CQJP 2017 February Block Motif 2

Well... in my mind, I thought it took me roughly 12 hours to finish the first octopus I embroidered using the octopus design from Aunt Martha's Stitcher's Revolution Sailor's Delight Iron-on Transfers. However, my blog post guesstimated about 10 hours. I decided to time this one...

Please note: this is a photo heavy post. 

I used DMC 3354, 3689, white and black flosses and Mill Hill Petite Glass Beads #42018 to embroider this piece. Stitches used included: split stitch, satin stitch, and the long and short stitch.

Wow. 12 hours and 55 minutes to finish this octopus! 

(I am not very fast - especially with the long and short stitch.)

This is the second motif on my Crazy Quilt Journal 2017 (CQJP 2017) February block. I did not time how long it took to create the seahorse, but I think it was roughly 5 hours. So there are roughly 18 hours of embroidery in this piece so far.

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project is a personal challenge to create a crazy quilt block each month that measures at least 8-inches square. (Obviously, I am running behind schedule.) You may learn more about the CQJP 2017 here and see blocks participants have completed here.

Other posts related to this block include:

February Block Motif 1 - here

CQJP 2017 January Block - here

Every step of my CQJP 2017 project is recorded on this Pinterest board.

Sneak peeks of my work are sometimes shared on Instagram - here and on my Hand Stitched Treasure Facebook Page - here.

Thank you for stopping by!

Renee

CQJP 2016 March Block Seam 2 & Motif 2

Of all of the crazy quilting and embroidery I have done, my husband thinks this bird is, "the coolest thing," I have created.

The seam and the motif were added to my March Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2016 (CQJP 2016) block, back in January of last year. I chose to wait to share photos on my blog until the Summer 2016 edition of the Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine was released, because the photo was published with the product review I wrote about Sharon B.'s crazy quilt templates set 2. (I am not affiliated with the magazine or the templates. Links are added for your convenience.)

I began with the seam around the heart. 

I traced overlapping curves for the vine.

Next, I created a tree branch using one of the curves on the templates. 

The bird was traced in above that. (I had to use a mechanical pencil to fit in the template to trace the tail feathers.)

Using size 12 green perle cotton and a stem stitch, I created the vines. 

Detached chain stitches were added in the same shade of green to make the leaves. 

A single strand of red DMC floss created bullion stitched buds at the end of each stem. Two small straight stitches (in the same green) were added to the bottom of each flower.

Using single strands of DMC floss, I outlined my traced lines with a split stitch. 

The outlines were filled with single strands of DMC floss using long and short stitches.

I really wanted to work the bird template onto one of these blocks, but I also wanted to keep with the red and black theme. So, I did a google search for images of red birds and decided to try to embroider a summer tanager. I studied several photographs and gave it a try.

From start to finish, this section of the block took about 12 hours to complete. It sounds like a long time, but it was SO fun to watch the stitches bring the image in my mind to life. (Now to finish the block...)

This block is one of 12 I plan to complete for CQJP 2016 - a personal challenge to complete one block a month. My decision to make 12-inch blocks that do not include beads or silk ribbon slowed my progress down, but I am still working to complete this project! You may see what others created for CQJP 2016 HERE. 


OTHER NOTES:
Pamela Kellogg is seeking photos of crazy quilt work involving buttons for the Summer 2017 edition of the Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine. If you have photos you want to submit, you may learn more about it HERE. I believe photos must be submitted by February 1st.

Katie Bock is seeking submissions for the Spring 2017 edition of Our Quilting Journal Magazine. The deadline is January 20th and the theme is baskets and flowers. You may learn more about it HERE. (I am not affiliated with the magazine. It is a new magazine and it is my understanding it will feature sane and crazy quilts.)

Thank you for stopping by!
Renee

CQJP 2016 March Block Motif 1

I had a lot of fun adding this flower to my CQJP 2016 March block!

It was actually embroidered back in January and shared as part of my review of Sharon B.'s Crazy Quilt Templates Set 2 published in the Summer 2017 edition of the Crazy Quilt Quarterly.  (NOTE: I am not affiliated with the templates or the magazine. I do love both, though!)

After tracing the flower petals, stem and leaves, I used long-and-short stitches and size 8 red pearl cotton to fill in the petals. 

Rope stitch created the stem and the leaves were filled in with a tiny straight stitch at each tip, followed by fly stitches worked in the same shade of size 8 green pearl cotton.

I love the way it turned out! (The photo does not do it justice. I cannot get the lighting to cooperate...)

The Crazy Quilt Journal Project a personal stitching challenge. If you are interested in signing up in 2017, please hurry! 

Registration closes on December 28th. You may read about the rules here and learn how to sign up here.

If you register, please let me know. I would love to cheer you on! 

You may view CQJP 2016 blocks and completed projects here. 

This post is linked with Monday Stitchery Link Party #89 at Super Mom - No Cape!

If you have a blog and do hand embroidery, please link up. The more the merrier!

I do hope you will peek back in next Monday. I am incredibly excited about the project I plan to share.  

