Shout it from the Rooftops

Shout it from the rooftops. One of the great Australian modern Crazy Quilts has been sold for $70,000.

This is serious, serious news. The link above talks about the implications - it should be major arts news!

This is the link to Bobby La's blog - the maker.

Congratulations Robyn!!!

Buttonhole Combo I

I have had the luxury of a day to stitch, so I have dived right into Sharon's Stitch Files. She has released Buttonhole Stitch, Herringbone and Backstitch. Right now I have decided that what really interests me is stitch combinations - taking one of the basic stitches and value-adding. I might occasionally use some small beads, but what I really want to do is seams, in stitches, without add-ons.

But my problem is that I am still using really basic versions of the first basic stitch, and relying on the later bits for the variety. So I thought this might make me seek a little more variety.

I use Buttonhole a lot, especially to edge the Apple Blossom Quilt blocks, but could use it more. So I tried Sharon's "double two-up, two-down", to give it a name. I am a bit short of unembellished seams at the minute, so my first attempt was across a large naked patch on the Pansy Vest. It suffered a bit in the centre, so next time I would lay down a chain first, and stitch either side.

This was the second attempt, where I actually found a naked seam.

It could be interesting to try offsetting the legs, so the short were opposite the long - could make it look a bit twisted.

And all this has made me rearrange my flickr photos. I now have sets on there for my combinations of Featherstitch (I like that one), Herringbone (I love that one, but need to scan more examples), and Buttonhole.

Featherstitch Combo I

I have been experimenting with my favourite Featherstitch, making combos. The one above was the first one off the needle today.

Both are stitched in Hand-dyed Hues perle, and when I am finishing one thread and starting with a new piece, I make sure I cut and then knot it at a similar point to where the old thread ended. That way they blend in well.

This was my second experiment. For the record, the process is:

1. Work just the Feather Stitch, groups of two arms to a side. Make it fairly large and open. Be aware that if you are trying to meander a bit, you might get into trouble in tight corners (see near top right).

2. Work along one side of the Feather Stitch, then the other. Takes less thread than going from side to side.

3. For the first arm, do a Detached Chain (I still want to call it Lazy Daisy), that continues the line of the arm. Close it with a long closing stitch (I have been known to use Pistil Stitch here).

4. Work a Fly Stitch on top of the Detached Chain, where the leg goes down to the base of the Detached Chain. These might be easier to see in the single examples.

5. Going clockwise, repeat this with two more Detached Chain and Fly Stitch. Finish with a French Knot (two wraps) in the centre. I was experimenting a bit with space between these three groups - I think I like the one on the bottom right best, where there is a bit of space.

4. Go up to the second arm, and put in a single Detached Chain and Fly Stitch.

5. Move on to the next group of two arms.

I love playing with Feather Stitch - you can see more of my combinations at the start of my Stitch Combinations set on flickr.

Off to try one of Sharon's new Stitch Files.

Third Vest UFO

I am chopping and changing around the two unfinished vests in my UFOs. This is my oldest UFO: my Biblical Vest from a RR in 2001, which also went for a second round in 2003. It has been worked on, in no particular order, Noel, Peggy, Kate, Chris, Vere, Maria, Mary, Sharon, Leisa, Cathy, Nancy, Chris (another one), Rina, and Anne. Although I suspect I can see a tree in there from MIII.

It was pieced over two days for a workshop in 2001, from an old fabric swatch of my mother's - and has very small pieces, so more than a few seams. As it was a Coat of Many Colours, from Thirty Pieces of Fabric, I named it the Biblical Vest, and sent it off to see what would happen.

And back it came, with some wonderful and fascinating stitches.

Now, I just need to finish a few seams - here is one I have just added:

It is probably not a vest I would wear a lot, but it will hang beautifully as an example of some fascinating stitches.

Sharon's Stitch Templates

Just a quick post here, without even a picture!

Sharon B has a wonderful offer over on her blog of free stitch templates, to try them out for free before she releases some very reasonably priced modules.

Just what I need at the minute to get me stitching again.

I feel the need to make some blocks ......

My samples are on two block series, the Apple Blossom Quilt and The Wogga.

Some of my own Stitch Combinations are HERE.

I feel a need to make some blocks. I think I need to stitch .....

Stitching and Watching

Beautiful weather outside, but good TV to watch inside. The Commonwealth Games are on, and much as I love seeing Australians win, I also really enjoy seeing competitors from other nations that we don't usually get to hear about - and who wouldn't get much of a look-in at the Olympics.

So I am sitting and stitching and watching.

This seam is on the Peacock Vest. It is a "Three to a Side" Feather Stitch in rayon, with half daisies across the top of each group of three in silk. Then, the arms wouldn't sit down, so they were couched in the same silk.

I like it. It is on a seam that needed a lot of strengthening, as this is a wearable.