I'm an Embroidering Fool

Since I learned how to use my embroidery model for my Bernina, I have been embroidering like crazy. My husband looks in my studio and wonders why I have 2 sewing machines set up. The new one is dedicated to embroidery and the other is for construction of things to embroider! When I'm done putting names in everything in sight, I'll put away the embroidery module. 

This is my favorite gift to give to new parents/ grandparents. It's a hooded towel. I did not create it, but I love making them, especially when the parents telL me that they use them for years. What little kid doesn't like a hooded cape?

I made two for twins!

I make one from a bath towel and half of a hand towel. 

My friend, Steph, was in China for 2 years and found these colorful designer style bags at what she calls the fake market. I had to wrangle them under the needle, but thankfully, I had no disasters. 

There was one left over, so I embroidered one for myself. 

When you're not using the bag, it folds conveniently flat. You can put it in a suitcase as an extra bag for traveling. 

I spent a good part of the summer working on a secret project. On Sunday, I'll be able to share more details and you'll be able to enter a drawing. For now, this is what I can share. 

I Love Lancaster County

It was time for another lesson on my new sewing machine. I never complain when I have to drive out to Lancaster County. Fall has to be the most beautiful time of year. I could drive along these country roads forever. 

The reason for my visit was the embroidery class. I LOVE to give gifts with my friends and family's names on them. That's really the only embroidery that I do. I have a few items that are overdue and it's time I learned how to embroider with my new machine. 

Here's the place.

Here's everyone's machines set up and ready to learn. 

We got to pick out the color of thread that we wanted to use. 6 colors! Eye candy. 

This was the most amazing site. Stacks and stacks of Bernina sewing machines. Along the wall in the classroom are plaques dating back I don't know how long, awarding Hinkletown the top single location Bernina dealer in the world. I am not surprised. 

Now I can't wait to get stitching. 

Don't You Love The Name Henry?

You bet I love that name, Henry. It's the name of my new grandson, my first grandchild.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

He was born on Sunday, 2 weeks late, weighing in at 7lbs 4oz and 22" long.

I do not have permission to share a photo,

 so I will share the receiving blanket I made while awaiting his arrival. .

While my DIL was in labor and delivery, I headed to the nearest fabric store. I had to do something.

I found this wonderful flannel, with bicycles, at my local Joann's and they were having a great sale.

 Almost all of their children's flannels were $2.99/yd. A great deal.  I washed it beforehand since I was worried about shrinkage.  It wasn't too bad and it was sooooo soft. 

I used it for the back and binding and purchased minkee for the top.

I used the Missouri Star Quilt Company video that I shared in a recent blog post to make the self-binding baby blanket. If you did not see the photo of Jenny Doan and the You Tube video embedded in the post,

 here is the LINK

 

As soon as the grandbaby was given a name, I got to work:

I embroidered his name on the minkee.

I'm sure this will be the first of many.

Welcome to the world Henry.  I'm so happy to meet you.

 

Where Are We Going?

If you love doing handwork or you know of someone who does, you know that the first thing you think about when planning a trip isn't what clothes you are going to bring, or when to stop the mail or when to drop off the dog at the kennel.  The first thing that has to be done is putting at least one project together to work on for the trip.  And it has to be enough so that you don't finish it before the trip is over.  You don't want to have nothing to do with youe hands.  Most of us put multiple projects together, sometimes multiple types of needlework - quilting, embroidery, knitting.  But if you put together your handwork too early, there is such a temptation to start working on it befopre you leave.  Then you have to start all over again.  So the timing has to be just right - not too early but with enough time to have a quality project.

 So I canvassed some of my friends to see what traveling projects they are currently working on and I thought I would share them with you.  Kelly always has some type of handwork project going because she loves needleturn applique.  So she has multiple projects in different stages all the time.  Two of the projects she is working on now are her colorful applique baskets and these  Grandmother's Flower Garden hexagons. She is using those plastic inserts and basting the fabric around them.

This is not going to be a traditional quilt!

Knitting is also a very popular project to take along.  Many quilters also knit .  And I know knitters that, like quilters, have many, many projects going  in various stages. 

My friend Christine always has at least one knitting project going.  Actually she doesn't do much sewing handwork. But she's working on that.   I think she fills up every spare minute that she has knitting.  Her hands are never still. Even sometimes when we are in a restaurant waiting for our order to come.  For her current project, she has added those fickle fingers to a patterned scarf.  She is headed to Greece today and I hope she has enough room for her knitting projects. And isn't it wonderful that you can bring certain types of knitting needles on an airplane now.

