November in a Few Hours!!

This year has flown fast, and it will be November in a few hours when I wake up! This is the November Birthday Crazy Quilt heart. Now I need to get busy and finish "January," as I put it down two years ago and never got it back out to do the silk ribbon carnations. Ouch.

Be sure to go see Possibilities, Etc., as I have started another cookie with "icing" - this time solid sugar sprinkles in the form of clear beads!

Planning Ahead! (It's August already)

It only occurred to me last night that it's August, and time to change the header here, and also to get busy (or busier). It's time to be thinking of things to start stitching for "the seasons." My year is kind of turned around, as I was doing coral reefs and seashells and fish in the middle of the coldest winter I can remember having in Austin.

Right now, I'm working on my article for the November/December issue of Needlepoint Now, as the deadline is in three weeks - and it's beastly horrible hot in Austin. Oh well, it's a good time to stay indoors and think and stitch. Anyway, I've neglected Freebies this last year or so, and not offering new things often enough - I'll try to do better starting soon - and definitely by September.

It's March Again Already!

I usually dread the arrival of March, as in Austin it means the advent of hot weather again. However, after having a record number of weeks of winter, (which was rather wonderful, for a change), I'm looking forward to maybe some sunshine and good weather for outdoor activity. (as long as it remains cool).

Anyway - this is the Birthday Crazy Quilt for March, which includes the aquamarines and daffodils significant for the month. The symbolism of these is explained on the other blog (Possibilities, etc.) I think , under "birthday crazy quilts." - be sure to go look.

Also, this piece, along with the other ones, may be purchased as an e-pattern or as a painted canvas with instructions on my web page, Elegant Whimsies.

A Cheerful Crazy Quilt!

I decided that the header needed to be changed from the January Birthday CQ, even though outside here in Austin, it still feels like the gloom of the overcast sky with wet stuff falling down - and it's cold. This is much more cheerful!

It's a cut-out from my "beginner" crazy quilt heart, which is available for sale on my web page as an e-pattern - a downloadable, print out for "do-it-yourself" and spare the expense of a painted canvas (although that is also offered) See those at Elegant Whimsies.

Crazy Quilt for December!! (already)

Unbelievable that it's already December (in a few hours). I finished this piece last year in October, and, shame on me, I still haven't finished "January."
This is in my "Crazy for Birthdays" series - and the history, etc. of the turquoise and narcissus as symbolism is on my other blog - you can click on Birthday Crazy Quilts to see them all - at least the ones I managed to finish. I'm still short a few, but now am involved with Talavera - and will have to give up sleeping in order to get it all done. It's good to be busy!!

I used some of my favorite special effects on this one - the glitter of the Sundance hexagonal #250 crystal clear beads against the white Petite Very Velvet - looks like ice crystals here. Also, the clear beads - again, #250, but not the hex beads - agains the dark blue PVV looking like rain drops. This is explained on the other blog if you want to go look!

ADDENDUM: The "Crazy for Birthdays" hearts are available as E-patterns on my web page, Elegant Whimsies - downloadable for printing out! Several people have asked.

Crazy Quilt Heart for November!!

November already! Time does fly, and I need to get the January "Crazy for Birthdays" heart finished, as that will be here soon - I got distracted last year, and stopped in the middle.

Anyway, the colors are so pretty for November - with the gold topaz and the chrysanthemums! The warm "velvet" of the burgundy patch feels fine against the kind of "stormy" blue - and the dark blue with snowflakes or raindrops (Beads)

I looked forward to changing the header and choosing background colors - a great toy!.

This is available as an e-pattern on my Elegant Whimsies site - it's a bit complicated to offer as a Freebie, but the heart outline is here, and this might give you an idea or two.

It's OCTOBER already!!

I've been too preoccupied with lying around feeling sorry for myself, as I've been too ill and apathetic to pay attention (or to stitch, which worried my children) - and YIKES it's already October!!

This is the October "Crazy for Birthdays" crazy quilt ornament from last year - which means I need to hurry and finish January, as I never got that one done - nor have I worked February, May, or July. It's good to be busy!

Crazy for September

It won't be September until tomorrow, but after a dry, sweltering summer (again) in Austin, we all look forward to, hopefully, the time when at least at night it starts to cool off a bit.

Anyway, the header is constructed from my "A Heart for Birthdays" series of crazy quilt designs. September is about Sapphires and Asters and beautiful cooler colors than last month.

If you haven't seen the CQ for birthdays things, they are on the other blog, and are quite an exercise in silk ribbon embellishing and "beads on the painted canvas."

August in July (with Silk Ribbon)

My computer has been in ICU - very sick for a while, and I haven't made up any new Freebies until today - and will post them tomorrow, as Halloween approaches for those of us who needlepoint and X-stitch.

