Matching Pegs

Well I have finished my teapot, and I am really pleased with these colours – they make me so happy.  On Friday, I worked a little on this, while I was Multitasking again – this time Michaela and I were doing jigsaw puzzles on my cutting table.

Also making me happy are some recent music acquisitions.  I won a copy of Mark Sholtez’s album “The Distance Between Two Truths” after listening and writing a review online here.  Listening to him makes me feel the same way as I do when I listen to Norah Jones – relaxed and uplifted.

I have also bought “Anchor” by Mindy Gledhill after reading Sandi Henderson’s rave review on her Portabellopixie blog.  Sandi has a Mixpod music gadget on her site, where you can listen to quite a few tracks (from her post, it is clearly something she has permission for).  I listened a few times through, and then purchased the album from itunes.  I love it – So happy and quirky.  Being able to listen to an album sure makes a difference between me purchasing or not.  I am usually more likely to spend spare money on a book than some music, (I rarely buy either) but music does make me so happy.  I always listen when I sew.

These purple butterflies are fused from Michaela’s choice of fabrics, for her party cushion.  I am almost through free motion stitching around all the other cushions, but hers is still to go.  They are the same butterflies that are going to go on the “Tea in the Garden” Applique, but I am yet to chose which colours to make them in (and they will be needle-turned, not fused).

Michaela repeated the purple theme on Saturday with her costume for a Witches and Wizards birthday party she attended.  The emphasis was more on pretty than scary – that’s for sure.  It thrilled her to bits to dress up in the cloak I made for her big sister about 5 years ago.

What’s making you happy at the moment – music, a colour, a book or something else?

Well here is the evidence of progress I made while away on Quilt Retreat with the NOTYQ Guild last weekend.  8 blocks and quite a bit of needle turn applique, not to mention 4 other partially completed blocks (not shown).

Since my return I have done a little applique every evening, but most of my time has been taken up with 2 sick kids – back to motherhood duties!

Here is a little picture of the joy that is a whole weekend of nothing but sewing, eating and chatting.  That is my little station on the table, (there were 6 of us on our table – 3 with machines and 3 hand-sewing).  You can see more of the venue here.

There was a little nature spotting amongst the sewing – this cute little fellow is a Superb Fairy Wren.  He stands out quite a bit more than his female counterpart, who is a much-harder-to-spot brown.

I have moved onto working on the teapot in my applique – here is my handle and here is my spout!  I really love my needle turn applique, and have recently found 2 websites that celebrate the same technique.  Glorious Applique is a blog started recently, dedicated to the work of people making up the applique designs of Kim McLean.  I have never made any of her design (preferring to make up my own) but I love her work, and the skill of the appliquers following her patterns.

Speaking of skill, the other blogger is a designer and appliquer of amazing skill and complexity.  Her name is Sandra Leichner, and her appliques are amazing.  You can see some of her winning quilts here.  I have started following her blog which shows each step of her current work in detail – so many applique pieces, and so much detail.

It gives me hope that one day I will be able to write patterns for some of my more complex designs (like my fairy, above or my shark, below).

The sick child on the couch is calling me, so back to nursing duties.  Have you done any applique lately?

After pre-washing all my fat quarters, yesterday I prepared them for cutting, by adding a new step.  I decided to lightly starch each piece, in the hopes that this will help the accuracy of my pieced star blocks.  I have done lots and lots of Maths, while designing this quilt (My Tea in the Garden Quilt) and have worked out all the cuts and fabric requirements.  All that was left was to actually start cutting.

This is where my multitasking genius comes in.  I managed to play about an hours worth of Go Fish, with Miss Michaela, while cutting.  She was perched on a stool at the end of the cutting table.

Now I would not normally recommend this type of multitasking, but because my maths had all been done, and I had actually drawn out all the cuts per fat quarter (with colour diagrams representing each different piece of fabric) I didn’t have to concentrate quite as hard.  I was able to keep us both happy at the same time. Win-Win.

And then my clever girl arranged an Elephant with the scraps.

Do you wield sharp objects with your small people close at hand, or do you think I’m crazy?

Well I finished Michaela’s library bag, and am quite proud of myself.  As I planned, I finished the applique by stitching (twice) around each shape about 1/8″ or so from each edge.

