'Cattin' Around...

Sweet little 'Kitty' Charm Cushion punched using 

Valdani variegated perle cotton thread.

Blanket Stitched in place using 

Valdani, in 'Primitive Blue'.

I punched this 'Kitty' on my absolute favorite

'Maple Cream' Weavers Cloth.

(I seriously have an addiction to it !!)

Blue isn't normally my favorite color to work with.

I felt that he needed just a little pizzaz,

so I added a Glass Beaded Blanket Stitch.

This 'Kitty' has made an appearance in other works also.

In wool applique on a String Bag.

If you look close you can see the 'Kitty'

has been 'cattin' around and has

a mouse in his mouth.

(With the string being the mouse tail.)

~  ~  ~  ~
Val from Val's Quilting Studio
has featured me on a Blog post about wool !
Visit Val and see her colorful fiber creations..
and link something you have made
using wool fiber.
~  ~  ~  ~

Enjoy this beautiful Autumn day !

Rose

Needlekeeper Patterns Are Here...

Wool Applique Needlekeepers

Three different Wool Applique Designs... 

Homestead Needlekeeper

Blooming Needlekeeper

Jacobean Needlekeeper

~Beaded Blanket Stitch is optional~

~No sewing machine needed~

These Needlekeepers work up quick and make

great gifts for stitching friends.

