Valentine Themed Heart

A month or two ago the Hand Embroidery Group launched a valentine themed heart swap. I really would have liked to take part but knew that I would struggle to complete my heart in the time frame. I pieced a heart to see how much I could get done before signing up, but as I had thought, other commitments meant that I could not spend much time on this.

The print on the right and the small triangle of red in the middle are scraps from a dress I made 3 or 4 years ago. The dark red satin is from a bag of scraps I bought from a local dress maker.


When I have had some spare time I've gradually added a little more stitching to the heart. The poppy on the left is something that I did a couple of years ago with a theme pack of Mulberry Silks called, funnily enough, 'Poppy'. I knew that I had some of these thread left over and wanted to use some of them else where on the heart but it took me a long time to find them. Anyway, I eventually found them, eventually finished the stitching and tonight I finally finished the heart. A bit late for the the swap, but this is my first QC heart and another finished project.

Happy Stitching

Phone Pouch - Finished

I finally got around to finishing the phone pouch. It got put to one side while I became totally absorbed in the first two stitches for TAST. I'm really keen to get going on the third (detatched chain stitch) but I decided I should finish this and do a couple of other things before I got totally absorbed in that one as well.

Anyway, I lined the pouch with the same fabric that I had used on the top corners (it is almost totally covered by the ribbon bow on the front) before stitching the side seams. I made a cord from a selection of toning DMC floss and wrapped that with a finer cord also made from DMC floss. I left about an inch hanging below the bottom when I stitched the cord to the side seams so that I could unravel the threads to make a tassel.

As usual, I made a few mistakes, like stitching beads all along the seams treatment so they were in the way when I came to sew it together. Also, I put wadding between the ground fabric and the CQ fabrics. I think it gives the embroidery a nice plump, padded look, but it has made this little pouch a bit bulky. Still, I have learnt a couple of things for future projects.

Happy Stitching

Phone Pouch Update 2

I've been to Amsterdam for a few days to stay with my partner's sister. We had a lovely time, as we always do, but I wasn't able to do any stitching for the whole of the Christmas period until this evening. Now I've embroidered for about 3 hours and feel much better. I finished the final seam but with a different thread to the one I had originally planned to use. Then I added beads to most of the seam treatments. In her blog at Kitty and Me Designs, Pam Kellogg said that adding the beads is her favourite part because they "add light,depth and dimension". I think I would agree with that. I have added a butterfly to one corner, a bow to an other and embroidered a "K" for the recipient in the top left corner. I think I have done enough embroidery on this pouch now and hopefully will make it up tomorrow.

Tomorrow is my last day off work for the Christmas break and I plan to spend the entire day working on a piece that I have been working on since February of last year. I will not finish it tomorrow but hope to get a fair amount done as I want to finish it soon. Tomorrow is also the start of SharonB's Take A Stitch Tuesday and I plan to do some stitching for that in the evening.

Happy Stitching

Phone Pouch Update

It is 3.30 am and I have just helped Santa deliver christmas stockings. As I am wide awake I thought I would take this opportunity to give you a quick update on the phone pouch. I've done some stitching on most of the seams. I am going to add some roses in the purple silk ribbon I dyed last week to the seam with the chain stitch scallops. I have no idea what to do on the seem next to that one. The thread I would like to use is a rayon ribbon but it has a core so it is like a cord. It has more orange in it that the other threads. As it is quite thick I will have to couch it or weave it through other stitches rather than stitch with it.

Ok, I'm going back to bed now. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

Happy Stitching

Phone Pouch

Some time ago, I bought these threads for no other reason than I like them. Janet of From the Other Side of the Fence recently wrote that she has trouble using her stash because it might not be the right project. I'm a bit like that and then when, I start an new project, I buy the right threads/fabric/beads to go with that project. But I am trying to change. Another thing that I do, is keep all the little scraps from dress making and embroidery projects, just in case they come in useful one day.

A short while ago Stepson 2 asked if I would make a pouch for his girlfriend to keep her mobile phone in. I determined that I would find something from my stash to use. My original plan was to make something quite simple so that she would have it quickly. But then I started exploring the internet, and discovered Crazy Quilting and realised this is exactly what I have been keeping all those scraps for. So the simple pouch is now going to be CQ and last night I made up the block.


I looked for instructions on the web and used the sew and flip method on a foundation of calico. I have used the same velvet in the middle and on the corners but I machine stitched vermicelli across the middle section before stitching on the pale segments (which are not as yellow as they appear in this scan).

Hopefully tonight I can start on the seam treatments.

Happy Stitching