Folklore Hoop

As soon as I finished Yonder I started on this one! This is Folklore Hoop, designed by Jacob de Graaf of Modern Folk Embroidery. It took me three days to stitch. Finished it this morning, and I've framed it in a flexi hoop. I want to add a felt circle to neaten the back, but I can't find the felt. 

I used Ruby Slipper wool thread, from The Gentle Art Simply Wool and 32 ct Zweigart Belfast.

The design is centred in the hoop, it's just that I couldn't quite get a straight-on image when I took the photo!

Yonder

Yeah, I've finished and framed one of my cross stitch projects. It's taken only 5 days to stitch. I didn't think I would be able to finish because I'd run out of DMC 741. Ang gave me some she had, but I used it up. But I thought I knew where mine could be, so I got out my sewing projects bag earlier today, and there it was! The frame is one of the ones I bought from The Store, and it fits really well.

I used sequin pins to attach the fabric to a piece of foamboard. I had to discard the first piece of foamboard because I'd cut it the same size as the glass from the frame, which meant that when I added the fabric the piece wouldn't fit in the frame! So I cut another piece, and this time trimmed ⅛ of an inch from two sides, and then it fit perfectly. I'm happy with how the dark frame matches the darker colours in the design.

 

Another One ...

I needed smaller bags for some of my projects. I made a mistake with the measurements again though! I thought I'd cut the vinyl at 11" x 8" ... but no I had cut them 10" x 8", so I had to trim down the width on all of the quilt sandwich backs! I have 3 more ready to sew up. The bottom left corner could be squarer, but they're for me so who cares - it gives it some character 😂

I've got a bunch of projects in bags, in a big basket. Some are completed, waiting to be framed, but most of them are WIPs! I have to stop buying patterns now and stitch what I have. When I came back to cross stitch I was planning on finishing old kits, framing them, getting rid of anything I wasn't going to stitch ... but instead I started to watch Flosstube (well, Flosstube came first, and then I went back to the cross stitch!) and I want all the patterns people are stitching! I also have all of the DMC threads (and now Ang has given me 3 more boxes ...) so the intention was to start using up all the stuff that I have. Instead I'm buying the "fancy flosses", or overdyed threads, the patterns call for. Not for all of them, because I don't want to start a huge collection of all the fancy flosses, but if there's just a handful, or there are no DMC conversions provided I've been buying those too. I'm going down a long and winding rabbit hole ...

Room to Sew

I bought the April 2021 issue of "Cross Stitcher" in Morrisons the other day, and found the perfect design to put in this house frame Angelique gave me! It's a design by Zoe Patching, and was very quick to stitch! I started it yeserday. The backstitching took longer than the cross stitches, and the scissors took me several attempts to get right, but I eventually got there. The blue in the rug is not the colour used on the chart, but when I realised I'd made a mistake I'd stitched too much of it to re-do with the correct colour. Had to leave window and basket out, otherwise it wouldn't have fit the frame. I ironed on some heavyweight interfacing to the back of the design, and cut it to fit.

The frame is from a charity shop.

Floss Rings? Floss Ring Bling? (or whatever they're called!)

Made these yesterday. Not sure what they're called, but they're just decoration to add to a ring holding embroidery thread! The clock cabochons came ready made, and the Xmas one is punched from scrapbook paper. I've put a couple of them onto the thread rings for some of the projects I've got on the go. I added a jingle bell to the Xmas one, and will add charms to the others when they arrive. By the way, I've got a few of the clock cabochons to go in my 1:12 scale home decor shop! I have plenty left, so I'll use them in the dollhouse too.

 

Yes, another bag ...

This is the bag that went wrong ... Luckily I had two pieces of the binding fabric, already cut to size - I think I'd cut it out to use on another bag, so didn't have to bother cutting anything out. I managed to fix the sewing machine last night, there was a piece of thread underneath the feed dogs, which is why the fabric kept jamming. Because I had to trim a bit off the side and bottom it's a little smaller than the other bunch of bags I made, but it's still a nice size. If (when ...) I make more bags I have to get the dimensions correct though ...

 

A Bunch of Project Bags

Yep, more bags! Can't make any more until I can buy the vinyl, but I should have enough for all of my projects now. I meant to make them 14" x 11", but I got it in my head that it was 14" x 10"! Later I found another piece of vinyl, and I thought I'd make sure I cut that bag 11" tall ... but I went to trim the quilt sandwich ... and cut it at 10"!! They end up as a neater sized bag, but it's a little bit easier to fit an A4 sheet of paper in the 11" bags.

I spent a couple of days hand sewing the bindings - my arms ache so much ... I was halfway through the binding on this pink bag, when the side came undone, and I realised I'd cut the vinyl a tiny bit too short on the left side and along the bottom, so I've re-trimmed it and it's ready to sew up the binding on the machine, and so on. I had to fix the sewing machine last night though, because there was a bit of thread stuck underneath the metal plate, and the fabric kept getting jammed in the feeddogs! 

I also want to make a few smaller (approx A5) bags, from the bits of vinyl I have left over.