The Leafy Tree SAL

Posted on May 23, 2021 by craftycreeky

It’s three weeks since I last posted about my Leafy Tree embroidery, this is a design by Mary Corbet of Needle ‘n’ Thread, it comes as an e-book which works pretty well, I’m not a lover of reading books or magazines on line but I just printed off the basic pattern and key and I check the book if there’s a stitch I’m not sure about.

Last time I was just over half way with the leaves just about to turn autumnal…

Whilst we were up in Northumberland I managed to stitch a few more leaves. I had been working them in numerical order as that made it easier with colour changes but I realised there was now a cluster of the big (fancy stitch!) leaves. I stitched a couple of these but then I started with some of the little ones to fill in the gaps…

So there’s some battlement couching (less successful than the first one, I think I stitched the initial lines too close together) wheatear, long and short stitch, and fly stitch with the centre whipped or straight-stitches inbetween and split tips. The little leaves are mainly fly stitch or fishbone stitch.

The blending to yellows and oranges is developing nicely now. I love the effect over the whole tree.

I’ve got about thirty leaves left to stitch, so hopefully it will be finished soon. I’m really enjoying this project and it’s been quite a good one to do after the stitchwheel sampler as it’s giving me a bit more practise at some of the stitches.

This stitch-a-long is organised by Avis from Stitching by the Sea, we post our progress on a hand embroidery project every three weeks, just enough to keep our motivation going! Please follow the links and see what everyone else has been stitching.

Avis, Claire, Gun, Carole, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Cindy, Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Renee, Carmela, Sharon, Daisy, Anne, AJ, Laura, Cathie, Linda, Helen

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Blackbird Lampshade

Posted on May 22, 2021 by craftycreeky

Last Sunday I shared my latest Raggedy Ruff design, I’m particularly pleased with this one as I only had the pattern, not the kit with all the fabrics in. I’ve done several of these kits now and I save every little scrap of batik left over at the end of each project. These were perfect as so many of the applique pieces are seriously small…one sneeze and you’ll never see them again!. This was my initial layout…

I had stitched round each shape with a basic soft brown thread, mainly to hold it all in place…all I had to do now was the embroidery!

I started with the female blackbird and the flowers on her side and then moved over to the male.. Once I concentrated it didn’t take too long. I even managed to breathe at the same time – always a bonus! I’m getting a bit more confident with each kit that I stitch, I’m also very happy that my sewing machine has an automatic thrader as there is an awful lot of colour changes!

I love all the detail on these designs, there’s about eight different flowers to stitch, I particularly like the cornflowers, the other ones are cone flower, forget-me-nots, buttercup, salvia, tree blossom, dandelion, and finally sweet peas.

I ordereda lampshade kit from Etsy and it’s already here, I just need to wait until I have a crafty visitor who will help me make the lampshade!

If you fancy having a go her patterns are very reasonably priced and her kits are great as they include everything all neatly labelled. Just follow the link to Raggedy Ruff Designs.

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A Medieval Pincushion

Posted on May 21, 2021 by craftycreeky

This afternoon I cracked on and finished the flowery pincushion, yesterday when I posted I had two flowers left…

I stitched the cone flower in bullion knots and the allium in irregular cross-stitch. It was nice to learn last night that as a medieval pincushion it is accurately inaccurate! I gather the manuscripts and paintings from that time are not known for their botanical accuracy so I can just enjoy the stitches!

This is the finished embroidery just waiting to be made up..,

Making it into a segmented pincushion wasn’t tricky, just fiddly! I gathered all the way round the pencilled circle with a strong thread and then started to pull it in and stuff at the same time. This is where I needed about six hands! Once it was stuffed firmly I pulled the gathering threads tight and tied a double knot. I trimmed the threads, this was a big mistake…I squeezed it a bit to even out the stuffing and the gathering thread popped and I was back to the beginning again!

Second time round I enlisted the help of my OH to tie the knot and then overstitched the loose ends too. I then used the strong thread from the kit to form the segments and stitch on the button. Once it was all secure I covered a cardboard disc with some fabric and ladder stitched it over the bottom.

