Sunday, May 25, 2008
Border Fabric for Vintage Valentine Quilt
I've found the fabric and it is on order. It looks like the background is lighter - but maybe not. Will see when it arrives in a couple of weeks - unless they tell me they are out of it- but it took my order so will see. KEEP fingers and toes crossed. LOL
Friday, May 23, 2008
2nd Birthday dress
This was the dress her mother had made for her 2nd birthday. I have the paper doll dress version basically done. Have the pantaloons and the dress, just need to make the slip and add the embellishments, including the crown.
Hot-very hot day in South Texas today - and it is just May
Cloudy, muggy hot day today. Good day to stay insid and sew/stitch as the case may be. I have new fabric that my daughter gave me to make another paper doll dress block for her daughter’s quilt. This one is to replicate a dress bought for her by a paternal aunt. It is pink and green with watermelon slices near the hem.
Mother’s Day we went through her closet and took pictures of several dresses. One I’ve already started but the photo I was working from didn’t give good detail so we got some good close-ups. Also added a total of 3 dresses for me to make copies of for her quilt.
One is a little girls dress made from an embroidered pillow case. It is darling. I have good detail photos so I can copy the embroidery design on her paper doll dress for her quilt.
When these are finished I’ll have 5 blocks with only 15 more to make. So far we are using fabric scraps from dresses made for her, but some of her purchased dresses if we can find similar material, like the watermelon one, we are making them as well.
One of the focal points to this quilt will be a replica as best I can of her christening dress.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Welcome
All my life I've been interested and attracted to beautiful needlework of all kinds. As a small child I was given a dresser scarf set by my Mother of just Cross Stitches - I soon got bored with the repetition of just one stitch. My first WIP and UFO (work in progress and unfinished object).
I embroidered pillow cases, did chicken scratch on aprons and skirts for my oldest daughter, taught myself to crochet, making items for my babies then dollies and scarfs for my furniture. Admiring the knitting I decided that I could learn that too and purchased a book with instructions and did learn to knit, making a number of baby blankets, and ponchos when they were the in-thing.
As my children grew and I worked full time - available time to stitch changed. From the time they were infants and before I made almost everything I wore, everything my Mother wore and as children graced my life I made most that they wore. This did not leave time to indulge in embroidery, crochet or knitting very much, but I still found time to do some.
I've sewn everything from my heavy overcoat to very elaborate wedding dresses. And any and every type of garment you can make in between. Shirts, dresses, skirts, pajamas, shorts, jackets, etc for my children were all made and not bought. I made curtains for my home also.
I found a number of packaged kits for pieces doing Crewel embroidery and made a good number of these. I really enjoy working in Crewel and like the look of the finished piece. Then I found Counted Cross-Stitch and was taken by the look achieved with these tiny cross stitches on a blank fabric produced. Now remember I didn't like to do just plain ole cross stitch, but the the counted cross stitch was a totally different and captured my attention like no other needlework had before. I couldn't get enough and with each one I saw another that I had to have so a collection of pieces to work began and grew, and grew.
I've been stitching Brazilian Dimensonal Embroidery (BE) some 8 years now. My grand-daughter saw an article on the art in a local newspaper giving examples, some history and information that classes were being held at the local library. Guess my passion for counted cross stitch was somewhat replaced with BE.
I went, thinking I just needed to see what was used and where to get materials and supplies. I'd been able to teach myself to crochet and knit, and felt sure I could do the same with this. Probably with a bit more effort. But after attending one class buying two kits (one for me one for granddaughte) I left to stitch. I did a lot on the design before th next class and I learned some of th stitches didn't look quite right. So back to class I went, only to learn there were little tricks to some of the stitches that weren't included in the stitching instructions that came with the design.
With this knowledge I attended every class I could for about the next year or so, and stitched evey second I could find between classes. Moving from beginner to intermediat to avanced, to advanced advanced projects.
Now I've deigned some designs and have been looking for information on screen printing them. I understand you have to have a certain softward to convert the drawn design to something that will screenprint correctly. Also, the ink needs to be water soluable, so that after the design is stitched it can be removed.
