Christmas Project: SAL Update 3

 

In the future, I need to remember to only stitch 2-over-2 on 32-count evenweave. My idea of working on this during my lunch hour did not work out because the stitches are soooo tiny that I can only work on it under my Ottlite with the magnifying glass. It is so much fun to watch Santa emerge, though!  (I took a photo with my needle to give an idea of just how small this piece is.)

The photo below shows my progress in our last SAL update. Please note the colors in the photo above are more accurate. It was dark out, so I had poor lighting for the photo below.

Please stop by to see the wonderful projects everyone else in our SAL is working on.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze,

Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy,

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan,

Deborah, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy,

Anne, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Thank you for stopping by!

Renee

Christmas Project: SAL Update 2

 

I actually managed to work a bit of stitching into my schedule! 

The nearest craft store no longer carries waste canvas, so I ordered some online. As of yesterday, it had not arrived. Determined to get started on this project, I searched through the cross-stitch fabrics I have here at home and found a perfectly-sized piece of 28-Count Evenweave. I chose to use that instead of the holly fabric shared in our last update.

This project is #32 in the Santa Designs section of the book 501 Cross Stitch Designs by Sam Hawkins. 

I do hope you will stop in and see the lovely projects everyone else is working on! 

Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze,

Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy,

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan,

Deborah, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy,

Anne, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

Christmas Project: SAL Update 1

I will be taking a brief break from Twilight Duel. However, there is a Christmas project I will be working on as soon as I am able to pick up more waste canvas. It is hard to see in this photo, but the white fabric is a holly print. The project is small enough to travel with and to work on during my lunch break.

Please stop by to see what everyone else has been working on. 

Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze,

Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy,

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan,

Deborah, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy,

Anne, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen

Thank you for stopping by!

Renee

Winter/Christmas Crazy Quilt July 2020 Update

One of my goals for the year is to finally finish this crazy quilted wall quilt. Way, way back in 2014, I completed a round robin with 5 very talented crazy quilters through the Crazy Quilt International Group.

After embellishing the final block, I pieced all six blocks together to create a small wall quilt. Then I came up with the brilliant idea of quilting the borders with hand embroidered and beaded snowflakes. 

I love the look, but began to dread stitching the snowflakes after a while. As a result, this has been sitting in a bag for years. I made a tiny bit of progress in February, and set it aside again. 

This month, I worked on it a few days during my lunch break at work and actually made some visible progress. In August, I hope to be much closer to a finish! 

To push me along, this is my current project for the 1 Xmas Item a Month Blog and it is #9 on my 2020 UFO list.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope you are all enjoying some relaxing crafting time.

Renee

Crazy Quilted Christmas Stocking

Creating this stocking has been such a joy!

This was project #10 on my 2017 UFO Challenge through allpeoplequilt.com. It was the June project. Clearly, I took my time finishing it.

This is how it looked when I shared my 2017 UFO List last December. 

"Magical Ride" from the Stoney Creek Collection: Cool Friends Book 211 was cross-stitched in June. 

A woven zig zag chain stitch from TAST was added to embellish a seam of holly.

Oops! It looks like I shared the Christmas tree seam near the bottom on Instagram, but forgot to share it on the blog in October.

Chevron stitches were used to couch down a blue ribbon, straight stitches filled in the "trees", bugle beads became tree trunks, and yellow beads became stars.

Raised Herringbone Band from TAST was added in November. 

An angel seam, inspired by An Encyclopedia of Crazy Quilt Stitches and Motifs by Linda Causee, was added December 3rd.

A simple snowflake seam was next.

No stocking can have enough embroidered snow, so I added more snowflakes.

Every stocking needs a Christmas tree, right?! 

Inspired by the work of Nicki Lee Seavey's block featured on the Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine, a bit of JOY was added. 

More trees decorated a seam.

A wreath earring...

...and a button seam were next.

A poinsettia was inspired by the work of Michelle at Moosie Stitch.

A snowy night with a Christmas Star and a snowman were fun to embroider.

The crossed buttonhole stitched trees were inspired by TAST and the work of Anneliese at Stitching Lady. 

A few more snowflakes and a polymer clay snowman completed the stocking.

Thank you for joining me in my stitching journey!

If you celebrate Christmas, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. For those of you with differing beliefs, I wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Our Christmas is looking a little crazy (quilted!)

Warmest wishes,
Renee


The American Patchwork & Quilting 2018 UFO Challenge has been announced at allpeoplequilt.com. You may learn more about it here. The January project will be #12.

TAST stands for Take a Stitch Tuesday. It is a personal stitching challenge offered by Sharon B. of pintangle.com. The next round will begin in January 2018. You may read about it here. 

This is Day 24 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge hosted by www.muppin.com. You may learn more about it and find other participating bloggers here. 

Note: I will not be posting on Christmas Day.

A Poinsettia

The poinsettia added to my son's crazy quilted Christmas stocking is not perfect, but for a first attempt, I am not complaining!

While using the open base needlewoven picot stitch to make a sea star in 2015, I thought about how well it could work for a poinsettia on a Christmas crazy quilt.

In January of this year, I saw some of the beautiful flowers Michelle of MooshieStitch created using this stitch and knew I would add one to this stocking. Following the layout in this tutorial that Michelle shared at Feeling Stitchy, I created this poinsettia.

Size 8 red and green perle cotton was used to create the petals and the leaves. Gold Mill Hill petite seed beads were used to fill the center and to embellish the background of this motif area.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Renee

This is Day 19 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge hosted by www.muppin.com. You may read more about it and find other participating blogs here.

A Christmas Tree!

A Christmas tree was added to the stocking I am making for my son.

Unfortunately, the lighting makes it difficult to really see the shades of variegated green.

First, I sketched out several Christmas trees. 

After finding one I was happy with, I poked holes in it with a pin.

Next, I lined it up where I wanted it (reversed) on the muslin back of the stocking.

Using a mechanical pencil, I marked dots through the holes made with the pins.

Carefully following these marks and using a stem stitch, I stitched the tree with variegated green perle cotton and the trunk with variegated brown. Red seed beads and a star bead created the ornaments.

Have you been working on anything crafty today? If so, I would love to hear about it.

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee 

This is day 12 of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge hosted by www.muppin.com. 

You may find more details and other participating blogs here.