Apr 16, 2014

Day 5 What is Your Superpower Stitching Hop

It's here!  It is my featured day along with some other talented blog hop participants. But first, a big thank you to DMC who is sponsoring this round, a good tie in since they make such lovely floss, perle cotton and all those good things we stitchers love.  Did you see their cross stitch pattern for Super Emma on Tuesday?  What fun!  Of course, Mdm Samm of sew we quilt is the one who comes up with these great ideas.  This round  Pauline of The Quilting Queen is our head cheerleader.


Once you get done looking at my attempts at photography, then I hope you will pop on over to see what the others have done today.

THURSDAY APRIL 17


So what is my Superpower?  Like the others before me, none of us seems to want to brag about ourselves or maybe imply perfection at any given task.  There are things that I enjoy doing like cooking and baking, though I have found that is more fun when you can share the results.   I always try to do my best on any stitchery,  sewing project or knitting project that I undertake. However, I find there is always something that needs tweaking, improving, more practice.  Well, you get the idea.  Not going to brag or claim to be an expert.  You think that is a woman thing or just how we were raised??

I didn't struggle long finding something I wanted to stitch up.  Good old Google and an image search led me to this design from Verna Mosquera of the Vintage Spool of the We Love French Knots blog.  I decided to do mine in representational colors rather than the lovely pink Ms. Mosquera used.  Here is a closeup shot of the roses and a bit of the spool done up in variegated floss.  I also used a mix of floss strands to work the parts that were to be metallic.  (Sorry about the shadow marks)



So I stitched the motif all up adding my super power which is stitching, of any kind really.  I love to do "redwork" embroidery but I also love to sew and quilt, even if production has dropped off dramatically in recent months.   I won't get into the why though faithful readers know already.   I chose not to narrow my options and just said "stitcher"

I intended to turn this into a wall hanging but at the last minute decided to make a tote bag instead.    I did not have enough of the red fabric because it was originally to be the  outside border!  I did a search through quiltshops.com for sewing related fabric which led me to the Henry Glass "And Sew On" fabric line and placed an order through Sauder's Fabric.  However, I had bought plenty of the scissors fabric since it was supposed to be the backing with a little leftover for the stash.  It became the interior and accent color instead.  I had a black scroll like print for binding but elected to go with a separation of colors with jumbo rick rack instead.  I have a small stash of black and white fabrics for a sometime down the line project so this will not go to waste.   If anyone wants some of this black jumbo rick rack, let me know as I have a ton of it!  Why did I think I needed three rolls????


I looked at several patterns, took suggestions from my pal Norma via Skype and then ended up with this two tone fabric tote from Make It & Love It  .  I believe she suggested using some fusible interfacing or some such thing to give it a bit more body.  I did not have any nor did I feel like chasing around the county to get any either so I elected to quilt the top layer only.  I did not use their methods for the straps either and by that time I had to piece them to even squeeze them out.  Also it made more sense to me to leave the opening for turning the lining at the very bottom of the bag interior than up along the top edge where errant stitching would show.  The side would have worked too, like you would do with a vest.  Some days those old sewing lessons from Mom come in mighty handy!  BTW, the camera angle is making this look un-square.  It is evenly cut!  You can see the stitchery a bit better in this shot though the pictures is a bit dark.

 long beauty shot on the neighbor's fence




Closer in


Now, did you see what I did wrong??  When I boxed in the bottom of the bag the prescribed two inches, the word "Stitcher" disappeared about right where you see that crease.  What did I say about bragging on yourself? Those words will reach up and bite you right in the backside every blessed time, LOL.   It looks good from the back side!

No complaints about the pattern as written.  The things I tweaked were personal choices.   Had I used this pattern before I would have known to shorten the top cuff and got more of a red print frame around the stitchery. My first thought was to use it as a pocket on the bag but that was before colors were switched up.  I am a bit mathematically challenged at times so I may have still had a misstep along the way.  Let's call this a "prototype"  because I can see trying this again for a knitting bag.  Think I can find a motif to embroidery with yarn, knitting needles and all that???

No matter, I still like the bag and will use it to cart my bag of stitchery around.  Right now I have three different projects in there----a Bird Brain Easter piece that is marked but not started, a basket block from Bee Tree Designs in greens and a Bird Brain Designs "Snow Happens" in blue.  This is large enough to hold my entry in last years stitchery blog hop that I posted about HERE.   I like things to be used in a practical manner, after all!  I'll post the two main pictures of the stitchery organizer from March 2013


opened up but the camera angle is making it look "un-square"   errr un- rectangular



 Folded up in my embroidery kit with all the stitching goodies inside



So why are you hanging around here, LOL?  Hop on to see what the others have in store for you!  Thanks for dropping by today and I hope you enjoy the remainder of the hop.


41 comments:

  1. Love your stitchery bag, perfect ! Thank you for sharing.

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  2. A wonderful superpower and a great project.

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  3. A very cute bag made by a lady with superpowers!

