I started the year really good, remembering to do a review of each month, but for the last few months I’ve remembered half way through the next month and then it seems too late! Let’s face it, we’re almost a third of the way through September!! I’ve decided to do a seasonal round-up instead, so here’s my review of summer here on the Crafty Creek… I’ve got quite a few things on the go!
Quilting
My Down the Rabbit Hole quilt has come on leaps and bounds (sorry for the pun!) In the middle of June I had just finished making all the houses having got a bit behind, it looked like this;
Over the summer we finished the village border with some suns in the corners and then moved onto the next deep border where the suns became sunflowers and they were joined by large dresden flowers which caused a few consternation’s in the colour planning department. I’ve learned alot stitching this quilt and it’s certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone more than a few times. This month we’ve got a narrow border of elongated hexagons to stitch, I’ve not even started cutting out yet!
Just at the end of summer I’ve started another quilt for Helen, Elephants on Parade, hopefully that will be finished in time for her birthday in the middle of September.
Embroidery
I think over the summer I’ve been most pleased with my progress on my Flower Lattice which I’ve been stitching as part of the stitch-a-long. I’d only done a little ribbon work before and stumpwork was completely new to me when I started this project. It’s taking a lot longer than I anticipated, mainly because it’s not very mobile. At the beginning of the summer I had stitched just five of the diamonds, I’d just finished the one with yellow irises on…
Over the summer I’ve managed to stitch another four diamonds, I’ve just started stitching the basket ready for the orange tree so watch this space. With just three diamonds left to stitch the end is in sight so I’m starting to plan my next big embroidery project!
I also started another stitch-a-long, this time with Faby Reilly, we’re stitching a Lizzie Stitching Wallet, I’m planning to use it for my embroidery needles and scissors when I go to my Embroiderers Guild meetings. Over the summer we’ve stitched the outside and now we’re stitching the inside, it’s looking really pretty, decorated with lisianthus and hydrangeas. Faby releases a new section every one or two weeks.
As if I didn’t have enough projects I’ve also started a fabric stitch book, I started it as something I could pick up and put down, a portable project. In reality it often isn’t as I’m basing it on TAST on Pintangle where Sharon has a list of 100 stitches, she’s been releasing one a week but I’ve come in at the end, which means I can do a page on each group of stitches. I find I often need to be by my computer for the instructions! She’s started a new facebook page on Fabric Books which has whetted my appetite to do some other books. In the meantime I’ve stitched two double page spreads…
Over the summer I was also working on my entry for the Travelling Sketchbook, I stitched a little hardanger sampler with bilberries on, finished a silk ribbon poppy and embroidered entries for my Embroiderers Guild sketchbooks.
Dressmaking;
I have managed to do a little dressmaking as well, not as much as I wanted but I did finally manage to make a pair of trousers, a pair of Ultimate Trousers no less and they have been a great success, they are so comfy to wear and have been greatly admired as well!
The dress of the summer was definitely my shirt-waister with the red flowers on which I made over Easter, I’ve worn it so many times and still feel special in it. I liked it so much I made another with the same pattern, this time using a silk/cotton mix which feels wonderful on. I still haven’t managed to find the perfect belt for it but I did manage to improve on the buttons with some mussel shell buttons from Duttons, they’re really light and thin with a lovely sheen in inky blue colours.
Stash Report!
It was May when I last did my stash report! I have managed to use more than I bought, so it’s still going down, albeit rather slowly! I’ve only succumbed to one length of fabric ( I don’t count quilting stuff so I can still get my fabric fix!) I went to the Northern Quilt Festival with my Mum last weekend and I fell for a jacket length, well I think officially it might be curtain weight fabric, but I think it will make a gorgeous autumn jacket! It’s linen / cotton mix so it’s washable, myself and a lady next to me were oohing over it, she was making curtains, but when I said I was thinking of a coat I think she was very tempted!! I’m thinking of another Coatigan…
Stash at end of April 53 lengths
Fabric used 2 lengths
Fabric bought 1 length
Total at end of summer 52 lengths!!
thecraftycreek 
Gorgeous projects! Really looking forward to seeing what your next big embroidery project is going to be.
Can I just ask you about your Flower Lattice piece? The fabric seems to be printed with the colour picture, did you buy it like this? Is it made specifically for embroidering (or in your case ribbon embroidery) or was it a gorgeous piece of fabric you saw which you thought would work well for embroidering over? I really love this idea – it’s very effective and looks great 😀
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Thanks Bella, the design is from a book by Di van Niekirk, I originally bought it thinking it was lots of little pictures. Having realised it was one big panel I looked on ebay and found the printed panel for £8. The panel is also printed in the book so you could have it printed onto fabric yourself. It does make all the difference to the finished appearance and I certainly couldn’t have done it without the panel.
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It works really well embroidering (especially with ribbons) onto a pre-printed colour panel as it gives you a lovely subtle background colour to work on – it looks so effective, you’ve really inspired me to have a go at embroidering onto pre-printed fabric, thank you! 😀
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… and people say I’m busy. Good grief woman, how do you find time to breathe? It’s all beautiful, exquisite work and you are to be congratulated on not only quantity but quality.
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Thanks Kate, I only work 2 days a week but also I very rarely watch TV, so most evenings I’m in my sewing room…and I should probably spend a bit more time on household chores 🙂
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All your projects are beautiful especially the ribbon embroidery. But how do you find the time to be so productive?
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Thanks Trisha, I’m in my sewing room most evenings as I rarely watch TV and I always have a little portable sewing in my bag for whilst I’m out with half an hour to spare 🙂
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TV is definitely the thief of time
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Goodness gracious me, so many absolutly exquisite things, all brilliantly executed, so lovely. Duttons for buttons, now there is a great shop!
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Thanks Cathy, I have a couple of Duttons shops nearby, you can usually find that perfect button there 🙂
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All gorgeous projects but I’m especially in awe of the Flower Lattice – amazing!
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Thanks Tialys, I’m really pleased with my flower lattice too!
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Wow what a wonderful summer. So many pretty projects!
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Thank you 🙂
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What a great review of summer! I gave up on planning and wrap up posts as I couldn’t keep up with the months coming by so frequently! You must feel great at all the things you’ve a achieved in a short space of time.
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Thanks Catherine, it is hard keeping up with reviews, hence the change to seasonal! but it does make me realise just how much I’ve achieved, as sometimes with lots of monthly projects on the go you don’t get the finishes despite being busy!!
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You have accomplished so much this summer, it is very inspiring! We too, are a no TV household and it is really quite amazing what projects I have finished because of that! Beautiful work!
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Thanks Kathy, we do have a TV, I just can’t be bothered to watch it, I think once you get out of the habit of watching the short attention span style of TV programmes becomes very irritating!
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Absolutely! We watch a movie once in awhile, but that’s on a dad so no commercials and usually a real plot!
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Hello
Love your ‘stuff”. The embroidery is just stunning! Please tell me who makes the elephant batik pictured. I love it and have the perfect pattern calling me!
Thanks, Nancy
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Hi Nancy, the elephants are appliqued on to the background, I used the template from the Elephants quilt pattern by Laundry Basket Quilts, there’s more info on my previous post, ‘Elephants on Parade’
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Beautiful project, you have been very busy
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It is such a joy to read your blog and view the stunning embroideries. Everything is beautiful.
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