An autumnal finish, and a vernal start

Here is my Drawn Thread's Summer into Autumn all finished!

(click for a larger pic)

It was stitched on 32-count cream linen, using, Plum Honey silk from The Thread Gatherer, soie d'Alger (for the greens), and DMC thread (for the perlé and the browns and yellows). A pure delight to stitch - I shall truly miss it!

Here's a photo that shows the specialty stitches' relief:


I also started a new project, this time in very fresh colours.


It is from a French designer. I can't tell you what design it is yet, as I'm having my French blog's readers guess this...

Everyone have a great weekend! I plan to do a bit of sewing... To alternate with the stitching!

Nearly there :)

Many, many thanks to you all on your helpful advice concerning fabrics! You are all so kind! Nicki even offered to send me a piece of Eden lugana which she has in her stash, so I could make up my mind. Isn't that super sweet?? Thank you so much, Nicki!

I went on stitching Summer into Autumn yesterday (after a week watching French films, we went back to renting English-speaking films and rewatched North by Northwest this time); there are just two rows left before it is complete - minus the beads:

I feel I shall miss stitching on this one! I can only think of starting another Drawn Thread soon to make up for the loss. We're planning a Drawn Thread SAL on the Friends Gather Board - should be fun! Now to decide on a design...

Have a beautiful day everyone! Thanks again

Progress on Summer into Autumn

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Here's my progress on Summer into Autumn:

I'm sure I could have finished it this weekend - if only I'd managed to pick up a needle! Instead, I decided to work on Saturday (I was inspired ), and we also did a gigantic Spring cleaning and tidying up this weekend. We also visited Seb's parents on Sunday... And the detergents I used to clean up gave me a headache which prevented me from stitching in the evening.
The progress you see here was therefore made yesterday evening. Can't wait to pick it up again this evening!

Seb did an incredibly sweet thing this weekend. He told me he wanted me to keep the Abracadabra mauve fabric which I thought would be blue, because it was in my favourite colour schemes and he was sure I'd use it later anyway. He actually said he'd buy the replacement fabric for me as a (very) early Bday gift!!

So I've been browsing hand-dyed fabric stores again... This time on Seb's dinosaur of a computer (his lab gave him a laptop when he started his PhD), which did however show the Abracadabra in the same hues that I got.
I'm thinking of perhaps buying a fabric from CountryStitch in New Zealand - possibly Eden. Friends, I would love to have your opinion on this! Is Countrystitch a good online store? Do you think the fabric would work well for Celtic Summer? Would you choose linen or lugana? I like the fact that the dye comes out lighter on lugana, but then I've not stitched a whole lot on evenweave - I usually stitch on linen. Many questions I know... but I'd be so grateful for your advice and opinion!

Summer into Autumn update

Hi everyone! Here is yesterday night's progress on Summer into Autumn:

Thank you all for your comments on my fabric mishap... I agree with you - I do believe the fault is on my monitor, and I shall have to use a "standard" computer rather than a laptop next time I plan to order hand-dyed fabric online!

I'm not too sure yet what I should do... I do like the fabric colour in itself: it is in one of my favourite color schemes; and I'm sure that I'll find a use for it - Lisa's suggestion of using it for Celtic Spring is great (thank you Lisa!); I'm also considering Mirabilia's Kiss - perhaps... But you see, ordering such a large hand-dyed stitching fabric is a real splurge for me, and I feel guilty about ordering a second one in a row! This might sound a silly dilemma for many of you, I know!

And now - back to reading my PhD corpus for the n-th time! But I'm in good company... And I obviously wouldn't be studying that monster of a novel if I wasn't interested in it, right?



Everyone have a great weekend! The sun is shining at last in Paris!

Goodies in the mail - but...

Hello everyone!

I received lovely things in the mail today. First, I got the Needlepaints for Celtic Summer, and they're gorgeous!

And I finally got hold of this freestyle embroidery magazine, the Mains et Merveilles special issue, which I've been wishing for ever since it was out and I saw it on French blogs - but which was so difficult to find! (Paradoxically, crafty magazines are always much more difficult to find in Paris than in the rest of France - this is because shops are smaller here and therefore have less in stock).

There are some delightful projects in this special issue - I definitely want to give it a try!

I also received the fabric I thought would be nice for Celtic Summer - Silkweaver's Abracadabra Lugana. But it turns out this is not what I expected... I don't know whether it is due to my laptop monitor - but the picture on the Silkweaver website (scroll down to the middle) definitely appears blue to me. Instead, I got a mauve/lilac fabric.

It's a lovely fabbie really, but definitely not what I had in mind for Celtic Summer. And definitely not in keeping with the blues of our bedroom, which is where I plan to hang the piece. Any thoughts on this? Maybe one of you would like to trade it for a bluer fabric? It's a 18x26 28-ct Lugana.

Oh, I have to share this! While I was typing this, Seb came in from work, and I told him about my fabric woes. He said, "Just buy another one! I'm sure you'll find a use for this pretty mauve later." My man encourages me to spend more on stash?! Now what do you think of that?