Now I needed another needlework passion sure I did, life is to short not to have several. Quilting became a more active part of my life. As a child I knew family and friends that made quilts. I was always enthralled with the production of putting small pieces of fabric together to make a quilt. Then some ladies I knew would piece you a quilt top on halves for your fabric scraps. They'd take the scraps you gave them, cut two tops and assemble (1 for you, 1 for them) as long as the scraps held out. This was also a time when some would quilt a quilt for a dollar a spool of quilting thread. Now I never timed how long you had to quilt by hand to use up a spool of thread but I'm sure is was hours. They used maybe 5 -10 spools per bed size quilt (then they were double beds - no queen or king sizes). Still that was a lot of work for $5 or $10. But the ladies considered it extra money in their "free" time. They then used it to supplement the family needs or they used it for "extra" things for the family.
This was also a tme (we go down memory lane) where families lived more modestly, they didn't have a TV until later much less one in almost every room. When they did get TV you had an atenna on the roof, and maybe 4 channels if lucky and it was FREEE. Now we want 200 plus channels and have cable or satellite dish on the house to get it and pay dearly for it.
With the Internet came the advantage of surfing and finding things to whet our needlework appetite without ever leaving home. I know it has created a big dent in my budget and taken me to places I'd never gone to if I'd had to drive there. It has also immensely increased my WIP an UFOs, as well as a long list of projects waiting for me to have the time to make.
I got off track a little as I was talking about quilts. I've admired them most of my life, my grandmother pieced a few blocks that I know of and probably made them when she had a family as most women did then to have cover for warmth in the winter. My Aunt (mother's sister) pieced and quilted quilts all by hand. She would gather fabric scraps from those she knew that made their clothing and turn those small bits of fabric into beautiful quilts and quilt tops. In her later years it became painful to quilt, but she would sit by hours in the evenings (remember no TV to watch) maybe listening to the radio maybe not, and she would sew.
My mother made some clothes for me, but she sewed very little, she read, worked cross word puzzles, and any puzzle made of letters. I bought her books and books of this type puzzle by the dozens. She'd go to the store buy 4 paperback novels (thick ones) and slept very little until they were finished.
My daddy's brother's wife's mother was a quilter and when my 3 oldest were young I lived down the street from her in a very small town. I always enjoyed visiting with her and seeing her lastest quilt. She too quilted them for a long time, and later just made tops. I still remember one she made she called trip around the world. I at one time thought I'd like to make one, but today I'm not so sure. But if I did it would have to be sewn by hand as hers was. There were 5 small squares set on point each about 2" finished size. then around that the number of same size squares to fill in with a different color of fabric, around that another row of a different fabric, increasing the number of blocks with each row and each row a different fabric. Did she have training in what colors went good together, did she know about the color wheel - NO. But she put together what she thought looked good to her and they were beautiful. I remember a "Dresden Plate", "Double Wedding Ring", and I know others but those have remained in my memory some 50 years or so.
So now I've decided to take on the challenge and project to make quilts for my family. With this Internet that has invaded my life as well I've seen quilts like I never imagined in my wildest dreams. I've attended quilt shows and there too been amazed at the different works of art in fabric reduced to a quilt. So since I never take the easy way with anything, I'm making photo art type quilts for most of my family - at least that is my plan and desire.
I have bought fabric, started pieced quilts and seemed to never get them finished - I really hope to change this trait and get the tops at least all finished. I made quilts from purchased panels for several of my older grandchildren, quilting them by hand. When I retired in 2000 I was shopping in a nearby larger town and found a quilt store. There were two quilts designed by a local lady and I was taken by them. They were 9 blocks each a combination of appliqued blocks representing bushes and trees native to South Texas with a log cabin block in between. Or you could get both combine and have a bed size quilt - getting the border according to if you were going to combine or not. I chose to combine the two.
I've finished all the blocks and have it set together, one border attached. The second border had a vine with berries trailing down from each corner and that is still a WIP. My first actual quilt almost finished.
