Offline

We have been offline for the past few days and hope to have it fixed by Monday.

Yellow Dust *cough cough* Hwang Sa

Hwang Sa. It is that time of the year again. The time when the sands from the Gobi desert are carried over land settling upon Korea. For the person who doesn't have allergy problems the only result is it is they can see the dust as it settles in the crevices of the street, upon windows and on cars. You can actually see the dust being blown across the street and the color is so strange because it actually looks flourescent. To those with allergies, it can be a horrible time with many people donning face masks while outdoors. This year, with the mild winter, it has arrived early. Normally it isn't until March or even April that we are affected.

Here is an article from the Stars and Stripes.

Bling Bling!

I am not a sequin kind of a gal. I can really say that I do not care for them... BUT.... lol... there is always a but... I think they look great here. Sometimes I just can't resist.

Basket Motif- finished?

I don't think this is finished yet. I am not sure what it needs but it needs something! Maybe some beads to give it some sparkle- But I really like it so far.

Basket Motif

Did a bit of stitching today. I layed down the greenery first and need to do some flowers next. I like how this is coming out.


I also added another button seam. I really think they are some of my faves.

TAST- detached chain stitch

I have really been enjoying Sharon's TAST. I challenged myself to use the chain stitch as the base stitch- normally it is intimidating and seems like nothing can really be done with it! But I was bound and determined to change that. Strange how we allow ourselves to continue thinking a certain way about something when we haven't even tried to explore more. I really like how this turned out!


Simple chain stitch with heart buttons

I still need to add the flowers to the right seam stitchery. I am not sure whether or not to use beads, embroidery or sequins. I haven't gotten far enough to pull out any 'hardware' yet.

KimBab

I love Kimbab! There are many variations but the most common ingredients are pickled daikon radish, carrot, egg scrambled and cut into long strips, ham, and a korean green vegetable that I can't remember the name of! The soup is anchovy soup. They boil dried anchovies, making a broth and top it with fresh green onions. It is delicious- especially on a winters day!

They do not call it sushi here. It is specifically called Kimbab. If you call it by the Japanese name you most likely will offend someone. The Japanese ruled Korea for from 1910 to 1945 and feelings run deep.

Tatting Blogs

There are two tatting blogs that have recently renewed my interest in tatting. I really want to learn how to do more then just simple rings and chains.

One of them is tatting pattern calender where various tatters around the world offer a pattern a day and variations for every day of the year. Be sure to look in the archives- there is so much to look at and the year has just begun!

The second tatting blog is the 25 Motif Challenge where tatters have joined a challenge to make 25 tatted motifs this year.

One of the patterns at the tpc blog archive looks like a basket and would be a perfect for a crazy quilt motif filled with embroidered and SRE flowers. I hope to try my hand at it soon.

ITG Round Robin- Debby's block

Debbie's block has been worked on by three people so far and one more to go after myself. The challenge of many round robins is to make a block have cohesion since there are so many stitchers working on it with their unique styles. I must admit, that this is one round robin block that has the 'flow'. I think it is beautiful.

I thought it could use an embroidered motif so decided upon the vintage looking bird and embroidered him in Pearl Cotton 12. What garden would be complete without a bird? I did him in a very pale color because I didn't want to take away from Jackie's beautiful seam embroidery and swag above it.

It is strange. I hadn't done any stitching for months and couldn't make myself. It seemed my creativity was choked. It is horrible when you want to stitch but you can't find the inspiration to do so. It seems lately that things are just happening naturally.

I had been saving this little plastic button that I had recieved in a swap for ages. It is about one inch wide and a half inch tall. I only had one and was waiting for the perfect place to put it. I better get searching on ebay to find some more. =) I hope you like it, and your block Debby! I think I am finished! There are two patches for Melissa to work on and two seams.

Debbie's ITG block

I thought I was finished with this block. I was folding it up and putting it away in preperation for mailing and inspiration struck! I added the very delicate bobbin lace (?) in the inner arc of the fans. It is very old and very delicate. (Sorry for the glare!) Isn't Jackie's SRE on the fan spokes gorgeous?

Tatted Motifs

I had made a few of these button motifs a long long time ago ( and did some variations) and loved them! They are fairly simple and I thought I would share the links to the thisntat page.

Rose and Leaf Motif
Pansy Motif
Butterfly Motif
Bumble Bee Motif
Snowflake Medallion 1
Snowflake Medallion 2
Motif with beads
Button Motif 1
Button Motif 2
Button Motif 3

Embellished Tatting, etc

Sharon's new stitch for the TAST is the detached chain stitch also known as the lazy daisy. I did quite a bit of tatted motifs on the train a few weeks ago on our trip to Pyeongtaek to fellowship meeting. I was planning on leaving the tatting unembellished but then i began thinking... 'what if....' It looked plain before and I normally would have left it alone and I am glad for the challenge to try new things. I really like it now. =)

Also, I did the seam to the right of the embellished tatting in pearl cotton 12. This kind of seam embroderies is also one of my 'usual' favorites. Both motif and seams were done in pearl cotton 12

Kanzashi flowers!

These Kanzashi flowers are so pretty! They are made with starched one inch squares of fabric- preferably japanese kimono fabric. (I am sure starched cotton or silk could also be used.