Anyway, your thoughts would be more than welcome on the subject!

Here is my progress on Drawn Thread's Summer into Autumn :

What a fun stitch, and those silks are wonderful! I'm enjoying every minute of it. Thanks and (((hugs))) to you, Karen!

Gifties across the Atlantic

I had long meant to send a few "just-because" gifties to my dear friend Zoanna in Maryland. Meeting her through her Katrina Kits action last Autumn and forming a friendship with her has been such a blessing. I had actually started to make her a first gift at the beginning of February - but well... "life got in the way", and more than a month elapsed before I finally completed her two gifts.

That satin lingerie/nightie case got planned long ago - in fact, Zo's comment on the bag I'd made to store my own nighties triggered the idea.
The bag is lined with a green satin which was cut longer than the outer cream satin in order to create the cuff (which I tacked down to the white satin with a blanket stitch).

Between the two satin layers is a layer of batting, to add extra softness; this is why the bottom is quilted with a few rows of decorative stitches:

Through her emails and/or comments, Zoanna happened to tell me several times how difficult it was to find items that were monogrammed with her initial - the monogram seemed therefore just the obvious adornment. (The embroidery is from the same collection as my sewing case, by the way - so you see Zo, we have matching cases!)

I absolutely love sewing satin. It can be a little tricky at times, since it is slippery and you must be careful not to snag the fine weave with your needle; but I truly revel in working this soft, shiny fabric, which gives such effect to even the simplest design.

I also made a small wallhanging for Zo's intensely spiritual side:

~*~

The end of March also marked Julie's birthday. Although I met her only recently, I wanted to send her a couple of small gifties because she's been going through quite a lot recently, and well, simply, she's a very sweet lady.

I gave her my first attempt at cartonnage, as we call it in French - i.e. creating boxes and cases by gluing fabric onto cardboard (carton):

This needlecase is from Sylvie Castellano's book Cartonnages brodés, which Sébastien gave me earlier this year (thank you Seb!). It was lots of fun to make - although I sure wish I'd managed to find a felt colour that matched the fabric better.

I also made her a mini, mini Spring-themed wallhanging:

I also made one for my friend Sylvie, to go with her Lapinette. Sylvie kindly allowed me to use this picture of hers, since I forgot to take some before sending both wallhangings! Thank you Sylvie!

~*~

I received a most sweet and thoughtful, though totally unexpected RAK from Carol today - she sent me a Little House Needleworks freebie chart, Small House Sampler, which she tells me is only available at trunk shows! Thank you so much Carol! I love the design, and you made my day!

French Easter Exchange, and yesterday's little joys

Hello again!

Our French sewing group has been hosting an exchange for Easter. Everyone had to wait till Easter to open her package,and here is what I made for my secret partner:

Although this was a sewing exchange, I knew that my partner enjoyed stitching as well, so I stitched the Spring bluebird freebie by Waxing Moon designs, and added it to the front of a little bag I made using one of the fabrics that dear Becky sent me last February (thank you Becky! Your pretty fabrics keep inspiring me ).

I haven't received my gift yet, but I now know that it is coming from very, very far away... The Reunion Island. I feel very lucky as it is coming from a lady I appreciate a lot. So I shall be patient!

Yesterday I baked a few fondants aux chocolat for Easter, following my good friend Laure's excellent (French) recipe. Made with Normandy butter, whose salt crystals added an interesting flavour to the dark chocolate, they were truly luscious (and we still have two left for today!).

(this grey photo gives you an idea of the very dull weather we've been having in Paris...)

Seb and I had a fabulous afternoon yesterday. Since he finally read Pride and Prejudice while we were in Morocco, we watched the BBC adaptation yesterday, to which I am very partial. I confess I must have seen it nearly 10 times (about as many times as I've read the novel), and it never pals on me. What a treat to finally watch it with Seb - especially as he highly enjoyed it as well!

While watching the DVD, I stitched and actually finished a Birthday gift, which I'd started in great haste when we got back from Morocco and I learnt that we would not celebrate my older sister's birthday in two weeks after all, but next Sunday! (her Birthday is on April 29th). I'm so relieved that I managed to finish her April needleroll well in time!

I left out a few details that would have been "too much" for my sister's taste.

This shan't be finished as a needleroll, but shall get framed - I know my sister, and she'd be afraid a needleroll would gather too much dust.

So much for my second post of the day... And I still want to show you a few gifties that were received by American friends while I was in Morocco. Tomorrow perhaps?

Lapinette & Violette

Lapinette the she-bunny came to life last week.

Lapinette and Violette became great buddies...

And kept telling secrets to each other.

Lapinette left to live with Sylvie and her kitty Plume... Violette let her go only because she was going to Violette's very best kitty friend.

For those of you who might enjoy reading French, you can read a rhyming version on my French blog.

This bunny was created thanks to Wee Wonderful's adorable Wee Bunny Pattern. Thank you Hillary!