MY VERY FIRST ENCRUSTED EMBROIDERY PEBBLE

Hello Everyone,

I have been doing some very fun stitching lately.  My Sweetie will not let me help much in the kitchen redo so I have been happy stitching away and loving it.

The photo below is the inspiration for My First Encrusted Embroidery Pebble.

 My sweetie and I was walking along the Lake Michigan Shoreline last Summer and out of all the stone we found this one was my favorite.  It is called a Petoskey Stone.  I think it is so very pretty. Not a good photo but it is all shades of beige and creams and white.

Below is an up close photo of the top part of My Encrusted Pebble. It is 5 inches wide and 6 inches tall. I used 100% wool cream fabric as the background for the pebble.

 The stitch I used at the tip is called Buttonhole with and Detached Buttonhole stitch combined together. I used EdMar Brazilian thread called Boucle.  I wanted it to look like the white caps where breaking over the pebble laying on the sandy beach.  Do you think I captured the look I wanted with this stitch? 

Below is the bottom of the pebble.  I also used the same technique twice more on the bottom of the pebble.  I used many shapes of beads. 

 I also used hand dyed wool roving twisted tightly and swirled around on the stone and then I couched over it with the bullion stitch in a hand dyed silk thread.

 I forgot to take a photo of the elements I used on this pebble but I used very similar one I used on the Heart which I have not started to stitch yet.  

I used many different kinds of threads.  I really like using 100% wool threads. I also used The Thread Gatherer Hand Dyed Silks, EdMar Brazilian Threads, Finca # 8,  DMC Perle Cotton, Valdani Pearl, and several Silk and Ivory threads of silk and wool. 

Below is My First Encrusted Embroidery Pebble finished.... What do you all think?

 I used many many different kinds of stitches.   I used the Drizzle Stitch in many different places.  It is one of my favorite stitches.  

I also used  Whipped Buttonhole Stitch, Needle Weaving Open Base Picot, Raised Cup Stitch, Blanket  Stitched Pinwheel,  Back Stitch Spider Web, Bullion, and lots and lots of French Knots.

I had so much fun creating this pebble. I hope I have inspired a few of my blogging friends to give this Encrusted Pebble a try. 

Many of us on "Stitchin Fingers" are also participating in the "Pebble Adventure" but you need to be a Stitchin Fingers Member to give this project a go.

  Now I am thinking of doing an encrusted Easter Egg.  Hmmmmm, So many ideas and not enough time.  LOL

Take care and thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments. 

Hugs Judy

EASTER STITCHING KITCHEN REMODEL PART 2 PEBBLE ADVENTURE

Hello Everyone,

I started stitching a wool Valentine's Day Heart but unfortunately I never finished it on time for this special day.  I finally finished it this past week so I will now call it the "Easter Bunny Garden Heart".

I wanted to use some of the lovely tatted treasures Wendy made for me last Easter.  The tatted Easter Bunny is pale pink and so I added a couple of tatted pink roses and a wee pink tatted Butterfly for in the garden too.  

I used all metallic threads by Threadworx Kreinik Fine # 8 and #12 Braid Over dyed. 

I used many stitches.  I used the Drizzle Stitch to create the wee flower to the right of the tatted bunny. I also used many French Knots, Buttonhole Stitch and the Bullion Stitch. I needle felted green roving along the bottom and edges before I started my stitching. 

To finish it off I stuff some Lavender from my garden inside so when I hang it in my sewing room it will give it a lovely scent. Thanks Wendy again for all the lovely tatting you create for me.

 

 Kitchen Remodel Part 2

Above is a photo of unpainted Wainscoting board that we put up 4 feet around the bottom of the Kitchen walls. 

 

After a couple of weeks of priming the wood and painting this part of the remodel is finally finished. The bottom is a paint is called Porcelain Skin and the walls are painted Plateau.  This photo does not really show the true colors.

The next challenge for my Sweetie was  putting up the Tile Mural and the wee tiles.  He has only done this kind of job once before a long time ago but he took on the job smiling.  VBG  My Sweetie measured everything very carefully on the wall and then actually created it first on a very large card board in the living room.  Then he transferred it to the wall.  

The name of the Tile Mural is called, "Country Sunflowers".  In My Humble Opinion My Sweetie did the most wonderful job of putting it up. The small glass tiles are 1 inch square. They were in colors of pale yellow, gold, white, clear, brown and gray. And amongst all of these there was a gold marble stone. The Mural is 12 inches by 17 1/2 wide.     What do you all think??

 The next tiled area is above the stove.  This part was so much easier for my Sweetie to put up.   Thank you My Dear for being so talented to transform our old kitchen into a new one.   I love it all.

Part 3 of the Kitchen remodel will be the new flooring.  Soon to begin. vbg 

Above you will see the most strangest photo with all kinds of elements stitched to muslin. 

 I have joined our organizers

 "Marjolein from Threads and Patches" and "Deb from Mosaic Magpie" and many others on "Stitch'in Fingers".  We are calling this project "Pebbles Adventures". 

 I admired this kind of stitching in a photo many years ago on Stitch'in Fingers but had no clue how to create one my self.  

This "Link" will take you to photos on the "Stitch Magazine UK" and a tutorial on how to create Pebbles.

 Anyone can join "Stitch'in Fingers" and join us all in this "Pebble Adventures". I joined Stitch'in Fingers many years ago and I am always truly inspired by all the member's stitching.