I’m quite chuffed with this one, it’s rather pretty.

I’ve just discovered that this kit is now available on Etsy, the designer is Sheila Knight, here’s the link to her Etsy shop, SMKembroidery

I’m linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday.

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A Medieval Pincushion

Posted on May 20, 2021 by craftycreeky

We’ve just had a few days away in a little cottage in Northumberland, it’s the same cottage we went to last September,it’s an old railway cottage called Whistlestop in a little hamlet of Redesmouth, it’s relaxed and comfortable, well equipped and allows dogs! Perfect for a few days R&R…

Of course I took a few hand sewing projects to do in the evening or when it rained, I actually took four different projects, so at least if I found I had forgotten something for one I still had something else to work on…well that’s my excuse anyway! In the end I simply worked on a different project each day, a bit of variety is good!

I started this medieval style pincushion a couple of weeks ago. I’d bought the kit some time ago on a facebook destash page, it looked a bit different and rather pretty. It’s one of those pincushions where thread is pulled tight to form six segments and it has a different flower in each segment. I’m enjoying stitching it but getting a bit frustrated by the botanical inaccuracies!!

The design was already drawn on in pencil. I started with lavender, the flowers are stitched with detached chain stitch which is simple but effective. The leaves however look more like foxglove leaves, big glaucous affairs in fly stitch.

Next I stitched cyclamen, the leaves for this one were much more realistic, they are stitched with a buttonhole stitch. The flowers are stitched with detached chain stitch again, but with two or three inside each stitch to fill it out. I wasn’t keen on using chain-stitch as a filler when I made the stitch wheel and I’m still not keen, however in their defense I couldn’t think of another stitch to use instead as cyclamen are an unusual flower shape.

Up at the cottage I started doing my own thing a little bit, so when I was stitching the lilac (which is meant to be buddleia but is much more like lilac!) I used fishbone stitch for the leaves in a DMC variegated green thread. I rather like this one.

Next I stitched the roses, I used a variegated thread again for the leaves as some of my roses have a lovely bronze/purple tint to them. I used fishbone stitch again, this is becoming my favourite stitch for leaves! The roses were stitched with french knots in the middle and bullion knots around them. I’m pleased with this one too.

I’ve just started the allium and the cone flower. I’ve stitched both sets of leaves, you can see them on the photo with the cyclamen. Again the allium leaf bears no resemblance to reality and the cone flower one isn’t brilliant either. My one consolation is that the leaves will mainly be underneath I think when it is gathered up into a round pincushion.

I am enjoying stitching this pincushion, I think it will look very pretty when it’s finished…I just wish the designs were a bit more botanically correct!

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Wednesdays Wander Round the Garden

Posted on May 19, 2021 by craftycreeky

Every time I go out in the garden there seems to be something new appearing, the mixture of sunshine and rain has brought lots of growth.

The first iris flower has opened. I’ve quite a few irises, both the bearded ones that grow from corms ( and the dutch ones which grow from bulbs. This one is right next to the conservatory window. You can see some of the big iris leaves on the photo below.In the background is a camelia and a large clump of camassia.

In the forefront the spiky heads are from pasque flowers. They have gorgeous bright flowers but I also really like their seed heads, these stay for quite a few weeks, depending on the weather. You can just see an allium coming into flower, a couple of aquilegia and the brunnera Jack Frost is still flowering.

Up in the Amber & amethyst garden the perennial cornflower is starting to flower. It can be a bit of a thug in borders, but I try and keep it in check with a bit of pruning once it has flowered. The geum is just starting to flower and the bright pink you can just see further back is a tulip! The peony in the middle has beautiful bronze leaves. The rose on the obelisk is covering nicely.

Over by the pond the brunnera at the front is a mass of flowers. The iris and hostas are starting to push their spikes up. The foliage from the snowdrops is starting to look a bit past it but it will soon be covered by the geranium leaves.

Hopefully over the week-end I’ll manage a bit of time in the garden – weather permitting of course!!

