A Stitch in Time, Makes 10 million

It feels like I haven't been doing much lately.  But hand work really does take more time than machine work.  Obviously...

Once I started making these cute little Advent Animals, it's been hard to stop.  Other people in our Facebook group keep saying how quick they stitch up.  Me?  It's two full days per animal.  They're only about 3 x 4 inches big.  Perhaps I'll speed up some as I go.  Seriously, I can appliqué a 12" block in the same amount of time.

I did invest in one of those magnetic chart holders.  SO WORTH THE MONEY.  I've always really sucked at cross stitch because I could never keep my place on a chart.

With my new stand, my pattern stays visible all the time and the magnets can be placed around a section or just under a certain line.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm still screwing up.  Just not as catastrophically as before.

 This hedgehog.  So cute.  I am planning to change background.  I've got enough for 3 more on the oatmeal and then I'm going to change to something darker.  I had to add the outlining on several items because it faded away on the oatmeal.

Most of my time has been taking a Crazy Quilting Class online by Shawkl.com.  It's been a lot of fun and very informative.

She has you do things in stages and then you post a picture on the class blog to show your progress.

Another little hedgehog.

First we pieced the block.  Then she has you do the embroidery work on the seams.  She provides you with templates to help you get the proportion right.   That was difficult for me.  After so many years of taking tiny appliqué stitches, it was really difficult to make the big stitches.

 Then she taught us different ribbon embroidery flowers.  That was my favorite part of the class.

We did 3 different types of roses.  My favorite are the spider web roses.  They were the easiest and I think, the prettiest.  (coral colored, near the center of block)  I thought the Fly Stitch roses (plum) were beautiful but I really struggled with them.  I had to use pliers to get the needle through...

I added the button flowers.  Good old Pinterest.  None of the lace that I bought fit on my project.  So, I guess it'll get used someday.

She showed us how to make the cute little ribbon butterfly.  The butterfly cameo was bought 50% off at Hobby Lobby's Labor Day Sale.  The ONLY thing I bought, that worked out...

French knots in ribbon are rose buds and french knots in thread are, whatever those tall flowers are...

We made ribbon Irises.  Mine look a lot like the angry bitch Iris from Alice in Wonderland.  Or, angry parrots or something.












So, that's all for now folks.  I've got a few more things but I'll let you rest for now.  I just started another class with Shawkl.com.  Next, she's going to show me how to dye my own fabric and ribbons!  Can you feel my excitement?