Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Chatelaine UFO comes out for some love...

Hey all! I got out my oldest Chatelaine WiP/UFO to work on this month! I started it in 2006 and was stuck at the halfway mark, but in order to justify buying TWO more Chatelaine mandalas, I decided I'd better give the two in process some love while waiting for supplies to arrive! Plus I already had the Hummingbird Mandala all kitted and my reward for stitching on Evening in the Park (adding pt.7) was to finally start the Hummingbirds, which I got last August.

Next month I'll get out Holland Landscapes and my reward there will be to start the Winter Watergarden (more birds!). By the time the Chinese Garden Mandala comes out in April and I have my supplies for it, I should be well ready for my 5th Chatelaine mandala!

Those 5 plus my Rose Garden Sampler will rotate, two each month for a week each, give or take a day. In between I'll work on smalls. At any rate, here's the progress pic! (and a close up of one corner band of pt.7)

Friday, February 18, 2011

Update on the Rose Garden Sampler

Last week I was working on Rose Garden Sampler and completed another page of 24 total pages for the pattern.....20 pages to go! Here it is so far....

I have one more page on the top edge, another corner section, and then I can move down. I am doing it over 1 on 25ct lugana with just 6 colors.

Now I have rotated to an old WiP, Chatelaine's Evening in the Park, and am working on it this weekend, hoping to finish part 7 of 12. Pics to follow!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

What I did during the Super Bowl....

Hey, I didn't have a horse in the Super Bowl "race" so while others cheered, or not, I was stitching this cute design from Pine Mountain called Free Bird (completed with tuck pillow!)
Better get back to my BAP Rose Garden Sampler if I'm going to finish a page this week!
Happy Stitching!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Biscornu tutorial!

Yep, I did another mini biscornu, and this time I took some progress pics so I could write a tutorial on how to make the little critters! I should probably not say "little" because I've made one that is big enough to serve as a sofa pillow before, although most are in the 3" range.  I spent the weekend doing some hand stitching on my JCS class project, and was at a good stopping place to rotate on to my February biscornu, so here you go.....


This biscornu is another freebie from Tor Rhuann Designs, under Getting Squared Away. It is just 16x16 stitches and is called Entwined Hearts, perfect for Valentine's Day this month! I used 32ct Zweigart Baby Lotion linen and Crescent Colors Ruby Slippers thread. The center beads are real red coral beads from a rock shop in upstate New York.



After stitching the design, and backstitching around it (two threads out), I made the back by using the little corner motifs and adding my initials and the year ('11).

Then I cut them apart and added some small squares of iron-on interfacing to the backs of each side to give them some stability. They should not cover the outer backstitch lines. Trim the edges to remove bulk before you start, but not too close.

You should then finger press the edges along the bs line, and align the parts as shown, with the corner of the front lined up to the top edge of the back, at the center. That will make the back upright. The front on this piece is symetrical, so there is no "top edge".


Start whip stitching thru the loops of the bs line, matching them up as you go. Here is where you realize that the pattern should be square with sides having the same number of stitches in order to match up correctly.

When you come to the corners give an extra whip into the last stitch on the side, and the first stitch on the new side, just to reinforce the corners.


Keep traveling around the edge, whip stitching as you go. If you would like you can add beads every other stitch as you go to give it a nice edging.


Here you can see I have gone about half way around and the biscornu is beginning to take shape. You can also see how the interfacing makes it stiffer and easier to stitch around.


From a different angle....


If you peek inside now, you can see how the raw edges collect in the interior corners.


Nearing the end, you can see the points are staying sharp and crisp.

Take a small amount of fiber fill and poke it inside...

It won't take much on this tiny biscornu. Larger ones you can pack loose or tight, your preference.


Once you reach this point, with only two sides left to whip, it can get a little fiddley. I tuck in the long straight side first, stitch to the point and tuck in the final edge, reinforcing the corners and final connection well.

It is now completed closed. I finish at the same place I started, so now I sew on a necklace "bail" at the point. You can find these "bail" rings in the jewelry section at Michaels or AC Moores. If you want to use it as a scissor fob, add a cord or ribbon just before you close the final few stitches and make sure it's secure.


At this point, you can add a bead or button to the center by threading thru each side's bead two or three times and pulling the thread tight to dimple the center to your preference. If you'd rather leave it un-dimpled that's okay too!

Mine is now done, with a chain added to wear as a necklace!

Here are both tiny biscornu I have made....so far! I plan to make one each month this year, and I will then have a complete set of interchangeable necklace fobs to wear year round!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

January Recap, February Goals

January Recap
WiPs.....
~Castles in the Air, Pt.13 Done!
~Rose Garden Sampler SAL
~JCS Class project-Catherine Jordan
~Jubilee Class project-Jackie du Plessis Progress made...
New Starts....
~Kitty Kalendar-May Done!
~Scissors Biscornu Necklace Done!
~Just Nan Christmas Secret Done!
~Hummingbird, Teresa Wentzler Done!
~Chatelaine Micro 01 Done!

February Goals
WiPs...
~Rose Garden Sampler SAL, Pt.1
~Evening in the Park, pt.7
~JCS Class project-Catherine Jordan (hopefully!)
New Starts...
~Entwined Hearts Tiny Biscornu
~Hummingbird Mandala (finally starting it!)

As you all may notice, I'm gonna be stitching Chatelaines a lot this month! Have to make some progress to justify the TWO new ones I want to buy this year!
Wish me luck.....