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