Needlekeeper Patterns are now available 

in the Studio.

~~~~~~~~~~~

We have been churning out the eggs -

 hundreds of Peanut Butter Eggs...

With ingredients like -
cream cheese - butter - marshmallow cream
peanut butter - vanilla - confectioners sugar
what's not to love ??

Ready to be dipped into Wilbur Coating Chocolate.

It always amazes me how it can take all afternoon
to make the eggs and they 
are gone in a heartbeat.

Wishing you a Glorious Easter
with friends and family...
Rose

It's All About The Beads...And Chocolate !

Choosing Czech Glass Beads to match
the punchneedle flowers

and Valdani thread to match the wool fabric...

And of course, there is no beading or punching

without chocolate !

Czech Glass Beads size 6/0

in yummy shades of 

plum, lavender and vintage pink.

Supplies are gathered...

Beaded flowers, 

using glass beads and crystals.

Czech Glass Beads

Glass Beaded Blanket Stitch to finish edges...

"Flowers From The Heart" Punchneedle 

finished into a pillow.
Pillow measures approximately
18in. x 14in. (45.72cm x 35.56cm).

I am honored to have this pillow,

  along with a few of my other designs, 
featured by Valdani at the

Nashville, Tennessee Needlework Market

Feb. 15 and 16th, 2014.

Wishing you a relaxing, peaceful weekend...
Rose

Twisting Vines And Beads...

A twisting vine here...

a bead there.

I am working on a 'finish' for my

'Flowers From The Heart' 

punchneedle design.

One of my favorite things to do is embellish

with hand embroidery, glass beads, crystals, etc.

I can easily 'while away' an afternoon,

surrounded by beads and thread ;)

Wishing you a Merry Monday !

Rose

Stitching Matchbook...Restocked

The Stitching Matchbook is back in stock in my Studio.

A Stitching "Must Have"...
The Matchbook contains an Ultra Fine Applique Beading Needle 
and an Ultra Fine Needle Threader.

Go to A Stitching "Must Have" to learn more.


Wishing you a great weekend ;)
Rose

A Stitching "Must Have"...

 A stitching "Must Have" for embellishing sewing projects

The Applique Beading Needle is a short, ultra fine, 

extremely sharp needle.

It easily passes through the smallest of beads, 

(including size 15/0, petite seed beads).

I use my Applique Beading Needle each time I embellish 
my stitching projects with beads.
(Which generally means it is always in use !)

It works like a charm, no matter how small the beads are.

This Matchbook holds an Applique Beading Needle and 
an Ultra Fine Needle Threader, 
tucked away on a patch of soft, 100% hand dyed wool fabric.

Matchbooks can be found in the Studio.

* (Thanks so much !  
The Matchbooks are currently sold out...
will be restocking soon.) *

~~  RESTOCKED ~~
Available in Three Sheep Studio.

Wishing you a relaxing weekend
with some stitching time  ;) 
Rose

Hand Embroidered Bag / Clutch...

Ribbons, Hand Embroidery and Glass Beads

Can you guess what this bag is made from ??

Flowers From The Heart Pillow...

I have hand pieced the Tulip and Lily of the Valley blooms with 100% wool fabric.  The leaves have been cut from hand dyed wool.  The green wool has some subtle mottling.  I like to use mottled wool both in wool applique and rug hooking because it gives a nice variation or depth to the work.

The blush pink heart has been embellished with a vine of flowers made from glass beads and crystals.  I hand embroidered the leaves onto the vine.



The Lily of the Valley blooms were pieced and then hand embroidered. 

The pillow edge is trimmed using a Glass Beaded Blanket Stitch 

in shades of pink and pale butter.

This pillow measures 16in. x 16in. (40.64cm x 40.64cm)

Definitely one of my favorite pieces...

Wool Crazy Quilt... Wall Hanging

Embellished Wool Crazy Quilt

This Crazy Quilt is 100% wool, front and back.

The blocks were pieced and then appliqued and hand embroidered.

French Country Hen Wool Applique...

French Country Hen Wool Pillow

This Sassy Red Hen was so much fun to applique !

Appliqued with a combination of mill dyed and hand dyed wool

in rich cranberry and ruby red woolens.

The pillow edge is trimmed in a Glass Beaded Blanket Stitch,

in rich reds to match the hen.

I hand embroidered the Hen with a variety of stitches that include...

Spider web, French knots, Bullion stitch, Fly stitch,

Cast on blossom, Fern stitch, Star stitch and Couching.

With the arrival of Autumn, now is the perfect time

to pick up a project for the cool days ahead. ;)



Needlekeepers, Needlebooks, Pincushions...

Needlekeepers

 Woolen Keepers of the Pins and Needles...

Anyone who sews is bound to have many pins and needles. 

These are a few examples of how to contain them. 

The tins, on the left,  are simply candy tins with the lids covered in wool. The wool lids have been embellished with embroidery and beads.  The center Pincushion with the felted mushrooms is earthy and beautiful - it was designed and handmade by Janine at  Foxtail Creek Studio. 

The round pincushion in the back is my "go to" pincushion.  It holds a lot of pins and the occasional snippet of a favorite shade of wool.

Appliqued Ribbon Box...

Ribbon securely wound on clothespins

Wool appliqued Ribbon Box

This trinket box is another yard sale find that was "calling out to me."  I have appliqued and embroidered wool panels for this box 
and then secured them to all sides.
The edges are finished with a glass Beaded Blanket Stitch.

My ribbons were always in a jumbled mess.  
Small bits here and there and everything wrinkled...

I now use this box to store my ribbon.  The clothespins are the perfect solution for keeping the ribbon crease free and organized.
Do you have any good ideas for storing ribbon ?

Embroidered end of Ribbon Box

How To Do A Beaded Blanket Stitch...

Beaded Blanket Stitch on edge of Penny Rug

Beaded Blanket Stitch on circle of wool

First, let's review the Basic Blanket Stitch...



              Blanket Stitch

*  Bring the threaded needle up through the bottom at 'A'.

*  Take needle to the back at 'B' - going through fabric and back up at 'C' - a short distance from 'A'.  Make sure the thread is under the needle when you emerge at 'C'. 



Regular Blanket Stitch

For regular Blanket Stitch - Thread needle with one 3 strand section of floss and knot one end.  Blanket stitch around edge of wool.  Pull snugly with each stitch,

but not so snugly that it distorts the fabric.



Beaded Blanket Stitch

For Beaded Blanket Stitch - When you complete one regular Blanket Stitch - string one glass bead onto needle, before moving to the next Blanket Stitch.

I like to use Czech Glass Beads, size 6/0, however any size bead would look beautiful.  Always use glass beads as plastic beads could melt when your
project is pressed with an iron.

This is a simple way to add a beautiful finish to your projects !

Enjoy your day...
Rose