Corncockle and Dragonfly

I just love this project but when I take pictures of my work I can see all the crocked stems and things I don't like. I really appreciate Jane Nicholas precise needlework.

Tuesday

Thursday

I have lots of new ideas for my circles but I want to finish this first while I still can remember what I am supposed to do.

EGA class with Jane Nicholas

Corncockle and Dragonfly

What a great class with a great teacher . Jane Nicholas has a way of getting you to work hard and enjoy it! This project could be a 5 day class but Jane managed to fit all the information into two days.

The products of my labor. The outline of a leave and stem, a tiny blue beetle, one corncockle,5 sepals, 8 corncockle petals and one dragonfly wing.

Photography can not do justice to such dimensional pieces. Jane had many samples of her works from her books Medieval Flora and Stumpwork and Gold Embroidery inspired by Turkish, Syrian and Persian Tiles on display. You do not realize how tiny and really magnificent the pieces are until you see them in person. I came home bursting with ideas for my current project. Before I return to them though....... I will have to finish this.

Jane NicholasShirlee Fassell

I was fortunate to sit next to Jane at lunch and dinner. A truly delightful two days!!!

EGA class with Jane Nicholas

The June Newsletter from my local EGA chapter offered a class for members in September with Jane Nicholas. I did not think twice but sent them a check and registration form. The class was first come first serve and registration ended August 1. I found out mid August that I had gotten into the class.

I took a dragonfly class with Jane in 2003. These are two of the dragonflies I made in class and I incorporated them in a quilt.

Jane's book on beetles came out shortly after I did the dragonflies and I made the following beetles and also incorporated them in a quilt.

The piece I am doing this weekend is from her Medieval Flora book and is titled Corncockle and Dragonfly.

I will be spending the next few days getting together all the needles (28 in all) and 6 hoops etc for the class. I am looking forward to taking the class and showing you all the results.

Quilt challenge cont

I definitely have been watching "Say Yes to the Dress" way too much. This is the only explanation I have for conjuring up two circles in whites . I did not get documente the first circle.

I layered heavy netting on top of a spokes of sequins The center is 3mm sequins then padded pearl cotton surrounded by 8mm fluted sequins.

Circle II -- I drew my design then pinned the lace over the it. Using the tambour hook I stitched around the area I wanted to remain and cut the rest away. I then stitched around the area again to secure it and clean up the loose ends. I sewed tiny crystal beads over the spots on the lace. 


The design in the center was toooo complicated so I simplified it and stitched it in a variety of threads and ribbon. Here is the finished circle.

Quilt challenge cont.

I previously completed the center part of my quilt and here is one of the circles. The leaves in the center are beaded using the Russian stitch. The circular part around them is done in metal lame. Metal lame is used extensively in French embroidery and I have been searching for it high and low. In July I found some at one of my favorite dealers at the Brimfield Flea Market. That's why I love Brimfield I almost always find something I think is amazing.

Quilt Challenge cont...

Sorry for the delay... My computer is being fixed and I have been shopping the Brimfield flea Market all week. I am in the library trying to finish this post...
Another circle choosing the materials

Materials chosen I hook sequins and beads around the outer and inner circle. I then pad a circle with felt and cover it with silk ribbon.....the very center of the circle still is in progress.

Quilt Challenge 2012

I am working on a crazy quilt?? using the mostly the Luneville hook. Instead of using paper piece method in geometric shapes on muslin, I am working in circle shapes on silk organza. The quilt is divided into a center diamond shape and 4 corner sections. I am working on the corner sections right now.
As I begin each circle in the section I decide what design I want to use and audition different materials, sequins beads, threads etc.


I have chosen the materials and hooked beads around the outside of the circle, sequins and beads outline the center or the circle. Then I hooked a design in the center.

Two down and a million to go!! If you are interested in finding out about the 2012 quilt challenge go to http://cqby2012.blogspot.comcqby2012.blogsp0t.com/

What to Blog About??

I am trying to work on this blog thing and deciding that I will put my past work under different categories - when I figure out how - and meanwhile post daily stuff on what I am currently or not so currently doing.

Actually this is seriously cutting into my stitching time!!!
anyway

When I finished my first class at Ecole Lesage I attempted to purchase materials from them for my own projects. The threads and sequins they use are difficult if not impossible to duplicated. The French are like no other they will not sell you any supplies. Thus began my quest to find said materials. I tried out loads of metallic threads, embroidery and machine and found Floriani premium metallic work well. The practice piece below was done using the the Floriani brand.

Since then I returned for additional classes and was there at monthly tour of the workroom. We were not allowed to take pictures of the channel fashions in progress but were allowed to take pictures of anything else... here they are.

Only a few of the stock rooms!!

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I also found a bin of threads ... so I had my answer they use Madeira... I ordered a spool of the gold 33 pictured here. The only size available was 5000meters. Needless to say I have enough for a lot of projects.

Here is where you can buy great sequins.... That's my husbands reflection in the glass of the door.

Think its time to go to the gym so I can get back to stitching!!!

My first attempt at Crazy Quilting

I took a class with Lynn Payette at Maureen Greeson's old shop starting in 2000 or so. We met once every two months and started a twelve inch square designed by Lynn. We each used our own color scheme, threads, motifs etc so although the design was the same our individual choices of color and materials made them all look different. We had a ball and I made some great friends and sort of a quilt.
At the end of two years I had 16 twelve inch squares and not an inkling what or how to connect them together. As you can see I never sewed the squares together but had them framed and hung together to mimic a quilt.
In August 2003 I had a party to celebrate finishing Snow-White (measuring 32" by 18"), my non quilt and a milestone birthday!!
I had developed a love? passion? obsession? for Crazy Quilting!!!!!

My "stitching starting in 1998

This is the project I started when I retired in 1998. Hand painted needlepoint 26 gauge canvas of Snow White running from the wicked queen...

"Now the poor child was all, all alone in the great forest, and so terrified that she stared at all the leaves on the trees and didn't know what to do. She began to run, and ran over the sharp stones and through the thorns, and the wild beasts sprang past her, but they did her no harm."*

I called this my shroud because I was convinced I would work on it until I died. It took me 3 years to complete along with other projects.

*Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs by Randall Jarrell