Terry hikes and camps, so her projects need to be small and contained.  She also loves needle turn applique.  She is getting ready to do an Artist In Residence at the Grand Canyon through the National Park System.  (She creates wonderful quilts inspired by nature.  Check out her website:  www.TerryKramzar.com)  She will be there for 3 weeks. 
Although she is starting to panic about getting everything she needs together - her handwork is ready and waiting to go.  She is working on a quilt from a book by the Piece O Cake Ladies from their newest book.  It involves putting lots of free form leaves on a sky like background fabric.                                                                       

Jane loves to do embroidery.  She took one of the Aunt Martha's  Noah's ark embroidery patterns that was meant for something smaller and enlarged it to make a whole cloth quilt.  She lightly traced the design on with a pencil and is using floss and a stem stitch.  (You can just make out the penciled zebras.)

I too panic if I don't have something to do with my hands on a trip.  I know lots of people who can't sew or read while being a passenger in a car.  Not me.  I can do anything.  And if I don't have to drive, I am a happy girl.  There are threads, and sometimes beads, all over and I have found that the little well in the door near the handle is the  perfect place for a small pair of scissors and thread.  I have been known to "run out of work" on a trip and then have spent time searching for a fabric store to fill my needs!  It makes me so happy that most hotel rooms have irons - perfect for an in process project. 

I do not do needleturn applique.  I enjoy handstitching fusible applique, embroidery and embellishing.  All of these techniques lend themselves to road trips.  I do a little dabbling with knitting.  Right now I am working on smallish projects using variegated threads that I hand dyed. 

I have been lucky from the beginning of my interest in quilting that my obsession to always have something to do with my hands has not driven my husband crazy.  He gets it.  As an avid reader, he always needs to have at least one book packed in his bag or on his bedside table.  

What types of projects do you work on in your travels?

Nancy's Most Excellent Adventure

I have a wonderful friend named Nancy.  She is one of my oldest friends.  We met doing a school charity quilting project while ours sons were in elementary school.  It's hard to believe it's been 16 years.  With the advent of Spring and after being cooped up for a snowy winter, I thought I would treat her to a day of fun in the city of Philadelphia to celebrate her upcoming birthday.

 
We started at The Magic Garden.  This building was a project started by Isaiah Zagar, a mosaic mural artist.  The walls and the floors both inside and out are adorned.  Almost every nook and cranny, creating little passages, is covered with mosaics made from tiles, broken mirrors, toys, bottles, bicycle tire rims and many found objects.  It is really sensory overload.  You don't know where to look first.  It is still a work in progress, with Isaish, now in his 70's, still being the creative director.  The tiles with designs on them, like the faces and words,  are made on the premises in their basement kiln.



Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the enormity of the project.  It is truly mind boggling.

That's me down there.

Next Stop: LUNCH

We headed down to Penn's Landing and had lunch on the Mosholu, a tall ship built in 1904,  sat alongside the window and had a wonderful view of the Atlantic Ocean and a delicious meal.

  

Our final stop was the Perelman Building at The Art Museum of Philadelphia to see the embroidered Kantha quilts of Bengal.  I chose this day to go, because there were 2 women who came all the way from Kolcutta  to demonstrate how they do their stitching.  

The quilts on display at the museum are from the late 1800's and early 1900's and were solely made for family members.  Photography without a flash was allowed.  Nancy's camera did a much better job than mine with the low light.  Most of the quilts had some sort of a center medallion, with the other designs surrounding it.  Many of the edges were finished with a blanket stitch.  Some of the edges had no stitching at all.

 

We then went to watch the women stitch.  There has been a movement to  teach  this art of embroidered quilts  to contemporary women so that they can earn money by selling the finished embroidered pieces.  Some of the larger pieces can take them up to a year to make.  The amazing thing about the embroidery is that almost all of the designs are made with a running stitch.  In making the quilts, the first step is to draw their design onto the  background cloth.  Then it is outlined and then filled in.  After that the background is quilted.  One of the ladies used a hoop and the other did not. Instead og the silk sari thread that they used in the late 19th century, the women were using Anchor floss - 2 strands.                 

The motifs in these quilts  are so simple and naive - truly folk art.  Of course I am mesmerized by their many tree interpretations.  There are lots of peacocks, birds, elephants, circular medallions and paisleys.  They depict what is common in everyday life.

The quilts, which are part of 2 private collections, will be in Philadelphia through July.  It is definitely worth the trip if you love folk art and embroidery.

  

Hope you had a great birthday adventure Nancy!