STITCHING "DARK DAYS"-- MAY & JUNE, et al

 

Above is one of my favorite stitching books;

As you can see by the date--I've had this

one for a long time:))) 

It is my "go-to" for great instructions

to learn new stitches

and also

inspiration...

  

I bought this as, at the time, I was

making a lot of Crazy Quilts and

hand embellishing them...so it

was my "dictionary"--so-to-speak--

for stitches...

*************************

With  my "Ellie-Phant" block for

Dark Days coming up this week,

I have been researching what kind

of stitches I'd like to use for

filling her in...

I am planning on filling in her body with mainly

this chain stitch, which I know how to do

and

below....

 is a variation on the chain stitch that I'd

like to use to decorate various little parts

on her. This is a new stitch for me...

  

We shall see if this works and looks good.  

(Hopefully I won't have to be cutting out

stitches as I did with my Fish block!!)

I think Ellie should be a shade of 

blue/aqua(?) with 

lavender (or purple)

and gold threads..

Again, I will have to see how that

would look...

All part of the learning process 

for this SAL

from K3N {on YT} 

which she calls 

"Coverlet of Comfort"...

************************

My other question is-- should I make this

into a big coverlet, or just sew various

sections (monthly blocks) together???

May is the 5th prompt

and 

June's 6th prompt will be

joined with May's to fit along the 

last central block's side...

[you can see in this photo that this is the

only side where no new blocks have been 

added to the center.  It is really a

long side.

 K3N decided that just adding a 

really long strip wouldn't look that good--so the 3

block solution is what she recommends..]

↨↨↨↨

the three sewn together will span the 

right hand side above...

[if that makes any sense??

the Fish (10")--top

 and Elie-phant--bottom (10")

then

the center area TBD]. 

Here is "Ellie-Phant" now

and this photo below is the type of

filling I'd like to do

This is from a previous YT video of 

K3N's.

My drawing is considerably smaller so I will

have to take that into consideration...

😕😔

***********************

We are having an avalanche 

of pollen here

and fighting allergies--

I am hoping the predicted rains 

for Wed-Thur

will wash the last of it away!!

👾👺👹

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(researching-euse)

PISCES, et al

 

Here is the latest iteration 

[inexpertly kantha stitched, I may add]

of my

"Fish" for my

"Dark Days" 

May blocks.

I have a newfound admiration for the 

women who Kantha stitch these

small objects...

It is very challenging...

I started with this line drawing:

And added  Dorsal Fins...

and various lines in split

backstitches.

[they are stitched with the

self-couching method].

Certainly,  such tiny stitches 

are not my "forte" at all!!

👀👎👎👀

But since this is a learning process,

I will incorporate this fish in

my coverlet--

even though.....

Next up will be my Elephant...

Figuring out what stitches to use and

how to "cut up" the bigger spaces

is my challenge...

While giving my hands a break, 

this week I will research variously

kantha-stitched elephant examples

before putting needle to cloth on

next week's prompt...

This volume was recommended by

K3N as a good resource...

I will be reading up on those stitches

and methods...and also checking

out YouTube videos for examples...

************************

Last week we added these

 to our front walk

after having the garden area

removed...

Aren't they just lovely???

Plus we got them at our discount store

"Ocean State Job Lot".

Here are the tags' info for the plants...

I love the variegated leaves on these...

The back of the tag states that they 

are upright 

growers...

****************************

Rainy day again today--but hazy with the

sun trying to come out...

A bit more humid...

Hugs,

Julierose,

La Blageuse

(learning-Kantha-stitches-euse)

DARK DAYS, MAY PROMPT, et al

 

The prompt for the month of May

for K3N's Coverlet of Comfort,

is"Fauna":

Any animals, birds, fish, etc.,

which remind you of a pet

or are a totem for you.

They will be each worked on

a 10" block...

**********

First I needed some tea/coffee

dyed fabrics--

I found two

old, worn damask napkins

of my Mom's and I set them up

in a dye bath of boiling water...

You can see the water darkening here

after about one hour...

