RAFFIA

Many of you wondered about raffia and using it in embroidery.  This is the first time I was introduced to its use at Lesage.  The purple and shiny pink are raffia.

Lesage Level l

Lesage Level l

This Lesage piece in progress also has raffia.  The shinny gold is raffia.

 

Lesage Level III

This is one of the flowers on my new quilt.  The pattern is from the Lesage book  Le Langage Des Fleurs.   The blue in the center is ribbon the outside is raffia.                                             

 Here are the flowers on the new piece I am working on also raffia.  I must add the effect is just dumb luck.  I had tried so many different ways to stitch the flowers.  If the raffia didn't work the piece was headed to the dead pile. 

 I also was asked how I did the leaves around the bud.   I outlined the shape of the leave with green sulky rayon thread using the tambour hook.  Then using green ribbon floss I ran enough strips (laying each flat) to conform to and cover the lenght of the leaf shape.  I then wove the ribbon floss across the width.

This is the raffia I bought on the internet.  The raffia at Lesage comes in about 1/2 widths.  I tried to dupliciate the materials provided for the student at Lesage ... raffia ... sequin ... beads ... chenille unsuccessfully.   One day I woke up and decided I would use what I can get!!   This raffia is about 1 1/2 inches wide so I spread it out, tape it to my cutting board in 18 inch lengths, and cut it in 1/2 inch widths with my rotary cutter. 

Catching up

I promised a very old and dear friend a piece of art work for her bedroom wall.  Now that my quilt is done I have been dabbling.  The design is inspired by an embroidery in an old French newspaper.  The colors of the flowers are raspberry as requested.  I tried many different medium to stitch the flowers in --- DMC floss Au Ver A Soie silk threads --- silk ribbon --- beads --- sequins  --- and finally when nothing else worked I found a role of raffia marked raspberry!!!                                                  

Love the way the flowers look like you could fall into them.

P.S.

I have a name for my quilt and am waiting for some good pictures to be taken.  Some of you suggested I enter it in a quilt show.  I checked some out and thought about it but at this point I can't imagine getting accepted and having to mail it somewhere.....

A name and a few finishing touches and "She" is completed!!

I put "her" on a stand in the back yard in the and a friend took the pictures.  We were battling the  wind and sun but I think they came out nicely. These are close ups of the  some of the flowers.



In shade



In full sun

Now I need a new adventure!!!!!!!!

The home stretch is the hardest!!!!!!!!!!

I purchased 4 packages of DMC black floss.  Little did I know that I would have to buy 8 more in order to finish the infinity symbols on the back (coat) of my quilt!!!  It felt like and eternity to work each symbol in the Portuguese knot stitch ( one of my favorites) especially on the hot days we had last week when all I could finish was one or 1/2 of one a day.  I still have to do more in the center to anchor it but that will have to wait a bit.

To relieve the boredom I started on the framing the front with lace.  I am still auditioning corner ideas.  It beats !!working on the back  

When I went to college I never liked to read over my papers when they were completed and right now there are so many details... the back ... the lace ... mounting the flowers ...  TO make matters worse I went to Delectable Mountain Cloth yesterday and OMG - purchased fabric for my next..... "project"!!! 

A Girl in a Pretty Dress NEEDS a Fancy Coat!!!

 The back of my quilt (The Coat) is black file I purchased at Delectable Mountain Cloth a while ago.

One of the things I am doing to hold the top, batting and back together is stitching 8 of these infinity designs on the back with plain old black DMC floss through the three layers.   The design is from a sane quilt stencil that I changed around to fit the area I wished to cover. 

   

The design was traced onto the back and stitched through.  This is the wrong side of the embroidery which will be covered when the flower ovals are sewn over it.

 Notice all those pesky 12mm dome sequins (over 600) are in place... at least on the front!! 

There will be 8 infinity designs altogether on the back, one in each of the flower ovals.  I have completed 2&1/4 and have used 3 hanks of floss.  I had to make a trip to Michael's this am to buy lots more floss!! 

This is one of the two I completed yesterday. 

Today has been a wash as errands and Doctors appts. have eaten up all my stitching time.  Tonight my daughter is in a band concert so maybe I will get about an hour before bed to stitch.

P.S.In case you tried to leave a comment and could not I think I have fixed the problem.  I changed the format and it seems to work now.

Putting it together continued!!

The lace is just laid onto the border.  I have not decided yet if I need to adorn it with something....

I am now in the process of sewing on these black 12mm dome sequins in the center of each square.

 I only have a couple of hundred left to sew on.

My cat Opie will not sit on my lap nor will he allow himself to be petted unless forced!!  However whenever my back is turned he insists on staking out his claim to my quilt!! 



Putting it together!!!

 I really dread the idea of putting my "Crazy Art Quilt" together!!!  The thought of it terrifies me..... so in the interest of procrastination I made some motifs that people had asked me to make.  The first one is gold, the second is chocolate (tortoise shell sequins) and the third is red.  The pictures of the second two just would not cooperate and rotate in an upright position.

Just to prove to you all that I have indeed been working on my project I have put a 1/4 inch pipping all around then I added a 4" green sashing piped on the outside with the same gold.  The black lace I bought eons ago at Delectable Mountain Cloth is going over the green.  I have one more side to go.   The colors look "blah" in  the pictures but I think it is going to look really pretty!!!   at least I hope sooooo!             

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day!!!!