Monday, January 11, 2010

STITCHES, STITCHES

I've been playing around with all kinds of stitches lately. With the help of the Quilter's Embroidery Bible, I'm adding embroidery to the rather solid color squares of this quilt. (It was a "light/dark" exchange with some of my on-line quilting friends.) I machine embroidered the initials of the sender in each block. I used stitch in the ditch machine stitching on the seam between the blocks and the sashing. I hand quilted diagonal lines through the blocks. So I have hand and machine quilting, and hand and machine embroidery all wrapped up in to one quilt. I guess you could call it a sampler quilt of sorts. Within each block I am trying to somewhat mimic the other fabrics in the block, using only a subtle color difference from the fabric I am embroidering.
Funny thing is, we are using this quilt this winter. I just pull it off the bed in the evening to work on it, then put it back before I go to bed.


I'm using back stitching and French knots on the sashing;

This is some of the "feathered chain" that is a new stitch for me.

And when the embroidery stitching gets to tiresome, there's always the knit stitches to fall back on.
These are for my older daughter.

And this for our youngest granddaughter for her second birthday next month.


Next up: a sweater for her almost 5 year old brother, and in a few days, back to my day time sewing and the assembly of my block of the month quilt.

4 comments:

FlourGirl said...

Cute sweater! I like your idea of putting the ball band around the finished product so the recipient has correct washing instructions. :)

Jennifer D said...

Your quilt is lovely. I really like the "sampler" affect. The sweater and socks are truly fantastic, I need to learn to knit.
Can you crochet socks?

Mary Lynn said...

Yes, Jennifer, you can crochet socks. I went to Ravelry to check it out. This is just one of the many sites listed there where you can download free crochet sock patterns:
http://crochetme.com/patterns/ultimate-crocheted-socks
Good luck.

Jan said...

I love the embroidery you're doing Mary Lynn! That is one awesome Lizzie quilt and OMG on that adorable little sweater and those scrumptious socks! Your work is so lovely my dear and you continue to bless your family abundantly w/your creations :)