The Unbroken Thread » Blog Archive » Marriage Pillowe: Laid work

The Unbroken Thread » Blog Archive » Marriage Pillowe: Laid work

A couple more blackwork flowers

Amigurumi minion

I saw this little guy on Craftsy, and I just had to share! Isn't he just the cutest?

Help the needle artists who have lost so much on the Texas fires!

I saw this on Kathy Shaw's blog Shawkl, and am posting it here for whoever actually reads my blog. There are other organizations who will provide these people with the basics, but for most of us crafters, our stash and our work are just about as important (some will say more so). Anything you can do to help restore this link to sanity and normalcy to the people who've lost so much in these fires will be greatly appreciated.

I’m requesting that you read it…and if you have a blog, or belong to a quilting or needle-arts group/guild/club that you make them aware of the effort as well. Getting the word out is most appreciated!!

QUOTE: The following letter is being sent to this and several other needlework sites. I am hoping we can get a good response that will rock the socks off of the Bastrop community!

We are all aware of the devastating fires that recently shook eastern Texas. We know several ladies who have been affected by these fires. For instance, Michele P., and Debi H. both of Bastrop have lost there homes completely to the fires there this past week as have several other of our stitching friends. Lyn G., who is also from Bastrop, has her home still standing but she was totally without power/electricity for several days. Frannie S. and Kay F. of nearby Cedar Creek have their homes still standing but they had been evacuated. All three of these last ladies have suffered a great deal of smoke damage to everything in their homes, including their stash.

The members of Stitchmap are working on coordinating donations for helping to replace the stash of the ladies who lost everything and those who may have suffered smoke damage beyond repair. We are accepting donations of all types of stash from scissors, floss, fabric, mags/books, needles, etc. If you use it in CQ, embroidery, quilting or other types of needlework, they can definitely use it to replace what has been lost. We have also had a suggestion that a donation of gift cards for the local needlework supply stores - such as the local quilt shop, Joanns, Hobby Lobby, etc. - might be a good idea so that they can replace those items like cutting mats, etc. that are awkward to mail. Whatever we can do to help will be done.

It is our intention to collect the donations at one central location here in Colorado. Then we will personally transport a delivery as soon as we hear that they have had a chance to regroup, talk with their insurance agents and that they have decided whether to rebuild or move into some already built place. Some are living in 5th wheelers right now. We are coordinating with one of our Austin members (just 30 miles away from Bastrop) who will help oversee the distribution of the Christmas ornament donations. Without a place to store the needlework stash donations, and with the holidays soon approaching, it seems senseless to send that to them right now. I am sure they have more important things to worry about at the moment than where to put a new donation of stash. We have had a watertight, covered 8 'x 12' trailer offered for hauling the things down to Texas (can we say Road Trip!) and to deliver the stuff to these stitchers personally. Several of us from Colorado will be going down at the time so there will be a complete accounting for all donations.

Here is the plan: Once the fire victims who have lost everything have had an opportunity to take what they can use from our donations, we will arrange for the members of their local quilting group (who were also affected but not to the degree of losing everything) to have an opportunity to take what they can use. If there is anything left at that point we will offer it to the local community to help replace what may have been lost by any stitchers in the area. We are working on establishing a site to set the donations out so that these needle-woman can come and see what is offered/donated. We are working on a method of advertising this opportunity to the community beforehand. It is our intention to come home with an empty trailer.

ALSO: In the meantime, we have agreed to work on helping to replace precious handmade Christmas ornaments for these fire victims. We would be more than willing to include your ornaments among the donations if you are inclined to make some for them.

Everyone will be credited on a list of donors that will be given to the recipients. We are targeting the week of Thanksgiving as the completion date for Christmas ornaments so that we can get them to Texas before Christmas. We will take stash donations between now and the end of the year, to be delivered in person right after the first of the year, hopefully. Exact delivery date will depend on their ability to receive something at the time.

If you would like to help in this effort please contact me privately (if you haven't already) at ladyjspice@aol.com or call me at 719-392-6303. I will be in touch with you right away with more information and details.

Hugs, Shari Jensen (Colorado)
Stitchmap Yahoo Group Owner

ENDQUOTE

Donations should be mailed directly to Shari. Please email her or call her to obtain her address for mailing/shipping/drop-off. Please spread the word! Thanks so much!!!

blackwork flower motifs

I've been working on some small flower motifs to add to my crazy quilt.

More blackwork

I did the next step of the long & short stitch tutorial, but I realized that I'm really just not into it right now. So I went back to doing blackwork - motifs this tome that I can use to embellish my crazy quilt blocks.

Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons

I've started working on Mary Corbett's Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons. As you can see, I haven't made a lot of progress yet, just the first step of the first part of the first lesson. Of course, this is the second time I've stitched it. The first time, I didn't make my stitches nearly long enough. Now to try step two.

Blackwork Heart on Crazy block

I've done some embellishing on the crazy block set around the blackwork heart. I think I'm going to do some more on it, but for the moment, I'm going to set it aside in favor of starting on Mary Corbet's long and short stitch lessons, which I mentioned in my last post.







Meanwhile, I thought you might like to see what my worktable looks like. The four-block crazy section that has the blackwork heart on it completely takes up the empty space on the table.

Stitch Painting

I just finished downloading Mary Corbet's Long and Short Stitch Shading Lessons from her site: Needle 'N Thread, where she has all kinds of good embroidery-related info, from tutorials and videos to book reviews and designs to download. I strongly urge you to check it out.

Meanwhile, amid the blackwork and the crazy quilt and the combination thereof, I mean to start working on long and short stitch in the not terribly distant future. I'll be sure to post pics for you when I do.

and so, so the blackwork heart becomes part of the crazy quilt

I'll post another pic once I've embellished the exposed seams.

Blackwork Heart Complete!

I've finished stitching my blackwork heart last night, and I've decided what to do with it - or at least what my next step will be. I'm going to put together some of my crazy quilt blocks that I haven't embellished yet, and applique the heart in the middle. Then I'll embellish the exposed areas of the crazy quilt blocks.

Then I'll have to decide what I'm going to do with that.

And now back to the Blackwork Heart Project

I've finished section 9. Just one more to go, and then I have to figure what I'm going to do with it. Any suggestions?

We intrerrupt the Blackwork Heart Project for this helpful message

Many of you may know that I've been out of work for two years, and I'm sure a lot of you are in similar straits, or at least you're having to cut way back on spending for crafting supplies. Here's an article from the Cloth-Paper-Scissors blog with 10 tips for how to keep crafting when resources are tight.

If the link doesn't work for you, paste the following into your browser's address window:

http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/blogs/clothpaperscissorstoday/archive/2011/08/15/10-creative-tips-for-tough-times.aspx?utm_source=WIR&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Qr110820e&a=qr110820

Blackwork Heart Project

Here's section 8 done!

Blackwork Heart Project

I would have have finished this section sooner, but I started it with a different pattern. I was almost halfway done with it when I decided I didn't like it, and picked it all out.

Blackwork Heart Project

Moving right along, with section 6 completed. I find it interesting to note that, of all the patterns I tested before starting this project, I've only used two.

Blackwork Heart Project

I just finished section five. The sort-of-concentric circles made me feel like I was seeing double. I don't know whether I'll use this pattern again.

Blackwork Heart Project

I just finished section four. The pattern came out rather more square than I thought it would. I'll have to pick something a bit rounder to go next to it.

Blackwork Heart Project

I got section three finished, and I have plenty of daylight left to get a good start on section four.

Blackwork Heart Project

I thought I was going to get this section done today, but my kitten had other plans. :-)

Well, it took me longer than I thought it would, but I've finished the section. What do you think?

Blackwork Heart Project

I've started the second section. I tried a different pattern, but after several tries, it just wasn't working for me, so I decided to use this one. Which is why it's not in the top section; I didn't want to put this pattern so close to the first one.

Blackwork Heart Project

I've finished the first section of my blackwork heart. Now to pick the pattern for the next section.

Blackwork Heart Project

Last night I stitched all the outlines; the outside line is in chain stitch, in #5 pearl cotton; the interior lines are in stem stitch, in #8 pearl cotton. This morning I hooped it, and started stitching the first fill pattern, using one strand of DMC cotton floss. Actually, I had it set up in a frame, but found it too awkward to work around that big shape. The hoop is easier.

Blackwork Samples

These are done in one strand of DMC floss over one thread of 32-count linen.

Blackwork Samples

These were done in two strands of DMC embroidery floss over one thread on 18-count linen.

Blackwork Heart Project

I'm in the planning stages of a new project (I know, I have so many projects waiting to be finished, but you know how I am, I'll get back to them, I promise. Eventually). This will be an embroidered heart in a crazy-patch style, with the patches filled in with different blackwork embroidery patterns. Toward that end, I've been spending a lot of time over the last few days stitching up sample bits of various fill patterns. I'll post pics of the samples sometime in the next few days.

Okay, this is the last one for now: