Hardanger finish

Hi Everyone,

Not much embroidery done this week, but I did get some photos taken of my Hardanger table mat which I in fact finished a few weeks ago.

Started just before Christmas, the HAL Ateneo by Mamen at Carpacar.  I blogged about my start here.

After completing satin stitch kloster blocks, a tiny square stitch done in diagonal and a buttonhole edging, I cut the threads in the middle of the design.

This area was worked with wrapped bars and decorative Greek cross stitches and dove´s eyes.

Lots more dove´s eyes worked on the outer edging too

and then I cut around the buttonhole stitch edging which really seemed to take forever.

I decided to make a little matching scissor fob

for the tassel I followed Judy´s tutorial, something a bit different, thank you Judy, I like the tiny added detail.

Thank you for stopping by, until next week.

Sheryl

Fully Finished Gallery - March

Hi Everyone,

As soon as a new month commences, the days seem to start galloping by and its check-in day again for the Fully Finished Gallery SAL, hosted by Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher.

This is a free design called Black Needles which can be found here at Ravenelle. I stitched the pattern twice a few years ago.

and after adding a few sparkly bits, one pattern got finished as a needlebook (photo below) whilst the other got discarded.

This month I rescued the remaining pattern and sorted out a piece of suitable batik and some odds and ends to make a similar finish.

I added some pretty sequins to give a splash of colour and repeated a tiny part of the pattern - without any bling this time - for the inside scissor pocket.

A piece of wool felt to accommodate some pins and needles and a small plain black button to close.

I look forward to visiting other blogs to see what finishes others have done.

Happy stitching.

   Sheryl

Smalls SAL - February

Hi everyone,

Another day to link to Mary of Mary´s Threads for the February´s Smalls SAL.  If you would like to join this group or find out more about it, just click on my sidebar button.

I saw this pincushion design by Anna of Allysic years ago and knew that I would have to stitch it one day.  I´m always interested in embroidery patterns with speciality stitches.

So I had a go at embroidering lots of woven wheel stitch roses, long arm cross stitch rows and French knot buds.

Although I have been trying to keep away from my favourite pinks and greens, I couldn´t resist with this pattern and used DMC 936 and 3364 for the green parts and a mysterious variegated pink which long ago lost its number.

It only needed a small piece of backing fabric, that perfect piece which of course I couldn´t find in my stash and so I´m not very pleased with the chosen pink but do stubbornly refuse to buy more fabric until my stash is reduced.

I made some cording with the green floss and added a snap fastener and a couple of beads to decorate.

Each side was lightly stuffed leaving a space in the middle as that is where the little bag would stand and in that small space I placed a piece of cardboard.

I think I will keep this pincushion for myself.

Now a good idea to visit Mary and see what others have stitched this month.

Thank you for looking.

                                       Sheryl

Fully Finished Gallery SAL

Today I am joining Rachel for the Fully Finished Gallery SAL with a completed item from my Dreaded Drawer.

 I don´t really have very many unfinished embroideries as I don´t start stitching anything unless I know what I am going to make but then there are those adulterated patterns that don´t turn out as hoped because yours faithfully started chopping and changing thread colours and therefore the unsatisfied result gets put to rest in the aforesaid drawer.

The below embroidery was done a couple of years ago and now I don´t know where I found the pattern. I ordered blue fabric from the internet to which I took an instant dislike due to its stiff scratchy feeling and the colour next to a pretty blue looked almost grey.

I stitched the tiny heart (between the two birds) with silver thread which when completed didn´t convince me and the birds didn´t have eyes for some reason, so everything got scrapped.

With the Fully Finished SAL in mind, I rescued the embroidery and while still dithering about the colour of the little heart, started backing the piece and adding a blanket stitch surround done with white perlé Nº 8.

I found a suitable edging although it had to be made separately and added afterwards to the blanket stitch. For this crochet, I used a finer thread - perlé Nº 12, my favourite.

The silver heart was changed to a red one and although I tried seed beads for the birds´ eyes, they looked too big, so the poor things still can´t see very well.

Well, at least this embroidery has been completely finished thanks to this new SAL, so I do encourage everyone who has uncompleted stitching to join Rachel at Ten Hour Stitcher, 

 Until next week     

Sheryl

Smalls SAL - January

Hi Everyone,

Our first check-in to the Smalls SAL this year is with Mary from Mary´s Thread as our new hostess.

I am pleased that this group is to continue after Heather from Stitching Lotus made it a popular monthly no stress stitching group during years and wish Mary every success in taking over the group.

I chose to make a small credit-card holder this month and use one of the many metal purse frames that I ordered years ago and are still knocking about.

A small piece of fabric from stash, a couple of bullion stitch roses, lazy daisy and fishbone stitch leaves and stem stitch.

some contrasting fabric to hold the cards.

and the metal purse frame.

I´m not sure if I shall use this but it will make a useful gift, the first in my gift box this year.

Thank you for looking.

Sheryl

The People´s Choice - January

My first blog post of 2019 and so I´d like to wish all fellow bloggers and visitors a very Happy New Year.

`Let the People Choose´ is a SAL hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching and celebrated on the first Saturday of each month.  I´m late in checking- in as I was away over the new year.  The theme for this month is New Starts.

I joined a HAL - Hardanger-a-Long hosted by Mamen of Carpacar at the beginning of December  called HAL Ateneo and managed to stitch the first blocks before Christmas and my short holiday get-away.

We returned home by train and I didn´t think that I would be able to get much stitching done but I was wrong.  A lot of Kloster blocks were embroidered during the five hour journey, then I worked on the blanket stitch surround.

and the orange square stitch worked diagonally.

The design is worked on 32ct. Zweigart Belfast linen using DMC perlé threads #5, #8 and #12.  I left my comfort zone colourwise and am using: off white, green and orange.  Hopefully I will like the finished result.

I am now cutting and pulling the threads ready to do the next step.

I´m way behind with my blog visits and comments and hope to catch up this weekend and see what everyone is stitching.

 Thank you for looking.

Sheryl

The Smallest Small - SAL December

The last Smalls SAL check-in of the year hosted by Heather of Stitching Lotus and today my tiniest of embroidered projects.

I popped into our local needlework shop with carefully averted eyes, so as not to have my attention drawn to any new merchandise and just to wish the owner a happy Christmas, when I noticed she was unpacking tiny metal ring pincushion bases in the form of teacups and saucers.

They caught my attention and when making inquires, she told me that I had already bought a couple some time ago ! eh !  me? metal ring teacups ? metal pincushion bases, er?

She was right, a quick search at home produced the forgotten treasures and so I spent the morning sewing and gluing the diminutive pincushions.

With gold thread I embroidered a chain stitch pattern, added a couple of sequins and beads to decorate.

and while glue still in hand, made a few posh pins.

I´d like to thank everyone who has visited my blog this year and taken the time to leave thoughtful comments which I really enjoy reading and are very much appreciated. See you next year.

Linking to Simply Neutrals.

Happy New Year.

Sheryl