Last Weekend

It's almost next weekend already and I'm just getting a chance to blog about last weekend. It was productive and busy, and I felt really good and got a whole lot done, but I don't have a lot to show. 

 I was doing background stuff--sorting and putting things away, gathering materials for two upcoming Homewood Guild classes. One will be on how to get your design onto fabric (there are a lot more ways to do this than I initially thought) and the second will be to make ATCs (artist trade cards). 

I cut out fabric to back the crewel pocket samplers and to cover my crewel notebook. Months ago I'd found a sale upholstery fabric with a crewel design to use.

Here's the fabric for the book cover. I've attached the crewel leaf sampler I made using some ribbon. I hadn't left enough raw edge to be able to turn it under.  This will be the notebook front.  I still have to find what I want to use to bind the outer edges of the pockets. I don't think I want commercial bias tape and I don't want to make bias tape from the upholstery fabric.  Most searches through the stash.

I also finished the applique for the broderie persé wedding pillow, adding the final motif, basted it to a larger sturdy fabric, mounted it onto stretcher bars, and then cut the backing fabric away from behind the embroidery. When I'm all done stitching, I'll remove the stabilizing fabric before making up the pillow. Here it is.

I realized that to make the couched outline smooth, it would have to be mounted for stitching. I delayed as long as I could because I love stitching in hand, but finally did it.  Before I begin the edging, I plan to do a little repair embroidery, in places where the stitches have vanished.  The blue and green leaves all had a dark yellow line of stem stitch down the center, it's only about half there.  Some places I may leave, like the tips of the brown flower. I think they may have been satin stitched at one time but nothing is left to tell me the color.

And some areas I'm debating about. In the pink and brown flower in the lower right, the beige area is unstitched. It never was stitched.  But the silk fabric is frayed and coming apart at the edges. I could stitch over the entire area or I could try to tack down the torn edges. I'm leaning toward the latter.

I also noted down all the ISBNs for the books I want to get rid of.  I found that this would be helpful if I wanted to sell them to a book seller.  I sent the list off to one today who specializes in needlework books.  The sales pace was too slow on my own and I'm itching to have them gone.

A friend sent me these three wonderful large pieces of Liberty lawn fabric. It is soft and silky.  I spent some fun time thinking about what I might make.  For some reason, I always think "blouse" with Liberty lawn.  It is the perfect blouse fabric.  I'm still thinking. 

If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

This weekend we're off on another Homewood Guild Field Trip: this one to Valparaiso and the art gallery, bead, knitting and quilting shops there.