Day 59: Italian Drawn Thread Work

This is another piece I've been working to complete. This piece started as a class I took through my local Embroiderer's Guild (EGA). Barbara Kershaw designed it and taught it to us in person. Barbara was a lovely woman who inspired me to do not just this piece, but others that she designed. It was originally designed as a towel with the embroidered design and drawn thread work on only one end, but I decided to adapt it and make it into a small table cloth. So I changed the center embroidered design slightly and centered it and put the drawn thread work on both ends. I didn't finish the piece in class and when it came time to hem it, my first time, I procrastinated doing the job. Finally I took some time during daylight hours when I was fresh to read and re-read the instructions. I normally do my stitching in the evenings, but when I have to tackle something new I must do it during the day. I can't focus at night when I'm tired and my eyes and mind aren't cooperating any more. Sometimes you just have to read the instructions a few times and get the feel of it, and then just do it! I like how it turned out and enjoyed the process. Good thing, because I have a few more Barbara Kershaw projects to do.

Day 46 - Art Every Day

Sorry - I've been delinquent! I have done art every day except one, but I've have so many deadlines I've not posted.  Here's one thing I had a deadline to complete - piecing these crazy quilted fan blocks for a "Do your Block" (DYB) round robin in the Crazy Quilt International (CQI) yahoo group. I first planned the blocks, then decided to use a different color dark velvet for each fan handle and end.  I also decided to use a different wide vintage lace on each block at the end of the fan blades. Each blade fabric is different and a lighter version of the dark velvet. On one blade of each block I used a piece of fabric overlaid with lace or a sheer.See if you can find it.

This is a larger block and has a different shape than normally worked for a "Do Your Block" (DYB) in CQI.  Normally they are 6" square, but these are actually in the shape of a fan and the bladed part is about the size of a 6 x 6 give or take a bit. The girls will only embellish the blades and if I decide to use them together in a piece, I will do something common to each velvet part that will tie the blocks together.  I may use them as individual pieces and perhaps I'll add a handle.  Maybe I'll make them into individual fan wall hangings or a piece to sit in a frame of some sort on the piano.  (-;  I did take pictures along the way so I think I'll post the development of the blocks.