Hedebo Rings

I made several Hedebo rings to add to this section of block 3 to balance the pink colour out a bit.
I have had two Hedebo sticks for several years now and never used them because I didn't know how-so I Googled it and the information was right there on youtube.
I think they have done the trick here.


I then decided to do a few more to add elsewhere on the other blocks but I did a couple of extra rounds of Buttonhole stitch around the outer edge and I have now got a lace edge.
The smallest one on the left is what it is like on it's own and measures 1 cm edge to edge.
The big one on the right measures 2cm edge to edge and has the two rows of Buttonhole stitch on the edge.

This is what a Hedebo stick looks like-you wind the thread around the section that you want to make the size ring and then you Buttonhole over the threads--easy peasy.

Now I am going to make heaps more and have them on hand when I need them.

Three Close-ups of Block three.

I have been stitching on block three and it is almost done.
I won't add any more on it until later.
The top section has a piece of embroidered doylie which I have used Running Stitch to attach it to the base.I also added a few Web Stitches plus the pink thing was going to be a very tiny Dorset button but after doing the Buttonhole Stitch around the ring I fount that it was too small to get the needle in to make the spokes to weave on-so I have just attached it like this--I like it anyway.



The middle section has three Guipure lace flowers that came from the lace off a friends wedding dress.
The lace section above the flowers has pink Running Stitch down the middle and French Knots as the flower scentres.
I added this lace because I was previously going to stitch my daughters name on here using waste canvas but I made that many mistakes that the fabric had more holes in it than a seive.




The bottom section some Web stitches have been added and a few French Knots.

I really must try and use other stitches -but I love doing these ones.

Now onto block four.

The Start of Block Three

Block three is now started and this is on the bottom section.
I have done masses of French Knots in two shades of white Perle Cotton and Coton a Broder and a few pink ones scattered around.
Above that are three Lazy Daisy flowers in white with pink centres and above that is the edge part of pink Broderie Anglace lace held down with Buttonhole stitch in pink and then two more rows of free standing Buttonhole stitch worked into the previous row to give the appearance of lace.



A close up of the section--I should have removed the tacking thread before I took the photo :((

Off to do some more------

Block 2 Stitching Begins

Here is the beginning of the embroidery on block two of the workshop with Karen Ruane which is contained around the centre of this block.
I am sorry about the quality of these photos but I find it so difficult to take photos of white fabric-If someone has some advice for me I would really appreciate it.
OK--the top right hand corner is part of a table napkin that has a scalloped edge and I have done French Knots in the scallops.
To the left of this is a piece of commercial pintucked fabric to which I have added a strip of tatted lace that is held down with Buttonhole stitch in DMC Coton a Broder size 20.
I have slipped a small white Prairie Point under the napkin as well.
Pink French Knots are along the edge to continue the colour theme.
To the right is a corner of a hankie that has been held down with Running stitch and I also added some more Lazy Daisy flowers in the middle.
I worked a Dorset button in DMC Perle 8 in white and pale pink and added it near the point of the hankie plus I also included three very small white buttons above the pink and white Prairie Point which previously was sitting under the point of the hankie but I didn't like it there.
The section where the Broderie Anglaise joins the white cotton is worked in Buttonhole lace stitching.

I will move onto the next block now and come back to this one later when we learn some new techniques.

Block 1 (starting the embroidery)

I have been stitching away on my first block for the class that I am doing with Karen Ruane.
The block is 30cm square and made up of old doylies-table napkins-commercial pintucked fabric-seersucker-damask and a piece of a vintage hospital sheet .
All the fabrics are 100% cotton.


This is a close up of the bottom right hand corner and consists of padded puffs made from cotton muslin and anchored down with white pearls- French knots mainly white but there are a few baby pinks ones in there as well.
Also there is Running stitch echoing around the puff section plus some web stitch flowers in the top right hand corner and Buttonhole lace on the seam above it.

This section is in the centre of the bottom half and is part of a table napkin.

There is a tatted butterfly on the top left part of it which was gifted to me by someone and I can't remember who it was but it looks perfect here so thank you to whoever it was.

I decided to embroider a vine in Stem stitch and then add some Lazy Daisy flowers.
The scallop along the bottom is the edge of the napkin and I have added a Cross stitch and a French Knot to anchor it to the base fabric.

I am going to give this block a break and start on a new one as I seem to be getting bogged down a bit-too much of a perfectionist I think.

Self Portrait

I know you must get sick of me posting photos of Ebony and her stuff but I just had to show you this.........
When I picked her up on Friday she had drawn a self portrait from a photo that she had taken on her ipod several days earlier.
She had just had a shower and her hair was still wrapped in the towel .
She was in my sewing room playing on the laptop and her ipod and she kept clicking photos and downloading them onto my laptop.
The photo that she drew herself from is the one below and although it is not a very good quality you can see all the detail that she has drawn.
How amazing is that?
And yes she is talking to the banana------------

You can see all the boxes of "stuff" that I have stacked in my room which she has also added in the photo.
I am too afraid to ask her to draw me -she may make it too life like--he-he.

