Silk Ribbon Picture -- Adding the Blue Flax

I sewed on more lace to give it a bit of a crazy-quilt effect.  There are still lots of flowers to go.

These pictures were taken with Victoria's SX40, one of Canon's high-end point-and-shoots.  Tomorrow I'm heading to Nebraska Furniture Mart's Electronics Department to see about getting a new camera; my Canon EOS Rebel Xsi bit the dust today.  It survived well into old age; it was approaching the 140,000-photo mark.  I probably won't get back to the embroidery until Friday.

Silk Ribbon Basket Done

The basket part of the picture is done.  Doesn't look exactly like a basket... but this is the part of the basket that will show when the ribbon flowers are in place.  I used white ribbon, then dyed it with sepia, amber, and sunflower.

Actually, it looks more like the Loch Ness monster than a flower basket, don't you think?  :-D

Starting a Ribbon Embroidery Picture

Today I am beginning a silk-ribbon-embroidered picture which I plan to give to my sister for her birthday.  I was pleased when I discovered that a large bag of silk ribbon I'd ordered had arrived.

I sewed the background onto muslin -- taffeta moiré, silk jacquard, and re-embroidered lace.  I've roughed in some of the first stitches I'll make with my disappearing ink pen... ironed a few strands of ribbon... pawed through my supplies... and am ready to begin.  The new ribbon is in all colors of the rainbow.  I actually prefer using white and then dying it with my Letraset Promarkers, but I couldn't pass up the smashing bargain a lady offered me for all her ribbon.

Background

I like all the fancy stitches my Bernina Artista 180 can do.

Silk ribbon embroidery supplies

New Letraset pastels

Is the Needle in a Haystack?

So there I was, hand sewing one evening as we visited

with Larry's parents.  I poured everyone a fresh cup of coffee,

returned to my chair and my sewing -- but my needle had gone AWOL.

Where was it??  I looked high and low, and then I looked low and high,

but no needle materialized.  I trotted up to my sewing room,

got another needle, and finished my sewing.

We visited... sipped our coffee...

and then I found my needle:

Yes, it was in the bottom of my coffee cup.

No, I don't know how it got there.

Braided-Star Table Topper

Yesterday I finished the Braided-Star table topper I made for my sister and brother-in-law's 51st anniversary, which is today.

Here's what it looked like when I started:

And here's how it ended up:

Braided Star Table Topper

Today I finished the Braided-Star table topper I plan to give my sister and her husband, Lura Kay and John H., for their 51st anniversary tomorrow.

It started out like this:

 

-- and turned out like this:

Another Biscornu Pincushion and Needlekeep