Blackwork

I have taken over the position as Program chair for my primary EGA chapter. My "reign of terror", oops, I mean I don't begin in the position until the beginning of the year, but that means I have to have programs ready by November for photographing for the new yearbook.

On the top is a free pattern by Laura J. Perin. Although it is Blackwork, Blackwork does not have to be done in black. So I chose a variegated size 12 perle coton that was dyed by Laura Wasilewski. I didn't pre-wash the thread. I was hoping that when I washed the piece after stitching that some of the dye would run and it did. It now has a wonderful mottling on the hardanger fabric. It is wonderful.

I finished it as a needle case.

The picture at the bottom is based on a Blackwork sampler that appeared in EGA's Needle Arts magazine. Instead of doing the sampler, I used four of the patterns to make this name tag. The thread is DMC white floss that I dyed in a variegated blue.

The edging is stitched using a hemstitch. It has a faint blue cast to it in places. I used another DMC floss that I dyed for the hem also. None of the thread bled when I washed it. I pre-washed and set the dyes before hand so I wasn't expecting anything to bleed.

Now I just have to finish making it into a name tag.

Waterlily SAL

Here is the fabric and the colors of thread I will be using for the Waterlily cushion.

The size 8 is Anchor 307 perle coton and the size 12 is Anchor 306.

I have debated making the fabric darker, but I think I need the contrast that is shown here. If the fabric gets any darker I am afraid I will lose the stitches against the blue.

I painted the 28 count linen with Dyna Flow Cerulean Blue. First I wet the linen and then painted the fabric with a sponge brush.

You can't tell from this picture, but the color varies across the fabric from light to medium. I tried not to make it a perfectly even color.

Waterlily SAL

Whew! It seems like forever since my last entry. What a year and half it has been, but life has opened another opportunity for me to get back to my favorite time filler: stitching.

Lately, I have not had the brain function to do much designing of my own, but I have had the energy to do some stitching and for the coming year, I am the program chair for my primary F2F EGA chapter.

In developing the programs, I will be doing a lot of stitching to keep up with the teachers and I plan to share my progress here.

I have also come back to knitting and have learned about KAL's (knit alongs) and SAL's (Stitch alongs). So I have some projects going with those.

I also joined a virtual Quilting Bee which has got me back onto Flickr.

Not enough time in the day. But like I said a real time filler. Which allows me to be available to babysit my grandson who is turning 3 shortly. He really fills my time.

As to the Waterlily SAL, this is a pillow from Yvette Stanton's book, Elegant Hardanger Embroidery. I am hoping to get it done as a Christmas present. The SAL is being done as part of Yvette's Yahoo group on Hardanger. It's called Hardanger How To.