This remained fun and relaxing and sufficient for a somewhat tired mind.
There is a bit more of it than anticipated, we had agreed to stop about half an hour before our usual time. I only had about two inches of thread on the needle was feeling tired and we would swap the sewing for a shared enjoyment of a hot beverage of choice and chat for that last little bit.
That was the plan, but I was tired enough to be a bit on auto pilot, and realised I had without any awareness of it, threaded a fresh length onto the needle and was several stitches in.
We did manage to stop and chat and for Roni to make some holiday stitching choices.
So there won't be a BFF post for next week, but we might find something else to do/ share for the space.
from thinking and making decisions of any sort it was another cover kit that felt the level I could manage.
It is one of the advantages of both my BFF and I subscribing to the same mag, which amusingly enough tends to arrive in the post on the same day for each of us.
So the joy of a kit, everything is there, well except a needle, you used to get a needle but financial issues mean no needle anymore.
I find that funny, as I used to say I end up with so many needles they don't need to do that. Now they don't I am always looking for a needle, I know I have lots of needle cases, but I also have lots of projects on the go with needle living with them.
I am going to be good on this, just for a change I am not changing anything, it might be a strain but I am determined.
Once again although we started in the middle my BFF and I approached this differently, not planned but we did.
I managed not to mess with anything and it was a nice soothing stitch, lettering is not usually my thing but this is OK.
It was supposed to be a practice piece for some free motion quilting.
It was supposed to be quick.
It Evolved from that.
I managed to stay on track with the simple for the piecing.
I managed to stay in plan for the free motion quilting in the squares, however things went a bit off plan thereafter. I could not be "bothered" to sew around each of the squares, although it is an aspect of bother that applied it just felt boring to hand stich round square after square but at the same time trying to machine it did not feel right either.
It needed some extra quilting and I thought circles at the sashing intersections would be sufficient. At that point the working title of the quilt as fan quilt, referring to the shapes quilted in the squares merged with the other meaning of fan, someone who admires someone or enjoys something very much.
In my case the Korean crossover group Forestella, who at the point I was thinking circle brought out a new song with its own new circular logo for the group. The idea of using that on my quilt stuck, even thought that changed my simple and quick plan for circles into something considerably more complicated and time consuming.
My BFF noted that it was growing like my appreciation of the group had, from one short clip of a song on Facebook, to full songs on You Tube to full concerts, figuring out how to make a playlist. Buying CD's (that had to come all the way from Korea) joining fan groups on Facebook to becoming a card carrying member of the official fan group. I even added an app on my phone!
So when I was thinking of what name to give this quilt she suggested Fan Evolution. I an not sure if it was total coincidence or if my fist CD purchase, which was mentioned on this blog was lingering in her mind that she suggested this, but that the first Forestella album is titled Evolution, well!
I had wanted rid of the fan quilt label so using the Romanised versions of the group and fandom name alongside that album title felt fitting. Both to the quilt and to the journey I have been on with the group and this quilt.
So here it is, and a some what shaky video as it was tricky getting the quilting it to show up well in photos.
And to finish off a link to not just the one song but that whole first Album on their official You Tube.
And I will note that I am posting this today as once more they are able to be together as four. Each is an amazingly talented and skilled individual, but together they truly shine.
No Sunday Stitchings today, I was not feeling well when I woke up. My parents were able to go and when they came back announced that there was a gift for me!
Oh a box I do like a box, nice colour and leaves how nice that someone sent me a box.
Oh it has things in it! Wow I was happy with a box.
Sorted the threads into numbered and not
That's a lot of numbered threads, it is the DMC numbering as evidenced by the 310 Black but I think it is the "other" three letter named number compatible range so that should be interesting.
And lots of random threads to add to my collection of those.
And the wool, well with the permission of the giver it might for obvious reasons find its way to another home.
A nice bit of thread sorting and being able to participate in this months link up with Jo over at serendipitous stitching cheered me up.
after some discussion we did settle that this was a plus to SAL 18 rather than SAL 19. It is the same pattern, the same colours and whilst a different material as it was a direct follow on, 18 plus.
We each had a little bit of cross stitching to go on the second square and we had waited to finish that off on camera before finishing as scissor keepers.
Roni told me she had a scissor keeper all finished except for stuffing, closing and adding the ribbon or cord and as she would be getting out the wadding anyway she might work on it tonight.
So in anticipation of that and as this had been a fun stitch and there was room, I made a second set in a different colour way. Oh and this time I followed the pattern.
Normally I would do the right sides together and turn out, even if the finishing directions say otherwise. This time as it was so small I thought I would try something different.
Add the wadding to each half, turn the hem over the wadding then add the ribbon and sew the two sides together.
So it made me laugh when this time Roni decided to do the turn out!
How did it go?
started OK
hmm had more material on two of the edges than on the other.
added the ribbon for a corner hanging. and things were going slowly.
and a bit frayed and uneven.
Added a six strand thread couched round the edge.
Not sure that was a good idea.
At about this point my BFF was just about finished addressing edge issues on her turned out version.
Here is mine finished with the original on wood and some small scissors for scale.
My BFF had turned her attention to her larger and much more involved scissor keeper which was waiting for its final finish so I moved onto the green set.
This time I would turn it, then stuff it and add the ribbon on the straight edge.
Right sides together.
