catching up with projects

 Yesterday I had some treatment on my knee and while I was waiting for the surgery I did quite a lot of stitching.  My sewing room is cluttered with partly done work or sample pieces I have done in the past. 

I have a stall at a christmas market soon so I am trying to finish things off.  This little piece with french knots on silk will make a pretty  button or hair clip. 

This second piece is a needlebook.  Hand dyed cotton fabric with silk ribbon, beads, sequins and embroidery.

 I will line it with green felt to hold the needles.

There is batting between the fabric and the felt to give it a softer feel.  

 

The last item is silk ribbon on calico over a self covered button.

It just needs some metallic threads to finish it off.

I am always so happy to finish things that have sat around for a while.

stitched gardens

 I have quite a love of knot gardens:  I have created several and I thought I would show them to you today.

This first one is stitched on hand dyed fabric using silk threads and lots of french knots and turkey stitch.

I particularly like the colours in this one.

This one was my first attempt and I was helped with stitch selection & colours by Bev Tully.  It took many hours of concentration.
Again I used silk threads.  It is lovely and soft to touch and is on the top of a round black box. 

I stitched out this heart pattern on my embroidery machine and then filled in the gaps (hearts etc) with different threads and stitches.  It was a kind of a 
sampler, and looks prettier in "real life". 

I have mounted this one on top of another box which I have covered with an interesting paper.

I use this one in the sewing room for bits & pieces. 

Another of my designs:  I found it difficult to deal with the idea of it being divided into 3 sections.  I do like symmetry. 

This tiny one was lots of fun to do: it is a little pin cushion set in a shallow wooden bowl.