This time I challenged myself, and did all of the sewing free-motion (as in, feed dogs down).  It’s tricky, but another one of those skills, where the only way to get better, is to actually do it.  The letters of Michaela’s name were the hardest, but luckily they are really dark, so the mistakes don’t stand out.

Did you notice who sneaked her way into that first picture?

Lotta the Moodle, who is the fluffiest she has ever been!  Here you can see her just after a bath, a blow-dry and a brush.  Unfortunately, I have to have her clipped, as she is starting to get matted, especially on her underside.  Once her fur is this long, she is very hard to keep snarl-free, and I think wearing her coat at night has contributed to the matting.  She is going to be wearing the coat a whole lot more after her trim!

Meanwhile, on the weekend, Luke picked up a new friend, while mowing the lawn – a Stick Insect (or phasmid).  We were all fascinated, so we had a good look, and then gently popped her (as far as I can tell, the male phasmids have wings, and the females do not) back onto one of the bushes in the backyard.

The sun is shining today,and I think Winter is starting to lighten up, or perhaps that is just hope talking.  How is Winter (or High Summer) treating you?

I have been busy today with the fusible web, whipping up a quick Library Bag for Michaela.  If I had more time I would have needle-turned the flowers, but we were only given a weeks notice that we needed one for Kindergarten.  I am planning on raw edge appliqueing, on the machine, around all the shapes.

These pictures don’t really do the fabrics justice – it is awfully grey around here.  Playing with different fabric combinations for each flower was lots of fun, and although I am not really a big fan of fusible applique, it can’t be beaten for speed.

In other news around here, Rory has just received his first pair of glasses.

This means four out of five of us in the Matching Pegs family now wear glasses.  I think they really suit him, and at least poor vision is a relatively easy thing to correct.  There are much worse things to pass onto your kids.

It is hard to see in this photo (thanks again to the winter light), but the outsides of the glasses frames are bright blue and the insides are bright green (like a light-sabre), so we have both of Rory’s favorite colours covered.

I may have knitted this scarf 2.6 times.  That is to say, I have knitted, unraveled, knitted, unraveled, knitted, until finally I am happy.

Yes it is skinny, but that means you can actually see all the colours in the scarf.  The re-knitting has also allowed me to cut the knots (one half way through each of the two purchased balls of noro) and re-knit each of the 4 sections in a better order, to facilitate a smoother progression of colours – fussy aren’t I (bit wordy too).  The only sudden colour change now happens behind my neck (coral pink to dark green) where I don’t have to look at it.

Taking a photo of yourself is quite tricky isn’t it- especially without a tripod and timer.  I quite like this one, but of course, it doesn’t show all the colours in the scarf.  It does show one of my favorites though – that periwinkle blue colour that actually got hidden in the wider, shorter scarf I knitted up first (and second).

In the interests of truthful reporting – this is what it was like, taking the photos.  That’s Michaela, standing on the toilet, trying to sneak into shot, and directing my efforts.  She is not really interested in staying in the background.

Speaking of backgrounds, I’ve painted one.  There is quite a few layers to go, but so far it has been fun.

Done and unraveling lately?

For The Daylesford Craft Experience, which I am attending on Sunday, we were sent a postcard to embellish with some stitching.  We were asked to stitch a message, saying, or something about ourselves, and who we are.

Of course I have one defining habit, so I shared that .  The postcards are going to be swapped on the day.  You can see Melly’s one here and Jodie’s one here (they are both teaching at the event).  Clearly (pun intended) the variegated thread I chose is not that good for readability, but I enjoyed using it.

Now I just have to be strong on Saturday as we tour the region’s patchwork shops.  “I do not need any more fabric”….”I do not need any more fabric”……I do not need any more fabric”……..

You see it has been an expensive week, as I have been to the dentist and optometrist with the kids.  Amelia has just had new lenses fitted.  Rory will need glasses in the very near future, and braces on his teeth in a few more years time – definitely.  Michaela (at 4 1/2 years) is the only one in the family with perfect vision, so far.  Sigh.  There are worse problems to inherit from your parents.

Last night I finished the “Multipetal Flower Cushion”.  Actually, it’s a terrible name, but I have not yet come up with a better one.  Having recently purchased some cushion forms, filled with feathers, (from IKEA) I decided to make the whole cushion cover bigger than I had planned.  This meant adding a border around the front.  I chose to use the same fabric, but made it a bit more spiffy by mitring the corners.

