Fried Egg Broach

Fried Egg Broach – Hattie McGill Embroidery

I saw this broach here, and had to have it.

It came quickly (UK to Australia) and was beautifully packaged.

I do like a beautiful kit – probably very shallow of me. I have gotten a bit carried away this year and I have bought several kits (and I think The Schoolgirl Sewing Club has four projects), not to mention the SALs I joined digitally. I have enough to keep me busy for several lifetimes. I am doing a bit of a rotation, but I am not sure I have found the best approach yet.

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Filed under Bedazzle, Embroidery, Etsy, Inspiration, Purchases

Tender Whispers Supplies

Tender Whispers Supplies

Shipping was being a bit of a bug bear with the Tender Whispers group – for example, my April supplies didn’t arrive until the end of the month. To avoid that, Rebecca has sent us six months of supplies – such a nice parcel to get.

I have also ordered extra thread – depending upon my chosen quote I will probably run out.

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Sock Knitting

Plane Knitting

I have been away. I did quite a bit of knitting on the plane (while listening to an audio book – this one).

This is my April sock – I have skipped march.

Usual needles (2.25mm knit pro zings), 20 round P2K2 cuff, and a heel flap and gusset.

After about half a leg I understood the cables and the pattern was quite easy after that.

Finished Sock One

I have started work on the second sock.

While away I bought more sock yarn (from here). I need to keep my sock production up otherwise we will be drowning in sock yarn. It was one of these, but I can’t find the exact one.

I have had parcels arrive from Paris and the UK – more on that later.

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Tender Whispers of the Heart – April

April’s theme is Beauty

My supplies for April have arrived. There was quite a delay this month.

I have narrowed my poem choice to two possible stanzas

it all comes down to this:
In our imperfect world
we are meant to repair
and stitch together
what beauty there is, stitch it

with compassion and wire.
See how everything
we have made gathers
the light inside itself
and overflows? A blessing

Holding the Light – Stuart Kestenbaum

Or

But I study what is beautiful,
what is generous. I offer it my devotion.
Even in this moment writing this poem,
I stitch in the pauses and the stumblings –
these, too, are beautiful because they are true.
I stitch in the pure potential that steeps
in uncertainty. I stitch in silence. I stitch in hope.

Stitching it Together – Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

I am leaning towards the second one.

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Home Sweet Home Update

Home Sweet Home Progress

I have 30 stitching projects and I have decided to pick a new one every week using a random number generator. This was the one that came up (number 17). I am feeling a bit over-whelmed.

I have switched to an embroidery needle (from a tapestry needle) to make piercing the thread while doing a pin stitch easier. My pin stitches kept pulling out.

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English Paper Piecing Progress

Hexagon progress

I have been working on my hexagons (English Paper piecing) – it is very relaxing and doesn’t require anything special (magnification, hoop, etc.). I want to get to a piece that is 40cm by 30cm so I can make the Slow Stitched Huswif – from L’ucello. I already have the pattern. Once I have the base, I am going to embellish.

Originally I was using a guterman cotton thread to sew the hexagons together, but I have swapped to a aurafil 50wt cotton 2846, and it does seem to be a bit easier to make small stitches (less visible from the front).

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Filed under Cricut, Embroidery, English Paper Piecing, Patchwork, Patterns, Quilting

Sock Finish

February sock finish

I finished my socks that I started in February. The yarn is from Tasmania (White Gum) – it’s a 4ply silk/merino mix.

I used a leg pattern from the Twisted Stitches Source book, but it was very time consuming.

A 2 by 2 twisted rib, and the usual heel flap and gusset, and toe. Usual 2.25mm needles as well.

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New Sock Plans

I have almost finished my February socks, and I am ready for a new project. The yarn is Vert from Made by Xabeli (she no longer appears to be selling on Etsy, and I couldn’t find another link). I plan to use a shifting rib pattern on the leg and foot (from Socktacular) and my normal sock recipe.

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School girl Sewing Club

My School Girl Sewing Club arrived today – from the Crewel Gobelin.

Brenda from Brenda and the Serial Starter – talked about this club last year and I was keen to participate, but it sells out fast! This year, I stalked the website from January. I chose the 40 count linen version.

As you can see above, it comes beautifully packaged. This one is Mary Lockhead Sampler by Sovereign Samplers.

I have so many projects on the go. I am not sure when I will get to this, but I am very keen to try the linen (Hogbristle Light by Fox & Rabbit). I need more hours in the day.

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Filed under Cross Stitch, Cross Stitch, Embroidery, Inspiration, Purchases

The Ivy is Finished

I finished the ivy! I used 4 skeins of au ver à soie silk d’alger.

It’s Language of Love from Textile Tours of Paris.

I haven’t even finished lesson 1 yet.

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