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Blackbirds Lampshade

Posted on May 16, 2021 by craftycreeky

I’m trying to work my way through my stash of quilting patterns at the moment, in particular my kits from Andrea Walpole of Raggedy Ruff Designs. I’m posting my progress on them every three weeks, so I keep at it! Three weeks ago I had just stitched a pheasant…

This time I decided to stitch a lampshade with two blackbirds on it. This was interesting as it’s the first one of these I’ve done that has been just the pattern and not a kit. Luckily I’ve made a point when I’ve stitched any of these kits previously I’ve kept every little scarp, some of the pieces are so little that a scrap is enough!

My first task was to make the background. Andrea has lovely interesting backgrounds with low volume batiks and a little pop of colour. I had a rummage in my batik scrap box and found quite a few suitable ones, mainly leftovers from the Humming bird quilt which I stitched a couple of years ago as it had a light background.

Anyway, I stitched the background, rearranging the order slightly so the colours would work…

What I didn’t realise was that the consequence of swopping two blocks was that the female blackbird’s head (with the eye and beak densely stitched) was right over the purple diamond with it’s thick seam junctions. I knew my machine wouldn’t manage it so I repositioned the design just a little further down.

The birds and flowers are all traced onto freezer paper, ironed on the fabric and then cut out. It took several attempts at laying it out before I was happy. Only the blackbird wasn’t from my scrap box, that is the only one that isn’t a batik, it’s one of the smudgy ones in almost black, it will be interesting to see how it fairs with machine embroidery as it’s not as close a weave as batik.

Once I was happy with the positions I had to start stitching…that’s the scary bit! Andrea does’t use any adhesive, just holds the piece in place. I’ve always used a spot of glue to keep things in place but this time I decided to try Andrea’s method and it did work, I only came a bit unstuck with the very tiny pieces. All the pieces are outlined in a soft brown to start with. This bit tends to look a bit messy (if you’re not a very neat free motion stitcher like me!) but I know from the other pieces I’ve done, once the embroidery is finished it won’t be noticeable.

So this is as far as I’ve got so far. I’ve all the embroidery left now. I ordered a lampshade kit the other day so then I’ll just need an assistant to help me make it into a lamp! I’m pretty pleased with it so far.

If you fancy trying one of Andreas patterns please follow the link in the first paragraph to the Raggedy Ruff website. They’re not as difficult as they look, the machine embroidery is actually quite forgiving.

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A Barts Bunny

Posted on May 14, 2021 by craftycreeky

I trained as a nurse back in the 1980’s at Barts, otherwise known as St Bartholomews in London. I have to admit that one reason I chose to train there was that I liked the uniform!! When many hospitals were going over to a shapeless dress with a cardboard hat, Barts was still starched aprons and hats. Lesson one in nursing school was how to make your hat out of a square of starched linen. They taught us to make it on a head but in practice everyone made them on a shortbread tin! We still had the black wool capes with a red lining to keep us warm in winter, I loved my cape!

The theme of the Great British Sewing Bunny ( run by Cool Crafting) round 2 was heroes. I decided to make a Barts nurse outfit as a tribute to all my nursing friends (and family) who have worked so hard over the last twelve months. I managed to miss both waves due to self isolation and post-op recuperation so I have a huge respect for those who worked throughout. Some even came out of retirement to work!

I made the dress first, I needed a simple front fastening dress so I used Archie’s shirt as a basis with a dress pattern overlaying it. The white apron is just two rectangles stitched together, held in place at the back with a pin! The navy ribbon with a shiny button makes her petersham belt and silver buckle. In those days when you qualified you could get a fancy silver buckle, mine is beautiful, made in 1901, such a shame we can’t wear them now. We used to wear our hospital badge in between the collar points and we always had a pair of scissors in our top pocket…

I made the cape next, using a cape pattern from one of the Luna Lapin books, I just needed to change the hood into a collar and add some red ribbons to tie across the front.

