Seams French

I love watching "period" films and TV programs like Downton Abbey or "Game of Thrones", partially, of course, for the glitz and glam of the intrigue and romance of the story, but mostly, for the glitz and glam of the costumes and the sets. When "Lady Mary Crawley" dresses for dinner, it's the lavish needlework on the gown that has my attention. In "Game of Thrones", London embroiderer Michele Carragher hand embroiders many of the intricate designs, that she has also created, onto the costumes. Her website is worth checking out ( www.michelecarragherembroidery.com ). Thinking of all of the detailed beadwork embellishment and intricate embroidery in these gowns, made me remember these "petites cigales" (hidden somewhere in my stash), that I started in 2006, the first full summer we spent in Montpellier. That summer, I did not have a sewing machine there, and I had not as yet taken up "Boutis". So armed only with my basic s...

Cell Phone Pouch On the learning curve once again. As with any type of hand stitching like embroidery or quilting, (or machine stitching for that matter), precision and accuracy are key to a presentable product. Being familiar with silk fabrics from machine quilting and from sewing clothes in a former stitching life, when I started this little boutis pouch on dupioni silk, I was not at all concerned or intimidated by the fact that I was working on silk. Around the central motif, where all the channels are rounded, the stitching was fairly straightforward and presented no unsual circumstances. The above photo is of the front flap of the little phone pouch, where the rose window motif is stitched with a back stitch. However, once off of the central motif and onto the body of the pouch, where all of the lines and channels are straight, two things became apparent very quickly. First: When working with silk, appropriate lighting is crucial.  With insufficient light, the ...

Dapper Dog! Meet my friend Winston. Doesn't he just blend perfectly into the gentle, pastoral scene of the French toile? Aside from being a well mannered, polite young man, Winston is always impeccably groomed; clean and coiffed, without a hair ever out of place. So, when Winston's "staff" (aka: "his people") approached me with a request to update his wardrobe, I was up for the challenge, even though I have "retired" from the fashion aspect of stitchery. Being a resident of the Pacific Northwest coast, rain gear is a wardrobe essential. For those long walks in the park on all the wet and soggy winter days, we chose this very cheerful and vibrant red waterproof material which is paired with a multi-animal print fleece. Fabrics and pattern ready to go. And here we are, Runway Ready! A second coat, which will do for those crisp and chilly early morning walks along the seawall, is made from faux fur with a Burberry"ish...

Although the re-org. process is still on and strong in my life, my stitching hands have not been completely idle. Since my hummingbird boutis has been completed, (see my post of Nov. 23, 2013), I have been working on drafting some smaller boutis pieces. Below are 3 of the designs ready to be stitched. Rose windows from some of the many churches and cathedrals that I have photographed over the years, were the inspiration for two of these designs. This first piece, which will be a cell phone case, is my first attempt at stitching boutis with dupioni silk. Although Swiss cotton batiste (in white), is the most traditional material used for boutis, a number of the more contemporary boutiseusses are experimenting with silk. Silk is less forgiving then cotton, so consistency in tension, and accuracy in stitch length and placement become more crucial because of their greater visibility.  In this little mobile phone case, I have used the two most basic stitches of boutis: " point ...

While most "stitchers" are enthusiastically and admirably embracing the new year with renewed energy and creativity, my energy seems to have been diverted by my ever present compulsion to organize (yet again!), although it really is quite necessary (this time?). The aim is to re-prioritize projects and materials to allow for greater efficiency and better access to those supplies necessary for current projects. One of my current organizational endeavours has been directed towards my embroidery stash. Going through the boxes, I came to realize that although I have never thought of embroidery as a priority focus, it has been the most consistent thread throughout my stitching life and has found it's way into most of my work. Threads and linen from my current embroidery project. In some of my earliest memories, I am sitting in a warm and cozy kitchen, watching my mom do her "mom thing", while I am happily engaged in keeping needle and thread from escaping m...

Well on Thursday evening, other then removing the marking lines, the quilt was finished. My sigh of relief must have been heard in Hawaii. Even though the quilt came together rather easily and quickly, there were a few hiccups along the way. First of all, I must confess that I broke down and bought some new fabric for the backing. After a sleepless night last Friday thinking about the pieced backing that I had just finished basting onto the quilt, I got up Saturday morning realizing that this backing just wasn't working for me. So, contrary to my initial intent of only use stash fabrics, I had to give in and head to the nearest quilt shop for new backing fabric. Alternative backing fabric was purchased on Saturday and by late Sunday afternoon, the original backing had been removed, the new fabric had been pre-washed and prepped, and the quilt was sandwiched and basted. Still on schedule. I find that basting on a clean floor is still the best way to get the quilt sandw...

A reminder again that "life happens when you're making other plans" and, as my yoga teacher keeps reminding us in class, "Don't become too rigid and unbendable in your routines that you can't let the moment carry you to new places." So, with that in mind, when a new baby arrives in the family, it takes priority and all else will just patiently wait it's turn. I started this baby quilt this week, and am hoping for completion next week. These four finished rows of blocks will be placed in the upper half of the quilt. When I made the "Flights of Fancy" baby quilt (see post of Jan.11/12), I had hoped to make several quilts at the same time. Now, 2 years later, I am finally getting to quilt #2. Still committed to using mostly fabrics from my stash, I am able to make this entire quilt without a trip to the quilt shop. (Once I quit patting myself on the back, I'll get back to work!) Pulled from the stash. These blocks had bee...