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Saturday, August 27, 2022

my creative week A finish! "The chalice"

 

"The chalice"  10.5" X 14.5"

For this week's creativity round-up, I painted, sewed, embroidered and learned ...

I started the quilt above as a way to sew tiny strips together with no goal in mind.

and planned to use the painted fabric for my table scraps challenge this month, embroidering all over it.


 

then I looked into my orange scrap bin, since the color of the month at RSC is orange, and saw a little cup shaped piece left from cutting flowering snowball blocks one year... ohhhhhh. 

orange on orange


I glued it on, put the strip+cup on batting, sewed a quick zigzag stitch around to secure it, and started hand embroidering it. First a black thread size 8 perle cotton for outline stitch around and on the base. Then a thick gold (bratty and easily frayed) thread for accents to make it look Medieval. 

Joy challenged us to use embroidery on our table scraps this month. I did a running stitch, then pistle stitch alternated with a single chain like stitch hanging from it. I purposely didn't sew the chalice itself down to the batting so it would puff up when I machine stitched along the tiny strip set to push back the background

Next up along the side borders I did a sort of lazy daisy decorative element and a running stitch along the top. I was surprised at how pretty the thick gold thread was hand stitched onto the surface. 

I made good use of the latest needle book, made in zen stitch workshop a couple months ago

It's now my favorite needlebook and so useful


The strips themselves were random sizes, uneven and raveling. I sewed them one to the other, without worrying about the width, as I like organic lines. None of them were more than 3/4" wide cut.I like to sew tiny pieces together to see what emerges.

after the edges were polished off, I wondered what would imply fun coming from the cup... a little magic in our humdrum world today. I got out the iron on crystals, hearts and diamonds. Yes I have a stash of iron on embellishments. arranged them and pressed to set the adhesive. 

from the old days when I wandered the aisles of Joann and Michaels stores. 

outline stitch creates the base, and french knots the golden lines near the base

I don't know where this will go or how I'll use it. Table Scraps challenge is to make something to cover a surface any size. 

I changed my rotary cutting blade this week.....life changing... wow!

it takes little effort to cut fabric now! Why do we put up with a dull blade for so long??  One nick in the blade leads to another, and it dulls slowly. I would go over and over a line to cut it.

 Reminds me of cleaning the microwave. You get one spot, then another and you'll clean it later it's not THAT bad and when you finally get around to cleaning it, you're so happy and proud!

a friend of mine, after cleaning her microwave had her daughter come in and exclaim, "so clean! Is grandma coming to visit?" 

so now cutting is a breeze and I continue to make these X blocks for what I don't know. 


 I watched this video and plan to watch her tutorials on youtube later

what an embroidery show! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u41Q7z9KMkE
 as I mentioned, I painted also this week but plan to share that next week...they deserve their own post! 

Linking to

https://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/2022/08/august-2022-table-scraps-challenge-link.html

patchwork Sunday                    

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays 

 

 

21 comments:

  1. It looks like you had SEW much fun with this month's TABLE SCRAPS Challenge, LeeAnna, and my how the X blocks have multiplied!!!

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  2. saved an old 45mm rotary cutter and i use the dull blade in it for cutting paper, coffee filter and tea bag paper for projects. Why not enjoy the sharp new fabric slices. Why not? if not now, when ? you are so productive and colorful. keep on xing in color!!

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  3. That is a happy little piece! I love the beads floating out of the cup - a fun effect. A good reminder to change my rotary cutter blade - it has definitely been awhile!

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  4. Thanks for the link to the embroidery videos...I went down that black hole for a while today and now all I want to do is embroidery and beading! Fun! Love how those X blocks are looking all together, too.

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  5. Love your medieval chalice! It is fun to do embroidery and embellishment on pieces that keep asking for more. I hate dull blades and am pretty fanatical about changing them. I am thinking of having a monthly spa day in my study…say my birthday or the 15th to do all those gnarly chores!

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  6. What a fun time you must have had creating this magical chalice table mat! I love all the thin trips you stitched together. They create such a great background. I just changed my rotary blade the other day too and yes, what a difference. It’s just that they dull quickly and are so expensive. We want to get every last spent penny out of each blade. Ha!

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  7. That chalice piece is amazing. I love the hearts. And those are really tiny stripes so nice sewing them all together. They do work really well though. Happy rest of your weekend. hugs-Erika

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  8. What fun table scraps project. Love all the embellishments that you added!

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  9. The orange piece is so cute, and the embroidery and little iron on embellishments really make it come alive. But your little needle book is really what caught my eye. Wow - whimsical and adorable! You could sell these on Etsy I'll bet.

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  10. It's always a treat to see what you're up to. Such clever combinations of techniques and talents.

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  11. Your mini is wonderful! I love the tiny strips, and the gold thread embroideries. Another beautiful finish!
    Changing the rotary cutter blade is very good advice, I will do it too ;)
    Thank you for sharing and linking up!

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  12. sew many fun things happening in your studio!

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  13. What a beautiful little quilt. I agree; with your embellishments it looks medieval. I love how your art preferred from an idea to a thing if beauty. Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.

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  14. Hi LeeAnna, I love your orange Chalice. Very cool :-)
    Thanks for sharing Wild Boho's video - I love her stuff but had forgotten about her. Have a great week!

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  15. Busy, busy lady as always. I loved the embroidery video. So many good ideas to try.

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  16. Your art quilts are always so amazing! Love the chalice with the heart bubbles. The embroidery is a nice addition. I like those x blocks. A rainbow of colors!

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  17. I love this piece! What a great idea for a challenge to embroider on scraps! I should try that.

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  18. Great projects! I love the orange. Happy stitching!

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  19. I love your creativity with the orange quilt. It is very pretty.

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  20. Hi,
    Your Orange cup is beautiful....who knew orange could be so
    pretty. Your Needle Book is cut...I've never made one of
    those...I'll have to give it a try...but I don't have
    any felt..I'll have to figure out something else
    to use...have a great day!

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  21. You were sew busy. Love the little zen needle case, just might have to make one of those.

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