Turning was hard work and halfway looked like a mitten for me rather than a sack.
however once it was turned adding the wadding, ribbon and sewing it closed was much easier and therefore quicker.
I like the ribbon from the corner but an edge is easier and neater for me to do.
CLICK HERE to see how the evening went for my BFF, and as she mentions we may not have quite finished with this little pattern yet.
we decided to try the idea I had at the end of the cross stitching on SAL 18.
We would repeat the patterns on AIDA and make a scissor fob to go with the thread drop.
I found an off cut in white 14 count that would accommodate the 14 by 14 count of the pattern. Yes it is going to be a small fob for a small pair of scissors I guess. I thought that on this much smaller size and using two strands I might have enough thread left from the kit to do the fob.
I have had to repeat my design deviation to match the drop.
Looks like there will still be some thread left over once the fob is completed!
As you can see stitching on AIDA went much quicker than on the wood.
In the same space of time one version of the design is completed and the other is over halfway.
We both agreed it was considerably easier on fabric, however it took a little while to get used to the counting on the changed base material. Probably because it was the same pattern. I had no trouble making the switch back to counting on AIDA for my Sunday stitching project.
We had a nice chat about this and that as we went as this allowed for that. Although at times we also had silence. Which I think was as we were both kind of tired and it was a "what were we talking about, lost our train of thought" kind of silence not a "need to concentrate on counting" kind.
We plan to have the requirements to hand to fully finish SAL 19 next week and perhaps have some time to fully consider what will be SAL 20 (unless we decide this counts as 18 part two and it is 19 we need to select).
CLICK HERE to see how my BFF has approached this, and how we have once again been the same but different!
I said we had a plan for the back of this project. Here it is, a little bit of felt (another Temu purchase a little pack of felt squares in various colours) it is that slightly stiffer felt with a little sheen to it.
It is sewn on and due to the depth of the holes in the wood it was possible to start with a knot on the right side of the project without it being visible.
The section in the middle reflects the lines of backstitch required on the front, bur with care as to the positioning on the back and where transitional stitches would fall.
I quite like the way it turned out and the felt makes the back less slippery when putting the project down adding to it's functionality.
well that is how it feels when I have new glasses to wear with a change in prescription. So to give my eyes a chance to get used to them I stayed with adding the bright colours.
The chunks of colour are rather satisfying to do but getting back to the more blended section in my goal for next time.
And the glasses, well it was the distance part that was changed and I can now see a pattern at a little distance much better, so not having to pick it up and hold it close as I have been doing. Hopefully in a few days my eyes will be more used to the change and straight lines on the left of objects will stop bending!
This is the "changed to" project I mentioned last BFF post. Still a cover kit, this stitch is on wood and neither of us has tried that before. I have tried perforated paper previously and there are some similarities in the way the needle has no traction through the holes and just drops. For stopping and starting the paper is a bit easier but for grip the wood is better. I was at least not worried about squashing it as it was being sewn.
The kit came with two colour placements for the same pattern, so I asked my BFF which she was going to do and I would do the other one. And then I started on the same one she did, ohps! Realised before I was four stitches in so took them out and started again on the right pattern.
The kit has no suggestions as how to start and finish a thread on wood. As the pattern called for two strands I thought I would try the loop start. It was an ok way to start and could also be used to catch in the end when finishing. However, as the lengths in the kit were quite short it made for a lot of stopping and starting. I stuck with it for the dark blue sections. Once I had that all done I remarked that the coverage was poor and I thought three strands would be better and it looked as if there was enough thread in the kit to do that. Roni started with the light blue and came to the same conclusion.
For the mid blue I changed to three strands which gave me longer lengths to work with. The option for a loop start gone I was back to slip start and stops, but less of them with the longer lengths. That was just as well as it was much trickier than the loop. So which was best, it was close but less starts and stops was preferable but if I were to do it again I would want much longer thread and the loop if that was an option.
It did look much better with the three strands and there was enough thread. As I moved onto the last shade I realised I had made a mistake and added two stitches on two of the corners in the mid blue where they should not be, so I went back and added the same stitches to the other corners. Unpicking was just not happening. Completed the light shade and declared I was finished. Held it up for Roni to see and in that little corner view of myself on screen immediately noticed another mistake! Or perhaps I should call it the other half of the same mistake as I realised where those two extra stitches in two comers had come from. I had missed two stitches from one place and added them elsewhere Ah well I just overstitched the light blue with the mid and all fixed.
So although I had no intention of altering this pattern I did anyway.
This is the front.
and this is the back. We have a plan for the back.
The kit said it could be completed in two hours and it was. Indeed it may well have been quicker without the false start and the double ohps.
There are a couple of backstitches to do which will be part of the plan to fully finish them.
not sure yet if that will be added as an update here or get a post of its own at a later date.
It was interesting doing something different and something that could be just about finished in one on camera session. We have not been converted to the delights of sewing on wood, so I wont be getting my Dremel out and adding holes for sewing, Well not just yet!
We did quite like the little geometric pattern so perhaps we might sew it again as a matching scissor keeper maybe like the one I did on navy 18 count from a Charity shop purchase which might take us a couple of weeks to do. Must remember to suggest that to Roni.
So talking of Roni click here to see her very artful posed version.
As always we are delighted to receive any comments on our posts.
And yup I have a Forestella link as we move into the month KoWooRim will complete his military service and the Fore will be together again.
