Bless This Hive of Scum and Villainy

Here it is, gang, my greatest embroidery pattern EVER.

I'm so happy with it all around. I actually tested all the colors on a scrap of the fabric before starting to stitch (unheard of for me) and I think that really helped, as I'm really happy with that aspect as well (though the blue is a bit bright in certain lights/pictures.

Anyway, the pattern is now up in my Etsy shop.

Currently working on a Christmas present that I can't post here, but I've also got a small free embroidery piece going that I should be posting soon. I'm intending to restitch my Roman mosaic too, now that I own all the DMC colors.

I've started using software to convert some of my patterns into all symbols versions, since I know a lot of people prefer that. They're so hard for me to read myself though. When you've got a lot of colors obviously that's the best option, likewise if you've got limited printer ink, but for a simple pattern I think colored squares are so much easier to read. Of course I can't use printed out patterns at all since I'm pretty well lying down when I stitch. 

Tomorrow I'll have a post about this year's Quilt National exhibit at the Dairy Barn. It's an especially incredible group this year, with loads of embroidery incorporated.

Blackwork Quilt 2 - Finished

I thought I had finished this and then remembered that I still had to outline it. Grumble grumble. I also found a big mistake which was SO annoying.

Anyway, it's done at least, and the pattern is now for sale on Etsy.

I'm feeling a little blocked in designing patterns that are sale-able. I do want to finish that robot sampler which I hit a block on, and there's an idea with foxes that I'd love to make work. It's one where I know EXACTLY how I want it to look but I'm having trouble getting there.

After that, I'm planning to transfer a bunch of entries from my second grade journal to one big piece of cloth and embroider them along with some drawings from the same period. Is that silly? I think it will be sort of neat, though now I wonder what on earth I'll do with it.

Blackwork Quilt Motif - WIP 03

Well, the main part is done now!

I ended up using one less color than I'd planned, because it blended into the fabric too much when stitched. I think using the blue-purple shade again was a good idea anyway, as it further reduces busyness.

Typically, I've completely changed the way I'm doing the background. Instead of doing another fill pattern, I'm just using straight lines. I *think* what I'll do is have all the lines pointing to the center of the star (it will end up being a perfect square)

So the corner pieces will have diagonal lines slanting inward, the triangles on the top and bottom will have vertical lines, and the triangles on the side will have horizontal ones. Is that clear? Does it sound like a horrible idea? Have I gone mad with power?!

I sketched it out and it looked good, but haven't changed the proper pattern yet.

Royal Winton Queen Anne - Finished!

Today is an historic day. I have finished my chintz napkin. There are a few little things I might go in and add/fix, but it's pretty damn finished and that's the main thing.

After months of working on and off, horrible hand cramps, unfocusing eyes, pricked fingers and bouts of swearing, I'll never need to stitch that damn pattern again.

If you'd like to stitch it just contact me for the pattern. It's easy enough to get from the china, but mine is already finished and in a handy .jpg file so I'm happy to share.

Now I can rest and get some good laziness in before the next project!

pretend quilting

I finally present to you the completely finished (and framed) color-fade blackwork piece. It's not exactly what I wanted, because I didn't start with a large enough piece of fabric but it does look pretty. 

Plus it gave me a lot of ideas for color fade pieces which I could then do properly. Before that I need to bulk up my thread collection. I have a ton of embroidery floss, but not enough oranges and not enough blues and missing some important reds. It feels like I never have the colors I want.

I got a new computer, as mine was getting run down (especially in the touchpad department) and I'd like to have a backup that still works normally. The new machine is running Linux because holy crap I hate Windows 7. I thought I just disliked it, but having to use it for more than two minutes at a time amped the dislike right up to despise. 

We used Linux on all the computers at my high school (a tiny boarding school) so I'm not completely unfamiliar with it (though even if I was Ubuntu is SO intuitive that it should be easy for anyone to use). The best part for me is downloading all the free applications. I got a geography lesson program and can now identify all the countries on all the continents and a number of island nations. When something big happens in Moldova or Togo I'll know just where they are! I'm beyond psyched about this.

So thank you, Microsoft, for completely screwing up the operating system I grew up with and liked using. You even managed to make networking my two computers a pain and not workable. Now that's talent. Change for change's sake is always a bad idea.

moths and daleks

Well there's news all around. I finished my moth piece. Again, it comes from Leslie Wilkins' Traditional Blackwork Samplers, though I've removed a lot of the little elements which I felt took away from the lovely moth. I'm fairly pleased with it. Not thoroughly pleased but I'll give it to someone so I don't have to look at it any more.

Also, someone will be stitching my Dalek pattern on stage in a play they're in! It's the play The Great Fire, being performed in Chicago at the Lookingglass Theater (which just won an award for Best Regional Theater). So hundreds of people will be witnessing my pattern being stitched whether they know it or not. Too bad you can't send business cards with a .jpg file! It's a nice warm feeling though.

I have been so lazy with the crafts though. I resolve to start work on a new funny pattern tomorrow though. Perhaps a Tom Lehrer quote.