Artful Homemade Quilts Have A Way

[koshergrl]

I could have just done the swans in white after all, and gone over the details with lavender or the dark purple, I suppose. I never think of these things until later....I was thinking that the white details would show against the lavender or lilac color, but they didn't. So I had to re-do them anyway...could have just done it in white...ah well.

 

[freedombecki]

This is just the beginning of the edging, it will be deeper...

Koshergrl, I'm so totally enchanted by this lovely work of swans you are doing. They're totally beautiful.

 

[freedombecki]

Embroidery takes a lot of time! And I'm learning day by day. the first thing I noticed about having no color instructions to go by is that it's a guessing game out there sometimes when you have no model to show what's what in cross stitch. Also, as I was finding things like leaves hiding here, there, and everywhere in the empty blobs that didn't mean anything at first, so I started coloring the leaves green. The first one, I decided, had 2 leaves, so each guess leaf was colored a different green, and I went my merry way. The next day, I thought, some embroideries show one-source lighting, and some show two. Very naïve childrens' embroideries often use one and only one color, with divisions made with a dark umber or black thread. When I opened some floral embroidery books, their embroideries were so complex, there was no way I could relay any of the awesome and multiple feelings they emitted with their sensitive design and color treatments, so I went to more basic embroidery motif books, one just on flower. Do you think I could find anything remotely like the ribbon nosegay floral this one is? Nope! Nothing doing!

So here's my stab in the dark. I am not going to tear out any more stitches, but I am going to use the piece as an as-you-go learning experience on what not to do, most likely Hopefully there will be a good one or two , but the more I go, the less I realize I understand about counted work. It's awful to go through kindergarten every time you d.o a different kind of quilt, but last time I looked, that's the general rule and frustration of quilting. Some ruts you like, like the one I earned making 24 log cabin quilts in 6 months for a quilt show for charity around 1998-2001 sometime. In 7 years I did 7 shows, but all of those went to the squad car quilt program so that if a cop ran across a crash victim, it could be used if that victim were in shock, and that happens in cold country.

Anyhow, here's the work, not even sure my colors have enough contrast to be considered contrasts. It's getting close to bedtime...

The second is a butterfly I spent the last two days on to salve my ego a little over the super slow progress of the yellow ribbon floral block, and my tough job of learning shading the hard way, which is guessing, not knowing, and having no pattern or chart to consult.

That said, Goodnight with love, all. My knee hurts so bad... It's ok, just fibromyalgia with a little touch of arthritis and an adversity to 2 weeks of cold rains lately. My meds will help a lot, and they're just a step away.

Oops! The shading is the 3rd picture. When I really looked, I realized I'd put it on the scanner, but had failed to copy...

Ewww. It doesn't look like what it looks like here. *sigh*

 

[koshergrl]

yes indeed it's time consuming. And a lot depends on the floss you use. I'm sort of limited when it comes to floss, as i've said before, there's only one place that sells it. They sell matte cotton floss, and not that many colors, only one brand.

I don't often pull out my work either Becki. After Christmas, i'm going to work on making my own designs and find some original uses for it. i think quilt blocks might suit me..maybe i'll get a quilt done if i embroider it, you never know. I still have that pillow to assemble for my daughter...i lost half of the ruffle and haven't found one to replace it. i think i will crochet one instead.

 

[koshergrl]

Sorry my keyboard shift keys are sticking, lolol...

 

[freedombecki]

yes indeed it's time consuming. And a lot depends on the floss you use. I'm sort of limited when it comes to floss, as i've said before, there's only one place that sells it. They sell matte cotton floss, and not that many colors, only one brand.

I don't often pull out my work either Becki. After Christmas, i'm going to work on making my own designs and find some original uses for it. i think quilt blocks might suit me..maybe i'll get a quilt done if i embroider it, you never know. I still have that pillow to assemble for my daughter...i lost half of the ruffle and haven't found one to replace it. i think i will crochet one instead.

The more I look at your swans the more I love the way you did the feathers. They're absolutely stunning.

I love crochet work. I got some beauties on ebay, and the vintage ones are so sturdy, I got a group of three that look like they not only were never used, they were of the sturdiest embroidery cotton, yet are wonderful out of the washer to the touch. I hustled them onto a pair of pillows and slept like the queen of Sheba last night. Ahhh.. total comfort of cotton pillowcases. And I got one pair of do-it-yourself cross stitch butterflies in a poly cotton. By the time they're done (someone had already started the border in blue), I will have expended more for the pair I'm going to do someday than on all three of the vintage master works that you really couldn't tell how wonderful they were by their pictures, which were pretty enough, but golden orange crocheted butterflies--definite queen of Sheba stuff! I've seen a pattern for a crocheted basket full of embroidered flowers, but what's the matter with me? $35 didn't seem like a bargain when my average output is 7 dollars per pair if nobody else is looking. You just insert the word "lot of" in front of whatever it is you want to save money on, and you'll get several where somebody put zero value on them because they were made by grandma for free, and nobody wanted them after the silver was divided... /shameless pirate.