Block 1

Here is my first pieced block--well I should say tacked block for the EEC class with Karen.The block is 12" x 12" and I am now about to work on the seam embroidery.
As you can see I have added my Rouleau loops and I like the way this block is developing.





and wouldn't you just believe it--whenever I work with white fabric I inevitably prick my finger and get blood all over everything.
Luckily I hadn't stitched it down so I just cut another piece and replaced it -saved me trying to clean it with my own saliva,
When I was doing dressmaking I don't know how many wedding dresses I added unwanted colour on to-but I always managed to get it off.




Now I am heading off to do lots of French Knots and other wonderful stitches to add to it.

Lesson one-Points and Loops

The first thing that I had to do in lesson one of the Embroider-Embellish-Create workshop with Karen Ruane was to make some rouleau loops and prairie points.
I have made them before a long time ago and it was nice to try my hand at them again.
The cloth that I am making was going to be white on white but I decided to add a little bit of pink to give it a girlie look I love pale pink and white -it is so refreshing.
There won't be much pink just a tiny bit here and there.
I am making this cloth as a gift for my daughter for her 50th birthday at the end of this year.
I have just slipped the loops inside a piece of fabric so I could see how they look.



Here I have made three points in the white and floral fabric and then added two pink and white check smaller ones again they are just slipped inside the fabric for appearance.

Now I have to start and create the base fabric---oh it is so nice to be stitching again.

Happy Days are Here Again

Well we are back to normal again thank goodness and just in time because I have signed up for another Karen Ruane online class and the first day is full of instructional videos.
It was so painful not being able to look at the pictures on peoples blogs because of the slower download speed--I don't know how people get on who still only have dial up connections.
Yesterday some one sent me an e-mail with one of those gushy stories that had so many pictures to it that it took too long to download and it kept on timing out-so it would retry and then it would time out again.
It went on and on and on -I think there were 27 attempts and no other e-mail could get through.
I was waiting for an e-mail about the workshop and I was getting rather p----d of to say the least.
At around midnight I logged on and checked it and lo and behold like magic we had our new new usage rate back and the e-mail had finally gotten through right into the recycle bin where I had sent it.
Anyhow I promised you a photo of Ebony's new hair cut so--ta da--
She has to go back in a couple of weeks to have it re-shaped because the hair dresser couldn't get the comb through it properly to do what Ebony wanted.

And a side view------what she want is to have it cut up around her ears and I think it will look lovely and be so much easier for her to handle when she is a high school this year.

So here's to happy times again and I am off to start making "stuff" for my new class :))

Sorry

No photos today --just an apology.
It seems that we have reached our monthly allowance of internet usage (the first time ever) and even though we can still use it at no extra cost to us money wise but the speed has been slowed down to the point that it takes forever to download the pictures.
Now I like doing nothing but if I waited for each picture to download I would go insane as well as the fact that my bum would be stuck to the chair.
I am able to read your blogs but seeing as that I can't see any pictures then I can't make any comments about what you are showing can I?
We will be back to normal on the 10th--phew---
Now don't ask me how all this happened except I will say that one young lady who has been spending a lot of time with us these last two weeks has been watching a lot of stuff on her I pod and her dad downloaded some music on Christmas day which seems to be the straw that broke the camels back so to speak.
If nothing else it has made her realise that the internet is not free and that she needs to be more diligent with her time spent on the net plus the fact that she is also affected with the slowness has brought the point home to her.
Oh well what will I do today -------mmmm.
So if you notice that I have dropped by your blog but not left a comment then you will now know that I have a valid reason.

The Dancing Queen

Ever since she was born Ebony has spent New Years Eve with us.
Her dad was a DJ and he had to work as that was the most important time on the DJ calender.
We would take her to the early fireworks display and then come home and watch the Sydney display on the tv.
This year we didn't even go in to the city to see the early show-we stayed home and did our own thing.
We have always had non alcoholic wine so that Ebony could join in-she wanted to be part of it all.
This year we were watching a music show while waiting for the midnight fireworks and she started dancing away so I took a few photos of her.
She had her braids tied up on top of her head and they were swaying about as she jumped around.




I think she was having a great time until she discovered that I was taking photos of her that is.



Yesterday I spent seven hours undoing those braids -what a nightmare.
Every time she has them done I say I won't do it again but I do.
I reckon there was about two hundred of them.
Her own hair is about seven to eight inches long-the rest is hair extensions.
Her mother is the person who braids her hair and it usually takes about ten hours.
Anyway she has decided to get her hair cut this week(her decision) and I am so happy.
I think she needs to let her hair have a rest from all of this pulling and twisting that goes on.
I will show you a photo later-if she allows me to that is.