BFF SAL 6 More green

 I am showing tonight's progress "on point" at the request of my BFF as she is hoping you will see something in the dark green that she sees.

 So the question is can you see it? and if so well then leave a comment.

I expect my next post will be next year, hope you have a good one.

Don't forget to pop over to my friends BFF and see her update. CLICK HERE

BFF Sal 5 the Christmas one

 as my BFF notes on her update (click here) I was not feeling all that well however my waiting on the star for her to finish the backstitch was nagging at her.

So I have so far changed the material, the colours, the pattern either inadvertently (fat bottomed sheep) or advertently (the big onion or rather lack thereof) so I guess the star would be no different.

First the colour, it is gold on the pattern but after that sky adjustment the gold did not have much impact so I changed it to a metallic blue.

The star was the "new" technique we were trying on this BFF SAL.

You start with the straight lines then draw them together into the star with a central stitch.

This is how it looked with just the straight lines on it.

 

It felt a bit too square, I did pull it together with the middle stitch to check.

And nope yet another thing I was going to change. I wanted the star to point downward a bit more.

So I took it out and started again and made it a little less symmetrical.

The middle stitch over the middle is quite prominent so I think it would need a reasonably deep mount (same as if adding seed beads) not sure yet about how going to finish this. 

Once I had done that well a few little single strand stitches in the blue on the path in the places the pattern had gold. I have followed the pattern more than not.

And well I was on a meddling roll and added some iridescent thread to the sky and the swaddling. E3747. I only realised when I was making a note of the number for the blog that I had two..why because on one the iridescence is more blue toned and the other more green.

Not sure that it is all that visible in real life never mind on the photographs but I feel better about it with the additions.

So here it is 

I did not do any work on BFF6 and we finished earlier than usual although at the end I still felt physically rough my spirits were lifted.

BFF SAL 6..more green

 green , green and green

good job I like green.

We were both rather tired this evening but it was nice to be tired with company.

Pop over to my friends blog to see her progress click here

Just realised this is post 100 for this year, first time I have reached that number in a single year! Must be all the BFF updating.

A simple quilting sequence

 at least that is what the nice video promised when I saw it . Simple curves sewin in a set order from side to side starting at one end and moving to the other and making a four petal flower.

I thought I would give it a try. I drew it out, and out and out again to get it in my head. Lap size I thought for a try and whole cloth so there would not be seams to interrupt the flow. 

I had been planning on making a couple of lap size quilts with patterned edges and appliques. So I thought some more and decided to do the appliques afterwards needle turn.

  So this is it quilted on the sewing machine. I will admit that the curves which appears to want to happen when I am sewing a straight line are much more reluctant to cooperate when I want a curve. Typical. Anyway it went reasonably well for a first try.

You may (if you have visited before and if not Click here and here ) recognise the material from the edge. I am still using up bits. Bits are inspiring. Big bits small bits, oddly shaped bits.

These are off cuts from making blouses (not me I don't do clothing sewing) and the shape made me think of petals.  

Planning on green middles, I hemmed the first one, but the fit was tricky that way, I did not tack hem the others just stitched them in. 

Pinned on and ready to sew

I am still enjoying needle turning as a method.

And here it is finished and label added and all ready to be gifted. I wonder if you can guess the name of the intended recipient.

Oh yes how the sequence works, I can not recall where I saw it originally (if I come across it again I will add it as a link) but this is my best go at showing how it works. Start at 1 and move across doing the single loops. From 2 drop down a row and do 3 loops as you move across. Repeat till you have done all the horizontal rows then the single loop up the side back to the start to finish off.

Try it out on paper a few times to get the flow of it. Drawing that out on the draw and edit function was almost more tricky than sewing it!

Advent Calendar 2021 day 1

 Oh this year I have the first door and the first day in the Advent Calendar hosted by Jo over at serendipitous stitching

For those of you new to the advent, each participating blogger is assigned a day, asked to post a picture of something Christmas themed and answer a question. Click here for the link to previous years advents and hops

So I shall start with a little bit of Christmas themed stitching with this tinsel adorned cat by Durene Jones, aptly named Christmas cat.

And this years question, tell us about your tree.  Well for many years our tree was a very old (even older now, it must be over 80 ) tree with a little wooden base, fold down branches that even had little clasps to hold candles. We always hung glass fish with bristle tails from the bottom branches.  Unusual and I have never seen any others, I asked my mother about them and she said that they had not always had a tree, when she was young they had a wind bush that hung from the ceiling and the fish hung from that. (I will try and add pictures of the fish later if you are curious and want to pop back on 24th).they are also rather old and fragile and have a rest some years.

Now we still have that tree, but after years and years of enthusiastic folding and unfolding the branches are not as securely held as once they were.  we had a few years with a fibre optic tree but getting the bulb replaced when it wore out was not successful, and too may bendings to fit it into the box was making it rather lopsided.

As the years have passed something smaller and simpler has become the norm, and lights have joined the decorations both old, handmade and each year at least one thing that is new.  I no longer attempt to put everything we have on there every year.  Sometimes we have a colour theme sometimes not.

The top used to be a star, but recently it has been a cross stitched Fairy, and last year the elves perched up the top as well.

Now I am adding a picture of our tree from last year with the lights as well this years tree is still in the loft and that is where it will stay till Christmas Eve as traditionally in our home we do not decorate until then (other than my Christmas Embroideries which go up today). (maybe I will pop back on 24th an update with this years alongside the fishes)

Yes those are hoops in the background , quilting hoops not cross stitch.

Don't forget tomorrow to go over to serendipitous stitching for the link to door 2.

I wish you all the joys of the season and that all your Christmas preparations will be complete in time for you to relax and enjoy the day.

The countdown has begun!

For those popping back  to see fish here they are.

I don't know what the box they originally came in looked like.

This is the box that they have been kept in as long as I can recall.

Here they are in the box.

Alongside glass trumpets and horns (they made a sound when I was little but over enthusiastic blowing ruptured the papers and they are silent now).

They have not gone on the tree this year but this is what they look like as they spin, as I was making the little videos I could hear a particular tune in my head and it was not a Christmas one.

 

And not quite last this years tree, more lights and a silver and gold theme not for any design reason but because I have a cold and they were the easiest to reach as the little ones are the new to us this year baubles.

And on the top, well this year it is a bow, for my brother however it is a fairy, a mouse fairy, a once was a real mouse now a tree topper mouse fairy as there is a taxidermist in his wife's family.