The final part of the outfit was the cap. I cut a square of cotton, formed the brim by folding the fabric about four times and securing it round a bead pot which turned out to be a perfect bunny head size! The top is meant to have five pleats down each side, I didn’t manage that many but it still looks pretty neat. The tails were then turned up and everything secured with a bit of judicious stitches rather than the safety pins and hairgrips we used to use. Violet wasn’t too keen on the pins I used to secure it on her head either!

Violet didn’t win a place in the final but it was fun to make. It was Nurse Appreciation Day this week too so it was pretty apt.

Next weeks theme is Bridgerton Bunny, a reference to a period drama on TV, but it is basically for any period dress outfit. I’m sitting this one out as I know I haven’t got time this coming week.

Posted in Dressmaking, Luna Lapin, Serendipity, Sewing | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

Spotting a Blouse

Posted on May 12, 2021 by craftycreeky

On the Monday that our shops reopened my daughter and I went shopping into Leeds. We weren’t interested in queuing round the block for a shoe shop or clothes shop, we just went fabric shopping! It was lovely to be able to see and touch fabric again…and there weren’t any queues! We did get a few bargains though…

In B&M Fabrics they had a £2 a remnant table, Helen is starting a new Etsy shop selling baby clothes so she bought quite a few. In the market Fletchers had some beautiful light weight wool which I couldn’t resist. Whilst in Sam Taylors I had a flick through the pattern books, I’ve been wanting a pretty blouse pattern for a while, I’ve several shirt patterns and tops too, but nothing I would call a blouse. I spotted McCalls 7978 and thought it fitted the bill.

On the way home we called into the Abraham Moon factory shop. It’s only about a 5 minute drive from home and is well worth a visit. Abraham Moon weave beautiful woolen cloth for the upmarket designers, it’s quite trendy now, usually it’s around £40 a metre at least, in the factory shop everything is £20 a metre. However when we arrived they had a display of roll ends…at £5 a metre!!! They were all 2-3m lengths, perfect for skirts, coats, jackets etc. Well I got quite a few, it was too much of a bargain to miss! I bought £80 worth of wool, 16m, even in their mill shop that would usually have been £320!!!

Once home and back in my sewing room I started looking through my stash file for a fabric suitable for my pretty blouse. The blouse has a shaped bodice with gathers just under the bust, loop buttons to fasten and what I would call a shawl collar.

I started my stash file a couple of months ago, I got it from Patterntrace in an attempt to organise my sewing room. It’s an A5 ring binder with card pages pre-printed so you can add a swatch, how much you have and the type of fabric. I also used washi tape to mark the page edges with the quantity, so if my pattern says it needs 2.5 metres I can check my swatches within the 2-3m range easily.

I found a lovely fine cotton, it’s what I would call spotted dimitie but with very big spots! I’ve never made a blouse pattern with so many pieces to cut out, it has over twenty pieces! The lower bodice is fully lined, it’s meant to be fully interfaced too but I felt I didn’t want the stiffness, I did interface the bodice front though as it needed the strength for the button loops. With hindsight (always useful!) it might have been better to use a plain cotton for the lining asI’ve got double dots now!

It went together reasonably well, it was a bit fiddly but nothing major. By having the bottom half lined it also eliminated the problem of finishing off the seams inside. The short side seams and sleeve seams were stitched with a french seam

I decided to cover some buttons for the front, I always think a fabric covered button is less likely to come undone with a rouleau loop button hole. I did use interfacing for these, just because the cotton is so fine it wouldn’t have held for the gathering bit of making these.

I’m pretty pleased with it, I could do with a little more room around my hips so it would sit better at the back. My one issue which I didn’t notice of the pattern envelope, is that it’s quite low cut, put it this way I’m certainly going to have to watch what underwear I wear! I also feel it would sit better if the front gather were under my bust…but that would mean even more cleavage was on show!

If any one can suggest any other ‘blouse’ pattern let me know, though please note I don’t like pussy-bow blouses!

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May Smalls

Posted on May 11, 2021 by craftycreeky

With a new month comes a fresh display of cross-stitch smalls in our dining room. April was full of bunnies and spring ones,well I’ve kept the general spring ones and added a few extra.

