EEC Week 2

I've stitched all the seams and am now working on the embroidery embellishments. I used perle cotton in size 5 and size 8 for both. I embroidered the Y stitch from TAST on this section and added the webstars. I still have a few to add. I've been considering some tiny buttons for the loops OR the prairie points. I've never had any trouble with this type of embroidery transfer pen not washing out. If I were going to apply it to silk or another fabric I don't commonly use, I would test it on a scrap piece first. I really love the ferny look here. I used the blanket stitch on one seam.

I have a running stitch on one side and cross stitch on the other. It's hard to figure out what to do here as the embroidery makes it kind of busy anyway. Still, it's the same thing for the whole length so it does need something.

I'm going to try the wadded up poufs in the section near the top, not shown here. It has a sort of multi-sized snowball pattern on the fabric. I'm going to use some crushed voile that I bought recently. It's light enough to go in this section well and would not do well as a section piece on its own because it is so sheer.

I will probably add some more embroidery of other stitches not already used. The plain cotton section might be good for some cross stitch text although I honestly hate doing cross stitch. I love the look of it but not doing it. I'm not good at embroidering block or cursive lettering either!

I do like the way this is looking though I feel like I'm going awfully slow. I keep telling myself I can always snip out unwanted stitching and start over. Most of the time it feels right before I begin.

On the pre-embroidered section, I might take a leaf from someone else's page who used the long tube to stitch down a curved vine-looking section. Since it's solid white, it might make a good contrast against all that existing embroidery. I'll think on it. Hmmmm.....if I already had some tatted baby lace done, that would work with the vine too.

I haven't had much time for stitching and have spent most of it sewing my grandson's Halloween costume (delivered last night) and tatting motifs for the dye pot. Last weekend I went to tatting guild and then afterwards, I visited a few antique and thrift shops before coming home. One place used to have a whole room FULL of linens and lace but the shop has divided into three parts now with different owners. It was a little confusing. I had inadvertantly drifted into a different shop where I found these embroideries and almost didn't pay for them in the right place!

This is the only one I bought. It's just a simple length of cotton, actually probably polyester/cotton blend, hemmed and embroidered with the pumpkin but the embroidery was so well done compared to much of what I've seen that I decided to get it and will tat or crochet an edging for it later. It wasn't very expensive either. I saw other embroideries that I would have loved to buy just to save the pattern since the fabric itself was damaged but they had some exorbitant prices so I passed. This one was only $1.50 I think.

I loved this apron and it was reasonably priced but I didn't have a lot of extra money so I passed on it too but I did take photos! It's a regular full-length apron but I loved the embroidery on it. There's also some pink ricrac along the edges but that wasn't what caught my attention. This is as close as I got to taking a full photo of it.

I was particularly intrigued by the pocket. It's placed so that it is the lady's skirt! I just thought that was clever even though I know it was commonly done, it's the first time I saw one. I really couldn't tell if this was a vintage piece or something more recent but I would guess more recent.

This is the bottom front of the apron. I love aprons, even though I never wear them. I'd be tempted with this one though.

In another booth, I found this slip/skirt. I thought it was a slip at first but why would you put a pocket on a slip? I love spider crochet and thought this insert very well done.

Here's the pocket, crocheted in the same pattern but heart-shaped. I think I'd rather see this treatment on a table cover or maybe a short jacket with the insertion not so wide, but it still impressed me with the skill used.

I haven't had an opportunity to get back to my sampler piece. I'm a little overwhelmed with things to do at the moment. My lace guild is setting up an exhibit at the Arts Center plus I'm still dealing with house/garage issues. I wish I were at least half done with Christmas gifts but I'm not even started!

I fully expected a red ribbon for this bag. I was totally surprised to hear it won the Reserve Champion in its category.

Is that red bright enough for you???? A more neutral background would have looked better, especially with the variety of items exhibited.