 

[freedombecki]

Minimal progress on next butterfly, but the border and 4 floral corners are done. It dragged on for 2 days it seems. *sigh* This one will have colorations akin to the Blue Morpho. I'll see if I can find one to show here.

Credits: Wordpress

And another:

Credits: http://animalku.com/2011/08/02/blue-morpho-butterfly/​

 

[Sunshine]

I had a coupon for laundry detergent, so I bought a small bottle with Oxyclean in it. I washed my grandmother's table cloth in it and it came out noticeably whiter. I may run it again a time or two just to see what happens.

Do you remember 'bluing'? I remember when my mother put that in all her whites. Don't know if they still make it or not. I thought about that.

 

[Sunshine]

Looked on Amazon and they DO still make fabric bluing!

 

[freedombecki]

I had a coupon for laundry detergent, so I bought a small bottle with Oxyclean in it. I washed my grandmother's table cloth in it and it came out noticeably whiter. I may run it again a time or two just to see what happens.

Do you remember 'bluing'? I remember when my mother put that in all her whites. Don't know if they still make it or not. I thought about that.

Yes, but for some reason, I am associating "bluing" with an ironing product. Don't know why. Oh, maybe she used it in some kind of starch or something. She ironed everything except nylon underwear. My dear, wonderful mother, God rest her sweet and kindly soul. *sigh*

 

[Sunshine]

I had a coupon for laundry detergent, so I bought a small bottle with Oxyclean in it. I washed my grandmother's table cloth in it and it came out noticeably whiter. I may run it again a time or two just to see what happens.

Do you remember 'bluing'? I remember when my mother put that in all her whites. Don't know if they still make it or not. I thought about that.

Yes, but for some reason, I am associating "bluing" with an ironing product. Don't know why. Oh, maybe she used it in some kind of starch or something. She ironed everything except nylon underwear. My dear, wonderful mother, God rest her sweet and kindly soul. *sigh*

Not an ironing product. It came in little blue balls that you put in the rinse water. They have it on Amazon, and it is in liquid. Bluing is kind of interesting. I never knew what it was made of:

Laundry bluing is made of a very fine blue iron powder suspended in water (a "colloidal suspension").

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluing_(fabric)

 

[freedombecki]

Looked on Amazon and they DO still make fabric bluing!

Please test it on a scrap or something first with a few strands of your embroidery floss being used. Modern products may be more potent than what our moms used. I know in my shop, I sold a rit dye product that removes all color from anything, and I do mean all color as in white-out. You just added it to your wash with anything with a dingy tinge, and it came out whiter than a dry snowdrift on a January midday sun.

 

[Sunshine]

Looked on Amazon and they DO still make fabric bluing!

Please test it on a scrap or something first with a few strands of your embroidery floss being used. Modern products may be more potent than what our moms used. I know in my shop, I sold a rit dye product that removes all color from anything, and I do mean all color as in white-out. You just added it to your wash with anything with a dingy tinge, and it came out whiter than a dry snowdrift on a January midday sun.

I didn't even think of that color remover. I may go that route first. I would definitely test any product I used on it. I'm looking for something that doesn't have chlorine. I don't really have need of much in the way of whitening products. I only do one 'bleach load' a week and I NEVEER buy white sheets. I do use white towels a lot. My bathroom is largely white to include the floor and I really like the cool clean look.

 

[freedombecki]

Looked on Amazon and they DO still make fabric bluing!

Please test it on a scrap or something first with a few strands of your embroidery floss being used. Modern products may be more potent than what our moms used. I know in my shop, I sold a rit dye product that removes all color from anything, and I do mean all color as in white-out. You just added it to your wash with anything with a dingy tinge, and it came out whiter than a dry snowdrift on a January midday sun.

I didn't even think of that color remover. I may go that route first. I would definitely test any product I used on it. I'm looking for something that doesn't have chlorine. I don't really have need of much in the way of whitening products. I only do one 'bleach load' a week and I NEVEER buy white sheets. I do use white towels a lot. My bathroom is largely white to include the floor and I really like the cool clean look.

