CQJP 2017 January Seams 11 & 12 - TAST 60 & 67

TAST Stitch 60: Inverted Feather Stitch

The inverted feather stitch was worked with size 8 DMC #605 pearl cotton. 

It was fun to stitch, but I need more practice!

Feeling it needed more to it, I added 3 heart-shaped beads. (These were purchased from an Etsy Shop that went out of business.)

It still felt like it needed more, so I used size 8 DMC #320 pearl cotton to run a stem stitch along the top of the inverted feather stitched seam. Using the same thread, straight stitches were added to create stems and leaves for flowers emerging from heart-shaped pots. (This idea was inspired by a comment Sharon B. made about my magic chain stitch. She noted that the white stitches could be pots for the flowers above.) Each stem was topped with a pair of fly stitches and a French knot with size 8 Anchor variegated pink pearl cotton. I love the way it turned out!

TAST 67: Raised Cup Stitch

The raised cup stitch was worked with Presencia Finca perle cotton #1724. 

(My apologies. My camera did not want to focus on these, and if I crop it more, the photo blurs more. The 3 raised cups are at the top.)

3 mm dark pink beads were added to the center of each raised cup using a strand of DMC 3605 floss.

This is the 12th seam on my CQJP 2017 January block and it is not quite complete. After the embroidery is finished on the block, I will be adding green silk ribbon leaves to each of these little cups to turn them into flowers.

In 2014, I used the raised cup in a similar fashion on another project, as seen here.

It is a fun stitch to work, but takes me a while.

Thank you for stopping by!

Renee

Notes that may be of interest:

TAST stands for Take a Stitch Tuesday. It is a personal challenge to learn new embroidery stitches and is offered by Sharon B. at Pintangle. Many participants share their work on Facebook. You may also find photos of TAST work on Instagram by searching #TASTembroidery or #PintangleTAST. You may learn more about TAST here and find the Facebook group here.

Celebrating her 10th year with TAST, Sharon is sharing a series of interviews with TAST participants. Last week, she interviewed Annet of Fat Quarter. Annet does beautiful work and created the TAST log pictured above. You may find the interview here and visit Annet's blog here.

Valerie Bothell is beginning the Joyful Embellishment series again through her Facebook group this week. You may find the group here.

The Spring 2017 Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine is available on MagCloud now. The cover features work by Allison Aller. (Her work is stunning and one of her books began my crazy quilt book collection.) I just took a quick look at my copy of the magazine and love some of the bird tutorials shared. You may find the Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazines on MagCloud here and learn more about submitting your work here.

InCoWriMo begins tomorrow! INternational COrrespondence WRIting MOnth is a challenge to hand write and mail or hand deliver a card, postcard, note, or letter every day in the month of February. You may learn more about it here. (According to the participant map, I am 1 of 8 Oregonians participating.) If you would like to receive a letter from me, please let me know in a comment. (If you are a no-reply blogger, you will need to include your email address.) Please do not post your address in the comments. I can email you privately for that information to protect your privacy. If you are participating, please let me know!

CQJP 2017 stands for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2017. You may learn more here and see the blocks completed this year here.

Note: I am not affiliated with anything linked to in this post.

Fractal White Tiger January 2017

Well, I tried. Really. I did. I just did not have the patience to work page 6 row by row on the chart until I reached the eye. 

So, the whole piece looks a little odd, but the first eye is almost done!

(If you are wondering, the answer is yes. I did have "The Eye of the Tiger" playing through my mind as I worked on this.)

This is how my Charting Creations Fractal White Tiger project featuring artwork by Ricky Barnard looked in my last update.

1,962 stitches were added this month.

This morning marked my 50th day working on this one. I cannot tell you how much I love seeing the tiger emerge!

I hope to surpass the 10% complete mark soon. It is getting close! 

I took this piece with me as my travel project this weekend (instead my Storykeep Effects of Caffeine) because I could not wait to get to the eye of the tiger. We have some very dear family friends we get together with once a month to play Pinochle. We have one extra person, so I like to take the opportunity to visit with everyone and stitch while they play. It is always fun to see what the others have been up to. This time, I get to share a bit of that with you.

This month our friend, Peggy Hall, gifted this stunning quilt to our friend, Judy Smith. (When two of the gentlemen in our group held it up for a third to take a photo, I grabbed my phone and asked the ladies if I could share it on my blog.) I love birds and postcards (it features postcard fabric prints) and quilts. This is gorgeous. It is a perfect gift for Judy, so it makes me smile all the more. I am so blessed to have this wonderful group of people in my life.