The fields are full of young lambs at the moment, gamboling around as only a lamb can do, so I included a blackwork sheep which I stitched a couple of years ago when my Embroiderers Guild was doing a blackwork project. These lambs were on the walk I did the other day, the ewe was obviously playing nanny as she had six to keep an eye on!

Wild flowers are appearing, I went for a short walk this evening and along the railway line behind us I saw primroses, snakes head fritilary, as well as forget-me-nots. The forget-me-not one is a cross-stitch I stitched years ago and then it sat in my work-box for many years (decades!!) until I dug it out and made it into a cross-stitch small.

The acorn one is a fairly recent stitch, it was a kit I bought on a facebook destash page. There’s an old country saying ‘ If the oak before the ash we will get a splash, if the ash before the oak we will get a soak’…I haven’t spotted either in leaf yet, but we’re going to get wet whatever!

Be Nice is a Lizzie Kate design I think, again I bought the pattern on a destash page.

The small for May is from a free SAL by Snowflake Diaries and at the back as usual there’s the spring sides of the Zoe box by Faby Reilly and the etui by Betsy Morgan. The cross-stitch of great tits was an anniversary card for my OH a couple of years back.

I’ve a few cross-stitches waiting to be made up so hopefully there will be a couple of new ones next month.

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Monday’s Meander Round the Garden

Posted on May 10, 2021 by craftycreeky

The weather doesn’t know what to do today, one minute it’s glorious sunshine with blue skies and fluffy clouds, the next minute it’s raining, I think I even heard thunder this afternoon! It’s been a bit mixed for the last couple of weeks, we’ve had warm sunny days, hail, sleet, rain…all in the same day! The poor plants don’t know whether their coming or going.

The late frosts have damaged quite a few new shoots, one of my acer’s has been quite badly frosted so I’ll leave it a while and see what recovers. A few roses have also got droopy looking shoots too. My other acer is down in the lower garden amongst all the other pots, it seems quite protected down there, I think having a collection of plants there has made almost a micro climate.

This morning I’ve been weeding, after all the rain and the warmth the perennial weeds are starting to push their heads up, in particular mares tail and bindweed. There’s lots of hairy bittercress too, the chickens used to love eating that. I started off working my way round the patio. The camassia there look stunning, the white broom is just starting to come into flower too.

There’s a little bunch of daffodils by the arch and despite all the weather we’ve had, I’m sure they’ve been flowering for several weeks!

I’ve got several clumps of camassia scattered round the garden, this one is in the Amber & Amethyst garden (AKA the beer garden!)

I’m trying to sort out the old compost heap too, so I’ve dug up lots of nettle roots and more bindweed. It’s beautiful compost up there, so once I’ve got all the weeds out I’ll mulch it round the back garden. There’s a big pile of wood to be sorted up there too. In the corner there is a flowering cherry, you can just see it in the photo below of what my OH calls the beer garden!! I planted it a few years ago, at the moment it seems to be growing upwards rather than out, but I’m sure it will fill out in time. I’m hoping in time it will be quite spectacular, it has bronze foliage and good autumn colour too so a real all season interest tree.

The lilac behind the summerhouse is just coming into flower too, it’s pretty old is this one, they’re not particularly long lived trees, we used to have about four at the side of the drive which the previous owner had planted, one day something made me push against one…and it fell down!! So I pushed against the others and they all fell down! I keep testing this one every so often, I’d rather it fell in a controlled manner rather than suddenly going! They will often sprout again from the base. You can also see in the photo how much the trees behind us are greening up, everything looks so fresh and verdant at this time of year.

A couple of years ago I planted a rhododendron which I’d bought at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show. It’s just a common pink one but it’s looking gorgeous, once it gets bigger it’s going to look great against the tall fence.

I think we need a concerted effort to ‘tidy up’ the garden, there seems to be various lengths of wood or breeze blocks, empty plant pots …you get the picture! I’ve started trying to bring something down every time I go in the garden, hopefully I’ll get there in time!

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