Speaking of blue, when assessing the already-completed butterflies, there was not a turquoise one. They must be rare, but when I loaded "turquoise butterfly," sometimes between the girls' hairpins with turquoise butterflies and wedding cake ones, a blue Morpho butterfly would appear. About half of the ones you see online appear turquoise, and the others a light, bright blue color So I picked the turquoise ones and decided to make a new color schema using all blue along with an extremely dark marine blue that would reflect the turquoise nature of the lighter color thread, #996 DMC in this case. The dark marine is color 824, I think. If I don't like it, I may have to use 939.

Oh, my goodness. There are boy cardinals out there. I've been seeing tannish birds on the now-spent orange trumpet vine that grew up over the upstairs bedroom windows. On closer look, after noticing a few female cardinals eating grubs on the grass, I thought to look harder on the noisy birds outside the window. Sure enough, girl cardinals. I thought it odd for not seeing male cardinals, but finally this afternoon they showed up. Of course, they were just doing guy things, I guess. Watching the Green Bay Packers play the Lions? Well, probably not, they just weren't around at first, but sure enough, there are four or five of them out there now playing gotcha last and I quit.

Blue morpho--my notes and a sample one from somewhere in my pictures.

 

[Sunshine]

Please test it on a scrap or something first with a few strands of your embroidery floss being used. Modern products may be more potent than what our moms used. I know in my shop, I sold a rit dye product that removes all color from anything, and I do mean all color as in white-out. You just added it to your wash with anything with a dingy tinge, and it came out whiter than a dry snowdrift on a January midday sun.

I didn't even think of that color remover. I may go that route first. I would definitely test any product I used on it. I'm looking for something that doesn't have chlorine. I don't really have need of much in the way of whitening products. I only do one 'bleach load' a week and I NEVEER buy white sheets. I do use white towels a lot. My bathroom is largely white to include the floor and I really like the cool clean look.

Speaking of blue, when assessing the already-completed butterflies, there was not a turquoise one. They must be rare, but when I loaded "turquoise butterfly," sometimes between the girls' hairpins with turquoise butterflies and wedding cake ones, a blue Morpho butterfly would appear. About half of the ones you see online appear turquoise, and the others a light, bright blue color So I picked the turquoise ones and decided to make a new color schema using all blue along with an extremely dark marine blue that would reflect the turquoise nature of the lighter color thread, #996 DMC in this case. The dark marine is color 824, I think. If I don't like it, I may have to use 939.

Oh, my goodness. There are boy cardinals out there. I've been seeing tannish birds on the now-spent orange trumpet vine that grew up over the upstairs bedroom windows. On closer look, after noticing a few female cardinals eating grubs on the grass, I thought to look harder on the noisy birds outside the window. Sure enough, girl cardinals. I thought it odd for not seeing male cardinals, but finally this afternoon they showed up. Of course, they were just doing guy things, I guess. Watching the Green Bay Packers play the Lions? Well, probably not, they just weren't around at first, but sure enough, there are four or five of them out there now playing gotcha last and I quit.

Blue morpho--my notes and a sample one from somewhere in my pictures.

LOL. I have a lot of cardinals around here. They are the KY state bird.

 

[freedombecki]

Eh, good enough for government work! We'll see how it goes. Not ripping it out, no matter how bad it looks, not ripping it out...

​

See you in a couple of light years...

 

[freedombecki]

I didn't even think of that color remover. I may go that route first. I would definitely test any product I used on it. I'm looking for something that doesn't have chlorine. I don't really have need of much in the way of whitening products. I only do one 'bleach load' a week and I NEVEER buy white sheets. I do use white towels a lot. My bathroom is largely white to include the floor and I really like the cool clean look.

Speaking of blue, when assessing the already-completed butterflies, there was not a turquoise one. They must be rare, but when I loaded "turquoise butterfly," sometimes between the girls' hairpins with turquoise butterflies and wedding cake ones, a blue Morpho butterfly would appear. About half of the ones you see online appear turquoise, and the others a light, bright blue color So I picked the turquoise ones and decided to make a new color schema using all blue along with an extremely dark marine blue that would reflect the turquoise nature of the lighter color thread, #996 DMC in this case. The dark marine is color 824, I think. If I don't like it, I may have to use 939.

Oh, my goodness. There are boy cardinals out there. I've been seeing tannish birds on the now-spent orange trumpet vine that grew up over the upstairs bedroom windows. On closer look, after noticing a few female cardinals eating grubs on the grass, I thought to look harder on the noisy birds outside the window. Sure enough, girl cardinals. I thought it odd for not seeing male cardinals, but finally this afternoon they showed up. Of course, they were just doing guy things, I guess. Watching the Green Bay Packers play the Lions? Well, probably not, they just weren't around at first, but sure enough, there are four or five of them out there now playing gotcha last and I quit.