I am really happy and excited about the whole tile/grout look, but admit that Mr Matching Pegs is probably right, about the fact that the design itself doesn’t quite work.  The leaves need to be different, perhaps not so attached, or of a more uniform colour than the flower.  It was such a pleasure to make, I am sure I will try designing with this look again.

Luke, being much more Minimalist than me, prefers the back.

It was quite a struggle to get these pictures, it is exceedingly grey around, here, which is not surprising for winter in Melbourne.  I had to turn our arm chair around to face the window, which was not that bright because it faces south (like a north facing window if you live in the Northern Hemisphere – they get less light, and no direct sunlight, if they face directly south).  In “real life” the cushion is slightly warmer in colour.

If you would like to see a spectacular quilt which is similarly inspired by grout, check out Cathy’s delicious “Fassetted Mosaic Quilt top”, it will thrill you.

So, want to help me name this design?  Just don’t call it Rabbit, because it is a flower (he he he)!

I have finished the front of my cushion.  I am really pleased with it, and it was worth changing a few of the applique pieces for better contrast.

It is a flower with two leaves – but it seems most people can’t see it.

I am going to make it into the cushion cover as soon as I get a chance.

It seems I am repeating myself, because I am creating it again, as a painting.

Do you repeat yourself creatively?

Long time readers will have seen this flower, or ones like it, lots before.  It is somewhat of a signature motif.

With the other half of the world hurtling towards the end of the school year, I thought it would be a perfect time to offer the design as a free pdf download.  It makes a nice little gift for a teacher, coach, carer or similar special person.  Much of it is worked in back-stitch, which is pretty easy for kids to attempt, so perhaps your child can do some themselves, (you can see my childrens’ early sewing endeavors here).

To download the pdf of the design, click on this link…. ThankYouFlower.

It is designed to fit within a frame for a standard 4″ x 6″ photo, with or without the glass.

To create one for yourself you will need:

• Thanks You Flower.pdf.
• Approx. 7″x9″ of Background fabric – Quilters cotton, Homespun or Calico (known as Muslin in the US).
• 4 – 6 colours of stranded embroidery floss (the specific ones I have used are listed on the pdf.  You can work the background french-knots in 1 or 3 colours).
• Embroidery needle
• Marking pen (I use a very fine Pigma or Zig Millennium in brown, which is fine enough to cover with the 2 strands of thread)
• 4″ x 6″ photo frame
• Embroidery hoop (optional)
• Approx. 4 1/2″ x  6 1/2″ of thin, iron on Pellon, or  woven iron-on interfacing (optional),
• Slightly waxy pencils, or twist up style crayons (optional – I use Derwent Artists or Crayola “Twistables” Crayons).
• Iron
• Paper Towel (optional)

Trace the design onto fabric, using your favorite marking pen and a light box (or window, glass table, etc.).  If you are going to colour the flower, place it on top of a pad of paper, so the surface under it is slightly soft, otherwise your colouring lines will be too sharp and defined.  I also add little blobs of colour around the background spots surrounding the flower.

Heat-set the colour with a hot, dry iron, and a sheet of paper-towel between the iron and the stitchery.  This removes the wax in the crayon or pencil (the Artist Derwents or crayons I use are a little waxy). The colouring is set fast enough to handle hanging on a wall, but not on an item that requires repeat laundering.

At this point, I also like to adhere thin, iron-on Pellon to the back of my stitchery to hide the threads, and create a slight loft, because I like the look it gives to the finished work.  A stabilizer with no loft (such as Weaveline) is an alternative, but you don’t need to use anything if you don’t want to.  All stitching is done with 2 strands of floss.

After stitching the design, press it (from the wrong side) and trim the backing to 4″ x 6″.  Slip it into the frame, and stand back to admire your work.  I like to leave the glass in, so the stitchery does not get dusty.  You may prefer to be able to see the texture more closely, and leave the glass out of the frame.  If you decide to remove the glass, take care to dispose of it carefully.

I would love to see a photo of your finished “Thank You Flower”, so drop me a line, if you have finished one…claire(at)matchingpegs(dot)com.

Please use this for personal use only, and do not reproduce it for sale.  Please seek my permission before using this design in any way, other than as a hand-sewn stitchery.

*Note there are two different versions of this stitchery in the photos.  The close-up image (2nd in the post) shows the exact thread colours specified on the pdf.

Happy Stitching.