A Bright Winter Secret

 When I was in the midst of making Raconteur I would sometimes travel and wanted a project that didn't depend on having lots of little bits of fabric close at hand. I then had a brainwave that I could make a stitchery and so Winter Secrets evolved. 

This is Margaret Foster's version of it using her own hand dyed woolen threads. Isn't it gorgeous. If you would like to buy some threads or do a workshop where you learn how to dye your own thread her details are here.

Friday Flaunt

Well have finished another block in my Winter Secrets quilt.  This is the sixth in the series which when finished will hopefully look good together as a quilt top. 

 I have really enjoyed making these blocks and actually using some of my many embroidery threads.  As there are 56 separate hexagons in the design I have attempted to use 56 different colours.. what is the point in having lots of colours if you never get to use them all?   

These blocks developed from my Raconteur quilt, which I have only finished just over 200 blocks for so far so there is still quite a while to go with that one:)

Cucumber Sandwiches

Strange name for a quilt I know but whenI was a child I had always considered it strange that people would meet for afternoon tea and have cucumber sandwiches... that this was what the 'better' people did.  Strange what young children think?

Anyway this is a block from my new stitchery quilt.  The designs come from my quilt 'Raconteur' which I am still in the process of making ... and probably will be for a year or two as it is now up to 436 different blocks.... oh for some forward planning rather than my  usual whimsical this seems like a good idea planning.

Anyway I think there will be either eight  different blocks in 'Cucumber Sandwiches' ... although I have already drawn up seven of these I have also started doing another different set on osnaburg so I don't know when anything will be finished... oh for an attention span longer than two weeks.

I did a mental count of WIPs and can count more than twenty at present.  I hate to think how many I actually have since this was only counting what I can remember without bothering to look for them.

TAST

Well over at Stitchin Fingers I have just started a group to hopefully work through Sharon's Take a Stitch on Tuesday challenge from last year.  Great challenge for the beginning embroiderer as she introduced a new stitch each week and provided step by step directions.  Stitchin Fingers is a new group for anyone interested in textile activites.  There are groups for cards, beading, crazy piecing, felting and lots more.  Go and check it out.

Stitching Fingers

Stitching Fingers is a forum for embroiderers created by Sharon B. It has only been created quite recently and so is still establishing itself. Seems a friendly group so far.

Homeberries

Jennie Baer of Homeberries the author of Modern Primitive Embroidery has created a range of simple stitcheries to fit every season. 

There are also links to videos showing how to form many embroidery stitches.

This pattern is available on her site for only $3.50 and all proceeds go to charity.