Too cute to pass up

Just for a change of pace .... and besides, I have nothing stitched to show you ... it's only a lousy 10C this morning....but, I have a tee time at 10:15....   and...I'll be there.

Last week it was +25C and we were sweating big time.  That's right.  Sweating.  It's not just glowing, believe me, when you are stomping over hill and dale whacking balls and dragging clubs.  I was so hot and tired by the end of it I came home, had a cool bath and a nap.  How do the old farts do it?  Well, old-er farts.... cuz a lot of them are older than I am.  Some of them are out there several times a week.  Man, they are tougher than old nuts.

Today I will be glad I'm walking not riding in a cart...it would be darn cold racing into a wind.... brrrr...  I'll walk it.  I prefer to walk anyway.  It's not the same riding around in a cart;  can't keep my train of thought or my focus when I cart it.  So, I don't.  But, today, I don't know how long we'll be out there either.... as there are ugly black clouds all around...and the weatherman says to expect showers by noon..... sheeeesh..... oh, well, .... we'll see.

If it rains or is too blustery...I'll come home and help the cat bake.

Finally....a proper appliqué

Look!  You can see some puffiness ...  or at least some slack in the fabric.  But, with no stuffing under it.

It is not taut against the underlying fabric, which was my problem with the first two I attempted.   I had to lightly stuff them to make myself happy with how they looked...or...I could have taken them off... but, I stuffed instead and of course, they became 'bumpy bits'... but, that wasn't the challenge this time around.  We did bumpy bits many weeks ago.  This time, it was to make nice appliquéd pieces ....  so, I had to persevere til I finally got one.

I had a thought.  Oooooh, clever me (finally!)... and, ...    I wondered if perhaps a thicker piece of paper might make a difference.  That is, some card stock as Karen mentioned, or in my case a piece of an advertising postcard ..   would give more slack once stitched down to the fabric.  It did!   (NOTE to self: Next time don't use shiny paper as it slides all over the place making it more than a bit*^ to tack down!)















First you tack or baste the chosen fabric to the piece of paper or card stock.  Then, carefully stitch the whole thing onto the fabric trying not to pierce the paper too often.  Once stitched into position, cut the back open..through all layers of fabric and take out the paper..oh, yes, and do remember to remove the tacking thread first...I always forget and complain about how hard it is to dig out the paper... but, when the tacking is out ..it just pops out like a tiddly wink.

I added chain stitch around the outside edge and then also some bullion stitch around the lower left corner to finish it off.

And, lo and behold....an appliqué that looks lovely and soft, instead of tight and like not much at all really.... woohooooo !  I've been patting myself on the back.  My arm is sore...

It is damp stretching... and, it may not be finished yet....

Soon I must give some thought to how I will piece together my blocks I have been working on.....



Today it has finally cooled off and is cloudy with a lovely cool breeze.... you know what that means..... baking!!  Yes!  Breads and muffins today.... no time to stitch I guess....but, we'll see.... maybe later if I get as much done as I want to....

You couldn't buy this...

That's right.  And, I've coined the term "Karen-ism".    Because, Karen always says it.  Indicating that we made something ourselves and therefore it just could not be bought in any shop, anywhere in the world.

I made this little square.  Not the fabric itself, mind you....because my buddy Maggi actually bought it for me in the U.S. ...
(and, thanks for that Maggi, I love it ! ) but, the actual square.

Not that it is totally square either, but as Karen also says ..that's the beauty of it.  It is a bit different and we shouldn't worry if the square police show up... they can't do a thing about it.  And if you notice...the little hem is turned up over onto the correct side of fabric...not turned under as we would normally expect.  But, see....that's the beauty and originality of it all. 

It's a cute little patch ... referencing utility in the world of hand stitching  ... and also it is pretty ..referencing the other thing we need in our lives... some 'pretty'.. which is what this 'class that isn't a class' is all about.  

See this area on my wrapping cloth?  Doesn't it just cry out for something?  A bit more titivating?  A bit more care and attention?  A bit more of me and my personal additions to this cloth?  Of course it does.  As a matter of fact, it looks practically naked to me....now that I am getting used to adding more and 

more of my new found knowledge of fun stuff.

.

That's where I decided to put my cute little square ... seam now held in place with stab stitching and running stitch... 

