Forget-me-not pillow

I decided I had to the make pillow out of the piece I finished a few weeks ago for my friends birthday. 

I found simple instructions at  needlework.craftgossip.com. on how to cover a pillow form.

 Happy Birthay Cheryl only a few months late!!

One of my students/friend is going on a cruise and she made herself a linen wrap.  She embroidered some flowers and leaves on white organza cut them out, sewed the applique to the wrap, and added a beautiful lace to the edge.  Great job Jean!! It is really is beautiful.

I have been working on my Psychedelic Circle quilt and have it sewn together. 

I took several pictures as each one looks different because the lamé fabric picks up the light differently each time.  The circles on the right side are not sewn on yet and there are two that are still on a frame.  The small blue one is done but the brown one is still in progress.
I am plugging away at it and in between I am practicing my Lesage skills as I am going back to Ecole Lesage Paris this summer to take Level 4.

P.S. When I went back into my sewing room I discovered my little friend was trying to help out!!

Forget-Me-Not Pillow

I have finished 3/4 of the background for my Lame Psychedelic Circle quilt and have one more circle to complete.  For some reason I am dragging my feet and choosing to work on other things....

This is one of the projects that I promised to my friend Cheryl.
Last year for her birthday/house warming present I made the picture below.  This is it before it was finished.  I found I did not take a picture of the completed project.  The tissue paper circle in the lower left is a circle of forget-me-nots around my chop (initials).

The flowers are raffia with beads in the center.  The leaves are floss and sequins and some are woven ribbon floss.  It did get completed and is framed and on her wall.   

This year I promised a pillow for her bed to coordinate with the above picture.  

She loves forget-me-nots so I used my Arlene Baker flower mold and Dye Candy blue velvet to make my own version of forget-me-knots.
The poem is from a vintage "motto picture" and it is unattributed. 

The writing is done with the "tambour hook" using YLI metallic cranberry thread and beads.   

close-up of flowers 

Now the fun begins... I have a pillow form 20" by 16" , the black duponi and all I have to do is sew it into a pillow covering..............

I think I will work on my the last part of my Lame Psychedelic Circle quilt ................................

Host Hotel Textile Show & Brimfield Flea Market

The Textile Show, Monday at the Host Hotel in Sturbridge MA, kicks off the week long events in Sturbridge and Brimfield Mass. 

My first purchase were these vintage beads.  They usually go for $25 a bunch these days but I got all five for $45.



Tinsel Trader Booth

Tinsel Trader Booth

Tinsel Trader Booth

Tuesday through Saturday the fields in Brimfield Mass open boasting over 4000 dealers.
There are plenty of "free" areas or fields each with different names to explore.  Each day a "pay field" as in $5.00 to get in opens. We have been going to Brimfield Monday through Friday.... May, July and September... yes every day... for more years then I can remember.  So we have our own system.  Monday I usually go alone or with the "girls".  The Host show is all textile dealers and can be very pricey.  Not many bargains but lots of gorgeous things to look at.

On Tuesday we usually get there about 8am and start at Shelton's field.  I have 2 or 3  fave dealers there and usually head straight to them like a homing pigeon...  My fave dealer Thoroughly Antiques has a shop in Concord MA.   I have never been there but hope to some day.  Her tent is always delightful even if I don't find something I can not live without. 

Thoroughly Antiques from Concord MA

Thoroughly Antiques from Concord MA



Thoroughly Antiques from Concord MA

This time was no exception.  Cary, the owner, had these vintage steel cut size 15 beads tucked away.  They are hard to find and her prices were great.  I love to use them to embroider my name or chop on my work.

Wednesday is my favorite day because New England Motel opens at 6am, Heart of the Mart opens at 9AM and Jeanne Hertan opens at 12noon.   No biggies until I got to Heart of the Mart.  They have a huge circus tent filled with vintage textile and clothing dealers my fave dealer there had nothing I wanted but another one had these tiny, size 15, clear glass beads that go with all the glass buttons I have amassed and I could not resist. 

I also visited another of my fave dealers Beads by Sandy.  I always find something unusual there and this time was no exception.  He is on line but tends to have different things at Brimfield and sometimes better prices.

These metal 3mm sequins were something I had to have. 



Thursday is Mays and Friday is J and J.  Found a few things but nothing great.  I have a whole list of things I look for and it just happened all I found mostly were beads this time around.  Have to wait until July...................

