4 Weeks of Crazy Heart Quilt

Week 21

Crochet doily with a flower center. 

Week 22

Monogram playtime.

M is for Mark. 

Week 23

My family NEST.

Week 24

The beginnings of an encrusted area on the quilt.

The Building Blocks Quilt update.

This might not be the final layout for these particular building blocks. I just put them in this order for the photos.

Happy Stitching

Crazy Quilting wk 17 ~ Tatting ~ Crochet

What should I show you first this week?

How about the little birdie on the "E" monogram, updated this week with a flourish of floral vine twirling away in the background, and the little birdie now has a 'body' to help it sing its little heart out.

It is a fabric patch on my "Straight From the Heart" crazy quilt.

Simple, yet effective. I hope Emma likes what I did with her initial for inclusion on the quilt.

And here is a crochet flower motif. My own design. 

This is also going on the Heart Quilt.

 Tatting Update

 I have been practicing my tatting once more and made this motif. 

Still wonky, still mistakes, still learning, lol.

And..... for those of you who didn't get to see my excitement on Facebook....

Hold your ears while I sing a loud WAHOOOO.....

(American friends insert 'Ye Haaaa' if you wish)....

....... I ....... CAN ....... TAT .......

Oh my goodness, I can tat. At last. I finally get 'IT'.

Good old Percy did it again.

(Percy = perseverance)

Lesson learnt. See, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

I've had a great week.

I wonder what the next seven days will bring.

Hearts Quilt week 7 - Dresden Plate block

 Straight From the Heart 

Week 7

The Dresden Plate block is progressing.

My monogram is centred on it and the French Knots surrounding the middle are now complete.

I have to admit, before I go any further, that I did not personally stitch this Dresden Plate block. My mother did.

It was one of the first "lessons" that I taught her when I was doing the 2 yr City & Guilds Patchwork & Quilting course.

As a professional seamstress she was always making clothing and garments, but had never ventured into quilting. When she saw the fun things I was creating on my course she was very eager to learn what she could about this new style of stitching.

The fabrics used on this piece are all recycled from dresses,skirts, and tops that were either my mothers, mine or my daughters. 

This quilt of many memories is for me.

The seams of the Dresden Plate will be embellished with stitches in the crazy patchwork style.

My Monogram for Crazy Quilt

Here are Step-by-Step photos of the monogram I created for my 

 Straight From The Heart 

Crazy Quilt.

I penciled a circle on my fabric then started the stitching with a whipped running stitch to outline the letters (my initials).

Next I filled the middle of the letters with herringbone stitch.

The herringbone stitch was then laced.

And then I added French Knots in the spaces with lavender thread. 

Close-up of the French Knots

Next I made a Stem Stitch circle in a pastel pink around the monogram

 And then added another circle of Stem Stitch

Close-up of the Stem Stitch circles

Then I filled in the middle with Back Stitch in a dusky rose

And the finished Monogram......... 

I know it it usually required to "sign" quilts when completed.

As usual, I am doing things back to front.

This Monogram of my initials is for the front of the crazy quilt.

With a bit of luck (and time), next week I can show you the setting for the Monogram.

Needle Tatting Beginnings

Humble beginnings. 

My first attempts at Needle Tatting were a failure. I don't know what I did wrong, but the 'thing' just fell apart and I ended up with a piece of thread with knots in it.

In the ORT's bin it went. 

Haha!

But, I'm not one to give up. I persisted, and eventually I got it.

My very first tatted ring. 

A bit uneven, but at least it's a start.

And, for an encore, I made another ring with 3 picots this time, but the photo I took of that one is too blurred to post, sorry.

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 CQ Straight From The Heart 

update - week 3

The Monogram letter "L" is for Love (of course)

And for embellishment I added the two tatted rings, filled with red French Knots, and stitched meandering tendrils.

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Just For Fun

Just thought I'd share this typical photo shot of Mojo.

He's always half-way down a hole.

Incidentally, did you notice his little white heart on the tip of his tail.