The year gets all confused, but after so many years, I'm used to it. I'm showing as a header the August Crazy Quilt birthday heart, as I didn't finish July - and it's summertime anyway where I am - HOT summer, so the colors suit!

For anyone who hasn't followed my birthday CQ pieces on the other blog, this is August with it's peridots and gladiolus. (Sword Lily). The flowers are made with silk ribbon from River Silks.

July is my own birthday month, but I got distracted and didn't finish the design. Also need to go backward and do May.

Lace and Crazy Quilt: Ornaments!

This is a shape that has been presented on earlier posts - but it's so versatile, I'm using it again for a crazy quilt ornament with lace. There are two, exactly the same size, but one with only straight seams, and one with curves. 5 1/2" high x 3 1/2" wide on 18 mesh canvas.

The illustrated hexagonal ornament has no lace, but you can see what might be done with it! This is actually a "copy" (or an adaptation) of a quilt block I saw on one of Allie Aller's quilts a while back - and was my inspiration to get the "look" in needlepoint. The flower was made with simple "ribbon stitch" in orange 4mm silk ribbon. The tiny buds are made with pearl cotton #5 in French knots.

There was also the challenge of the "zig-zag" chain stitch for seam treatment - and as I remember, the one at the top of the curve is a "closed herringbone" with beads at the points. The silk ribbon flower is very simple, and the lower patch was stitched with Caron's Watercolours in Nobuko - as it looks like Batik fabric.

And now the lace! I used pastels, as this was to be an egg, and I was still in my "white cotton crocheted lace" phase, but have now begun using metallics, overdyed cottons, whatever looks right - very exciting, it can be! The "lace" is worked with Smyrna crosses where the little squares are 2 x 2 stitches, and what I call a "modified" bump stitch over 3 x 3 stitches.

Here are more images to inspire you - this is why I look at the art quilters' blogs regularly - great images and inspiration! The challenge on these two was the wavy lines of chain stitch and the effect of the ric-rac, which on the quilt block, was a wide one with a narrow piece sewed on top.


Again, I used the Caron Watercolours to resemble Batik - this time in T-stitch. It needs to be horizontal, as trying to do basketweave with overdyed threads results in diagonal stripes. The colors on the hexagonal piece were the original ones, and the heart on the left has my chosen scheme. The seam treatment on the heart in purple has big, loose French Knots worked with Thread Gatherer overdyed silk ribbon.

To draw the hexagons onto canvas, you can either count the dots or just measure. Also, for future use, they may be easily lengthened, widened, narrowed, or whatever else you might want to do for decorating.

For use as they are, after you print them out, ink over the pattern lines, and trace them onto your canvas. I use a straight edge for this (except for the curved seam) so they won't have ugly wobbles. Draw the lace just as you see it - just make the little squares. Very easy - anyone who has worked counted X-stitch can do this! Just a tiny bit of counting - mostly visual.

I had not stitched the two ornaments with lace, as they are from my e-booklet on Diagonal Laces and Trims, (Elegant Whimsies) and intended as an exercise in creating "fabric" backgrounds for crazy quilt and embellishing with diagonal lace as a seam treatment.


Be sure to check the other blog (Possibilities, etc.), as I'm going to do another post this evening on color and silk ribbon embroidery.

It'll Soon Be Summer!!

I decided to go ahead and put the June header on a few days early, as March has long gone, and I still haven't put the silk ribbon embellishments on "April." These are from my Birthday Crazy Quilt heart series - and I actually finished "June" last October.

Anyway, I run a bit behind from time to time, so the next one will probably be August - which also only lacks the silk ribbon gladioli and other embroidery.

This June piece reminds me of the song from "Oklahoma" - "June is Bustin' Out all Over!!" I wish I had some of the exuberance of that rose bush on the needlepoint version. The colors are taken from what I "see" as bright pastels of early summer.

Crazy for December

The new header is a part of my December "Crazy for Birthdays" heart ornament. The history and symbolism of the mistletoe, holly, and narcissus, as well as the turquoise are explained in posts on the other blog under "Birthday Crazy Quilts." The research on these was fascinating!!

Color Change

In case anyone is wondering about my monthly header changes, I am using parts of my "Crazy for Birthdays" series of CQ hearts in needlepoint. A great excuse to play with new skills on the blog thing, as getting the size just right and then choosing the colors from the little chart that pops up is high entertainment, and rather time consuming for this computer dummy. Anyway - this is from the November heart, which is now on my web page (Elegant Whimsies). The flowers are chrysanthemums, and the birthstone is Topaz. I was rather pleased with it, but the flowers were a struggle. I was cheered on and encouraged by Jean at RiverSilks, whose gorgeous ribbon I use.

Hopefully I will get another 4-way Florentine ornament posted tonight, as I have it ready. However, it is Halloween, and I might be busy stealing and eating candy from my grandchildren's buckets after they go out trick or treating.