Susan Elliot sent me this wonderful card last week....so this morning I'm off to Houston just to stand by my quilt and sparkle!  I worked on the jacket until late afternoon yesterday and the sleeves have been on and off...twice

One must sing while milking sheep!!

I finished the wool RR for Kathy Shaw and there's a back story.... She had asked for a lamb and some of you know how I loved my sheep. I used to milk them to make cheese...and although they were eager to get into the milking stand for the grain, they were not that crazy about being milked. Their udder would be tense and the teats like knots so I massaged their udder and softly sang to them...."Ewes are my sunshine, my only sunshine and ewes may be happy when skies are gray! etc." Oh how I miss them....
The lamb and wreath were work together on top and I'll do a tut on the process.  Getting two done catches me up for this month and I wanted it done before I left before I left for Houston Monday morning... I'll leave it packed for DH to mail next week.

Third time's a charm

It has taken me ALL morning just to get the lace basted down... First it was too flat and then next time it was gathered too much.  I finally eased it as I went with my thumb.....about 1/8" every 1/4" stitch...  Now I have to be gone all afternoon and will finished the lace tonight...

Panic time yesterday... There is a black band around the front edge and went to find the crushed stretch velvet yesterday only to find that

 with Halloween next week that it was not that easy to find...  Finding odd bits to fix as I go along such as I forgot the top knot feather on the quail etc.

?/applique and what size am I anyway?

I've started a lamb for Kathy Shaw's wool block and since this is completely backward from how I usually do these off-the-block critters, I will share the process with you...

I am sure there is a name for this procedure but I haven't a clue what to call it... Ordinarily  I embroider the critters and trim extremely close to them and applique it on the patch...  Here are a few BEFORE I trim them close

This time instead of trimming close I will leave the excess and dye it with alcohol ink.  I will put the whole thing on the block and work on top of it....
I can stitch on this now because the jacket is   under construction and I can tote Kathy's block with me.  I really want to get it done before I leave.












In my eagerness to start my jacket I neglected to make a sample of the pattern to make sure it fit...  I did that very thing today and luckily it does fit...  I wasn't even sure what size of pattern to buy.  Patterns used to run large but the the whole sizing for women has changed so much and it has been so many years since I've sewn from a pattern... To compound the problem I'm not even sure what size I am.  Over the last year I have gradually lost 35 pounds but still wear the same fat clothes.

 But since the sample did fit and I started in earnest today.  First I added another layer of the tricot knit interface.  When I did the patchwork I did it much larger that the pattern to allow for any shrinkage with all the stitching.  The backsides have a beauty of their own..

The left side was perfect but the right side was really cutting it close in a couple spots and I may have to add a patch in one spot.

Because I am under-tall, I shortened the garment a LOT...  The front edge is at an angle because it laps across.

I am still working out how I'll do the lace sleeves.  I can always use it as a vest if it doesn't work.. I always try to have a backup plan...  Much of my lift has been the backup plan......



End in sight...sorta!

Nine days left.  After facing reality I accepted I couldn't get the last critters done in time so will spend the next few days adding eyes, beaks, spider webs, butterflies (more about them later) and fine tuning seams, etc.

 

Here are the motif embroideries... most birds still need eyes and beaks...the last touch.

Here's the front section...