This same store had several quilts by this same designer, and you are right, I started buying them as BOM kits. I have 3 (actually 4 when you consider two made 1 quilt). Angels in my Garden, Webs in my Garden, and the Cabins in my Woods and More Cabins in my Woods that I combined. She also had a kit for a bed quilt top called Vines in my Garden and it is stipes of appliqued vines on a strip of fabric, alternating with a plain strip of fabric lengthwise of the quilt. This lady has designed 2 other quilts but I didn't like them as much as the ones I have.
By now I've been surfing the web, the Internet and found other quilts. I remember when I first started surfing I found a beautiful quilt that had been entered in a show and won all kinds of awards. It was of a peagus in a garden with a fairy and all kinds of beautiful flowers - lots of them. I'd kept a picture for years and it may still be on an old hard drive but I didn't think I'd ever attempt something that intense, and the quilt was never made availble in a pattern to purchase. But others have been and I didn't have a bit of trouble finding enough to fill my list for my family.
I embroidered pillow cases, did chicken scratch on aprons and skirts for my oldest daughter, taught myself to crochet, making items for my babies then dollies and scarfs for my furniture. Admiring the knitting I decided that I could learn that too and purchased a book with instructions and did learn to knit, making a number of baby blankets, and ponchos when they were the in-thing.
As my children grew and I worked full time - available time to stitch changed. From the time they were infants and before I made almost everything I wore, everything my Mother wore and as children graced my life I made most that they wore. This did not leave time to indulge in embroidery, crochet or knitting very much, but I still found time to do some.
I've sewn everything from my heavy overcoat to very elaborate wedding dresses. And any and every type of garment you can make in between. Shirts, dresses, skirts, pajamas, shorts, jackets, etc for my children were all made and not bought. I made curtains for my home also.
I found a number of packaged kits for pieces doing Crewel embroidery and made a good number of these. I really enjoy working in Crewel and like the look of the finished piece. Then I found Counted Cross-Stitch and was taken by the look achieved with these tiny cross stitches on a blank fabric produced. Now remember I didn't like to do just plain ole cross stitch, but the the counted cross stitch was a totally different and captured my attention like no other needlework had before. I couldn't get enough and with each one I saw another that I had to have so a collection of pieces to work began and grew, and grew.
I've been stitching Brazilian Dimensonal Embroidery (BE) some 8 years now. My grand-daughter saw an article on the art in a local newspaper giving examples, some history and information that classes were being held at the local library. Guess my passion for counted cross stitch was somewhat replaced with BE.
I went, thinking I just needed to see what was used and where to get materials and supplies. I'd been able to teach myself to crochet and knit, and felt sure I could do the same with this. Probably with a bit more effort. But after attending one class buying two kits (one for me one for granddaughte) I left to stitch. I did a lot on the design before th next class and I learned some of th stitches didn't look quite right. So back to class I went, only to learn there were little tricks to some of the stitches that weren't included in the stitching instructions that came with the design.
With this knowledge I attended every class I could for about the next year or so, and stitched evey second I could find between classes. Moving from beginner to intermediat to avanced, to advanced advanced projects.
Now I've deigned some designs and have been looking for information on screen printing them. I understand you have to have a certain softward to convert the drawn design to something that will screenprint correctly. Also, the ink needs to be water soluable, so that after the design is stitched it can be removed.
Now I needed another needlework passion sure I did, life is to short not to have several. Quilting became a more active part of my life. As a child I knew family and friends that made quilts. I was always enthralled with the production of putting small pieces of fabric together to make a quilt. Then some ladies I knew would piece you a quilt top on halves for your fabric scraps. They'd take the scraps you gave them, cut two tops and assemble (1 for you, 1 for them) as long as the scraps held out. This was also a time when some would quilt a quilt for a dollar a spool of quilting thread. Now I never timed how long you had to quilt by hand to use up a spool of thread but I'm sure is was hours. They used maybe 5 -10 spools per bed size quilt (then they were double beds - no queen or king sizes). Still that was a lot of work for $5 or $10. But the ladies considered it extra money in their "free" time. They then used it to supplement the family needs or they used it for "extra" things for the family.