I left the fabrics for about 6 hours in total,

then rinsed them out, and air dried

them overnight...

My choices for the two animals are:

an elephant and a fish.

I chose an Elephant as it reminds me of

Kota's (pictured on my sidebar) 

wonderful personality.. so calm and gentle..

an all time favorite dog in our family. 

And --

since we've always lived by the Ocean

I chose for my second fauna

A Fish...

**********************

First:

I freehand drew both animals

 on copy paper

and

second:

I then traced them onto the

dyed cloths 

which I then 

invisibly basted to the 

backing fabric {white}.

Today I hand stitched their outlines:

Just a simple line drawing to be filled in with Kantha stitching

in the coming weeks as will be demonstrated 

by K3N in future Wednesday YT videos...

I worked the fish in split backstitch

using regular embroidery floss--

[I had SO much trouble with snarling,

tangling, and splitting of the two

strands that I switched over

to my favored perle cotton N0 8

for 

Mme Elephante-- below]

I used a whipped running stitch 

for her.  I think the heavier looking

line works well for her...

:))))

I will be using the perle cotton for

all my stitching on these two blocks.

...I am not fond

of floss at all!! 

I see so many stitchers able to use

floss so well--

But

I certainly cannot...

it gives me so much "agita"!! 

👽👿👺

{I pull out one strand at a time, 

beeswax it, straighten it etc etc

and still it won't cooperate

for me..!!}

S  I  G  H...

****************************

It has been teeming rain here since noon;

so far we've had 

 0.89" and it is still really coming

down.  

I do love

💚💚💚

 a rainy day...

💧💧💧

It was so nice to be stitching 

and hearing the

rain...

Hugs, Julierose

La Blageuse

(still-stitching-euse)

BLUES IN THE NIGHT, FINALLY--A FINISH!!

 

I finished binding 

"Blues in the Night" 

this morning...

I sewed the binding on the reverse first,

for a change of look,

and then zig-zagged along the front.

I stitched together all leftover lengths

 of blue bindings

I had saved from other projects...

So, even the binding is 

"scrappy" :)))

Here is the reverse; this old fabric is 

so soft and pouffy 

now that it has been quilted!! 

And...

Are you sitting down??? hahaha

😀😁😂😃😄

I even labeled it!!

I used the last of my teacup prints for the label...

This was really a fun project...

Hugs, Julierose

La blageuse

(waiting-for-next-prompt-euse)

APRIL STARS, et al

 

Dark Days,  my Coverlet of Comfort

now has Friendship Stars added to

the top...this was April's month-long

prompt from K3N on YouTube...

The moon was my own addition

as I do follow the moon's cycles

in my daily journal...

this coming Wednesday, May 7th,

we will get May's section prompt...

********************************

My "Quackers" is now all sewn together

This is my latest machine-sewn piece; 

it seems that I need to have some

machine sewing while making the all 

hand-sewn Dark Days project.

A machine project

 just feels really like a good

alternate to all that planning

and hand sewing...

Here are all the little cut-offs

from Quackers:

This " Franken-block" 

will be the feature on the reverse...

I really used up all the "sewable" pieces..

so nothing to store this time...;)))

hurrah!!

👀💙💙👀

*************************

and

Here is the start of my Christmas Ojos

quilting...

I am using a minty green 

perle (N0.8) cotton thread to

stitch the green center...

It is such fun to re-visit the leftovers

of my favorite older Christmas 

scraps...

[I can see part of a Jason Yenter

moon peeking out there...I just

loved his Christmas fabrics...]

*********************

We are having a quiet weekend here

and watching Formula One 

racing from  Miami ...

**************************.

Supper will be leftover chicken and

rice casserole ,,,

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday...

hugs, Julierose,

La Blageuse

(enjoying-stitching!!)

HAPPY MAY!!

 

MAY BASKETS 

Thank you, Lizzy for this

beautiful red floral on blue

print....

It was just perfect for

my project...

Grand-mere's old buttons holding

the handles in place.

Have a wonderful 

MAY DAY

💙💘💙

Hugs, Julierose

La blageuse

(still-stitching-euse)