Smalls SAL - July and Tusal check-in

It´s time to check in for the Smalls SAL which is hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus.   I finished a bookmark for a friend of mine who is going through a rough patch in her life and this gift is to mark, not only the pages of a book, but also a turn in her life.

The pattern was amongst all my needlework papers and paraphernalia but I can´t find reference to the designer.

I embroidered the initial of my friend´s name.

 and backed the bookmark with a silky blue fabric and added a couple of beads and tassel

I love bookmarks and have quite a few, mainly bought years ago as souvenirs from visits to museums and zoos etc.  Now I enjoy embroidering them as small gifts.

If you are interested in stitching a little item each month or finishing one already started ages ago, just click on the sidebar image which will take you to Heather´s blog where all the information is.

TUSAL Check-in.

A few days late but here are the threads in my ORT´s jar nearing the top.  All my stitching this month has been mainly with red threads used on the Randje per Week SAL sampler and mixed coloured threads from the above bookmark.

If anyone is interested in joining `The Totally Useless Stitch A Long´ which involves, not stitching, but saving threads in a jar and showing them each month when there is a new moon, you will find all the information clicking on the sidebar button which will take you to It´s Daffycat.

Linking this post to Supermom-no cape  Stitchery Party.

                                                         
                                   Happy stitching,

Sheryl

On The Shelf

Such a lovely sunny day to be cleaning kitchen cupboards but at least my shelf trims dried in about four minutes hanging in the sun and here are most of them:

I made these about ten years ago  inspired by a cross stitch design seen in a magazine.

I believe I tea dyed the fabric but that colour has long washed out.

The tiny designs are dotted with beads,

not always in very realistic colours.

I also made a small crochet border.

Here´s a view of one of my kitchen cupboards.

See you next week.  Thank you for passing by.

Linking to Supermom-no cape Stitchery party

My First Biscornu

A lovely afternoon, with nothing planned, so how about a quiet afternoon stitching?  perfect as long as you don´t sit anywhere remotely near your sewing machine or you might be hesitantly approached by DH with three pairs of new trousers to be altered. " had you forgotten?"  well no....and while diligently taking up the trouser bottoms, asked "Did you repair my jacket pocket?" ....ah well, er... the pocket through which all and sunder disappeared during the winter? ... ah. well, there goes my quiet afternoon stitching.

This is the first biscornu that I made years ago, the Rhodes Butterfly biscornu by the Sweetheart Tree  Some cross stitching, diamond eye stitch, rhodes butterfly stitch and lots of backstitching.

I added pretty pink beads to the side seams and although started out as a gift, when finished I liked it so much that I kept it for myself.

I used a darker green that mentioned in the pattern and added a piece of ribbon so to hang the pincushion from my sewing machine.  There is also a lovely little design for a scissor fob, which I might get to make one day.

This week I noticed with annoyance that yet again my posted comments to other blogs show me as <no-reply>  This is the third time that this has happened since Christmas.  Google + randomly resets my settings every month. WHY does it insist on doing this? 

            Thank you for visiting.

Sheryl

What not to do

Hello everyone,

It rained this past weekend, so I decided to reduce some of my stash by making a couple of mug rugs, which always make nice gifts and if you don´t spend hours like me, on deciding the colour combinations, can be cut out and sewn quite quickly..... that is ...... if you don´t need any applique paper.

I had very little, so off I wobbled (due to sprained ankle) to our local ` enter at your own risk´ patchwork shop and this is of course just what you should not do.  If you have children, send them or your husband, a neighbour or anyone who won´t be tempted by a wicker basket full of very pretty fat quarters in blues, creams, reds and tans, all just sitting there saying ¨buy me, I´m perfect for your mug rugs¨.  Of course I loved the reds but contrarily bought some blues.

  then I found  cream and  green fabrics in  my stash.

 

and the chocolate cake coloured fabric also.  Did I mention that I nearly left the shop without the applique paper? so pleased as I was by the new fatties and some pen refills.

                              

  I noticed with interest that the iron-on adhesive is American and called Heat n´ Bond, the first time I have seen it here and it costs 6,30 euros a metre.  I wonder how that compares with prices in other countries?  Really must remember to buy it online because if I buy fabric every time I really just need the applique paper, it certainly works out expensive. 

Until next time.

Sheryl