one seam.
   
9. Piece August CQJP 2014 block.
10. Make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop.  I finished one side. Here is a sneak peek of it so far:
    
11. Piece and embellish snowball for Kathy S. by September 30th.
12. Piece and embellish snowballs for Nicki Lee, Donna and Lori by end of October.
13. Piece and embellish snowballs for Lynne by the November 15th. 
14. Embellish next block for CQI Heart Round Robin.
15. Complete and mail a gift. Almost ready - should go out by the end of the week.

Last Week's Goals:

 Short-term: 

1. The wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. 
2. Make a TAST post. 
3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. 
5. Paint guest bathroom.

Long-term: 

1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
4. Embellish crazy quilted hexagon to participate in my first swap with the World Wide Crazy Quilters Yahoo! Group
5. A change purse for myself. 
6. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
7. Embellish June CQJP 2014 block.
8. Make purse with June CQJP 2014 block.
9. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
10. Piece August CQJP 2014 block.
11. Make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop. 
12. Piece and embellish snowball for Kathy S. by September 30th.
13. Piece and embellish snowballs for Nicki Lee, Donna and Lori by end of October.
14. Piece and embellish snowballs for Lynne by the November 15th. 
15. Embellish next block for CQI Heart Round Robin. - Wow! Only 2 more blocks...
16. Complete and mail a gift.

TAST 08/19/2014

For as much time as I have spent stitching, it feels I have not had much to share with you recently.  I did, however, manage to work in 2 more TAST stitches this week.  (TAST is Take a Stitch Tuesday - a challenge provided by Sharon B. at pintangle.com.  Feel free to check it out here.)

TAST 11: Whipped Wheel

My favorite use for the whipped wheel so far has been making sea stars (I have been told we no longer call them starfish, as they are not actually fish.) I used 2 strands of variegated DMC floss.

This time, I decided to try making a sea shell too.  (The shell was inspired by the ones Sharon B. shared on her TAST post for the whipped wheel - just click the title for the stitch above to check it out.) I used 2 strands of DMC floss.

TAST 125: Beaded Herringbone

When I saw this stitch on pintangle.com, I immediately knew I wanted to try it out with red, white and blue.  I used a single strand of size 8 perle cotton and seed beads.

I love the way this seam turned out.

Thanks so much for stopping by! To check out the 2 new stitches Sharon has shared check out this link.  Do not forget to check the comments to see what others have been up to!

Thanks for stopping by!
Renee

WIP Wednesday 08/13/14

This week, I began embroidering the front of my Winter/Christmas Wall Quilt. (Click on any photo for a larger view.

Work in Progress (WIP) Wednesday is a support group for those of us working on (or meaning to work on) stitching projects.  To learn more, check out the WIP Wednesday FAQ's at pintangle.com.  Check out this post to see what Sharon B. has been up to this week, and be sure to check out the links in the comments to see what others have been up to - I find some pretty lovely eye candy there every week!





Now, to take a peek at my goals... (I really need to stop adding to them - lol! One list went down by one, but the other went up by one...)  I am planning to paint the bathroom as a surprise for my hubby.  I thought I would have the perfect opportunity last week, but that fell through.  Maybe this week, but his schedule just changed again.  We'll see!

Last Week's Goals:

Short-term: 

1. The wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. See progress above.
   
2. Make a TAST post. Two stitches done! To see the post, click here.
3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. Completed over 200 x-stitches.
   
5. Embellish Barbara's block for CQI Hearts Round Robin. Done! To see more pics, click here.
   
   
6. Paint guest bathroom.
7. Weed front yard.  (Like the way I added my chores - lol!)

Long-term: 

1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
4. Embellish crazy quilted hexagon to participate in my first swap with the World Wide Crazy Quilters Yahoo! Group
5. A change purse for myself. I worked on this with my TAST stitches.
   
6. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
7. Embellish June CQJP 2014 block.
8. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
9. Piece August CQJP 2014 block. (I may combine this with #10)
10. Make an up-cycled coin purse. Done! To see it, click here.
11. Open an Etsy shop and list up-cycled coin purse! (I am excited and nervous.  Any Etsy tips are welcome for this newbie!) Done! My Etsy shop is called Hand Stitched Treasure.
12. Piece and embellish snowball for Kathy S. by September 30th.
13. Piece and embellish snowballs for Nicki Lee (partially pieced), Donna (partially pieced) and Lori by end of October.
14. Piece and embellish snowballs for Lynne by the November 15th. 

This Week's Goals:

 Short-term: 

1. The wall quilt I plan to create with all of my CQI Winter/Christmas blocks. 
2. Make a TAST post. 
3. Complete back for May CQJP 2014 block.
4. Freebie Santa and the Mouse Ornament -  Heaven and Earth Designs chart by Michele Sayetta and artwork by Scott Gustafson. (I believe the ornament is a portion of the chart "Santa and the Mouse.") Complete 100 x-stitches by next week. 
5. Paint guest bathroom.
6. Weed front yard.  (Like the way I added my chores - lol!)

Long-term: 

1. Make a purse with my April CQJP 2014 block.
2. Make a purse with my May CQJP 2014 block.
3. My CQJP 2013 May block - better late than never?! (It is referred to as Block 4 if you follow this link.)
4. Embellish crazy quilted hexagon to participate in my first swap with the World Wide Crazy Quilters Yahoo! Group
5. A change purse for myself. 
6. Have a count of at least 50,000 words for my CampNaNoWriMo novel.
7. Embellish June CQJP 2014 block.
8. Embellish July CQJP 2014 block.
9. Piece August CQJP 2014 block.
10. Make a sew-in frame purse for my Etsy shop.  Here is a sneak peek of it so far.
    
11. Piece and embellish snowball for Kathy S. by September 30th.
12. Piece and embellish snowballs for Nicki Lee, Donna and Lori by end of October.
13. Piece and embellish snowballs for Lynne by the November 15th. 
14. Embellish next block for CQI Heart Round Robin. 
15. Complete and mail a gift.

TAST 08/12/14

Tuesday has snuck up on us again.  Is it just me, or is this year flying by?!

I managed two TAST stitches this week.

TAST 124: Closed Herringbone

 

The EdMar rayon floss I used is rather fine.  I look forward to trying this with a thicker floss.  However, I love the little diamond shapes this stitch created along the seam.

TAST 85: Raised Cup

I really love the way these little raised cups can become flowers.  I look forward to making more of them in the future!  These two are a little lonely on this seam; but not to worry, I have plans to fix that!  (Sorry, I just could not bring myself to crop Benny Beaver - the OSU mascot - out of the picture.)

Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) is a challenge offered by Sharon B. at pintangle.com. Although it is a challenge, you set your own goals.  There are currently 125 stitches Sharon has shared.  If you want to participate, you set your own goal - learn one stitch a month or two or more each week. Take pictures of your work to share on your blog or Flickr account and link back to the TAST post on pintangle.com.  Leave a comment on the current TAST post with a link to your blog or Flickr account so the rest of us can admire your work.  To see what others have been up to this week, click here - do not forget to check out the links in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!
Renee

Hand Stitched Treasure

Last night, I finished this little coin purse.

The exterior was created with a re-purposed pair of blue/black denim jeans. 

 And the lining was created with a re-purposed 100% silk purple dress.

Hearts are my favorite shape, so I embroidered one on the front.  Well.. two if you count the one in the butterflies flight path.

Way back in my January "Grow Your Blog" post, you may remember I was toying with the idea of opening a shop on Etsy.  Well, today I finally did!  I am nervous and excited all at once.  And this little coin purse is the first item in my Hand Stitched Treasure Etsy Shop.  (I know, in January, I thought my little under the sea themed purse would be the first item.  However, that is currently checked in with the Clackamas County Fair - which opens tomorrow.  I do not expect any ribbons, but it was fun just to participate!)

Now, I am off to finish a few chores and try to work on a few more projects so this coin purse is not so lonely.

