UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The hardest part of this whole process for me is putting the pieces together.  All the circles are sewn on.  The first layer of sash is gold and it is basted on (not shown).  The top in the picture is representative of what the finished sash will look like.  Embroidered green intertwining circles with flowers and leaves over the gold lamé. 


















I have spliced two of my slate frames together to accommodate the length of the sashes.  This is the top and bottom in process.

This is the side pieces.  Here you can get an idea of  the 6 1/2 feet length of the two frames.  I had to put a dowel in the mid section to keep them from sagging. 

In the evenings while watching TV I work on the leaves....  I ironed steam- a-seam lite onto the metal organza, cut out the leaf shape, ironed it onto organza, tacked it down so it doesn't lift and embroidered green sequins around the edges.  I have 30 completed, the 20 or so in the frame started and I have no idea how many more I have to do!!

School starts in a couple weeks and my GDD (grand daughter daughter) is starting High School so lots to do plus the  heat is slowing me down.   Hopefully in the next week I will have the sashes sewn on and the sandwich made. (Back batting and top sewn together and pipping completed.  Then I can concentrate on finishing the leaves and flowers. 

Back to Level IIII 
I decided to make some more leaves and cabochon roses because I was not really happy with them.  I traced the design of the roses and leaves onto the organza.  Then I "wonder undered" the top of the roses with metal organza and the leaves with a cut our of metal
organza.

above is the top of  the design

below is the bottom of the design

next the tubes are added

the smaller of the roses has just the tubes surrounding it and the larger has tubes and sequins.

the leaves are tacked down and the centers are worked first then the outside using a variety of sequins, tubes or  metal

the petals of the flowers are cut out of the metal organza basted together and gathered.

Here is the larger rose the outside is done in tubes and sequins and the first petal is sewn in along the pink section lines.

 

here are the roses finished.

 

 

here the leaves are completed and one of the roses.



Here is the finished product. 

  The title of Level IIII is Les Ambitieuses or Rose sculptures.  

Lesage Level IIII

I have completed the Level IIII design and here are a couple pictures.   This one on white background.   

and the same design on a black background.

I am not really happy with some of the roses and the leave.   I have extra fabric etc so I am going to make more.

The metal organza has "wonder under" or some similar produce ironed onto it.   I copied the design onto the back of the white organza and then ironed the metal over it.

RIGHT SIDE (with metal organza on top)

wrong side with design on the bottom

I will tack the metal organza down to make sure it does not lift and proceed to add the sequins and beads etc.

I plan on using the additional leaves and flowers when I have the motifs framed. 

We have been in Paris France for the last couple weeks...  I took another class at Ecole Lesage

Here is the Level IIII piece I am working on it is entitled "Les Ambitieuses" or Roses Sculptées

There are three appliques in this piece, large, medium, and petit plus 10 leaves.  The above is the large applique (5" X 3.5").  Once the each is done it is cut out, the leaves (1.5"long) are sewn on and it can be used as an applique.  All of the beads and sequins are done from the back.   The teacher was not complementary of my bead and sequin work although it did improve as the class progressed. The ribbon and trim parts are done from the top and the instructor loved my ribbon flower.

These are the leaves in various stages of completion (1.5" long).

This is the large piece completed in class before the leaves are sewn on.

This is the large piece cut out, lined, and  the leaves are added.

The leaves actually hide a lot of the bead and sequin work.  When I mentioned this to the instructor she said that this is the way couture is done ... a lot of the time all of the work is not seen.

Now I am working on the petit piece

Have to work some more on my flower  cut it out and add the leaves.

Level IIII teaches you to:

▪ add beads (size 15), and sequins (3mm) without looking

▪ add the tubes (around the large rose) using the pull stitch without looking

▪ using ribbon and metal strip lamé

Next time I will share some of my ever changing favorite things about Paris

  

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 ................................