The Great Big Little Stitchery Swap Continued

 I began this worldwide stitchery swap with six partners. If I've counted correctly I'm now up to eleven. The first squares have been sent and received, and squares are beginning to arrive in my mailbox. This is fun! 

This was the first square to be delivered here. It was made by SF in Arizona.

Remember, these squares are only around four inches in either direction. Aren't those hexagons wonderful?

The next one to arrive came from CG in Pennsylvania. Look at those tiny, tiny stitches!

She included a few extra goodies in the envelope, fabric swatches I can use in future stitcheries. 

My third swap square also came from Arizona, from MA. 

It's another amazing piece of art, with beads and sequins and organza flowers. Not to mention the lace frame. 

And most recently this square from LS was delivered from Oklahoma.

Absolutely charming! She stitched on denim, and those flower heads are loose, not stitched through the denim. Tatting? Detached buttonhole stitches? I don't know how she made them. 

In the meantime I've been making additional squares and sending them off. I haven't always remembered to take photos before putting my squares in the mail however. Nor do I remember which squares were sent where.

 

 

I know I've sent squares to each of the ladies I've received these squares from. I've sent a couple to England and at least one to Australia. As of this writing I have one more square to make, for a new partner in Canada. Annie has promised us there will be another swap in another few months for those who may have missed out this time around. And those of us who want to do it again!

Scrap Happy in July

I have a pile of quilt blocks made out of scraps as you are accustomed to seeing here in The Magpie's Nest for Scrap Happy Day. What I do not have is a photo of them. And since the design wall is currently covered with pieces for a project in progress I don't have an easy way to get such a photograph for you. So this month I will share with you more of the slow stitching/embroidery efforts I've been working on. 

 First off is this needle book. You've seen the cover in process previously. I finally put on the finishing touches of embroidery and sewed in felt pages. 

3.5" high x 9" long

This is the extent of the cover. Scrap strips secured with embroidery to a strip of scrap batting.

Folded in half, this is the half I decided would be the front. (Originally it was to be the back.)

Which makes this half the back cover.

I went so far as to hand sew in the felt pages too. Okay, the felt may not qualify as scrap materials, but I didn't use anything I didn't already have in my stash. And most of it has been there for a good long time!

I have also made two more 4" squares for the Great Big Little Stitchery Swap.

Both of these began with 2.5" squares of William Morris reproduction prints I was given almost three years ago. (Or was it longer?)

Again, the merest scraps of lace and thread were used in the creation of these squares. 😁

Scrap Happy Day is hosted on the 15th of each month by Kate in Australia and Gun in Sweden. It's an opportunity for us to share things we've made entirely out of scrap or repurposed materials. Participants live all over the world. If you'd like some motivation for reducing the scraps in your work space you can add your name to the list by leaving a comment on Kate or Gun's blogs. In the meantime, happy scrapping!

Kate, Gun, Eva, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, 
Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo, Alissa, Lynn, Tierney and Hannah

The Great Big Little Stitchery Swap

As I may have mentioned previously, I've finally fallen into the YouTube rabbit hole. One of the channels I follow is hosted by Annie Claxton (otherwise known as ArtyFartyAnnie). She indulges in a wide variety of artistic endeavors, slow stitching among them. To that end she has created the Great Big Little Stitchery Swap. She has invited her followers to make 4" squares, stitched in any way they enjoy most, to swap with other members of the community she has created. How could I resist?!  At this point I've committed to about half a dozen swaps, half overseas and half here in the USA.

This is the first little square I made:

The idea is to leave a seam allowance around the four inches so the recipient can finish the squares in whatever way they choose. They could become a wall hanging or pages in a book or even a scroll I suppose. I have no idea yet what I might do with the squares I receive. 

This is the second square I've made:

These first two squares will go overseas. It was a bit of a struggle to keep them flat enough to go into an envelope at the base rate for international postage. I'm always wanting to add buttons or charms or beads and sequins. 😁 Fortunately, that little button in the middle of the yellow lace nestles down into the center of that circle of lace sufficiently to keep the whole piece flat enough. I find it interesting that I don't particularly enjoy making yo-yo's (otherwise known as Suffolk Puffs) but I do like gathering laces or other strips into circles. Possibly it has to do with the fact that I can begin with a strip rather than having to cut out a circle.

It looks very much like this won't be the only stitchery swap Annie organizes. She has also set up an art swap for those who prefer to play with pencils and paint and the like. We have until the end of August to make and mail our stitched squares. This will be an ideal activity for the times when it's too hot to have the iron on for my piecing endeavors. I just have to be careful not to do too much hand work in any one day. And to take regular breaks. My wrist and hands have been feeling much better of late. I don't want to aggravate those muscles and ligaments I need and use the most!