Saturday, February 16, 2008

Take It Further, February...Rolled Ribbon Roses

I took this picture at Freda Butler's house last week-end. It is a detail of a lovely vintage embroidered bag she had up on her wall. I thought those roses might look good on my Take It Further block for February, if I could figure out how to make them.

Well, I did NOT figure out how they were done and came up with these instead. I won't give a tutorial because I was literally all thumbs making these! But I do like how they came out.

For this month's challenge I also decided to try out some of Pam Kellogg's waste canvas seam treatments from her new book. Here are some leaves in progress. I like doing this kind of work so much....the counting and grid give a solid structure to work within. Sometimes that is just very satisfying.

Here they are in progress, on 10 count canvas....That is yummy Sasse Lynn thread sent to me from Susan Nixon.

And here they are completed. You might notice they look a little darker in this picture. That is because once they were done and the canvas was pulled off, I thought the leaves were just too light. So I very carefully painted the threads with some Tsukineko ink, which worked great.

Here is another of Pam's designs. This one took awhile, but it was worth it.

This was done on 14 count canvas.

And here is the block as a whole thus far.
As I've been stitching on it, I have been musing that it is not about innocence lost so much...but more about just being young, being 17...remembering that special time in my life before the buds had quite opened.....

15 comments :

Possibilities, Etc. said...

That is just awfully pretty! I do like Pam's trims there. Well done! The roses look like they are growing right in their little patch of "brambles." or is it "briars"? Now I have to study that "tatted lace" edging and see if I can do it in needlepoint. Good cold/rainy day project.

Anonymous said...

No need to worry about it not coming out as planned; everything you do turns out beautiful.

Jo Raines said...

Absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous as usual. Yes, the roses turned out beautifully. And I love the counted work and the vintage image.

Barbara C said...

The whole piece is so lovely. Looking at it makes me want to crazy quilt again.

Julie said...

Allie: Love the roses and the sweet print - what a beautiful face. Your stitching is as always, exquisite!

Marty52 said...

I love the center block, Allie... she has such a "waiting" expression... and then the lace seems to pull your eye down and then slides it off the block. Cool.

Unknown said...

i like your roses better.you are off the hook!!!!!!!!!!seester

Anonymous said...

Gosh, Allie! I'm glad to have met you, too!! Your work is exquisite and hugely inspiring.

Debra Dixon said...

Very pretty! I just came across an idea with machine emb where the leaves are emb and then the rose buds are inserted before the emb is done so the leaves hold the buds down. Very clever way to add dimension to machine emb and I believe it is what you are doing here. Nice!

Wendy said...

Oh My Goodness!!! Fabulous!!!
Wendy

Threadspider said...

Seventeen captured in thread-exquisite! Might there be Allie's Garden in the making using some of these techniques too?

Deb Hardman said...

Absolutely gorgeous Alli! As always.

I also wanted to stop by & tell you that I was thinking of you yesterday as I walked along the channel, looking out at Lake Michigan. We're here to surprise my big sister for her birthday, &staying at my brother's in Whitehall. We drove through GrandHaven & Spring Lake Friday.
Notthe best weather time of year to be here, but good to see family, & I'm inspired to do a quilt for my brother & his wife with their local light house on it. Can't wait to start on it now.

Cat said...

The rose buds turned out gorgeous - unbelievably so - WOW! The whole piece is going together so well, I am always so impressed when I look at your work.

Unknown said...

Just beautiful as always...

Anonymous said...

My name is Eliane,I'm Brazilian. Discovered your website browsing the Internet, much like the roses edge on tape, congratulations! I wonder how teaches embroidery sites where the roses and "crazy quilting."
My email is gollosantana@ig.com.br. You know if there are people in Australia who knows what crazy quilting?
Congratulations for the work!I hope you understand, because I am using web translator.