Jennie's Threads

Firstly, apologies for the delay in the lastest post. I've been meaning to post some photos for a while, but I've ony just located a USB cable with which to download them. Having found the necessary cable, I can now provide an update. Towards the end of July I started stitching a small picture of Humphrey the elephant, from Humphrey's corner. This was a first birthday present for Alexander. Unforunately, it wasn't finished until mod August ( his birthday being the end of July), and he won't actually get it until mid September, but for everyone else, here is a sneaky look. I made it up into a small quilt with some green fabric I had bought because I like it a few months ago and turned out to be an excellent match, and some yellow fabric, that I bought for a project that never really happened. I didn't find it the most enjoyable thing to stitch - the backstitch was unnecessarily detailed and although the sketchy nature of it adds to the design, I felt there was...

And in between the larger projects I've shared below, I've done a few smaller cards: This was a graduation card for my brother Robin, who graduated from York in July. It's stitched on marbelled blue 28hpi cashel linen from DMC (Vintage Blue 5139) in Anchor threads (with some DMC threads!). It's a Margaret Sherry desing from Cross Stitcher Issue 189, p 30. This was the wedding card to go with the memory book for Jen and Geoff. The celtic knot border came from the World of Cross Stitching, Issue 162, p. 55 (no. 40), though I changed the colours slightly (blues: 158, 794, 3807; greens: 369, 368, 370; outline in dark purple 550). It was stitched in DMC threads on a hand-dyed lilac 28hpi evenweave from Kates Kloths. The charm in the centre was from a shop called Bead Lagoon in Sidmouth, Devon. And finally this patchwork owl from The World of Cross Stitching, Issue 167, p45 (Subscribers extra). It hasn't photgraphed bri...

So, in a previous post I promised Hardanger. Having tried a very small piece back in May I was encouraged to try something bigger, before risking the ring pillow I had promised my friend for her wedding. A couple of years back, Linda bought me a hardanger kit by Polstitches called Winter Snowflake. It's very luxurious: stitched in 28hpi Jobelan evenweave called Sky High (hand dyed) in White SA Perle no. 8 (also from Polstitches), DMC Perle no. 12, Polstitches Sky High Perle no. 8, 032 Kreinik very fine braid, Rajmahal art silk 201 and embellished with white pearl beads and Mill Hill Petite Glass beads no. 42010. So that was a success and I was ready to risk the ring pillow. The design is from Col's Creations. It's stitched in 28phi white quaker cloth in Perle threads nos 8 and 12 and DMC Stranded cotton, finished with Gutermann Pearl beads. The central hearts were sticthed round in Kloster Blocks and finished with woven bars. There were Kloster blocks between ea...

Well, it has been a month since my last post and I have been very busy. I started off the month working on the memory book for Jen and Geoff as a wedding present. The colour scheme of the wedding was purple and back in March I had bought some lovely purple and green coordinating fabrics from the patchwork shop at the Mill in Barton. The poem I used was one written for the marriage of Jen's great grandparents in the 1880s and has been read at every family wedding since, so it was a very special piece to use. I chose DMC threads to match the colours on the fabrics, calico as the pages and a smal piece of dark purple fabric fo r some of the pockets, then added Mill Hill beads in white and pinky-purple and some mother-of-pearl buttons in two sizes to complete the memory book. I used stamps from Letters Tied with Blue throughout. Here's the front cover of the book. The ribbon round the spine was a perfect match to the purples in the fabric and came from the Sewing Box in Morpet...

Well, another weekend is nearly over. Last weekend was very busy and I didn't get a lot of sewing done, but a lot of baking.... When I got back on Sunday night, I made a start on the July stitching: I started a kit from Polstitches - Winter Snowflake - which is a hardanger kit. My previous attempts at hardanger have had mixed success. I first tried it about 15 years and had an absolute disaster! I then did a very small piece back in April and had more success.... So this was my first practice piece before embarking on the Ring Pillow for Tasj and Ruben's wedding. I want to get the ring pillow completed by Jen and Geoff's wedding on 24th July, as we probably won't get to Tasj and Ruben's wedding, and it would be far better if we could hand it over in person, rather than entrust it to the British and Dutch postal systems.... I've nearly finished the Polstitches kit now - I did the stitching very quickly and then took a little more time over the cutting: I only c...

So, I appreciate that it has been a while since my last post regarding current work, but I have been very busy, and I have lots of new pieces to show you, some of which I couldn't post photos of earlier, in case people saw presents before they were given! First fo all, the cup cake quilt that you have heard about but not yet seen is finished: It's the biggest piece I have ever completed and measures 36inches (90cm) square. The crazy patchwork blocks were machine pieces, then the applied is stuck on with bondaweb, then I've done hand blanket stitch around every piece (the cupcakes and the writing at the top of the quilt). Around the edge of the design is the cupcake recipe, hand embroidered in backstich, and I have hand quilted in decorative running stitch around each of the nine panels. The quilt is finished off with a pearly button to top each cupcake. As well as my beautiful quilt, I have been doing cross stitch. First some brithday cards as June is quite the busy mo...

I am staying with Mum and Dad this weekend, which has given me the opportunity to photograph some pieces that I stitched in the past. So before bringing you right up to date, we'll take a trip down memory lane first! I stitched this map of Pembrokeshire for Dad as a present for Christmas 2005 - this was my first attempt at the Heritage Stitchcraft Maps of British Counties, and as you will have seen (and will see) I still enjoy stitching them. The design is stitched on ivory 28hpi evenweave in DMC threads. This piece goes back even further. I stitched it as a Christmas present for Mum for Christmas 2001. The kit is by Derwentwater Designs and the design is stitched on white 14hpi aida in DMC threads, with some sparkly bits... I designed this one myself for Dad - I think it was a father's day card - maybe June 2005. These flowers were one of my very first pieces - unfortunately I haven't dated it, but I would guess at the mid 1990s... I t...