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Renee

I began Fractal White Tiger on January 1, 2016 as part of A New Stitchy Start 2015 & 2016. The name has changed to the 2017 Stitcher's Group. Two members finished their projects last year and we have a few new members with new starts this year. 

It is Monday, so I am linking with the Stitchery Link Party #95 at Super Mom - No Cape. There is a fun His & Hers vintage pattern available this week. If you do hand embroidery and have a blog, I hope you will join the party!

1 Christmas Item a Month - January 2017

Merry Christmas North Pole Mug Rug

Yay! I have a finish! 

This has been a UFO (Unfinished Object) since 2015.

A few of you may recall my *brilliant* plan of trying to design 48 mug rug patterns that could also be incorporated into a quilt.

Had you seen my attempts to bind this little mug rug last night,

you might understand why I am laughing out loud as I type this. (My list of things I am grateful for now includes seam rippers.)

I do have notes and will share a tutorial on how this block was created at a later date.

I love the Merry Christmas fabric on the back. 

I found it at JoAnn Fabric. 

I think it is Holiday Inspirations Merry Christmas Red Metallic.

I used a false back and "quilted" the mug rug (if one may call it that) with the snowflakes embroidered and beaded on the white) and then covered that with this pretty fabric.

I followed a series of 3 videos shared by Stitches of Love on YouTube to re-learn how to bind a mug rug. You may find them here: part 1, part 2, & part 3. I am not affiliated with their site and all of my errors were due to my lack of experience and not quite seeing how it was done. (I taught myself how NOT to do it first.)

Hand embroidered buttonholes tacked down all of the raw-edge applique. Merry Christmas and the pole for the sign were hand embroidered with stem stitches. And snowflakes were embroidered with fly stitches and/or straight stitches. Mill Hill Petite Glass Seed Beads created a few tiny snowflakes or embellished the larger ones. (The snowflake above is my favorite on the block.)

Last November, I did not share a 1 X-mas Item a Month post. It was a crazy month with no finishes.

I forgot to share this little zipper pouch I made for a blogging friend. (You may find her work at DesertSky Quilting and CQ4Fun.) I was just waiting for her to receive it before sharing it on-line. (November was a rough month and I completely forgot!)

I also forgot about this fabric postcard I finished in December.

(You might remember the Holiday Inspirations Fabric - Susan Winget Peeking Snowmen fabric from the tote bag I shared in December of 2015.)

For the back, I used green fabric.

Here is a question for those of you with more experience mailing fabric postcards: Will a stamp stick to the fabric if you mail the postcard without a clear plastic envelope?

Thank you all for stopping by!

Renee

Participating with the 1 Xmas Item a Month blog motivates me to complete Christmas gifts before the rush of the holiday season arrives. I want to thank Narelle for all she does in her workshop!

CQJP 2017 January Seams 8 & 9

The 8th seam on my CQJP 2017 block was fun to create!

(I tried step-by-step photos, but most turned out blurry... Blurrier than this one.)

First, I worked a feather stitch from the top to the bottom using a strand of size 8 DMC #125 variegated green pearl cotton. 

Next, I worked detached chain stitches in sets of 2 or 3 with the same thread.

After that, a 3 mm pearl bead was stitched to the tips with only 2 leaves.

(Before I began stitching the leaves, I looked to see what arrangement would put the beads at least 1/4-inch from the basted seam line.)

For the 9th seam, I worked a pair of detached chain stitches so that one ran along the seam and the other angled out a bit. I used size 8 Anchor #230 green pearl cotton.

Then, I added a straight stitch between the 2 detached chain stitches.

Pink flower sequins were then held in place with cream Mill Hill Petite Glass Seed Beads #40123 attached with a strand of DMC ecru floss.

Finally, a French knot was stitched between each flower with a strand of size 12 DMC #B5200 pearl cotton.

I love the way this one turned out!

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Renee

If you are wondering...

CQJP 2017 stands for Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2017. It is a personal challenge to embellish a crazy quilt block a month. The blocks should be a minimum of 8-inches square (which is the size of my block.) You may learn more about CQJP 2017 HERE.

Other posts related to this block include:

Piecing the block

Seam 1

Seams 2 & 3

Seams 4 & 5 

Seams 6 & 7

Seam 10

My CQJP 2017 project may also be found on this Pinterest board.

CQJP 2017 January Seam 10 - TAST 69

TAST Stitch 69: Magic Chain Stitch

Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) started up again today after taking a break. 

Stitch 69 is the Magic Chain Stitch (also known as Checkered Chain Stitch.) 

I chose to work this with size 5 DMC perle cotton in pink (#899) and white (#B5200) because I thought it would look great with the thicker thread. 