Then, because I could ...I even added a few French knots, some raised bullions and a couple of web stitches...it is not done yet....nope....more will be added ... but, not too much more..just a few more knots and webs...

I love my little square patch .... 

                                                             

What's that noise?

Funny little rattlings and scratching noises.  I had to walk around the kitchen to try to find the cause.... looked up when I got to the new skylight...and saw this guy.  What the heck?

A starling.  He had a shiny new screw.

He kept dropping it onto the glass and then scuttling around and picking it up and dropping it again.   Seemed to like the sound or something.  Every time it rolled off the rounded surface, he brought it back again.  He was there long enough for me to get my camera and get about 6 shots.... then, finally ....flew off.....

We were laughing our heads off.

It's probably one of those things where you actually had to be here to get the full effect...but, at least it will bring a smile.... for a Friday....

Poof, it's an appliqué...

I need one of those little accent thingies...to apply to my "e' in the word applique ... I wonder if there is a way to do it? ..or are they only on keyboards purchased in French speaking areas?. ... For now, I'll just use the apostrophe...to let folks know that I actually do know it needs something, but, I don't actually have that little 'something'....  either that or they'll just think I'm silly.... in which case... who cares.... maybe there is a way to move it backward so it's above the "e"? ...if you know, please let me know too okay?

Heyyy!!!  never mind, I figured it out.  Well, not me actually...but, I went to Wiki to find out if there is a way to make an acute accent...and...there is.  So, I just held down the option key + e and then pressed the e...and voila...it appeared where it is supposed to be!  Slick.  Yay me...

Now, where was I?  ..oh, yes... remember the little bit of material with the filled in cross stitched hearts?  The one I cut out almost too small to make it useful for anything?

 Turns out it was a perfect size for an appliqué... barely... hahah...there it is again...love it.  Now I know how to do it...oh, off topic again... smug with my new found trick for the accent.  Sorry.

Here it is ... surrounded by French knots ... beside another bumpy bit I put on way back when..

It is still not just appliqué either.  I didn't like the look of it totally flat..so added a teensy amount of some stuffing ...just to plump it a tiny bit.. make it stand out better.  Maybe I'll leave some just flat somewhere else on the cloth.  But so far .. no, don't really like the look of them.

Here you can see the original bumpy one and some prairie points and some other stitches.  French knots, buttonhole lace stitch, some chain stitch and oh, some thread wrapping on the strings holding the "balloon.  That's what they remind me of... balloons floating away over the mountains...

Cross stitching

Have been doing some, with waste canvas, as it is called.  Who knew? .. not me, that's for sure.

Karen showed us a little heart design... and I gave it a go, but obviously didn't get it quite right... well, like she says, there is not a right or a wrong really... as there are many different ways to make hearts of course.  But, I was trying for some cute little guys like hers... which appear to be chubbier than my first... which is at the bottom ... with the grid already removed.

Too skinny.. so I tried again... too big ... hmmm... this became almost like a Goldilocks senario.... too skinny, too BIG, too .. whatever.... til I finally got one I liked.  The top guy.
                                                           














Anyway, then I tried some on a piece of vintage linen napkin in one of the blocks I am working on ...
that's them in yellow on the left...

Then, on another section I tried some white ones...but, got confused yet again ...and got the second up from the bottom a different shape than the lower one...so instead of picking out my stitches...I decided to alternate my new found shape with the practise one... for a total of five ....

Several people in our group were asking about the row of roses in between...no I didn't do those.... it is a strip of pretty trim I stitched onto the fabric.  It is actually a bit iffy and almost falling apart in some spots... so took a very long time to stitch into position in order to make sure it doesn't unravel.

Then I tried some of the filled in hearts...so cute... but, I did them on practice cotton and cut it out too small ...silly me ...I will still try to use it in some way..just not the way in which I first thought I would.... think twice (or maybe even 4 times before you cut!)

Yeh, I knew that.

My Hoya bloomed a second time in the year!  Can't believe it.  So pretty and velvety...I tried to get it close enough that if you click and bigify it you should be able to tell.  So soft ... and the centres almost look like plastic.  Little birdie is very curious....

It has the most amazing scent for hours in the evening...and sometimes in the morning for a while too...