Thank you for stopping by!
-Renee

CQJP 2016 February Block Finished with Motifs 7, 8 & 9

Living My Dream: CQJP 2016 February Block

Well... it is mid-July and I finally finished my CQJP 2016 February block. Better late than never, right?

I love many of the details, but do regret having the 2 hearts tilted in the same direction on this block. I think this one is a good argument for planning rather than winging it as I went.

Here is a picture of the bare 12 x 12-inch block.

I do love the way embroidery dresses things up!

Motif 7 was a fun one to create. I used the curve that looks like half a heart on one of Sharon B.'s Crazy Quilt Templates from Set 1 to trace the heart on the fabric.

Using size 12 black pearl cotton and a running stitch, I created the heart. I added a few extra stitches curving into the heart to make a little trail for this ladybug button I purchased at Sewn Loverly in Wilsonville, Oregon. 

I love the way it turned out!

(Please note: I am not affiliated with the templates, Pintangle or Sewn Loverly.)

Motif 8 used a different template from Sharon B.'s Set 1. I traced the medium sized tear shape (pictured in the upper-left part of this template) for the upper wings and the smaller tear shape for the bottom wings to make a butterfly.

Using size 8 red pearl cotton, I split stitched around the wings, and then filled them with long and short stitches.

Size 12 black pearl cotton and split stitches created the body. Two straight stitches topped with colonial knots made the antennae. Size 12 white pearl cotton and a running stitch created a flight path.

For Motif 9, size 8 red pearl cotton and 4 detached chain stitches created the butterfly. Size 12 white pearl cotton running stitches were used for this flight path, too.

Here are the January and February blocks together.

Now, to start on my March block...  


Thanks so much for stopping by!

CQJP 2016 is a personal stitching challenge to complete a block a month. You may learn more about it here. If you are interested in joining next year, sign ups for CQJP generally open up in November and close in December.

CQJP 2016 January Block Seam 11 and Motif 9

The 11th (and final) seam on my Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2016 January block was fun to stitch.

Using size 8 DMC #125 pearl cotton, I added a feather stitch down the seam and then worked my way back up adding detached chain stitches (leaves) along alternating tips from the feather stitch.

Size 8 DMC #498 pearl cotton colonial knots added tiny flower buds to the vine.

For the 9th motif, I added a little flower in a pot. I sketched a small pot shape onto the fabric using light pencil marks. Using size 8 Anchor #00360 pearl cotton floss, I outlined the pot with a split stitch and filled it with long and short stitches.

This ended up being entirely too small for the space I added it to, so I added French knots randomly spaced within the remaining area using size 12 DMC #B5200 pearl cotton.  (The idea of filling some space with white stitching was inspired by Kathy Shaw's January CQJP 2016 block seen here.)

The top of this section still looked bare (my very honest hubby was quick to point this out.) So, I added another butterfly with a flight path.  The butterfly was stitched with size 8 DMC #815 pearl cotton detached chain stitches. Using a single strand of matching DMC #815 embroidery floss, I added 2 pistil stitches for the butterfly's antennae and used this same strand of floss to add the meandering flight path with a running stitch.

Tomorrow, I will share the last 3 motifs and on Monday, I will share the entire block. Thanks for following along this CQJP 2016 journey with me! (To see loads of crazy quilting eye candy and to learn more about the Crazy Quilting Journal Project, just click here.)

-Renee

CQJP 2016 January Block Seams 7 & 8 Motif 4

The 7th seam on my CQJP 2016 block was another opportunity to play with the bonnet stitch I recently learned through TAST.

This seam was stitched with size 8 DMC #125 variegated green pearl cotton to create the bonnet stitch. Next, 3 small straight stitches were added to the top of the bonnet stitches using size 8 DMC #815 pearl cotton.

The 8th seam was created with sets of straight stitches using size 8 Anchor #1206 red and black variegated pearl cotton.

Sharon B.'s Crazy Quilting Templates Set 2 were used to create the 4th motif. 

First, I traced one of the flower motifs. Next, I traced a stem and then traced 2 leaves. For the flower, I also drew a small circle in the center. (Note: I used a mechanical pencil to trace the shapes. In the tighter sections of the templates, I found the pencil lead from the mechanical pencil fits easily.)

The stem was stitched with size 8 DMC #125 pearl cotton and the twisted chain stitch.

The leaves were added with the same floss and fly stitches worked from the tip to the base. (I do wish I switched my variegated green floss around on my needle for the top leaf, so the lighter color would have been at the tip.)

Next, I used a split stitch around the outer petals, using size 8 DMC #815 pearl cotton and filled the petals in with a long and short stitch. This was worked from the outer tips, in to the edges of the circle I drew. 

Using size 8 Anchor white pearl cotton and a satin stitch, I filled the center of the flower.

The completion of my January block is finally within sight! Thank you for stopping by.

-Renee

*Note: I am not affiliated with Sharon B.'s crazy quilt templates. I was asked to review the Set 2 templates and am having great fun playing with them in the process!