Finished - Patchwork de Chouettes

I've enjoyed stitching this project as the colour combinations have been so delightful. I've got Eiffel Quaker lined up for my next Jardin Prive project later this year. It will only need 3 different coloured threads compared to the 22 different colours that there were in this design.

Patchwork de Chouettes - Jardin Privé
Fabric: 32ct Light Mocha Belfast linen
Threads: recommended DMC threads

Gifted Gorgeousness - May

It's time for Gifted Gorgeousness again. This is hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching. Each month on (around) the 15th, we post about a project that we are stitching which uses anything that has been gifted to us or which we intend to give as a gift. If you'd like to sign up, you can find out more about it, here.

I haven't touched Halloweenies during this past month but I managed to progress some patchwork. As a result I have a finish and a WIP to show.

I finally finished the doll's quilt last week and it is now with its new owner. Her dolls love it, she tells me :)
It was definitely a learning experience on this small quilt as I made a few errors such as making my binding too narrow. Oh well, live and learn.

Over the past couple of years I have received fabric in exchanges with Mouse (Tales of a stitching mouse) and Deb (no blog). I am using them to make a dilly bag (a small bag) for myself. Is there another name for this style of bag? I can only think of dilly bag. Please let me know as I am interested in that type of thing.
I like my mix of red and whites. All being well, it will be finished for the next update.

Pour l'Amour du Fil - Nantes

On the 20th April, I was in Nantes for the Pour L'Amour du Fil exhibition. It was my first time and I was looking forward to seeing the work of international quilting designers, as well as doing some shopping.
The exhibition did not disappoint. I got to meet the lovely Judy Newman who signed her new book for me.

I had a great time. It truly was an international exhibition - exhibitors, retailers and attendees. If you ever think you would like to go, I'd definitely recommend it. Nantes city was lovely and it made a great weekend break.
What follows are some photos of the work I saw displayed.

Pendle Hill - Di Ford Hall
I'd love to make this

Embroidered Friendship postcards

Haven't got the designer's name

Gifted Gorgeousness - April

Gifted Gorgeousness is hosted by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching. Each month on (around) the 15th, we post about a project that we are stitching which uses anything that has been gifted to us or which we intend to give as a gift. If you click here, this will take you to Jo's blog and the links to the other stitchers who are taking part. You can sign up at any time and if you would like to do so, the rules can be found here.

April has been a busy month for gifted gorgeousness. In my previous post, if you haven't seen it already, you can read about the gifts I made and received in Needlecraft Haven's Easter Exchange. I'm also including my chocolate egg as that ribbon will be used sometime ☺.

Here's a close-up of the Easter ornament I made for Christine.

Peter Cottontail - Just Nan
Fabric - 28ct Blue Cashel linen
Threads: recommended DMC threads

I have no photo of Plum Street Samplers' 'Halloweenies' this month as I found another counting error in my stitching! Now that I've spotted it, my eye is drawn to it every time and I can see the misalignment between motifs. I've put it to one side for a few days until I feel ready to face it again.

I had a lot happening end of January/February and though I found comfort in my stitching then, my counting was obviously all over the place. Maybe next month I'll have more positive news about it.

Until then, enjoy your stitching.

Needlecraft Haven Easter Exchange

Happy Easter everyone. Clare (aimetu) at Needlecraft Haven organised an Easter Exchange for us. Our exchange was to include a stitched Easter ornament, a card and a sweet treat. All my favourites - including the sweet treat ☺.

I was truly spoilt by my exchange partner, Deb (no blog). She stitched me Just Nan's Dewdrop Bunny, a design I haven't got and included a Blackbird Designs chart, some pins, fabric, chocolates in a bag and a stitched card featuring a JBW Design rabbit! Didn't I say I was spoilt.

Needlecraft Haven Easter Exchange, 2017
Gifts from my exchange partner, Deb

Christine (The Alchymyst's Study) was my exchange partner and I sent her a modified version of Just Nan's Peter Cottontail, finished as a bell and a chocolate fish for Easter. You are just as likely to find a chocolate fish in our local chocolatier as a chocolate egg. The fish and eggs are filled with petites fritures, a selection of little chocolate fish and shells.

Peter Cottontail - Just Nan and Chocolate fish
My exchange items to Christine

I found the idea for the bell finish here, which included a graphed template of the bell shape. I stitched the phrase 'Easter 2017' on the interior of the bell, but I didn't think to take a photo of it. This is a finish I will do again.

For those of you who like chocolate, I'll finish with a photo of the chocolate egg that my husband bought me this year. It's still in one piece ... for now.

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop 2017

Welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop organised by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching. For those of you unfamiliar with this blog hop, all you have to do is visit each of the blogs in the order given on Jo's blog and note down the letter in each one to find the mystery phrase they make up. Return to Jo's blog to leave a comment saying what the phrase is. There is a draw for the winner of the correct phrase and they will receive a prize.

This year I stitched this little Whimzi design from Just Nan for Easter. Not a perfect photo but it was the best I could get.

Tulip Bunny - Just Nan
Fabric - 32ct Spring Garden Belfast line
Threads - recommended DMC threads

My letter is:

For your next letter, hop over to Astrid at:

http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/ 

Enjoy your treasure hunt.

Contrasting fabrics

The lady who leads our patchwork group asked us to use strong contrasting fabrics when making our schoolhouse blocks. With this blue polka dot and white combination I think I achieved the contrast. This was all stitched and quilted by hand and though I lost interest at one point with stitching so many pieces together, I'm pleased with the final product. This has been finished as a small wall hanging.

