Paris bead tutorial CQ Block

So you all may remember, 

or not, 

way back at the end of the first millennium of plague, 

in february of 2021 I was asked to do a tutorial, (to review go here)  

for Lisa Plooster Bonie's Crazy quilt magazine  

I know that's a lot of links. But I like to attribute things where I can.

Any way here's what I finally did with it.

I found the perfect silk ribbon for those confetti colored flowers,  

from Mary Jo Hiney's "Flower Therapy" just to give you one more link, 

which were so much fun to make, I put them everywhere.

But it was mostly to cover up that yellow swoosh, which looked so off I put the block aside.

For a year. or more?

Ever done that before? Made a design choice, stuck with it, because it wasn't bad......just off.

Then revised it, then did it again but got so discouraged with all the holes you were putting in your fabric, it you stopped loving on a project?

Here's one of mine. (yes, there are more!)

I started this as part of my 2017 crazy quilt journal project and totally lost steam after six blocks

All that said, I encourage you to take one of those out of your stash and look at it again.

Stare at it for a few days, let it stare back.

It is probably not as bad as you thought it was, and actually, you cAn do something with it.

It may just take a while, a few stops and starts. 

What I am trying to say is, don't be afraid to take those old languishing blocks out of the closet/drawer/blackhole

you banished them to for "not rightness" go look at them again. you might be pleasantly surprised 

But eventually some designer bug wakes up at the back of your brain and woosh! It's done!

  

And it's pretty

Speaking of bugs, maybe it needs a dragonfly or two, and a few more bugs..........hmmm

SRE Embellished Cabachon Tutorial

 So now that it has been published, I get to share this with you all! 

It's in the latest CQ Magazine on sale now at magic cloud!

My thanks to Lisa Plooster Boni for inviting me to be a part of her lovely magazine,

 So exciting! I love being able to say "I've been published!" Tee-Hee!

 

 

I Have reprinted most of it here with a few extra pictures

Materials

A large cabochon, button, or piece of jewelry for a centerpiece   

Silk ribbon
Glass seed beads
Beading needle
Nymo beading thread 

Felt or the piece you are currently working on 

E6000 glue 

Sandpaper
Clover water soluble blue marking pen

First gather your treasures. I like to “audition” several different items before I sew it all down.

Choose your focal piece (cabochon/ button/etc.) first.

For a focal piece that has no hole or place to sew it down, sand the bottom first with some heavy grit sandpaper. Then use a small amount of E-6000 to glue it down to the felt. You may then sew the item to the project or the felt backing by running your needle and thread through the felt.

Note: It is better to glue the item to the felt and then sew it to the project rather than gluing directly to the project.

Then decide how the design should progress. Do I want it round, offset, or shaped?

Mark this line using the blue pen.

There are two ways to do this type of embellishment. This tutorial shows how to do it on a piece of felt for later application. You may also do it directly on the piece in progress. 

 

 

 

 

 Stitch the smaller focus beads down around the marked line. For this project, I choose flat polished horn beads and #11 seed beads.

 

Now add the lines of beading between the main focal item and the smaller focal items. Fill your needle with enough beads to fill the space between. Don’t worry if it is not a symmetrical number of beads, this will vary, depending on that space and the size of your beads.

Secure the line of beads by coming back up and tacking the thread down between every 3 beads to secure the line. If your line is wobbly after this,

pull the thread through your line of beads again once or twice more, this should straighten everything out.

Now for the silk ribbon crown. Choose your colors for top and bottom row and start on the top (outer) row first.

Secure the ribbon on the back by pulling through the ribbon.

The outer crown complete.

To stitch the loop, come up through the felt/fabric and loop the ribbon around a paper blending stick aka smudge stick, keeping ribbon flat with no twists. Stitch down through the felt/fabric as for a simple Japanese ribbon stitch.

Do the same stitch in front of your first  circle to complete your crown.

 

 

 

You can add as many rows as you like.

I leave the stick in the loop, until I have taken the next starting stitch, so I don’t pull the preceding loop out. You may leave the stick in for several loops if desired.

 [Note: You can find paper blending sticks with the sketching materials, they come in several diameters.]

 

 

Lastly I trim the excess felt being careful not to snip any of the ribbon on the front or the back. It is now ready to place on anything you like.

.

 just so you don't think I'm perfect or anything

  I put the Brass filigree circle under this glass button so I didn't have to cut a hole in the CQ piece so it lays flat. 

 
If you do cut a hole to accommodate the shank of the button make sure you take a few buttonhole stitches around the hole so the fabric doesn't fray over time

This is the original Cabochon From another piece that will be featured in  a future CQ Magazine so I will leave that till later.

 

Go get your copy of Crazy Quilt Magazine if you love CQ like I do, 

it has so much more eyecandy in it to enjoy!

 

 

 

CQJP blocks and ....

I wanted to start my CQJP blocks earlier

I thought I had enough of that paisley fabric to do at least one block but no


I couldn't even find a lousy scrap to show
 what I was looking for!

Then whoopiee!
Of all places, I found it at Jo-anne's, at a deep discount! yay!

So I could finally start on the silly thing.
I got 2 blocks done yesterday, with more to come.

Because well I hate this part. it's a chore, that once done the fun can start!

While I was at it, I finished another little purse

Oh! I was published again, in Canadian embroidery, in Kerry's article on bullion stitch!
So, lots of stuff happening.

But that's the way it goes isn't it?

Sometimes, it feels like you can't get a single thing done and then bam! everything, all at once!

Now I need to start on the BJP and a RR I just got into, maybe do laundry.........

Published again!

Well sort of, it's an article called
"Herringbone Stitch and Variations" by Kerry Leslie,
in the latest issue of Embroidery Canada, in which she picked 2 pictures of my work!
That counts doesn't it?
                                            Hot'cha!
I'm going international, he-he!
although It's a guild membership to get the article so I won't be  able to see it in person (poo).  I did get a look at it, in the Crazy Quilting International Guild page, in which I am a member.
It's still exciting to see my work in print!

 In other news I have finished a few things
or at least partially finished them.

 this little bag was made to order for one of my daughters friends as a birthday present so I couldn't show it till it was given

I've been PUBLISHED!!!!

Pat Winter's CQ Gatherings magazine has published my Witchi-poo hats!

a whole 2 page spread!!

on glossy paper in color and everything!

 you can get your own copy at Magcloud.com
 or just press the linky up there at the top



I am so excited I could dance...
 shout...
sew more....
.






well, you get the picture, I'm
excited!