If you choose to use size 5 thread for this stitch, I would NOT recommend working it across a seam that is 4 layers of fabric thick. Even with a large needle, it was HARD to pull that much floss through. (I realized this with the first stitch and decided it was worth bruising my finger and my thumb. I am not sorry about the decision, but it does not feel like a smart one - lol!)

That being said, I LOVE working this stitch. The first time I tried it, I worked it in pink and black following directions in an embroidery book my mom gave me.

Tonight, I worked the stitch onto the 10th seam embellished on my CQJP 2017 January block. 

On the lighter pink fabric, above the magic chain, I used size 8 Anchor pearl cotton #786 to create a fly stitch and a straight stitch above the white chains. Then, I used a single strand of DMC #604 floss to attach a hot pink seed bead to create little flowers.

Tomorrow, I will take a step back and share seams 8 & 9. (Spoiler Alert: You may see part of the 9th seam above the magic chain seam.)

Thank you for stopping by!

Renee

If you are wondering:

BLOG NAME: A few of you may have noticed the blog name changed. I realized that "Living My Dream" was actually a trademarked name, so I changed the blog name to "Hand Stitched Treasure".

TAST stands for Take a Stitch Tuesday. It is a personal challenge offered by Sharon B. at Pintangle.com. Anyone may join the challenge at any time. You may learn more about TAST here and you may find the Facebook group here. On social media, search for the hashtags #TASTembroidery and #PintangleTAST.

CQJP 2017 stands for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2017. It is a personal challenge to complete a crazy quilt block a month that is at least 8-inches square in size. You may learn more about it here.

Other posts related to this block include:

Piecing the block

Seam 1

Seams 2 & 3

Seams 4 & 5

Seams 6 & 7

My CQJP 2017 project may also be found on this Pinterest board.

HAED SK Effects of Caffeine Day 15

This weekend we went to Lincoln City and I took my Heaven and Earth Designs SK Effects of Caffeine cross-stitch with me. I love this storykeep (SK) based on artwork by Randal Spangler. 

I managed to add 136 stitches, so the 2nd row of page 1 is almost finished, and the top gem on the book is almost filled in.

(Here is a close up photo taken at an angle.)

As for the reason we were in Lincoln City... 

My Christmas gift to my husband and my boys included tickets to see Bill Engvall perform at the Chinook Winds Casino.

We laughed SO hard! Seriously. Bill Engvall is hilarious.

We had an amazing view from our room at the Best Western Plus Lincoln Sands Oceanfront Suites.

(Most of the time it was stormy and we watched huge waves breaking. Sunday morning there was lightning, too!)

My camera was zoomed way too much when I caught this shot, so it is a little pixelated. I don't think I care. It was one of my favorite pictures from our trip. 

Our clothes were dripping when we returned from our walk. It was awesome.

Between rain showers on Saturday, we walked along Highway 101 and checked out some of the shops. I loved little areas like this on the sidewalk.

Personally, I cannot eat shellfish. However, my family loves it. So, no trip to Lincoln City is complete without stopping here, at Barnacle Bill's, on the way home. 

(My family is happy! Looking up their website to share a link, I discovered we can find Barnacle Bill's seafood at a market only half an hour away.)

I hope you did something fun this weekend!

Today I am joining the Monday Stitchery Link Party #94 at Super Mom - No Cape! I do hope you will join the fun by linking a post with embroidery or just visiting those that have linked up and checking out the free vintage embroidery pattern - there are seahorses this week!

Things that might be of interest:

InCoWriMo - Have you heard of this before?! I read a hashtag on Instagram on Sunday morning and had to check it out. International Correspondence Writing Month was inspired by NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, which occurs in November.) InCoWriMo is a commitment to mail or deliver a hand written letter (or postcard or card - the key here is that it be hand written) every day in February. I love the idea. It will be a challenge for me, but I plan to try it this year. If you decide to join, please let me know!

TAST - A new series of Take a Stitch Tuesday will be beginning this week as Sharon B. celebrates ten years of this personal stitching challenge. The new stitches will be shared at Pintangle and several participants share their work on the Facebook TAST group.

Sunday Stitch School - I met my blogging friend at Queenie's Needlework through TAST. This year, she decided to learn some new stitches is sharing a new one each Sunday.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

Note: I am not affiliated with any of the companies, people or blogs linked to in this post.

CQJP 2017 January Block Seams 6 & 7

The 6th seam on my CQJP 2017 January block was inspired by Valerie Bothell's Joyful Embellishments #186.

You may see Valerie's seam HERE. The stitch combination shared for #186 was the stem stitch, the cross stitch and the French knot.

Disclaimer: I add links to some of the products I use for your convenience. NOTE: if you visit Amazon through my blog and make a purchase, I do receive a small credit.

I used size 5 DMC B5200 snow white perle cotton for the stem stitch. EdMar Glory #083 variegated medium to pale dark pink floss created the cross stitches. Instead of adding French knots, I attached Mill Hill Petite Glass Seed Beads #42010 Ice beads with a strand of DMC 762 floss. (I secure each bead by wrapping the needle through the bead 3 times and then firmly secure the thread on the back of the fabric before moving on to the next bead.)

This was a fun stitch combination that I hope to use again.

The 7th seam was created following Joyful Embellishments #213. 

You may see Valerie's seam HERE.

This combination called for a straight stitch, detached chain stitches and French knots.

First, I planned where to place each stitch. I did not want the seam to cut off a flower and I wanted the elements evenly spaced.

I worked straight stitches and detached chain stitches with size 8 Anchor #786 green pearl cotton and topped the straight stitches with a French knot using size 8 Anchor variegated pink perle cotton. Between each flower, I worked a French knot with size 12 DMC #B5200 snow white pearl cotton.

I do love the way this one looks!

If you are wondering...

CQJP 2017 stands for Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2017. It is a personal challenge to create one crazy quilt block a month that is at least 8-inches square. You may learn more about it HERE and see other blocks that have been completed HERE.

Joyful Embellishments is a group Valerie Bothell created on Facebook. Monday through Friday, she shares new stitch ideas for crazy quilt seams and/or motifs. She has a Pinterest Board with each of the Joyful Embellishments stitching combinations that you may find HERE.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

Other posts related to this project include:

How the block was pieced

Seam 1

Seams 2 & 3

Seams 4 & 5

My CQJP 2017 project may also be found on this Pinterest board.

CQJP 2017 January Seams 4 & 5 - TAST 59 & 65

10 Year Anniversary of TAST!

This is the 10th anniversary for Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), offered by Sharon Boggon at Pintangle.com.  To celebrate a decade of TAST, she will be restarting the series of stitches beginning next Tuesday, January 24th.  You may read more about her plans, some fun challenges, and about her new book HERE.

Personally, I am still catching up with the most recent set of TAST stitches. (Next time, I may make an actual sampler, so I do not find myself stumped wondering what current project the current stitch will work with...) I practiced two new stitches this week.

TAST Stitch 65: Top Knotted Buttonhole

I thought it would be fun to use the top knotted buttonhole stitch on a curve to embellish this crazy quilt seam. (You may click on any photo for a larger image.)

An edge on one of Sharon B.'s Crazy Quilt Templates Set 1 was perfect for what I had in mind. 

DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with Sharon B.'s templates, but I received a set in exchange for an honest review and do love using them!

Using a mechanical pencil, I lightly marked dots along the curves onto the block. (I did not want to fully trace the lines, as I was afraid they may not be fully covered by the stitching.)

The stitch was worked with size 12 DMC #B5200 snow white pearl cotton.

Although I could have stopped there, I wanted to dress the seam up more.

Five straight stitches were added around each "knot" with size 8 Presencia Finca #1724 perle cotton to create flower petals.

Three small white buttons were secured within the curves of the seam using a strand of DMC #604 light cranberry floss.

I really enjoyed working the top knotted buttonhole stitch and building this seam!

TAST Stitch 59: Woven Detached Chain Stitch

I had a hard time deciding how I wanted to work the woven detached chain stitch. So, I followed several of the links that were shared in the comments on the tutorial post in 2013. I fell in love with the flowers Isabelle shared HERE on her blog. 

Using a ruler. I found the center of this seam and placed dots at the start and end points for five petals.

I worked the stitch with size 8 DMC #605 very light cranberry pearl cotton.

I was not sure if I should start the detached chain stitch in the center or the outer edge of the petal. This one began on the outside, but I started the rest in the inner circle of dots.

After completing the first "petal", I moved on to the next until all 5 were done.

I could have left it as it was, but decided to dress it up more.

A 4 mm silver bead filled the center beautifully.

Evenly spaced colonial knots decorated the remainder of the seam.

These are both stitches I see myself using in the future.

Thank you for stopping by!

Renee

What is TAST?

TAST stands for Take a Stitch Tuesday, a personal stitching challenge offered by Sharon Boggon at Pintangle.com. You may learn more about it HERE. There is an active TAST group on Facebook where participants share photos of the work they create with each stitch.

Other posts related to this project include:

1. How the block was pieced 

2. Seam 1 Part 1 

3. Seams 2 & 3 

My CQJP 2017 project may also be found on this Pinterest board.

Note: Post updated June 2017 to remove outdated links.