Yippeeeeee, it's finally completed - the big reveal - CQJP 2012 - Christmas Tree Skirt

Well G'day everyone.

Yes, I have finally finished my beautiful Christmas Tree skirt, and Yes, before Christmas 2012, and do you think I am happy with the result, I'm over the moon, I am thrilled it turned out so well.  So here are my last few steps for completion.

The last post on the skirt I had it basted, and ready for the blocks to be added after I had done some hand quilting.  The quilting was done, very little mind you, it really didn't need it. Then the blocks went on and the 12 meters of braid placed, pin and hand stitched down, and each block was finished with a button on the loop join, and the red trim on each block had gold feather stitch added.

I then pinned the rest of the gold trim and started stitching it all down, two days later......

What a job, my fingers are aching....
The I cut of the extra wadding, and the red background, pulled out most of the basting (except around the opening). Turned it over and hem stitched the rim down.
Cut the slit for the opening, hemmed it also and then added the Merry Christmas buttons.

So what do you think??????

She's now under the undecorated tree (will do that next weekend).

Thank you everyone for following my journey this year with this project, I'm just thrilled it's finished and under the tree.  Watch this space, I am seriously thinking of publishing a book with the construction of this wonderful project.
A few stastic's for you regarding this project: 12 months in the making, 165 -170 hours of work, all hand stitched except for adding the rim to the black skirt, and the construction of the 10 fan block bases and red edge on each. Each fan block averaged between 6 - 10 hours of embroidery, gold work and stumpwork.  12 meters of gold braid to finish skirt, and 4 rolls of red, and black sewing cotton. Along with 20 charms, beads, gold braid, and at least 12 gold buttons, and several meters of silk and satin ribbon. And lastly 3 Santa's helpers to do the basting of the skirt, Lyn, Barb and Diane, again all hand stitched. Almost forgot Carol, who supplied permanently the batting for the skirt (thanks Carol).

I hope you follow my next years project, a '12 days of Xmas' wall hanging.

Arlene

Fibres and Fabrics Embroidery Group Xmas lunch

We did our annual swap of Xmas decoration, this year was a specific shape, but your choice of embroidery, here are the six that were swapped. Clockwise starting top red one: Joan R, Judy S, Barb H, Arlene W, Lyn H, and Suzanne C.

Had a wonderful day at Jessica's, eating and sharing past lunches.  Here we all are

L-R, Joan R, Judy S, Suzanne C, Barb N, Lyn H, and Jessica W., and off course (me, taking the picture).

We have set our decoration for next year’s luncheon, it will be an Angel, and I will have patterns for her during the next few weeks. The top of our Angel can be any embroidery technique you wish, but her skirt is to be beaded.

The one on the right is one I made several years ago, and the one on the left is one I just made, she's a 'stumpwork Angle'.

We also set a swap for Fibers' members next year, so to find out, become a member and join in.

Arlene

Registration open for CQJP2013

Registration is now open until December 12th. CQJP 2013

if you enjoyed following my journey with my Xmas tree shirt blocks and would like to make something similar and want the motivation to do it, I would highly recommend joining, if it wasn't for this project, it would not have been made.

My 2013 project will be an advent wall hanging, here is a glimpse at month 1, drawing only.

Each number will be in goldwork, along with some other bits and pieces, the pear tree and pears will be surface embroidery and the partridge in stumpwork.  There off course will be 12, still need to draw the other 11.

Arlene

Inspirations is now Digitial

G'day all,

My most favorite magazine has finally and thankfully gone digital.  You can buy your copy here, I'm so excited it's just the best. I was so disappointed last year when they took the magazine out of the shops and buy only subscription, now I can buy any issue after this one when I want.

Go Country Bumpkins.......

 And the best thing is that my android fits in my sewing box better than the original magazine did, so now I can take several issues with me...... Yippeeeee....... I am so excited by this.......

Arlene
p.s. I was not asked to post this by anyone, I just love the mag and want to share......

Latest work

I've been busy working on my examples for an upcoming class on Joggles.  The title of the class is 'Doris' and is scheduled for the 4th December. The class is based on a photograph of my mother.  This first photograph is the original piece that the class is based.

Here is the final piece that will be part of the text. Some references to the original piece will be included in the text. The reason for this is because I forgot to take photographs putting her together originally.

Arlene

CQJP 2012 progress report

Now that all the blocks are done, and the base is in some sort of design, it was time to get the skirt ready for the blocks.

Thank heavens for friends who know what their doing.  We made our sandwich, pinned it and tacked it.  Here is my wonderful Fibres Friend who helped me 'sandwiched' the skirt, and helped also to pin it and tack it. There was four of us on Wednesday tacking it together.

This first photo show's Barbara after we'd taped the bottom of the skirt to the table, laid the batting (complements from Carol) and the skirt on top with the edges half stitched in place.  To save our fingers, Barbara had this wonderful idea of using teaspoon for the basting part.

 This next photograph show's it all based, and the excess wadding trimmed back.

 This photograph show's it now with the blocks on and the trim, with the wadding and back skirt folded under. It's looking good, now all that's left is the hand stitching down the blocks and the trim, the outer hem and put on our 'Merry Christmas buttons' and sign it on the back. The Block in the front with 'Noel' buttons, is now being changed, it just looked so out of place. I have taken off the bow and the buttons and made it similar to the other blocks.

Here is the skirt now with the changed block.

Arlene's little helper: This is Ally, my son's Labrador, she is with us for the short term.

Arlene

Poinsettia class closing shortly

Just a reminder that this class is fast approaching - 25th October. If you'd like to dabble a little into goldwork, then this is the perfect course for you. A lovely simple design and very basic stitching needed.

 To book in, just jump to the class 'here'

 

Wanting to make that special gift for that special person? An enchanting colour arrangement speaks to us for a ‘different’ colour choice for Christmas; not the traditional green and red colours.

From beginner to intermediate embroiderer, add lace, threads, beads, silk ribbon and many other lovely little embellishments to create a stunningly unique Crazy Quilted Christmas cracker. The magic is also on the inside with a useful gift, a Hussif. 

Arlene

Christmas Tree skirt - construction part 1

I took my 10 blocks and the black skirt fabric to Fibers today.  I don't own a table big enough for me to spread it out on, and I'm not going to crawl on the floor (I'd never get up again).

So after an hour of trimming the fans, pinning them into place, reposioning, re pinning, pinning the gold braid into place, we then stood back to admire the hard work.  (It's hot here now, got up to 30C today).
So here are the results.
The four photo's show it from different angles.  Now remember this is just pinned in place and may not be my final layout.  I do want to add a 1/2 inch border on the base of the fans, this will be done in a deep red colour and finish the hem of with a single gold row of stitching.  I also bought some red fabric as the backing fabric for under the skirt.  My friend Carol has the batting for the sandwich of the black and the red.

 The bundle of gold braid is left over, I actually have 12 meters there, and only about 3/4 of one left.

 Each alternate fan will have a large loop and the other alternates will have a small loop.

 At the base each will have a small loop to link them all together.

The gold braid is continuous with not joins anywhere. OK, so now what do you think of it so far, I still don't know what I'm going to do for the border yet, but I still have time for that, maybe a 1 inch strip of deep red material?  Does anyone have any suggestions for it?
Arlene

CQJP - October block

The final block has finally been finished, and now the next step will be it's construction.  First here is block 10.

 And of course the close ups, the first one is the gold work Christmas ornament.

 The second close up is of our toy soldiers that I got at the Townsville Craft fair on the weekend from Cherabella buttons.

I also finished my ornament for the swap that I do each year.

Arlene

CQJP 2012 - September block

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for your private emails and comments in the previous post about my Xmas tree skirt. After great deliberation I decided to add two more blocks to the skirt. When i have placed the 8 under the tree, they just got lost, so i needed to make the skirt much bigger than first planned.

As you can see the tree branches hide all that work.

So I added the two blank blocks (which I had made along with the others) but I still have to embellish. It brought the blocks out from under the tree, so now I need to embellish two more.  I am very excited about getting this far with skirt, but still a little anxious putting it together.  Each fan block will be appliqued onto the black satin fabric, then I need to embellish the outside of each block to blend it into the black background. After that it will have to be padded and sewn up.   Still a fair bit of work left to go.

So here is Septembers block.  My inspiration came from a postcard that Maureen G had done in a swap we did with Kathy Shaw last year. Maureen embroidered this lovely silk ribbon wreath as the main focal point on the postcard.

Here is my block with this idea in mind. (thank you Maureen).

And a close up of the wreath.

One more to go, and as it is going to be October, it might have to have something 'me' on it, (October is my birthday month).

Comments always greatly appreciated.

Arlene

Southern Cross Crazies - RR - Patti's block

I love working on cream, and Alison started with glorious colour choices to continue with.
Here is the block after Alison and I.

Alison's work is at the top where the little gold butterfly is. My work is the bottom half.

I've added a row of Gold chevron stitches, with green beads enhancing each top of the stitch. I added purple flowers and buds between each.  I whipped gold thread through the ridges of the check fabric and added purple beaded flowers with green centers.
Here is a close up of my work.

The purple flowers are a fan of blanket stitch with two rows of detached buttonhole around the top. The buds are two detached chain, one larger than the other.

Arlene

My new toy

One of the ladies from our Spinning and Weaving group had a spinning wheel up for sale, and I bought it. Now I just have to learn how to use it. I got it for a bargain price.....

Arlene

CQJP 2012 - update

Well since I've been out of action, stitching has been my therapy, and it's wonderful to be able to sit up and just stitch.

I was behind with my CQJP blocks, and now I'm up to date with them also.
 So here are my latest three blocks.

June:  These lovely 'noel' buttons I bought recently at the Proserpine Show and Tell.  I've added a gold work Santa sleigh, and a ruched ribbon.

July: I've used some gold braid my friends from India gave me, and some lovely satin reindeer ribbon.

 August: I got to make myself a beetle, he's pretty big, he's nearly 4 inches from top to tail.

Still deciding on how I'm going to put them all together, as I'm not a 'sane' quilter, I'm having troubles deciding, please read on and any suggestions greatly appreciated? Here are the blocks so far:

Then laid out in the way I had it in my mind, from my original idea.

I don't think I'll be making any more fans, although I do have two left, but I think I might have to make four inner sections,  I also think my 'Noel' block is out of place, it needs to have a white line edge, not the buttons, but then also the gold ribbon one with gold edge would also be out of place, maybe they complement each other? Oh dear, now I'm looking way to deep I think. Here is my original idea, all good when I started, but not so sure now, what do you think?

Arlene