St Germain quilt - small progress

You have seen the central block for St Germain quilt already.

There are no more blocks as such, the rest of the quilt is made up of two very wide borders - the orange peel applique border on the inside and an applique outside border, with flowers and leaves, similar to the central block.

I have started cutting out orange peel shapes for the inside border, I need 144 of them. The good thing about this quilt is that I can use lots of fabrics from my stash, which compliment fabrics in the central block.

I am using plain paper for the templates, and for ironing my small travel iron, which is ideal  for pressing small shapes and sharp points.

I re-use the templates for the next batch, and  I use Sewline glue stick for applique pieces already pressed, to keep the shape and mainly the points.

I will make all orange peel shapes first, before placing them on the border. This all takes time, but it will make the task easier when I'll start stitching.

This is a good job for a rainy day, like today.

I have been having some problems with leaving comments on some of your blogs, or even opening some. As some of you seem to experience the same, it looks like Blogger problem rather than mine.

I find that if I leave it and go back later or the following day, I can sometime leave a comment where I could not before, but it is frustrating, say the least.

So, if I have not visited, it could be that I am not able to :-)

Have a good weekend!

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

wool embroidery

October has a definite autumnal feel, with trees now changing colour and wet leaves on the ground.

It is still very mild for the time of year, around 18°C during the day. The garden is now looking little tired, but still refusing to give up completely.

The fuchsia, hanging by the kitchen door, is  still in a full swing.

But I felt that a little seasonal planting was needed for a continuation of colour.

I wanted a new embroidery project for the coming winter evenings, so I decided on a wool embroidery. The inspiration came from wool embroideries I had seen on our trips to Scandinavia, and also from this book, which has some lovely projects, including wool embroidered cushions. So, an embroidered wool cushion will be my next embroidery project for this winter. 

But I wanted to find few more pictures and Internet research found the book pictured below, 

which looked like something "I really need"

(you know how it is).

I expect some of our Scandinavian friends know it.

Unfortunately only in Swedish, but this has not put me off.  Eventually I found a Swedish bookseller who was prepared to ship to UK.

No, I don't speak Swedish, so yes, I am probably missing a lot, but the pictures are the most important thing in this case and the book is full of  them.

I have never done a crewel embroidery on wool, only on linen, but I want to make this all wool, so I started to look for wool felt. I soon realised that it is not an easy task, most craft felt is now from recycled man made materials.

Eventually Google found Cloud Craft, where you can find lovely soft 100% wool felt in some gorgeous shades.  

Don't you just love it, when the postman brings little packages of fabrics and threads?

This is the colour of felt I chose. Dark background is so good for showing of bright colour threads.

Another package had new supply of Appleton crewel threads,

and another Renaissance Dyeing crewel threads, to add to some I have already.

These are very soft, softer than Appleton, but they don't come in many strong vibrant shades, because their colour comes from natural dyes.   

So, all materials are here, all I have to do now, is to make a final decision on a design I want to make, there are so many beautiful ideas in both books.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

mystery afghan knit-a-long/week 8

At last - the last 6 squares are done, hurrah!

 I must admit that this project was beginning to haunt me. 

Week 9 is "Cable Trim" and week 10 is "Making up Afghan".

This will be time consuming, so it will take some time.

This is a Knit-a-Long, designed by Martin Storey for Rowan Wools, not the new one by Kaffe Fassett, which Rowan Wools started a couple of weeks ago.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014

mystery afghan knit-a-long/week 7

Another week and 6 squares for knit-a long, designed by Martin Storey for Rowan, completed.


Only 6 squares more, followed by a trim, and then making up.

The end is in sight!

Rowan are starting a new mystery knit-a-long, this time designed by Kaffe Fassett, just in case you are tempted.
As for me - I will be happy if I'll finish this one :-)

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2014