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  4. What a wonderful super power! Your stitching is beautiful. Love the design you chose and putting it on a tote was genius!

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  5. Fabulous super power. Well used on your tote.
    Valspierssews

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  6. I wish I was a super powered stitcher.

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  7. Lovely bag...great project and beautiful stitching. For a free cross-stitch knitting design go to http://www.janlynn.com/FreeCrossStitchCharts.cfm DMC club has lovely freebies, just not this one ;)

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  8. You have a fabulous Super Power and your project is wonderful!

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  9. I love that bag! It would be fabulous for sew ins!

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  10. I love the way this turned out! I love embroidery and especially redwork - in fact, most of my embroidery has been redwork even though right now I seem to be more in the how-many-colors-can-I-use mode. This week I found a store going out of business and got DMC floss for ten cents a skein! I love the use of rick rack too but I'm having trouble finding the jumbo size. I'd love to know where you buy yours if it's online and yes, I'd love to have some black! blessings, marlene

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  11. You have used your super power wisely!

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  12. ohhhh my how pretty..and I am such a sucker for red..your work is beautiful..nice to get a bag out of this too..

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  13. Great bag!! love the colors and design.

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  14. I have to admit that I'm a bag lady, and yours is adorable! I love your stitching and I MUST find some of the fabric you used. Love it, and anything that is red is right up my alley. Thank you for sharing your talents with us. :)

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  15. What a beautiful bag! It will be perfect for carrying your projects.

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  16. I love your project! Such a cute bag and stitching kit! Your work is perfect and INSPIRING!

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  17. Gorgeous! I would be so proud to use this terrific stitching bag!

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  18. You are superpowerful in stitching. I would love to carry a bag like that for all my stitching on the go. It is so pretty and I wouldn't even notice the things you point out. I can read it perfectly.

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  19. The fabric you used is just perfect for your bag....sew cute ! :)

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  20. Welcome to my world...sometimes the best of intentions just don't go right. Reguardless, your tote bag is beautiful. The stitchery is perfection. As for that camera angle thing, I fight it all the time. I actually took a photo of a quilt book that I 'KNEW" was square only to have the same issue. At least it wasn't always my quilts! LOL!! I would love to know how to fix that issue! :-)

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  21. LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!! you are so awesome!

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  22. I love your machine with the roses. What a great idea and to put it on a tote was really good. Now you can actually use it AND show it off!

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  23. I love your machine with the roses. What a great idea and to put it on a tote was really good. Now you can actually use it AND show it off!

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  24. What a neat idea for a tote! You are an amazing stitcher with lots of creativity.

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  25. Your tote is cute! and uniquely your own!. I really like the redwork embroidery roll, too. I can see your super power is enjoying all kinds of needlework.

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  26. You are definitely a superpowered stitcher! I love red work embroidery and you used it well on your embroidered roll. Cute, cute tote!

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  27. That's a great bag and a great superpower. Your embroidery is wonderful and the design so cute. I do think most of us stitchers run into unexpected things (like the bag bottom) on a regular basis. Sometimes I fix it and sometimes I just learn from it!

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  28. What beautiful work. I love your honesty and being willing to share the challenges. Many blogs make it appear as if all the projects just fall into place and the person never, never uses a seam ripper or miscut a piece of fabric. I think we all know better. It makes some of them appear a little less real. You have ended with a beautiful bag. Your redwork is phenomenal. Thank you for hopping and sharing.

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  29. Your bag is as cute as a button. I love the stitching on the front. The Redwork piece is very fetching also. Love Redwork!

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  30. Cute, what a great idea of making it into a quilt bag.

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  31. Love your tote Linda...super cute!! I have this thing about totes/bags....I must have 50 of them...I call myself 'the bag lady'. Thanks for sharing in the blog hop!! Happy stitching, Pauline

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  32. Hi Lind,
    I love that bag and your embroidery work has always made you a superpower. (not to mention all of your charitable works). You are a super person in my book, as well as a SUPERPOWER! well done my friend.
    love maggie

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  33. I LOVE LOVE your bag - That is really cute! I'm a bag lady too. Can't have enough! I also really love your redwork. it looks terrific!
    Thank you for sharing.
    xo jan

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  34. I adore your SuperPower Tote bag and embroidery roll. Thank you sew very much for Hopping...

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  35. Great job. Your stitching is beautiful. I love the tote. Thank you for sharing.

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  36. I actually remember your sweet little red house in last year's blog hop!! It was a favorite of mine. Somehow I managed to find the pattern for my own use...have I stitched it yet??...NOPE!! But I will!! Your stitching is very nicely done.
    Hugs
    Gmama Jane

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  37. Sweet bag, do we ever have enough of them? I am that way about boxes and tiny bottles!

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  38. Beautifully done. Great red work. Thanks for sharing.

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  39. Love the bag and your embroidery! Thanks for sharing.

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  40. yes indeed you are a superpower stitcher. Great job on the bag.

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