Annies Crazy World

I thought that this seam needed something softer/curvy and rushed ribbon always makes a soft line down a seam.

I didn’t actually ruch the ribbon (to rush ribbon run one or 2 lines of running stitch along the ribbon and gather to required length), I wanted it to be a little more random than a gathered ruch and achieved what I wanted by scrunching the ribbon, and holding it in place under my left finger while I stitched it in place with tiny stitches…I then went back and scattered beads along its length.

For this seam I wanted a stitch that would push the red over into the gold and that would balance the heavy beading on Detail 379 in the upper right corner…Looking at the seams on ‘Under the Mango Tree’ I thought that the Up and down buttonhole stitch, Detail 252, would do that for me.

Unfortunatly I only looked at how the 2 rows overlapped and didn’t check the stitch length and spacing of the stitch and I used a thicker thread all of which combined to give me a narrower, denser effect than I wanted…Adding beads down both sides gave the seam back some definition but this area will still need some bigger beads to balance those in the upper right corner.

I have taken a photo of the upper part of the stocking to show you how these seams are interacting.

A lot of the stitching that I do on a crazy quilt block is there to stand out and be seen but sometimes the seams can get congested and the overall composition of the block is better if some muted seams treatments, that will blend into the background, are used…

As well as 2 seams it intersects with, this seam is near the edge of the block and a fancy seam would not only have made the existeing seams look congested but would have looked cramped on the side of the block…by doing the Twisted Chain Stitches in a neutral coloured thread the seam is down played so that it complements instead of competing with those existing seams.

This is a Half Chevron Stitch that I have dressed up with beads…I alternated the Bugle beads with the smaller star beads because the groups of 3 bugle beads are quite heavy and to put them in every space along the seam would have been to much, alternating with a smaller bead lightens their look it also creates a more shaply edge to the seam.

I started this seam treatment with a row of Cretan Stitch, which I then covered with Silk Ribbon which I kept flat while I worked it in a Herringbone motion over the Cretan Stitch…I finished by covering the ends of the Cretan Stitch with individual Oyster Stitches .

Tonight I have gone back to basics with this seam of Buttonhole Stitch Trimmed with Beads.

I have spent most of today catching up on housework and starting to tidy my studio…while putting some things away I found a christmas stocking that I pieced as part of a batch in 2002…I thought that it would make a nice little project to keep me stitching while I finish cleaning and getting myself a little organized.

Herringbone Stitch, Detached Chain Stitch and beads…simple stitches that combine well to make this elegant seam.

On one of the orphaned blocks that I have been working on there was an unfinished silk ribbon basket (circa 1989) which I have now finished with a little more greenery and a few beads.

I also made a big decision today…I am going to abandon the 3rd crazy quilt that I started…my first crazy Quilt is ‘Hearts and Flowers’, a pastel pink, blue and cream crazy quilt…my second Butterflies is darker pinks and blues with cream and has a lot more contrast…the third one, started in 1994, was to be Jewel colours but I only ever got 3 blocks made for it and after blending my older work with what I do know on Mum’s memory quilt, I have realized that I have moved on from what I have started and as I have far more work to do to finish it than what I have done, I would be better off abandoning it and starting something fresh and more suited to my current skills and interests…and the blocks I have made won’t be wasted as each will stand alone to make bags, bookcovers, one of them may well make a lovely new cushion for the lounge….

So that Mum’s Quilt can be transported safely and stored without being folded I have made a Quilt Roller the same as the one I made for All that Jazz, Instructions for the basic Roller are Here and Part 2 describes the Full Roller.

I used Calico (Muslin/homespun) with left over Fabrics from the quilt to individulize it and T Shirt Transfer to put the name and an image of the Mango Tree on it.

The Nice matters award was created by Bella Enchanted

“This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!”

I would like to thank Ati and Linda for nominating me for this lovely award.

Part of the award is to nominate 7 others for the award, some blogs have mentioned that it should be 7 that haven’t been nominated before but I didn’t read that in Bella Enchanted’s original post so I am going with the first 7 that come to mind…

Sharon, Elizabeth, Susan, Marty, Maureen B, Allie and Hideko

Other matters…I was helping at Canberra Quilters Exhibition again today but had more time today to visit the merchants mall, I met up with Sharon and we had a good shop…

My Wallet wishes that I hadn’t had time to shop but my eyes are glad that I did make the expensive purchase of a portable daylight lamp so that I can have good light in more places.

I also bought some printable fabric sheets, which will make the photo appliues easier to stitch, some tiny flower beads and the green obeject is a cover for the tip of scissors…I will make a string of beads to join it to the clip which clips to the handle of the scissors.