QS Red Hearts Update - August 2018

1,037 stitches were added to my Heaven and Earth Designs "QS Red Hearts" cross-stitch project last month. I love this beautiful artwork by Ching-Chou Kuik.

This is how she looked at the end of July.

And this is how she looked at the end of August.

The project is 86.37% complete. (It was 84.16% in July.)

Pages 1-4: 100% complete
Page 5:        95.67% (It was 91.06%)
Page 6:        69.17% (It was 59.7%)
Page 7:      100%
Page 8:        23.31% (It was 14.48%)
Page 9:          2.4% (It was 0.47%)

This weekend is International Hermit & Stitch Weekend (IHSW), so I hope to make a lot more progress!

Wishing you all a fantastic weekend!
Renee

IHSW originated at Random Ramblings. The goal is to set aside as much time as possible to stitch the 3rd full weekend of the month. There is an IHSW Facebook group, too.

CQJP 2018 March Block

If you follow me on Instagram or if you follow the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2018 blog, then you have probably seen this block.

My theme for this year's Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) is my favorite things. I love the beach and had so much fun creating this block.

First, I colored white fabric with Crayola crayons and set the color. (The process I use was explained in this post.)

Then, I cut the fabric between the sky and water sections and between the water and sand sections. I sewed each section together. 

Next, I traced a heart on the paper side of ThermOWeb HeatnBond Lite and adhered it to the fabric. I cut the heart out leaving 1/4-inch extra. I clipped the curves of the extra fabric and carefully ironed them toward the back of the heart. Then I fused the heart to the black background fabric and used a slip stitch to tack the edges down.

The sandy beach section was a bit smaller than the sketch I drew to plan out the block, but I think it all worked out okay.

Figuring out how to create the foamy waves on the beach was tricky. In the end, I decided to use French knots using 2 strands of floss. First, I used DMC 4020.

Then, I added white French knots.

A bullion stitched starfish was added next, using 2 strands of DMC 4120 variegated floss.

Feeling the ocean needed something more, a few straight stitches were added with size 5 DMC 4140 perle cotton to create a boat.

A straight stitch with size 5 DMC white perle cotton, and 2 straight stitches and a few satin stitches with size 12 DMC white perle cotton completed the sailboat.

Stem stitches with 2 strands of DMC 4020 floss created ripples of waves on the calm ocean.

A single strand of black DMC floss created this island and palm tree. The island was outlined with a split-stitch and then filled with a satin stitch. Stem stitches created the palm tree. (This island was inspired by the one Sandra Todd added to one of my blocks in an Under-the-Sea Round Robin in 2015. You may see it here.)

For the sun, I lightly traced a half circle around a spool of thread with a pencil.

Using a single strand of DMC 4077 floss, I followed the outline for the sun with a split-stitch.

The sun was then filled in using a single strand of the same floss and a satin stitch.

The seagulls were created with 2 strands of DMC 648. Using a needle, I punched holes through the birds in the sketch I had drawn (pictured above). I positioned the sketch over the heart on this block and made light pencil marks on the sky fabric through the holes in the paper. Those tiny marks were the guides used to make the birds.

Using 2 strands of DMC 4160, the heart was outlined with buttonhole stitches. To keep these stitches even, I used one of the templates I received from Sharon B. 

(I received the templates in return for an honest review and I love using mine! The full product review may be found in the Summer 2016 Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine, available at Magcloud.com. I am not affiliated with the templates or the magazine.)

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) is a challenge to create one crazy quilt block each month. The goal is to complete a 12-block crazy quilt by the end of the year. It is a personal challenge. You may learn more about it here. Sign ups usually open in November, if you think you might be interested in participating in 2019.

My block looks more like it is for an art quilt than a crazy quilt, but when the blocks are all assembled, I plan to add a crazy quilted border.

My April and May blocks have both been pieced, so there is hope I might finish CQJP 2018 before 2019 arrives. We shall see...

I hope you all have an amazing week. Thank you for visiting!
Renee


Related Posts:
Embellished CQJP 2018 February block - here
Embellished CQJP 2018 January block - here

My CQJP 2018 progress may be followed on this Pinterest board.

September 2018

Happy September!

My goals for the month were:

1. Make progress on QS Red Hearts - done!

I will share the update soon.

2. Embellish my March CQJP 2018 block - done, but not in August.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I worked on it this weekend (as seen in the photo above.) I will share an update soon.

3. Add more TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) stitches to my messenger bag - done! I will share updates soon.

September Goals:

1. Create my project(s) for the Peek a Who? Blog Hop that will be hosted by Marian at Seems to Be Sew this October. 

2. Piece my CQJP 2018 April block.

3. Piece a block to embellish for the Crazy Quilt Quarterly Spring 2019 Edition. (The Fall 2018 copy is available at MagCloud now. You may find it here.) Submissions for the Spring Edition need to be emailed to Pamela Kellogg by November 1st - you may learn more here.

4. Make progress on QS Red Hearts.

5. Blog progress made in August on QS Red Hearts, SK Effects of Caffeine, and TAST. 

6. Work on balancing work, family, chores, crafty time and blogging time better.

I am wishing you all a fantastic month!

Notes:

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project (CQJP) is a personal challenge to complete one crazy quilt block a month. You may see the blocks created this year here.

Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST) is a personal challenge to learn a new stitch every week. It is hosted by Sharon B. of Pintangle.com and you may find more information about it here.