A Tribute to Adrian

In November of 2011 I received my first e-mail from Adrian.  He was in living in Paris temporarily well attending classes at Ecole Lesage.  He told me that reading my blog had inspired him to fulfill his dream of taking these classes.   He had saved and planned and was living in Paris for 6 months.   Over the next four month we e-mailed frequently chatting about Lesage classes and different techniques.   I shared with him some of my experiences and also the best places I had found to shop for supplies like sequins in Paris.  

In my last e-mail to him I suggested we have tea in NYC when he returned as I was planning a shopping trip there.  He replied he would not be able to as his schedule would not give him the time.

In February I stopped hearing from him.

Life gets busy... when I had not heard from him in March I sent several e-mails but had no reply. 

In April I received an e-mail from his nephew saying after a long illness he had passed away.

I wanted to show you his work.  He completed two Level I pieces,  both in different colors then the one I did.  

Gold Raffia on the flowers and white chenille leaves

Once you have completed the Level you can purchase additional "kits" of the same piece.

  

He also made this pillow for his sister.  The pattern is from the pattern book  Ecole Lesage Chez Vous.

When his nephew advised me of his death he also told me Adrian had asked that all of his embroidery supplies be sent to me.  So over the last several weeks I have received two boxes.  One containing fabrics and leather and the other containing beads, sequins, and his tools. 

It makes me sad when I look at all of the wonderful things I have received from his estate and I must remember he wanted me to use them in the craft we both love so much.

My GDD's (granddaughter daughter)  BFF moved away this past weekend so the girls had a last sleepover Friday night which always leads to a Saturday sleep in.   Saturday my DH was off for the day in pursuit of the perfect train picture, so I was left to my own devices. After my am coffee at Starbucks and an estate sale on the way home I arrived back at 9:30am.   The sleep in put me out of my normal stitching area and I was relegated to my sewing room with nothing to do but quietly make flowers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. 
 So I prepared the fabric, let it dry, cut it into appropriate squares and heated the molds...... and for the rest of the day I molded, cut out and remolded flowers.   I probably made 40 large and 80 or so small.


Large flowers for the quilt border

Small flowers ... don't know what for yet!!!

 

More small flowers different shape


Stamping and cutting complete... believe there are lots more than this!!!

The completed flowers for the border...  The Lame flower with organza petals over it.  The center is a dome sequin with some glass glitter applied i.e. I glued it....

    


This is an experiment with the border design...
The actual design will be different.  It will be outlined with the green metallic and the leaves will be done separately in sequins and sewn on.    Maybe... Sometimes when I get there it doesn't look just right so it may change.

Thanks Arlene I love your molds!!!! 

Arlene does not have a web site or a blog... so sad....... but her e-mail address is ArleneBkr@aol.com or she can be called at (562) 928-3583.

After my class its taking me a while to get back into the swing of things...  First I would like to show off one of my students work.

 Monarch butterfly on small black clutch she designed

Design on the top of a hat she made.

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Then of course I have been talking to Arlene Baker about her wonderful flower mold reproductions (See other post labeled Arlene Baker) She sent me a sample of what she thought I was looking for plus some some extras...

I chose # 8 and of course the first thing I did when I received it was not follow the instructions.   I very carefully made these flowers out of my synthetic Lame fabric... They and a variety of other colors with adorn the border of the quilt.

It was so much fun I ordered # 1 and #21. 

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School Vacation and a trip to NYC, the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero with Sabrina, my GGD (granddaughter daughter) , her friend Christine and my husband. 

 new building at ground zero

 Christine and Sabrina on Liberty island

Me, Sabrina and Christine

and of course a trip to MOOD was squeezed in

Fabrics for a future project.  The fuchsia/cranberry cotton velvet is from Delectable Mountain Fabrics, the white with the grid is from my friend Gloria's stash, and the variety of silk organza's and coordinating tulle is from MOOD... and of course Opie the cat must sit on whatever I put down... except he will not sit on my lap...

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Now I am back to my Lame quilt project.  I have completed all the circles and 1/2 of the background.  I spent the last several days ironing on the 1 inch Lame squares onto the second half of the background fabric and I am about 1/4 of the way through embroidering the sequins and beads around the squares.  

Hopefully by the end of next week I will have the embroidery done and will start the borders.

Enjoying the spring weather!!