Blue morpho--my notes and a sample one from somewhere in my pictures.

LOL. I have a lot of cardinals around here. They are the KY state bird.

They are such eye candy 7 States claim them as their State Bird: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia

Six states love the Western Meadowlark: Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wyoming.
And 5 states love the Mockingbird: Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

I always thought each state should have a different mascot, but a lot of the states, when picking called upon the State's schoolchildren to choose them. I guess if you're teaching human children to vote, you have to let them know their majority counts. Otherwise, they'd have no faith in the system.

/philosophic view

 

[Sunshine]

I had a coupon for laundry detergent, so I bought a small bottle with Oxyclean in it. I washed my grandmother's table cloth in it and it came out noticeably whiter. I may run it again a time or two just to see what happens.

Do you remember 'bluing'? I remember when my mother put that in all her whites. Don't know if they still make it or not. I thought about that.

Yes, but for some reason, I am associating "bluing" with an ironing product. Don't know why. Oh, maybe she used it in some kind of starch or something. She ironed everything except nylon underwear. My dear, wonderful mother, God rest her sweet and kindly soul. *sigh*

They used to put it in starch. And when fabric softener was new on the scene they put it in that as well. But it also came separate from any other product. My mother bought it in little balls about half inch in diameter. My mother ironed everything too. And I still iron things that many others do not. I have a Singer Magic Press. It is wonderful. I remember telling my MIL when I bought my first one. She told me that if you learn to use it, it will save you a LOT of work. She was right. It wasn't easy to learn, but I did learn and I can iron a shirt of blouse on it better than I can with an iron. The first one died and I got another. This one you can put water in and it has steam vents that blast the item with steam. I love it. It's great for heavy things like jeans, and things that don't respond well to an iron like sweaters.

 

[freedombecki]

I had a coupon for laundry detergent, so I bought a small bottle with Oxyclean in it. I washed my grandmother's table cloth in it and it came out noticeably whiter. I may run it again a time or two just to see what happens.

Do you remember 'bluing'? I remember when my mother put that in all her whites. Don't know if they still make it or not. I thought about that.

Yes, but for some reason, I am associating "bluing" with an ironing product. Don't know why. Oh, maybe she used it in some kind of starch or something. She ironed everything except nylon underwear. My dear, wonderful mother, God rest her sweet and kindly soul. *sigh*

They used to put it in starch. And when fabric softener was new on the scene they put it in that as well. But it also came separate from any other product. My mother bought it in little balls about half inch in diameter. My mother ironed everything too. And I still iron things that many others do not. I have a Singer Magic Press. It is wonderful. I remember telling my MIL when I bought my first one. She told me that if you learn to use it, it will save you a LOT of work. She was right. It wasn't easy to learn, but I did learn and I can iron a shirt of blouse on it better than I can with an iron. The first one died and I got another. This one you can put water in and it has steam vents that blast the item with steam. I love it. It's great for heavy things like jeans, and things that don't respond well to an iron like sweaters.

Your mother was right about the Press. It was probably a good investment in time to learn to use it.

 

[Sunshine]

Yes, but for some reason, I am associating "bluing" with an ironing product. Don't know why. Oh, maybe she used it in some kind of starch or something. She ironed everything except nylon underwear. My dear, wonderful mother, God rest her sweet and kindly soul. *sigh*

They used to put it in starch. And when fabric softener was new on the scene they put it in that as well. But it also came separate from any other product. My mother bought it in little balls about half inch in diameter. My mother ironed everything too. And I still iron things that many others do not. I have a Singer Magic Press. It is wonderful. I remember telling my MIL when I bought my first one. She told me that if you learn to use it, it will save you a LOT of work. She was right. It wasn't easy to learn, but I did learn and I can iron a shirt of blouse on it better than I can with an iron. The first one died and I got another. This one you can put water in and it has steam vents that blast the item with steam. I love it. It's great for heavy things like jeans, and things that don't respond well to an iron like sweaters.

Your mother was right about the Press. It was probably a good investment in time to learn to use it.

It's really good for things like pillow cases. I really never set up the ironing board and iron. The magic press is all I ever use. I can't honestly say it was easy to learn to use it and there are times I will still use the squire bottle to make an unruly edge lie flat so I can press it. But everything comes up very smooth looking. I can't stand to be wrinkled. I even run what I wear around the house through the Magic Press. Clothes that have been ironed are just more comfortable.