CQJP 2018 April Block

The 4th block for my Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2018 is finished! 

Once again, the fabrics were colored and heat set with Crayola crayons. (That process is explained here.) You may click on any photo for a larger view.

The first seam was rather simple with cross stitches that I spaced evenly using waste canvas. 

Next, I added seed beads.

The second seam used one of my favorite combinations - buttonhole stitches, detached chain stitches, and beads.

One of the templates I received from Sharon B. helped me evenly space these stitches. (I am not affiliated with the templates. They were received in return for an honest review. I love using them! My full review is shared in the Summer 2016 Crazy Quilt Quarterly Magazine. I am not affiliated with the magazine.)

For the first motif, I poked holes in the sketch of my block and created a dotted outline of the heart on the wrong side of my fabric with light pencil marks.

The flight path was created with a strand of purple embroidery floss and a running stitch. The butterfly was added with detached chain stitches, straight stitches and 2 French knots on the antennae. 

For the second motif, I created another dot-to-dot guide. This time, I was not confident I could line it up properly on the back side of the block, so I marked the front fabric (which always makes me nervous.) 

I still wonder if I should have used a computer font and printed out the words, rather than relying on my own handwriting for this section... The words were embroidered with size 12 black perle cotton and a stem stitch.

The last motif was created with green and purple size 8 perle cotton. Two straight stitches and 3 detached chain stitches created stems and leaves. Two sets of fly stitches created heart-shaped flowers.

Rather than individually stitching beads around the heart-shape on this block, I strung beads on a strand of floss and then couched that floss down between each bead. It was fun to try something new.

This block turned out very close to the sketch I made during the planning stage.

Four of my CQJP 2018 blocks are now complete.

Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2018 (CQJP 2018) is a personal challenge to complete a crazy quilt block each month that measures at least 8 x 8 inches. You may learn more about it here. You may see the work others have created this year on the CQJP 2018 blog here or shared on the Facebook page here. Sign ups for CQJP usually open in November.

Thank you for visiting!
Renee


Related Posts:
Embellished CQJP 2018 January Block - here
Embellished CQJP 2018 February Block - here
Embellished CQJP 2018 March Block - here

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

Sneak peeks of my progress are shared on my Instagram account. 

October 2018

Happy October!

September Accomplishments:
1. I began a project for the Peek a Who? Blog Hop and it will be finished in time.

2. My April CQJP 2018 block was pieced and embellished. I will share photos soon, but you may find a few work-in-progress photos on my Instagram account, here.

3. I pieced my May CQJP 2018 block.

4. Over 1,200 stitches were added to QS Red Hearts. I will share photos later this month.

5. Over 250 stitches were added to Fractal White Tiger. You may find my update on the 2018 Stitcher's Group blog, here.


October Goals:
1. Complete and share my Peek a Who? Blog Hop project. The blog hop is hosted by Marian at Seams to Be Sew and will be from October 22nd - October 26th.

2. Complete a block for the Spring 2019 Crazy Quilt Quarterly magazine.

3. See if I can make a Halloween fabric postcard in time to join the Halloween crazy quilt postcard swap just announced to the Crazy Quilt International Facebook Group.

4. Make progress with QS Red Hearts.

Wishing you all a fantastic month!
Renee

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.