One of my friends said that the polka dots made it look as if it was snowing. I think I agree.

Schoolhouse quilt block
Finished size - approx. 33cm x 32cm

Next week we are using fabric scraps which are any length and at least 3cm wide to make blocks. I have no idea what to expect from this exercise, so watch this space.

Owls

Not one but two owl projects this time!
I've completed part four of my Patchwork de Chouettes SAL as seen below. I am partway through part five and I hope to show that next week. The more I stitch this project, the more I fall in love with the colours used.

Patchwork de Chouettes - Jardin Privé
Fabric: 32ct Light Mocha Belfast linen
Threads: recommended DMC threads

My next owl was a group project in our sewing group. Many of the ladies made a number of these owls but for now I've settled for one. However, I think I will be making a second one before the summer as my nieces have shown an interest in owning this one. So I think they will have one each.

Owl with hearts

Stitcher's Day Exchange

I said that I would share with you the beautiful gifts I received from Meg (no blog, I think), my partner for the Stitcher's Day exchange over at the Friendly Stitchers Forum. Here they are!

Stitcher's Day Exchange- Friendly Stitchers
Gifts received from Meg

Meg's stitching and finishing are beautiful. The biscornu and scissor fob are so delicate looking. The scissors that came with the fob are really sharp (or maybe mine had got a little blunt and I hadn't noticed). Meg also had the great idea of including some DMC threads that we use regularly such as 310 and B5200. I admit that black (DMC 310) is one thread that I always seem to run out of and yet I would say that it isn't a thread that I use as often as some others.

Here is the front of the small stitching bag/ envelope that I sent Meg. I wrote about this in last post which you can find here. I also included some French stitching items of Bohin needles and dyed thread from Fils à Soso and Atalie.

Friends - Cosmic handmade
Fabric - 28ct evenweave white
Threads: Recommended DMC threads

I enjoy taking part in exchanges as I love stitching with a recipient in mind. At the same time, there is something pleasurable about searching for the 'right' chart and thinking about the finish that I enjoy. 

Gifted Gorgeousness - March

Gifted Gorgeousness is created by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching. Each month on (around) the 15th, we post about a project that we are stitching which uses anything that has been gifted to us or which we intend to give as a gift. If you click here, this will take you to Jo's blog and the links to the other stitchers who are taking part.

This month I have one finish and one almost finished project. I'll start with Halloweenies. I thought this was going to be a finish for this month's Gifted Gorgeousness. As I started stitching the final letter on Tuesday night, I had already begun to think about how I would finish this as a pillow. Then I spotted it! An error - I worked back on each of the 11 letters I had completed to discover I had made my mistake on H, the first letter. I had started it four threads too far to the left. How I didn't spot this sooner I don't know, for once I saw it, it was glaringly obvious.
As you can see from the photo below, I have yet to restart the lettering. I will ... this weekend ... .

Halloweenies - Plum Street Sampler

Fabric: Lakeside Linens 32ct Vintage Sand Dune

Threads: recommended  Gentle Art Sampler threads and Crescent Colour

But on to more successful stitching. I finished and posted this small project bag/envelope to my Friendly Stitcher's partner, Meg, for Stitcher's day. I will share what I received from Meg in a separate post.

With a little adaptation, I followed the instructions on Vonna Pfeiffer's YouTube tutorial and I was pleased with how it came out.

This is a free design from Cosmic Handmade which can be found here with some other free designs that she has placed online.

Friends - Cosmic Handmade
Fabric - 28ct evenweave white
Threads - Recommended DMC threads

Small pocket added to interior of bag

Back of project bag

Of course, making this bag wasn't all plain sailing. I was determined to add an interior pocket to hold scissors and a packet of needles. However, I forgot about it until I had sewed the sides. I didn't want to undo the side seams of the bag so I hand-stitched the pocket in. Moral of the story - remember to stitch the interior pocket in before stitching the sides!

On that thought, I will leave you for today. Have a good weekend and for those celebrating St. Patrick's day, have a good day.

Patchwork de Chouettes Part 3

This is a short update on my stitching. I'm still working on Patchwork de Chouettes even though I've fallen behind in this SAL. It is now on Part 5 but I will soon catch-up as I've already started Part 4 since taking this photograph. This is a colourful design which I am enjoying stitching.

Patchwork de Chouettes - Jardin Privé

Fabric: 32ct Light Mocha Belfast linen

Threads: recommended DMC threads

Gifted Gorgeousness - February

It's only the second month in and already I'm late!

I'm making slow progress on 'Halloweenies', even though I love this design. It doesn't help when I discover that I've made the water hydrant too tall and have to restitch it most of it as well as the patchwork stars above it! I really like this Lakeside linen fabric that I'm using. There will be a small piece of this fabric left when I finish stitching this, so it will be fun deciding how I will use it.

Halloweenies - Plum Street Sampler
Fabric: Lakeside Linens 32ct Vintage Sand Dune
Threads: recommended  Gentle Art Sampler threads and Crescent Colour

You will have seen this gift I received in my previous post but as this is all about gifted gorgeousness, here again is the gift that I received from Clare (Aimetu) in our Needlecraft Haven Valentine exchange. The chocolates are long gone. I already have a design in mind for using the threads that Clare sent.

Needlecraft Haven Valentine Exchange, 2017
Received from Clare

I'm also working on two other gifts for exchanges which I'm unable to share just now. However, I should be able to reveal one of them next month.

Until the next blog post, happy stitching.