In the photo above I have entrapped all the elements and  so now it is time to start creating all kinds of stitches.  This is truly an adventure in stitching for me because I have never did this kind of project before.  

So I hope everyone will come back in a couple of weeks and see how far I got in creating my "Pebbles"! 

Thank you all for visiting my blog and leaving your lovely messages for me to read.  

Hugs Judy

Pomegranate Stitching Snow Drought Kitchen Renovation Started

Hello Everyone,

Wow, how time passes quickly. It seems these days I am more than busy.  LOL  But thank goodness, I have found some precious time for my passion of stitching.   

I started My Pomegranate Table Rug back in November 2011.  I now have 1/2 of the table rug completed.  I will do the same stitching on the opposite end.   I have truly enjoyed stitching on this project. I have pushed my comfort zone and learned some new stitches which has really been fun for me. 

(1) I have used my very favorite drizzle stitch around the pink velvet seeds. The drizzle stitch is created with a Kreinik Fine # 8 Braid in a Pale Pink ( 192 color).

(2) I couched down the Chenille Yarn around the border of the Pomegranate with the Buttonhole Stitch using Watercolours by Caron # 149 Cherry Cordial color. 

(3) I also did the same around the Pomegranate slices in the middle but on this one I used Sophie's Strawberry Silken Chenille Thread by Thread Gatherers. 

(4) Along the outside slices edges I used the Palestrina Stitch and used Weeks Dye Works Pearl #5 and the color was Camellia number 2276P5.

(5) I also used lots of #8 sparkling pink beads.

I had lots of fun creating the top of the Pomegranate. I created a Woven Picot Stitch and made them 2 1/2 and 2 inches long by using a Hat Pin. 

(1) The thread I used on this stitch is made by Waterlilies by Caron and the color is Coral Blush 053.  I  have never made the woven picot stitch this long before and it was fun creating them.

 

 I created the small leaves by couching down Chenille Yarn by using Waterlilies by Caron.  I lost the tag on it but it was 3 shades of pale lime greens.  

(1) I created the Bullion Stitch around the Center Velvet Pink Leaf with Waterlilies By Caron # 190 Fraises du Bois.

(2) The center veins was created with the "Drizzle Stitch" using My New Favorite thread called,  Threadworx Kreinik Fine #8 Braid in the color 71081. I absolutely LOVE this metallic variegated metallic color thread.  Love it!!! 

So what do you all think of the Pomegranate Table Rug so far??

I was watching Martha Stewart Show during the Christmas Holidays and saw them create an artistic Walnut Treasure Box.  This is my version of it.  I used 18 Kt. Gold Leafing Pen to color the outside of the walnut.  They left theirs plain inside but I decided to put red velvet inside mine to give it more of Majestic Royal look.  LOL  What do you all think??? 

Next The Kitchen Renovating, The Beginning!

We have now lived in our Retirement Home for 7 plus years.  Since we have moved in each Spring/Summer we do some kind of project to make it more to our liking. 

The "Kitchen" is our last big project and we decided to pass our long cold Winter by starting now on it. The only thing we decided to leave the same was the cupboards.  Way to expensive to change.   

(1) The first to go was the old counter top and back splash. In the photo above you only see the raw wood that was under the old laminate counter top that was already removed. That all came out too.  

(2) On Wednesday February 1st our new Corian Hard Surface Counter Top arrived. It took them 5 hours to install it.  The color is called Talc Oyster and it has wee specks of white, cream and light beige all the way through it.  I love it. 

(3) Before the counter top arrived Bill put up the new Back Splash of Wainscoting  and sometime it is called Bead Board. We painted it a Porcelain Skin color.  I am so pleased so far.  What a huge different it has already made.

(4)My Sweetie has been working many long hours and I truly appreciate his dedication to this project.

Next was the new Cast Iron Enamel Sink in the color of Almond.  

(1) I wanted some "Art" in my kitchen and pick out some "Old Fashion Moen Oil Rubbed Bronze Faucet"!  I was a bit nervous going with the bronze with the Almond thinking it made be to dark for it but after it was in I really like it allot. What do you all think??  

(2)  I have order a small Wall Tile Mural to go above the sink along with some smaller glass tiles.  We are waiting for the Mural to arrive. We have already painted the walls. Photos next time.  

(3)  I hope you all will follow along with our New Kitchen Renovation we are hoping to have it all done by March 1st. Fingers Crossed because living in a very messy Kitchen is NO fun!! LOL  

Our Weather people are now calling the Winter of 2012 a "Snow Drought"!!  I think our total this winter has been about 5 inches.   Last year  we had about 5 foot of snow at this time of year. Below is a photo of our snow in February 2011.

Below is a photo of February of this year.  NO Snow!! I have never in my life time seen NO snow in February.  My birthday is at the end of February and there is usually a snow blizzard brewing but this year I am hoping there will be No snow.  VBG Do you think I will be so lucky??  LOL

I greatly appreciated you all visiting my blog and leaving your lovely comments for me to read. I always value your opinions. 

Some thoughts from My Heart.

When good friends walk beside us, 

On the trails that we must keep, 

Our burdens seem less heavy, 

And the hills are not so steep, 

 The weary miles pass swiftly, 

Taken in a joyous stride, 

And all the world seems brighter, 

When friends walk by our side. 

Thank You All For Being My Friends.

Hugs Judy