The Scarlet Thread

My Favorite Rouenneries Quilt

2011-12-27T12:10:00.003-05:00

Classic Red and White Quilts

2011-12-25T12:16:00.001-05:00

Image Source from Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts exhibit

Quilt for Gigi's Baby Shower

2011-11-05T13:10:00.004-04:00

Here is my take on Moda Bakeshop's Shabby Spring rag baby quilt by Sew Dang Cute Crafts. I used fabrics from 3 Sisters Aviary and Howard Marcus' Collections for a Cause - Legacy.
I highly recommend trimming any dangling threads before washing to get the shabby effect. I also chose to bind the quilt, instead of having shabby-raggy edges. I think it will keep the edges cleaner. I used almost 4 jelly roll strips of Aviary to bind the quilt.

LED Lighting Strip for Machines

2011-10-09T14:17:00.001-04:00

http://modafabrics.blogspot.com/2011/09/light-up-our-life.html

Rouenneries Deux

2011-10-06T14:24:00.002-04:00

Rouenneries Deux is coming Spring 2012.

Frogs for Sarah

2011-05-05T18:01:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day, Sarah--here's an addition to your frog collection--a biscornu pincushion designed by Casey Buonaugurio Designs with beaded scissors fob to match and a bourse in which to wrap it.

Dorset Thread Buttons

2011-04-13T11:35:00.006-04:00

Two linen shirts made for two petit garçons including handmade Dorset thread buttons.
These buttons show at the collar of the shirt with lace jabot and cuffs worn with a banyan in Liotard's painting.

Bits of Ribbon

2011-04-12T14:19:00.004-04:00

Bits of ribbon, used to attach brooches of loved ones, often worn in pairs. Here is pictorial documentation from the 18thC by Jean Liotard, 1760.

April Fish

2011-04-01T13:20:00.004-04:00

April 1st, in France, is a day to give gifts and express friendship. This is an old tradition, seen hidden in painted lines on a gift box from the 18thC.

A Cache for Furbelows

2011-03-25T12:44:00.001-04:00

18thC paintings show blue ribbon-edged boxes seemingly expressly made to store and protect furbelows and trimmings for gowns, caps and hats. Here is my version, covered before edging with a few scraps of wallpaper saved from my dining room in the house with the pink door on Kootenai in Boise.

Artichoke Ball or Ornament

2011-02-01T11:29:00.004-05:00

Image source: au Fil rouge

A lovely ornament or ball--can't you see a dish of them sitting on a console table in your entry way? Au Fil Rouge has linked to a tutorial which uses paper, although cloth is just as lovely. Imagine all those remnant pieces of jellyroll and honey bun precuts just waiting to be turned into spheres of color.

Petite Pochette - Little Pocket

2011-01-31T22:31:00.004-05:00

A little stitcher's pocket to hold my thread bobbins and a couple of needles to stitch a current project--a petite pochette tutorial is found on Mon Aiguille's site. Thank you, Véro--your instructions were excellent. Here is a slideshow on how to twist cord for tying the pocket closed.

Jellyroll Sewing Machine Cover

2011-01-23T16:38:00.004-05:00

Here is my interpretation of a Moda Bakeshop Recipe designed by Margot Languedoc, Jelly Roll Cover Up. Margot sewed her strips together before sandwiching them to the backing and batting and then quilting. I laid out my backing face down, then batting [actually fleece], and finally the 2 1/2 inch strips were sewn together with a 1/4 inch seam, beginning at the top of the bottom strip and flipping up each strip and pressing before sewing down the next strip. This results in a each piece being quilted down as I went. All I did to finish the cover up was to insert two top curved end pieces wrong sides together. The ends were bound first, then the bottom edge. This cover up is for my Singer 201-2 in an oak Lotus treadle cabinet. I have another one to make for my elna Carina SU-66, which is made to fit into a cabinet right next to my Singer. It has a push button to lift the machine up to disclose the free arm--so it sits flush with the cabinet surface most of the time. The fold out covers to the two machine cabinets stand open all of the time. The end of one holds my White Super Lock 534W-2 Serger [it will need a cover, too], and the other surface allows me to spread out my sewing projects.

Doubling Yourself for Sewing, Fitting & Pattern Drafting

2011-01-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

Make yourself a duct tape double upon which to drape and fit clothing and patterns. If you are sewing for the 18thC, you would wear your stays or corset under the T-shirt prior to wrapping. Lace up the back and draw your chemise throat/collar line on the duct tape double and you would be ready to either draft patterns or drape yards of fabric into your own robes.

Another method is the Moulage as taught by Ecole Guerre-Lavigne, using measuring and sewing of a muslin «second skin», which could also be stuffed and placed around a dressform foundation to make your own pattern-drafting-fitting mannequin.

SALexandre - Outlines

2011-01-19T14:28:00.005-05:00

One thread of floss over one thread of ground (linen) is really small. I had thought to be able to stitch quickly--it will take longer than I thought to finish even one panel. But the results will be worth it. Hints: make sure tapestry needle is of a similar size to thread--too large a needle will result in distorting the linen.