This is a piece of Romanian Point Lace I designed a year or so ago, inspired by some henna painting during my daughter-in-law's bridal shower. This is another lace I want to pursue more. I'm not big on tape lace but I do love this particular kind.

My needle lace leaves only got a red but I did not expect anything better. They're colorful but the stitching leaves much to be desired yet. (pun wasn't intended but certainly applicable!)

You can check out my tatted lace on my other blog, Threads of a Tatting Goddess. I won Sweepstakes with my tatted necklace and earrings and some blue ribbons on other tatted items.

I've been itchin' to do some stitchin' along the lines of embroidery! I've also been wanting to do this small purse for ages and happened to pick up the book again at the weekend, so I made copies of the pattern since I don't like to cut up the patterns they include (I know - that's what they're there for!) and last night I tracked down my light box and traced the embroidery onto a piece of muslin.

Now ~ I really had a different fabric for both the purse and the embroidery in mind but since it's been a very long time since I embroidered, I thought I'd do a test piece first. LOL! I used a thread sample someone sent me once of a Quilter's thread for tatting. It was the closest match to the fabric I'm using with this and I love the way it's turning out so far. The petals are simply blanket stitch. The face features and stems will be the same thread and I'm going to use some thread I dyed green in May. I'm not sure what size it is as I lost track of which threads I was dumping into dye but I think it will look alright. I finished the petals right before 11:00 p.m. last night and was tempted to stay up and do the faces and stems but knew it would take way longer than I estimated so I put it away. Tonight I'll finish the embroidery and then cut out the pattern and sew it. Or maybe on Friday since I took Friday off but either tonight or tomorrow I need to finish up my bobbin lace pillow, spangle my bobbins, and wind them for the class.

Here's the photo from the book. I'm making the smaller version and the fabric for this test one has a dominant color like the brick-reddish one on the bottom right. My fabric has flowers on it though with cream and green and a touch of yellow gold in it. I'm thinking of adding a second layer of the muslin since it seems thin and will show through over the darker fabric. Then I'll probably put some tatted lace along the scallops and along the bottom edge of the embroidery, probably the same green I'll be using for the embroidery. This is actually the first time I've embroidered with something besides floss or crewel yarn.

I just love these little flower faces and plan to use the white flower pattern too at some point. What will I do with them? Well, as a member of Etsy, I've only been a buyer but I realized I could sell there too and that might help alleviate the piles of motifs and such that I keep accumulating. I give a lot away but I'm finding I'm short of cash to go to lace days and workshops so this would help me fund those again. I might also sell them at the art center not far from me as I want to support them and get involved there. I plan to teach shuttle tatting there before the year is over.

But most of all, I'm excited and enthused and having fun planning and playing, experimenting, dreaming.

One additional photo! I didn't scan the front of the book at home so I had to look it up online. I bought it used somewhere forgotten now and certainly didn't pay the price I see it advertised for! Lots of good stuff inside though.

I have to show this elegant embroidered silk purse that I bought from Karen Ruane of Contemporary Embroidery!

Exquisite, isn't it? Need I say more?

While I am most active with Lafayette Lacers, I do belong to a few other lace groups and one of them, L.A.C.E., Lacemakers of Illinois (link isn't working right now) has a beginner's bobbin lace program at this weekend's meeting so I'm preparing some of my unfinished bobbins.

I don't have a lot of bobbins and what I've bought were unfinished. I can use them that way but when I took the thread/ribbon dying class in May, I ended up using some of the dye on the unfinished bobbins so I really needed to finish them up, adding embellishment and varnishing them. I still need to spangle them. I also need to redo my pillow. I have three pillows in process of being made and haven't completed a single one! I really like the ethafoam I have so that's what I want to replace the wool in the one that is almost done.

Janice Blair will be leading the lesson and I took one last year at their Lace Day with her which I found very informative and helpful. Let's hope i haven't forgotten everything I learned!