Sunday stitching January's end.

The first month of 2016 fades and here is my progress on my Sunday stitch. The third shade of grey still has a little way to go. I am looking forward to the next which promises some large blocks of stitching and filling in some of those swathes of white.

Sunday stitching.

Sunday Stitching still in January

Missed some Sunday stitching time due to the reemergence of the Winter cold.  Got some done today so here is the progress so far.

Sunday stitching

The Engagement

Not mine so don't get all excited however, I have been thinking of some friends lately so this appears a good time to share another of those projects that started out with a simple enough plan and then sort of got away from me.

It is more common now than when my friends did it, to make the wedding invitations with a personalised photo.

I liked the picture my friend and his fiancee used so much I did a painted version, then I thought I would do a cloth one and make it into a cushion.

Now this was early on in my exploration of applique and has no padding in it.  I was unfortunately quite pleased with the result even if faces and hands were not quite as I would have liked. 

Engaged

Now you make be wondering why I said unfortunately, well because by the time it was done I had wedding photos and a cushion was feeling less what this was for and it ceased to be destined for a solitary life.

Given the very lengthy post about  Monument Dragon  I am going to do what this first image lead to in instalments.  Please also keep in mind that this image was completed well before the Guardian Angel quilt for their first child, during the making of the second (William in the Window) and was finished around the time the third child had her quilt (Willow Fairy) and rather before the fourth had his TheThe Castle a quilt. 

Sunday stitching, second shade of grey

First Sunday in 2016 and both reached the end of the first shade of grey and made a start on the second.  I wonder if it will be finished in time for the show this year...

2nd shade of grey

In to 2016

and a small confession of craziness that is linked to my parsimonious nature. When quilting there are always bits of thread too short use but too long to throw away.  In addition the basting thread from hand quilting is a bit of a waste.  One day I wound some up in a ball as I worked and one thread led to another and the thread ball grew and grew.....

It was in its own way interesting seeing the colours change with the projects I was working on and who knows how it might have grown were it not for the Easter eggs?  Ah, yes that does appear a random comment, you see I have in the past painted Easter eggs (egg link) and whilst in a charity shop spotted a glass covered stand I thought I could put one of them in.

However, when I got it home on closer inspection I realised the top of the glass  was much thicker than the sides and therefore no room for the egg.  So what to do with it, the thread ball was looking pretty and on a whim I popped it in there.

There it has stayed, and as adding further layers of thread would increase the size so it wouldn't fit that avenue for using thread ends, ended.

A new thread repository was required, however that is a confession for another day and another post.

Thread Ball under glass

Thread Ball

   

So happy New Year one and all, with crafts great and small...