OMG Time

I am making my way Round the Garden.  This month my goal was to fill in the blossoms in the inner ring in the first quadrant.  I managed that and started the exterior  of quadrant 2,  I am now contemplating how I may quilt this when the applique is done.  I saw a ribbon winner who had completed this pattern in a palette of mostly greens   It was very nice.  They quilted it by straight lines radiating from the center.  That appeals to me.  It emphasizes the circle but is subtle and lets the applique be the star of this quilt.  The background fabric has a pattern.  I have also thought of stitching over the background motifs.  What to do.  I will have to keep my eye out to see what others are doing.  Come on over to Elm Street Quilts and join in the gang who make out monthly goals for our quilting projects.

What No Blossoms Round the Garden!

The maker of this ribbon winner substituted a ring of flowered fabric where I am placing my blossoms.  I understand the edit.  I have an applique pattern that has thousands of leaves on it.  Boring.  I intend to edit that one.

I did all the houses in the first quadrant of my version of Round the Garden and this month's OMG was to insert the blossoms.  I am working on the houses in the second quadrant now and it is a pleasure not a chore if I do the blossoms as I stitch the houses.  It is like planting a special garden for each of the houses.

Monotony and repetition is sometimes a wonderful thing to settle a restless mind and sometimes just a drudge and time for something else instead.

Round the Garden Lighthouse 2

I got tired of doing blossoms in the ring.  I am close to finishing the first quadrants Blossoms to meet my OMG.  I decided to work on the houses in the next quadrant.  I put the lighthouse in the corner first so that I can space the houses.  First I had to go search for the wool for the lighthouse.  The photo in the pattern shows a tan wool.  I found this wool with a diamond pattern which I quite liked.  There were a lot of loose fibers on the edge of the piece.  The silk whip stitch contained them nicely.  I need to do the embroidery stitches yet.  On to the houses.

Bugs in the Garden

First of all the bee made from a 2 wrap French knot, 3 bullion knots and a straight stitch on a piece of yellow wool.

The ladybug is from Sue Spargo's Creative Texturing book.  

This ant is also in that book.  Mine is a might catterwaunpous.  Maybe the next one will be better.  It is made with bullion knots and straight stitches with some single wrap French knots on the ends of the antennae.  

I tried my browser to find more hand embroidered bugs but did not find much.  I did find this image on a blog.  I quite liked it.  Below is my version.

I might try this again in another color way and position the French knots a bit differently.  I was trying to think of the name of the bug.....wooly something or other that is said to predict the severity of the upcoming winter weather by measuring the width of the middle band of white.  Maybe I should make one like that.  I wonder what they are called.  I used to know.  My mind is failing me these days.  Back to blossoms in the inner band.

Back to Round the Garden

I am missing piecing on my Bernina but I need to make some progress toward my current OMG.  I have been busy working on household issues including arranging for my roof repair.  The month is half over and I have barely started.  I needed to cut some blossom parts.  I am using my Accuquilt dies and a hammer with punches.  

The little bits and pieces of wool that are left are not trash.  There are what I used to make the little circles for the blossoms ring.

Here are the results of my hammer and punch.  

I am working on the first foot of the blossom ring and it is taking some time as I think and look through my embroidery books for ideas for stitches.  

I made a bee with an oval of yellow wool, a French knot, some bullion knots and a straight stitch.  I also made a lady bug with red and black perle rayon for the bullion knots.  I am going to put some ants in at some point as well.  I used  woven circles instead of layerlng the wool circles.  I have many colors of Superior's Sew Sassy thread from which to choose.  If I keep spending so much time picking stitches I will not make much progress.  Oh well.  I am enjoying the process so I do not have to worry about the timeline.  I do like my little ladybug.  On to the next inch of blossom ring.

August OMG

I am continuing with Round the Garden.  I will be hither and yon this month so I will have little time for stitching so I will work on the wool blossoms that are to fill the green band.