Ribbon embroidered Fairy

Thought you might like to have a sneak peak of the ribbon embroidered Fairy I made for my great niece ....  Just finished framing it and it is now ready to be boxed and wrapped for a sweet little girl.

Merry Christmas
mary

Woohoo ~ I won a prize :)

Thank you Sew Cal Gal for the Handmade Christmas Challenge! 

It was a fun challenge and it inspired me to FINISH all 10 of my silk ribbon embroidered pincushions in time for Christmas!   No UFO's with this project!


This pincushion is an early Christmas gift to me, in use already

I look forward to receiving the prize I was selected to win.  #25 Patrick Lose Pattern Rudolph's Ready~ my 4 grandchildren all under age 5  are going to LOVE that adorable reindeer. 

Thanks so much SewCal Gal,  I really enjoy your challenges!

Merry Christmas
Godspeed,
mary

Handmade Christmas Challenge ~ Ribbon Flower Pincushions

For as long as I can remember I have been making Christmas gifts to share with family and friends each year.  I love to give and receive items that have been created by hand. 

This year SewCal Gal has been hosting a Handmade Challenge, and this month of December is the Christmas Challenge.  Following are photos of the item I have been working on this year for Christmas gifts.  Ribbon Embroidered Pincushions.

Originally I was following a blog that was hosting an embroidered flowered pincushion tutorials,  unfortunately the project entire instructions will not be available in time for completion this Christmas.  I still wanted to give handmade pincushions as gifts, so using the ribbon embroidery flowers Kathy Shaw had taught me this fall, I was able to alter my plans and have created these ribbon embroidered pincushions.   There are 10 in all.

I cut out the foundation fabric circles of a light blue linen, and then embroidered flowers using different types of ribbon.  Later I stitched the greenery in stranded cotton and more ribbon .  I then embellished with some beadwork.

I used the sewing machine to attach the bottom of the pincushion to the embroidered tops.  I used a suede fabric that will help the pincushion stay in place while using it.  Once turned right side out, I filled with polyester batting and closed up all but a teeny hole, and couched a matching trim all along the seam.   The trim ends are tucked inside the cushion in the teeny hole to hide the ends.  For some of the pincushions I embroidered a whipped running stitch of perle cotton around the edge and  wove multiple strands of perle cotton through the stitches to create an edge trim that would match the flowers.  

Once completed I used crochet cotton to divide the pincushion into sections, 4, 5 or 6 sections to each pincushion.

   Hard to choose a favorite.... I think the all teal ribbon flowered one will be the one I keep for me :)

Hope you are enjoying the Christmas Holiday Season and you are finding lots of inspiration!

Finished the centers with a flat button on the bottom and a shank button on the top.   four of them have a special gold vintage with rhinestones in them, well, those buttons were saved from an outfit I made when I was a young teenager:)   Three of those cushions will go to my children for Christmas, and one, the teal with all the needles in it, that one is for me  :)

Merry Christmas
Godspeed,
mary

CQJP 2015 Registration is now open

Registration for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project is now OPEN....

Here is the link
http://cqjp2015.blogspot.com/

Let the Smocking BEGIN....

Let the Smocking BEGIN....
    With two baby granddaughters born just last year,( two of our children's families), so excited to think that little smocked dresses will be once again in our future!   Our two daughters each grew up wearing Polly Flinders, but I am so excited that this generation of girls (our two granddaughters) will be wearing smocked dresses that are "made with Love and Prayer by Mimi" along with a Polly Flinders dress here and there.
     SAGA ~ A Smocking Guild, is holding a mystery smock-along to make a Christmas Ornament.  So far I have completed pleating 11 different fabrics, some are plain while others are printed, and all are from different fabric companies so they each have a different weave strength.  Some went through the pleater with great ease while others were a struggle to get off of the needles.
     Clue 1 to begin our smocking for our ornament was released Monday; let the stitching begin.
    

 

Here is the link if you would like to read about the smock along...https://www.facebook.com/groups/1554532568114047/



 

Godspeed,

Mary

 



Registration Open for Crazy Quilt Class with Kathy

 

Kathy Shaw's Beginner Crazy Quilt Class

Basics

Registration open October 8-12th

 

If you have ever wanted to learn crazy quilting, brush up on some techniques you learned (or maybe didn't learn), Kathy's class may be for you :)

 

I was challenged, inspired, and enjoyed learning in this on-line classroom.  Kathy provides fantastic PDF materials, there is some reading to do, and challenges ahead; the investment of time was so worth the effort.  And what a delight Kathy is; she follows your work and charts each step of the process all the while she inspires, teaches, and encourages along the way. 

 

The classmates were a hoot, encouraged by women around the world! and inspired by their creativity and skills as we learned together.

 

Here is the Link to Kathy's page 

http://www.shawkl.com/2014/10/crazy-quilt-basic-course-registration.html

 

Forgot to tell you, the class is FREE !    Only a few days left to register

 

You can read about my experience with some of progress I made if you scroll through a few posts back on this blog.   Best crazy quilt class I have been in and look forward to my next class. 

 

 



Dragonfly

Don't usually get to see the underside of a dragonfly....
but...it had recently rained (you can see the droplets on the screen).

Well , this dragonfly was drying self off and sat still enough for me to get quite a few photos...
That blue sky highlights this beautiful dragonfly so nicely.