Winter Quaker Exchange

I saw on the BB today that my 'Winter Quaker' exchange had reached its destination which is always a relief :-)) This is what I stitched for Veronica on our theme of blue and white. It is The Needleworkers Pocket by designer Ellen Chester 'With My Needle' from the JCS 2003 Ornament magazine. I used antique white 32ct linen and an Anchor thread 921 as that shade of blue was very much like a denim blue...seen as I love the colour of my jeans :-) I had also figured that with Veronica being a Spanish American she might like quite a strong colour.

The front of the pocket

I loved stitching this quaker design but I did especially love doing the finishing as I had never made anything like this before. It was quite a challenge but to be honest I like to challenge myself and I like to try to improve my skills. I got some lovely striped, faded denim blue and white fabric in a soft cotton for the lining, the day I was in York, from The Viking Loom. I had also got some blue silk for this but the stripe fabric looked better with it :-) This was made as the finishing instructions with the 'warm and natural' batting inside the layers to give it a slightly padded look. It took time in trying to get the measurements spot on so that with 8 layers in total, 4 each side, it laid nice and smooth and not wrinkled as it has no card or board in it for stiffening. For the back I kept it simple and personalised it with our initials and the year.

The back of the pocket

I made my own cording using the same 921 colour thread that it was stitched with, as I have no special tool, I do this by knotting my lengths together at one end then putting it on my curtain tie-back hook and then twist and twist and twist...

This is the second try I have had at making a tassel and feel I have improved on this. I got a little tip from a friend ;-) so thanks for that :-) The trick here was to try to get two matching ones....hmmmmm... this took a good bit of time and fiddling about but luckily I managed :-)

My tassel

I completely hand-sewed the whole thing from start to finish...so now you know what finish took me from the morning until the night to do. I really fancy to make myself something with this finish at some point :-)





Hope you all have a nice weekend with lots of happy stitching time ;-)

See you soon and I will catch up with all your blogs in the near future, I think I am in this year now...!!

Hello 2007

What better way to see my stitching 'New Year' in...than with the Winter Quaker Exchange from SBEBB. I have received this lovely Needlebook from Cathy B ...it is stitched with Crescent Colors - Blue Moon which is such a pretty, delicate shade of blue. The needlebook is from the 'Quaker Schoolgirl Needle Necessities' by Ellen Chester (With My Needle) and uses the motifs taken from Ackworth School in Yorkshire UK, it is stitched on Antique White linen. Cathy has personalised the front with my initials and sent me Thread Gatherer silks in gorgeous shades of blue along with a mother of pearl thread winder, some stitching fabric and the cutest project cards by la d da. I must say I have admired Cathy's stitching for some time now and am proud to own a piece of her work which is every bit as nice IRL :-)) Thank-you so much Cathy I love it all and the way you wrapped all the packages so nicely :-)) You made my day!!

This shows the whole package sent to me

This shows the front of the Needlebook with the personalisation

This is the inside showing the silk lining

This shows the whole of the outside

I have just got a display cabinet for my needlework and do still need to get little stands for my pieces (so sorry you can't see them too well) but I thought I would show you where this now lives...it is with the Mary Garry 'Sit & Sew' tiny fob and pinkeep I made the other month as the colours all blend well together :-))

In place in my display cabinet

I have been rather slow with my stitching, my back, shoulder and especially arm are so much better now...boy was that trapped nerve painful!! and I am so relieved :-))) I have done the finishing for my Winter Quaker which took me hours...really it did... from 9.30 in the morning until 2.30am on the night...I did have a few breaks for neccessary things but on the whole it took me that long!! I am however really pleased with the finish and will show it when it arrives at its destination :-)

I do have a picture to show you of the start I have made with 'Emblem of Love' by With my Needle (Ellen Chester)...I love these colours so much. I am doing this as a SAL with my Mum and we are both slow with time and as stitchers, so are in about the same place :-) I am using 36ct Light Examplar from Lakeside Linens as the 40ct Vintage Bittersweet I had got for this was far too pink for some reason and the pink threads did not show up at all on my piece, I was disappointed but love it on this now very much, it is looking nice and delicate :-)))




I am going to do the finishing on my SBEBB 'Stitching Smalls' and Valentine pieces in the near future so won't have much to show you for a little while yet. I am also starting another SAL it is a Blackbird Design but as yet my supplies have not arrived which is a shame. I am impatient to get going with it as everyone else got started on the 10th or there-abouts, I now have some catching up to do!!

Sharon, I will post the finish (I have not forgotten but have lacked time).

Enjoy your stitching ladies and I will be back fairly soon :-))


Have a great week!!