Here is a link to a flicker group that shows flowers and variations too. Imagine the possiblilities.

This would be a neat motif or brooch. Imagine these matching a little girl's dress. I can even imagine them with five petals formed to look like a fan.

If you make any of these and post pics please send me a message and I will link to your blog or page.

More TAST Stitching- Debbie's block and basket blocks

I have quite a few favorite seam treatments and motifs that I love to stitch. This is one of them... Usually I double check to see if there are the same amount of feather stitches on the inside as there are on the outside and, would you believe. I didn't check on this one! I realized it as i was adding the 2 mm silk ribbon to the outside of the spokes. I had stitched about half of them, I didn't want to pull out the work, so I just left it, added an extra colonial knot and omitted a ribbon stitch to *try* and balance it out. Would you had noticed had I not said anything? (I am VERY curious!) This is from the basket blocks



This is another one of my favorite seam embroideries. I really love buttons and I love how these turn out. =) I used Carole Samples templates as a guide for the wavy line.


Taking Inspiration from the TAST, I added this herringbone combination. It is one of my favorite stitches. This is a bit blurry and if you look carefully you can see my water soluble pen where I marked for stitching. (not good- I need to take it off) I also added the five petal flowers above the swag made from 2mm ribbon. I have never tried 2mm ribbon before and I love it!




Close up view of basket block. I wanted to fill the basket up with some SRE flowers but the stitching area is so small and i didn't think it would look right. I added a lone sequin instead. More inspiration from Sharon's TAST challenge features the buttonhole stitch with flower sequins at the ends of every other stitch.

1 by 1 inch and 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch tiny blocks

I saw the 1 by 1 inch fabric square blog and decided to use some teeny tiny leftover scraps to try my hand at them. I cannot do a running stitch so straight so instead used aida as my foundation and used that as a guide to outline. Made it alot easier. The one with the centered button is 1 inch. Talk about a challenge! I didn't think it would be so fiddly to work with. And the second with the pearls I tried 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 and it is so much easier to work with. Not sure what I will do with these since the edging isn't that great because I used pinking shears. I think they are kindda cute- Maybe as a refrigerator magnet?

Vintage Crazy Quilt

Susan sent me a link to this beautiful vintage crazy quilt! What a show stopper! The embroidery is beautiful and evenly spaced and the colors are so dynamic. The two drawbacks are that I wish there were more pics of the various blocks and that I could OWN it! Scroll down for more detailed pics.

Heart and Swag

Here's the latest of the second block of the basket wallhanging. I need to do a bit more filling in around the roses and pull that stray petal back out of the way since it seems to be drooping. =)

Basket Fabric and Blocks

Here's the pic of the fabric and the second block that I made that I haven't started working on yet. I love the fabric and how it looks so vintage.

TAST and new blocks!

I know I know! As if I need to start something new!!! I know I don't! But ever since I bought some basket fabric a while back I have been wanting to make a small wallhanging with nine squares alternating CQ blocks and the baskets.

Using Sharon's TAST as inspiration, I started this seam with the blanket stitch in blue. I know it looks much more like the cretan stitch- but believe me when I say it IS the blanket stitch! I didn't like the way it was turning out- it looked crooked- but I pressed on nonetheless. After that I added the colonial knots and the straight stitch accents which kind of balanced it out. I now like it!


Auditioning appliques, tatting and whatnot...





I'll post a pic of the fabric and two blocks I have so far together soon...

Debby's ITG block

This is s pic of Debby's block as it is so far. The colors are beautiful and all of the embellishments are also.

The beautiful silkie and embellishment was added by Debbie-

Then Jackie added the seam treatment at the lower portion of this pic and the lovely SRE garland that floats down the seam. So Pretty!

This is the direction I believe I am going so far. I think the butterfly looks great here. I haven't thought up any seam treatments yet but am waiting for inspiration to hit. I was thinking of adding a thread embroidered motif or possibly SRE motif. Not sure yet...

Take A Stitch Tuesday

This is also some work on Debbie's ITG block using Sharon's challenge for the herringbone stitch. I AM a week late but better late then never! Today Sharon has begun the second weekly challenge which is the buttonhole stitch.

I laid down the basic herringbone, added straight stitch X's in a complimentary color and lastly the colonial knots.

I also received Debby's block in the mail and will post pics tomorrow. I haven't started working on it yet- it is a beauty.

Debbie's Block ITG RR.

I finally pulled out needle and thread and stitched on Debbie's block for the In the Garden Round Robin. (Nothing like a deadline to put some pep in my stitch!) That, and the fact that I am feeling better! =)

Still Here!

I know I haven't been posting but we (Dave got sick too) are still sick. We are both sick and tired of being sick and tired! When I get back to normal (is there really such a thing???) I will begin reposting.

I really want to participate in the TAST but it is hard to pull out thread and CQ while feeling under the weather.

Coveting your prayers!

Lillian

For Susan

These are the goodies I picked up for Susan at the market last week. I have been promising pics but so many things have gotten in the way. Hope you like these goodies Susan!





I love this crystal heart locket and key- also for Susan



Hope you like everything!