Stitch Book

At last I have managed to post pictures of my Stitch Book. After taking the photos editing them then finding Blogger had changed its dashboard its taken two or three goes to get my head around that still havent mastered it. It took me long enough to to sort out how to set up and manage my blog and then they change it I wish I knew someone who would pop around and show me these things instead of having to mess around by trial and error yes I did read about it but my head isnt into all this and I soon get confused its my age but I have to say none of my friends have a blog and look at me in a strange way when I say I have one.
Back to the book its a cloth book I have dyed some of the pages.  One side is the stitch done in several different ways the other side is where I have used it in a pattern. Five of us get together to meet in my house once a month to encourage each other and help out if someone has difficulties with a stitch and of course there is lots of chat. It took just over a year to complete the books and they are all different we are now doing crazy patchwork I dont know if I will turn it into a book or a wall hanging.

Stitch Book

Fabric Book of Roses

I love making fabric books I like to see how I can make each page different. This one has embroidery stamping printed images and fabric collage and its a good way to use up all the supplies I have stashed away. In between the pages I have placed compressed wadding but I wont be using it again I found it quite hard to machine on. When the pages were machined together I hand sewed them into a cover. I shall soon be able to open a library of handmade books I feel one about Autumn colours coming on.

Altered Book

I have been quiet on my blog lately I have joined an altered book swap with mixedmediauk- see links. I have never made one before I always thought it was a mystical operation I wouldn't be able to do. Becky on the group explained all to the new ones and yes I have done it. There are eight of us in the swap and we post the book off to a new person every month so it wont be back to me

until next year. We all chose our own themes mine is The Lady and the Garden I like anything to do with flowers and gardens. Some of the themes are a bit more difficult than mine I will tell you about them as they come to me. I hope you will be able to follow my instruction for making the book and please leave me a comment I would love to know what you think.

This is the last spread I did. Its painted stamped collaged with paper napkin poppys and worked into with paintstik and other crayons. The lady was put into photo editing and turned into an oil painting this sounds as though Im good at photos but Im not I just played around with this its just a matter of clicking and using a slider. I havent yet worked out how to do layering its probably quite simple if someone shows you how to do it

I use a free programme called paint.net just enter this into search and its a free download. I have

now posted my book onto the next person.

atc from Jackie

This is the atc from Jackie for the hand embroidery net swap. This is the first atc Jackie has made I think she has done very well and finished of the edges very neatly with ribbon.

ATC Spring

Just one atc I have made for the Hand Embroidery Net the theme is spring. The daffodil has been taken from an old transfer-no-I cant call it old the popular word is now vintage. I have used double knot stitch buttonhole stem satin and chain stitch. Quit a lot of different stitches for this small embroidery but it looks quite good. I have a lovely card from Jackie that I have just realised I haven't taken a photo of but I will. See my link to the group on the side panel

Fabric Birthday Card

A card with a difference for Sandra on her 50th Birthday I expect she will tell me off for putting her age here but I did have a lot of photographs of a part of her she wouldn't like to see. I haven't made any paper cards for sometime and have got out of the habit. It was mostly made of felt with some glazed cotton and fabric flowers. I couldn't draw very well on the felt that is why there is a very wobbly glass didn't think it through properly. A lot of sad quotes about getting old were stamped onto tags and the beads are papier mache. We all had a good time at the party and the food was great all made by Sandra's husband John.

Atcs

I haven't made any atcs for a while being busy making craft stall stuff. I do like making them they are like designing little pictures and they don't take long and isn't it nice to get the swaps back in the post.

The heart is for a Valentine swap its filled with bullion and french knots very relaxing just sewing one on top of another no designing there. The second ones are for a patchwork theme made with ribbon and machine stitches I'm not into patchwork its all to neat and precise for me although I do like crazy patchwork. Again for mixedmediauk. If you would like to join click on the name in my links everyone is welcome beginners especially.

Fabric Birds atc

Atc cards were made for a swap at mixed media uk yahoo group. I havent made any for sometime and found it very confining to work in this small space again. They are birds of bling the middle one looks as though he is about to take off.

Christmas Banner

I made this banner for my church about two years ago its one of three of mine that are put up every Christmas. This picture shows the main part of the banner and has been chosen for the church Christmas card this year. Although it doesn't show there is quite a bit of glitter that I

enjoyed using kings must shine. I had to stretch this around a board to illiminate any wrinkles in the fabric for the photo but the banner was edged in fringing and hung from a small pole.

Pretty Cloth Bags

A few bags I have been making from pieces of material and lace I have collected

that haven't cost very much. Isn't it funny that we collect so much stuff to add to our stash

and then I know I am reluctant to use some of it in case I might need it for something else. We cant take it with us or on second thoughts maybe we can. I thought they would be good to sell with the idea fill these with pretty things for Christmas. The bag standing up I have quilted which is not something I do a lot of and the blue embroidered panel is a pattern taken from Stitch.

Flower Book Pages

Two more pages for the book page swap I am hosting at Mixed Media UK. I have used a transfer from the magazine Prima 1992. This took my eye when I used to buy this magazine it was originally for a table cloth but I don't think I would ever embroider the whole of this far too boring so I have started cutting it up. I like hand embroidery and this was quick and easy to do.

I have noticed when the photo is enlarged the transfer markings are showing but they cant be seen with the eye.

Necklaces

A crazy quilting pendant instructions for making it can be found at the crazy quilting online mag in the links, I must get my head around getting a link in the posting. I didn't use a wooden bead couldn't see myself gluing around a wooden bead so I used felt cut it to the size I wanted and rolled it up quite tight then wrapped the cq around. I used gathered ribbon around the top and bottom to tidy up. It does look quite good on a plain jumper as it took some time to do I am going to try machine patterns and then hand embroidery on felt. The other two necklaces I made last year, the black and white one looks good.

Crazy Quilting

Crazy quilting squares for a swap at Cloth Paper Studio the theme was hearts.Hand embroidery is something I like doing when watching TV especially when husband is watching sport or old films. I will get out my books and try new stitches as these squares only measure 4x4".

Machine Embroidery

This was started at Richard Box's workshop again with the Embroidery Guild. The first one I did with him was from his book Flowers For Embroidery in which he teaches how to make a picture with small bits of material lightly glued on and then machined. I made four small pictures and liked them enough to put up on the wall at home. He is a very good teacher everybody was very relaxed.