Thanks for stopping by!
Renee

First CQ Messener Bag Post 13

If you have been following my blog long, you may have wondered what ever happened to the messenger bag I started last year.  (Sorry for the lighting in the picture above!) To be honest, I find it difficult to spend my time working on items for myself.  So, I set it aside to work on other projects. Gifts, round robin blocks, and items for swaps are easier.  It could be because they have deadlines.  But, I think it is because I enjoy giving hand made gifts to people in my life.  (The deadline thing does light a fire though...)

While working on the block I embellished for Flora, I wanted to try a different idea for the wings on a dragonfly.  In the past, I used strips of 4mm silk ribbon, this time I wanted to stitch them. I knew I wanted dragonflies on a specific section of the panel of my messenger bag, so I pulled it out to practice before adding one to Flora's block.

I also wanted to try using the straight and long stitch method (needle painting) to create a birdhouse.

Hmm... Looking at the first picture in this post, I realize the dragonfly and the birdhouse are definitely NOT proportional.  Oh well.  This will be for me and I like them anyway...

Messenger bag panel - bare

Messenger Bag panel - with topiary

While working on Barbara's block, I wanted to test out an idea I had for a topiary.  As I planned to use silk ribbon, and silk ribbon is not cheap, I did not want to test it on a doodle cloth.  There was not an ideal place for it on the panel of the messenger bag I had been embellishing; so, I pulled out another panel I had pieced for the bag and found a home for the topiary.  (This topiary was inspired by the memory of a motif in The Silk Ribbon Embroidery Bible by Joan Gordon. And the beads were purchased from Crazy Quilting Supplies - I am not affiliated with the book or the shop.)

Once I finish my Winter/Christmas wall quilt, I believe the messenger bag will be my next Work In Progress (WIP) Wednesday project.  In the meantime, perhaps I will find a few more ideas I hope to try out that will work on one of these panels!


Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

CQI Heart DYB Round Robin 2014 - Set 3 Complete

Last night, I finished my work on Barbara's beautiful block!  This block was a challenge for me, as it forced me to step out of my comfort zone.  Had this block stood on its own, I would have embellished it using only whites/creams, reds, blacks, and a minimal amount of green for stems/leaves.  However, this block is part of a set and the other blocks include various shades of pinks, and one includes purple embellishments.  When put together, I wanted this block to coordinate well with the others.  So, I added in various shades of pinks, greens and a bit of variegated blue/purple/pink.  I almost tore out the red along the seam beneath the Scottie Dogs (one of the first I added), as I feared it was too overpowering.  Instead, I tried to add red in the upper-left and upper-right to balance it out.  I think it worked.

 

Here was the bare block. (Click on any photo for a larger image.

Barbara asked for one heart to be added to the block and lots of flowers.  I hope this meets her expectations!

The cyclamen were made using stitching instructions from the book Embroidery for All Seasons by Diana Lampe, but using EdMar rayon flosses.

The butterfly bead is a Swarovski Crystal Element I purchased at JoAnn Fabrics.  (They may be cheaper at Amazon.com.)

These darling flower beads came in a bead package I purchased some time ago from Evening Star Designs (and they did not go out of business after all.  However, their website was undergoing construction at the time of this post. I am not affiliated with the shop.)  These are larger than beads I normally use, but I love the way they turned out.  I secured them to the fabric by stitching a Mill Hill Petite Glass Seed Bead in the center.

This topiary was inspired by the memory of a motif in The Silk Ribbon Embroidery Bible by Joan Gordon.  I purchased the darling tiny pink 3/16th inch porcelain flowers some time ago at Crazy Quilting Supplies.  (I am not affiliated with the shop.)  Due to the size of the beads, I knew I wanted to use them with silk ribbon.  This topiary idea popped into my mind.  I tested it out on another project (I will share soon) and loved the results.  The pink pot felt a bit bright to me, but it really goes with a shade of pink on another block (as seen below), so I went with it.

Here is a picture of the blocks Kathy S. (Clothqueen) and I embellished.

Thank you for stopping by!
 Renee