Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Needlebook Finish

Over the last couple of days this...



Became this:



And this is the finished product:

front

back

I broke up the large patch on the back with a line of beading. Once I'd done that it became easier to fill in with beads and charms, my favorite way to decorate textiles. I avoided the whole spider issue with a riff on Kate's butterfly suggestion. Look closely and you'll see that I've sprinkled the background of nearly all the patches with clear seed beads, just to add a bit more sparkle.

Here's the inside:

The colors look better in person, trust me!

The cover itself is lined, and then I add two flaps that create pockets when the wool felt pages are sewn in place. The pockets will accommodate small scissors, bobbins of thread, a needle threader, what-have-you. You could even tuck a credit card in there! You know, in case you have to shop online while you're stitching. ;- )

Now to decide whether to break this one in myself or keep it in its virgin state for future gifting...







Monday, May 6, 2013

How Many?

I made a comment in my last post about the fact that I didn't need another pair of embroidery scissors. That caused me to wonder about how many pair I actually have. I'm pretty sure I have accounted for all of them, and it wasn't quite as bad as I feared!


The very first pair I remember buying would be the simple ones in the upper left. They still have the sharpest point. The swordfish is my newest acquisition. I don't think I've ever owned a pair of stork scissors so when I saw this inexpensive black and white job a few years ago I snatched them up. The leopard handle scissor are Gingher's. They probably have the best blades, although they need sharpening.  I will confess to having three of the folding Slip-n-Snip scissors. There was a time when I couldn't find either of the two pair I knew I owned so I had to invest in a third one. Now I keep one in the pocket of my needle case at all times. :- )


On another front, I believe I mentioned that I have been binding quilts. I had a stack of four finished before I started giving them away! I don't think I've ever had that many quilts done at one time before.


Two are the lap quilts that will eventually go to the Alzheimer's Disease Co-operative Study. One was the almost twin size quilt I gave to my daughter for her birthday. The fourth was the baby quilt. I had my son practice hearts on that one:


I just received word that the new mom burst into tears when she saw the quilt for the first time. Awww....