CQBC Class Project - Update

I have removed the offending green chain stitches and the pink straight stitches in the center.  Here is the block with the revised seams. 

TAST 136 - knotted buttonhole stitch - Take 4

I may have have started to get this Stitch by the middle of the bottom row. Also I wasn't able to work from the right-hand side. I had to work down the left-hand side and then turn it around and do the same thing again. 

Work in Progress Wednesday: Shawkl's Basic Crazy Quilt Class

Here is my progress to date on this wonderful online class from Kathy Shaw.  Today I plan to redo two stitchings: the pink on the cretan stitch in the center (don't show up enough)  and the green detached chains near the top (too big).

Later in the course Kathy will be teaching us some silk ribbon embroidery.

TAST 136 & 137 - Knotted buttonhole band and Beaded Knotted buttonhole band

This stitch is really challenging for me!  I am trying it for the third time.  I think the problem is that I am not piercing the first knot, but just going behind the bar again.

On the third attempt I did pierce the knot but perhaps I have the scale wrong. My foundation bars are about 3/8" tall and 1/4" apart. 

Napkins with Mitered Corners

Here are the new napkins.  I enjoyed making the mitered corners.  I watched the excellent  tutorial from Professor Pincushion, but I marked the corners before folding and ironing. For me, it was easier this way.

Finished Place Mats

These worked up pretty quickly and I sewed and quilted the four in one day.  I marked the quilting lines with a ruler and Frixion pen (disappears when ironed) and used my walking foot.  I hand sewed the bindings last night.

Dining room chair cushions completed

All four cushions are done!  Now for place mats and napkins. 

Size 26 tapestry needle!

They arrived today from Amazon, and it's true: they're  perfect!  They fit through even the tiniest beads. 

Fabric Auditions for Place Mats

I am continuing to use my Oriental Fabric stash to update my dining room.  Last night I went through my stash and started to cut out placemats.

I find that taking a photo first really helps with choosing the best layout.  Looking at the photos, I already see some things I want to change.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - 135 - Beaded Fern Stitch - Take Two

Today I dug through all my needles and found one in an assortment pack that fit both the seed beads and the #5 Perle cotton!  Yes!

Here is my re-do of the Beaded Fern Stitch.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - 135 - Beaded Fern Stitch

This week the stitch is Beaded Fern Stitch.  You can find instructions at Pintangle TAST.

This was harder than it looks!  I don't have a #26 tapestry needle so I could not use seed beads.  The beads I used are #06, so I used size 5 perle cotton.  

I would like to try this again with the correct needle and beads.  Thank you, Sharon!

Dining Room Makeover

Because quilting and other fun projects always come first, I have neglected to make proper dining room cushions, placemats and napkins.  

Last night I decided that I was probably not going to make another quilt with Oriental fabrics, and I may as well use those gorgeous fabrics to make said cushions, placemats and napkins.

Here is what we have been using for probably 8 years!  These are from Walmart and the foam disintegrates if you handle them too much.  They don't even fit the chairs!

I pretty much know what to do, have looked at a few tutorials and this should be pretty straight forward.  I don't plan to use a zipper and pillow forms.  I will stuff them with polyfil and I think they will be washable that way.

 Here is the pattern I drafted on craft paper.

This is the lovely fabric.  I had over 3 yards of it!

This is some Kona Black that I have had for a while.  I was going to make a quilt with it but it has been in the drawer for a long time. It will be on the bottom of the cushions.

This is the cushion boxing from Robert Kaufman brown Fusions, and 10 miles of piping I made last night from the oriental fabric. The white stuff is batting.  I will first layer the Oriental fabric, batting and some muslin and quilt it lightly to give it some body.  I do hope I am able to quilt it only lightly.  My tendency is to quilt things to death, but here I cannot afford to do that since all is already cut to size and I don't want to have any shrinkage.

This photo does not do the fabric justice; it is much more golden in color, more like the photo at the top.

Stitch Sampler Band: Part 3

Here is the next and third segment of my Stitch Band.  Most of these seam treatments I have gleaned from the instruction sheet for Kathy's Basic CQ Class.  My block is pieced and waiting for the next lesson, which I think I will receive on Friday.  I can't bear the wait so I am stitching the what I can see on the diagrams I have.  Naughty, impatient me!!  But it is practice, and so much fun!

I also stitched a spiderweb this week.  This is a silk block I made from Allie Aller's Craftsy class: a straight flip and sew block pattern.