Machine-Embroidered Grapes

I've started embroidering a couple sets of tea towels.  Since this is the first time I've done this, I did a bit of research.

These towels are 'Superior Quality 100% Cotton Flour Sack Tightly Woven Ultra Absorbent Heavy Weight', according to the package.  They have a bit of a crinkled appearance.

Most people say to wash the towels first.  Some adamantly say not to, as they wind up looking 'used' afterwards... but, for pity's sake, these are supposed to be 'used'!  Some of those 'don't wash' people said to tell the recipients that the towels are for decoration only.  ha

Okay, I get that, and I'm a 'don't wash unless absolutely necessary' person, and I like things to look crisp and new ---- but I want these to be used.  Therefore, I washed them.  Cold wash and rinse... then dried on low heat.

Soon they were out of the dryer -- and clearly needed to be ironed.  I steamed them, not pressing very hard, and they still have that crinkled look.  No creases, so there were no problems embroidering.

I have two Debbie Mumm embroidery cards for my machine -- and this is the first time I've ever used them.  I got them cheap, because a) they aren't being made for this machine anymore (it's a 17-year-old machine), and b) the seller no longer had the booklet that comes with them.  So I looked the designs up online in order to find color photos and know what color of thread goes where.

I hooped the tea towel with Sulky Solvy Water-Soluble Stabilizer on both top and bottom.  When the design was complete, I tore the majority of the Solvy off, then laid a Viva paper towel over it, gave it a little spritz of water, and ironed the towel.  The small remaining bits of Solvy came right off.

One down; eleven more to go!

Even the back looks good: 

Quilling on Canvas, from Hannah

Hannah made this 5x7 plaque for us for our 37th anniversary.  It's called 'quilling', done with 1/8-inch strips of paper. They coil it and then pinch the circles or ovals into the shapes they want, and then glue it down.  This is on a canvas frame.

Of course, as soon as I set the plaque down on the deck and started taking pictures, Tiger had to come see what I was doing.  He'd been in the dark garage; thus the squinting in the light.

Fabric for a Wedding Gift

I'm just getting started on a wedding gift for my daughter-in-law Maria's sister Heidi and her fiancé Joel.  The wedding is May 29.  I've drawn up a design in EQ7, chosen the fabrics, and printed the foundation.  I ran out of newsprint before I had all the blocks printed, so I ordered three more reams.  I get them from Blick Art Supplies.  A ream is $3.54.  Now, let's hope they arrive before I run out of the foundation pieces I've already printed.

Heidi's kitchen colors are aqua blue, bronze, and white.  So here's the fabric I pulled from my meager stash, with which I plan to make a table topper:

Small Shopping Spree

I just made a quick run (via Jeep, as opposed to shank hosses) to Wal-Mart for thread and a few of those items they can’t ship directly to my door – milk, yogurt, orange juice, etc. 

I got a wee bit carried away.  I bought 71 large spools of thread.  :-O

Just can’t control myself in the thread aisle!  But... in my defense... my list did say, 'Pinks, tans, browns, greens, purples, and yellows.'

I think I got everything on the list.  ;-)

(And yes, the clerk did ask me, after an astonished look at what I was putting on the counter, "Do you quilt?!")

New Light for My Lightbox

Larry got me a new light for the lightbox he made me a couple of years ago.  I've been using an 18" fluorescent light with a single bulb that I had to wiggle this way and that, sing Dixie to, and cross my middle toes at, to get it to come on.  It glared in the centers of my blocks, and was dark around the edges.

So last night Larry and I went to Menards and got a 15" square LED light, one of those that sit flush against the ceiling.  The top is soft white, so there is no glare.  He rewired it to a cord so I can plug it into an outlet.

This is so much better!  I really needed it, because the block I'm doing now -- or at least the central section of the block, where the appliqué work is -- measures 17.5".

Just getting ready to start gluing pieces down.

There are the new Gingher appliqué scissors my sister Lura Kay gave me.  They the sharpest scissors I've ever had.

There's the light under the framed plexiglass, through which you can see my pattern 

Old Embroidered Tea Towel

I just came upon an embroidered tea towel that was one of a seven-piece set a friend made for us as a wedding gift.  We were married in July of 1979, making this tea towel 36 1/2 years old.  The embroidery is still in nearly perfect shape.  I haven't the faintest notion what has become of the other six towels in the set.

Pleated Table Runner and Placemat Set

This is a wedding gift for my great-niece Jamie and her husband-to-be, Mark, who are getting married in October.