SALexandre - Layout of Stitching Panels

2011-01-17T00:36:00.001-05:00

I have used pins to mark every ten threads 126 stitches high. There are 10 threads surrounding each panel on the top and bottom and outer sides and 20 threads between each panel. I have used a pulled thread at the top to mark what may be a cutting line. Once the panels are stitched, I can use the top section above the pulled thread to stitch the smaller inner pieces of embroidery. I have also hand-overcast the edges of the linen to keep it from fraying. I will not be using a hoop and will roll the linen over my needleroll to keep creases from marring my work.

Preparing Variegated Thread for Stitching

2011-01-16T18:44:00.008-05:00

Prior to beginning to stitch on my SALexandre stitcher's wallet/housewife, I am preparing my thread by winding my skein of DMC#99 variegated floss around a yardstick. This divides the floss from light to dark. I will cut the 36 inch lengths into 18 inch lengths and put them into 2 floss bags marked light to medium and medium to dark. Then no matter where I am within the design when I run out of thread, I can select the appropriate intensity of floss to begin stitching right where I left off with no wasting of thread. This technique of preparing variegated thread is found in Variegated Samplers, Leaflet #1617, a Craftways publication, edited by Karen Strauss.

Needleroll - Amaranth - Shepherd's Bush

2011-01-15T21:53:00.004-05:00

Shepherd's Bush Amaranth, a lovely little sampler I've had in my stash and have been working on, off and on, since 1989 is finally finished. Originally I had planned to have it framed to hang in my bedroom, but it has now become a lovely extra needleroll. Because there might be stuffing popping out of the interlacing row, I lined the back of the row with some mauve polished cotton. It really makes the intricacies of the insertion standout. Again this needleroll was finished using these instructions.

New Project - SALexandre

2011-01-11T13:39:00.005-05:00

Even though this SAL has closed, the originator has left the information and pictures of the beautiful work done by those in the SAL (stitch-a-long). I will be using 28ct Cashel linen in white and DMC #99 variegated thread in mauve. This project takes its inspiration from the hussif or housewife 18thC ladies carried in their pockets to be ready for any eventuality--they are calling it a stitcher's wallet. * You might ask why I would choose to use white: 1) money constraints--I have to use what is already in my stash [the rose linen of my needleroll will be used for the inside--so this tool will be doubly useful; 2) I will use the edge of the embroidery at the fold so soiling will be minimal; and 3) it will be in my needlebox, bourse or pocket with not in use, so it should stay clean. And as all stitchers know, NEVER touch your threads or fabrics until your hands are clean, and no hand lotion, unless specifically designed not to stain.

Antique Hearts Needleroll SAL - Finished

2011-01-09T16:35:00.004-05:00

Shepherd's Bush Antique Hearts Needleroll finished, at last. I must have misjudged my placement for starting the roll, as I did not have enough fabric to do a proper roll/fold to complete my top hem. I used the finishing techniques here. I like the color of this roll, but as I plan to do another SAL with Litla Skvís using And Many More Needlebook by Just Nan, I want to do another needleroll using Shepherd's Bush Amaranth, so the backgrounds will match.

Le Boutis - Ouvrage Divin

2011-01-08T09:41:00.002-05:00

Diaporama : Le boutis, ouvrage divin - Diaporama

The diaporama speaks for itself--lovely Marseilles or Marcella quilts.

Antique Hearts Needleroll - Week Two

2011-01-05T08:11:00.003-05:00

Two more rows done, but I have discovered that I'm going to have to buy some sort of magnifying/light device. These old eyes are getting dim and seeing holes in the cloth, let alone the right holes is getting difficult. Somewhere in all my past moves, I have lost the beads and little metal heart that were supposed to embellish this needleroll--so stitches will have to do. I'm anxious to see how Litla Skvís is coming along. Her stitching has been an inspiration to me. Her crosses are all in the «right» direction, mine are all skewobbly--I think it is time to find some abcs and 123s on how to actually cross-stitch properly. Until next week.

SAL - Antique Hearts Needleroll

2010-12-27T00:01:00.004-05:00

Linda Björk Eiríksdóttir from Litla Skvís in Reykjavík, Iceland, and I have challenged each other to finish some jointly held items in our needlework stash. First up is «Antique Hearts» Needleroll by Shepherd's Bush.

Here is the first two rows - my color is a little off - must learn more about my camera! Also in the picture are white thread «rows» to help me judge my stitch placement and counting--they save a lot of removing miscounted stitches.

La Petite Ecole in Quilts

2010-12-22T06:37:00.000-05:00

La Petite Ecole, the little school, offers soft dull blues and pinks reminiscent of bindings on school texts and notebooks.

Here is a partial list of quilts appearing on the web.

Bunny Hill BOM
Natalia Bonner

Maison de Garance in Quilts

2010-11-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

Maison de Garance is one of French General's latest offerings in a range of masculine browns and dull reds. Here is a list of quilts online using Maison de Garance.

Antique Etoiles
Paris In the Fall
Rail Quilt