This was also a tme (we go down memory lane) where families lived more modestly, they didn't have a TV until later much less one in almost every room. When they did get TV you had an atenna on the roof, and maybe 4 channels if lucky and it was FREEE. Now we want 200 plus channels and have cable or satellite dish on the house to get it and pay dearly for it.
With the Internet came the advantage of surfing and finding things to whet our needlework appetite without ever leaving home. I know it has created a big dent in my budget and taken me to places I'd never gone to if I'd had to drive there. It has also immensely increased my WIP an UFOs, as well as a long list of projects waiting for me to have the time to make.
I got off track a little as I was talking about quilts. I've admired them most of my life, my grandmother pieced a few blocks that I know of and probably made them when she had a family as most women did then to have cover for warmth in the winter. My Aunt (mother's sister) pieced and quilted quilts all by hand. She would gather fabric scraps from those she knew that made their clothing and turn those small bits of fabric into beautiful quilts and quilt tops. In her later years it became painful to quilt, but she would sit by hours in the evenings (remember no TV to watch) maybe listening to the radio maybe not, and she would sew.
My mother made some clothes for me, but she sewed very little, she read, worked cross word puzzles, and any puzzle made of letters. I bought her books and books of this type puzzle by the dozens. She'd go to the store buy 4 paperback novels (thick ones) and slept very little until they were finished.
My daddy's brother's wife's mother was a quilter and when my 3 oldest were young I lived down the street from her in a very small town. I always enjoyed visiting with her and seeing her lastest quilt. She too quilted them for a long time, and later just made tops. I still remember one she made she called trip around the world. I at one time thought I'd like to make one, but today I'm not so sure. But if I did it would have to be sewn by hand as hers was. There were 5 small squares set on point each about 2" finished size. then around that the number of same size squares to fill in with a different color of fabric, around that another row of a different fabric, increasing the number of blocks with each row and each row a different fabric. Did she have training in what colors went good together, did she know about the color wheel - NO. But she put together what she thought looked good to her and they were beautiful. I remember a "Dresden Plate", "Double Wedding Ring", and I know others but those have remained in my memory some 50 years or so.
So now I've decided to take on the challenge and project to make quilts for my family. With this Internet that has invaded my life as well I've seen quilts like I never imagined in my wildest dreams. I've attended quilt shows and there too been amazed at the different works of art in fabric reduced to a quilt. So since I never take the easy way with anything, I'm making photo art type quilts for most of my family - at least that is my plan and desire.
I have bought fabric, started pieced quilts and seemed to never get them finished - I really hope to change this trait and get the tops at least all finished. I made quilts from purchased panels for several of my older grandchildren, quilting them by hand. When I retired in 2000 I was shopping in a nearby larger town and found a quilt store. There were two quilts designed by a local lady and I was taken by them. They were 9 blocks each a combination of appliqued blocks representing bushes and trees native to South Texas with a log cabin block in between. Or you could get both combine and have a bed size quilt - getting the border according to if you were going to combine or not. I chose to combine the two.
I've finished all the blocks and have it set together, one border attached. The second border had a vine with berries trailing down from each corner and that is still a WIP. My first actual quilt almost finished.
This same store had several quilts by this same designer, and you are right, I started buying them as BOM kits. I have 3 (actually 4 when you consider two made 1 quilt). Angels in my Garden, Webs in my Garden, and the Cabins in my Woods and More Cabins in my Woods that I combined. She also had a kit for a bed quilt top called Vines in my Garden and it is stipes of appliqued vines on a strip of fabric, alternating with a plain strip of fabric lengthwise of the quilt. This lady has designed 2 other quilts but I didn't like them as much as the ones I have.
By now I've been surfing the web, the Internet and found other quilts. I remember when I first started surfing I found a beautiful quilt that had been entered in a show and won all kinds of awards. It was of a peagus in a garden with a fairy and all kinds of beautiful flowers - lots of them. I'd kept a picture for years and it may still be on an old hard drive but I didn't think I'd ever attempt something that intense, and the quilt was never made availble in a pattern to purchase. But others have been and I didn't have a bit of trouble finding enough to fill my list for my family.
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