The Production Line & Blogger's Annoying Foibles

I discovered this week, thanks to a fellow blogger who kindly let me know, that I was showing as a 'no reply' blogger. Didn't know I was as don't ever remember setting/or not setting that one. Anyway, a google search on how to fix show's that it is a very obscure and not straightforward way that this setting is made. A convoluted process has enabled a fix, I think! But why, oh why, can it not just be a clearly defined tick box in settings that is easily located!!!!!!

 

So if I have made any comments on your blog and then came up as no reply please be reassured that I do like your reply's and hopefully all is working as it should in my blogger world now.

 

The Mountmellick production line has been in full force this week. The border around the central medallion is certainly a complex little beastie. Getting all the pieces ready to go has been quite some task.

 

 

Firstly, I traced and cut out all the circles, all 48 of them, onto the applique paper. I am using Lynette Anderson's water soluble paper so I don't have to remove them. I ordered some Perfect Circles to assist with this process but they are out of stock at my supplier until the end of the month and I cannot put this project on hold that long, not while my momentum is in forward motion.

 

 

I used her pre cut water soluble 1/2" hexies and traced the squares for the corner flowers. Then I cut squillions of triangles for the piecing. Just love all these beautiful fabrics we are getting to work with.

 

Cutting out all the 48 fabric circles

 

 

Gathering all the 48 circles and basting the  4 squares and 16 hexies

 

Joining the hexie flowers and basting to the corner blocks.

 

Next task will be to hand applique the hexies to the corner blocks and the circles to the background squares. I should get that done this week before easter and end of term 1 school holidays kick in next Friday. Fingers crossed!

 

I finished the Fruit of the Vine Needleroll and have placed this project aside while I prepare my first Scarlet Letter sampler. I have been reading the Our Scarlet Letter Years blog for the past year but it was too full to join. Then this year a spot freed up but I have still not contributed and I want to. It took me a while to decide which project I would choose for my first one. Well I have settled on Ann Lawle as  have been really wanting to try my hand at the cut work. Let the adventure begin.

 

 

Needleroll's stitching is all done

 

Love those grapes

 

 

The border and outline for the cutwork is complete. Along the top and bottom is four sided stitch and all sides are satin stitched. Had to be super duper  careful about counting this so out came the magnifier's for that job.

 

 

The came the scary part....cutting the threads. I made a tiny start but was too tired last night to carry on with this intimidating job. The horizontal threads are done first in groups of two out and two left.

 

 

This is what Ann will look like when she is finished. I am working on the birds at the top. They are upside down on the original but I think I will flip them around.

 

Happy stitching until next week!

 

 

 

Because You're Gorgeous

Hello stitching friends out there in the blogosphere and thank you so much to the lovely ladies who have left some really nice comments on my  blog. I really do appreciate your encouragement not to mention taking my own sneak peek at your own blogs to see what crafty activities you have been undertaking....such fun but one has to be careful as the time sure drifts away when you keep following links...

 

My achievements this week have been 'fruitful', pun intended...

 

You will be proud of me Ellen, I have not put the Fruit of the Vine away into the stash since returning from my lovely time spent with you and the other ladies in Hawkes Bay. I have been beavering away on the needle roll and really quite enjoying all the specialty stitches that are totally new to me. It is going quite quickly this bit but then it helps that it is only a couple of inches across. Good practice though before tackling the sampler. I think I might do all the small pieces first before that.

 

 

Those little birdies are so sweet.... tweet tweet

 

I had a finish, well the stitching is finished anyway. I still have to 'finish finish' the Needleworker's Pocketbook.

 

 

I am thinking at the moment that I might have to set aside some time in the next short while to have a 'finishathon' as now the Floral Glove, May Your Hands AND the Needleworker's Pocketbook are all awaiting construction. No Excuses!

 

I didn't make any progress this week on the Mirror apart from moving it from the floor onto my trestle/supporting frame setup. This is a marvellous ensemble available from Margaret Lee

 

 

I was going to outline the flowers in the 2% gold Elizabethan twist but looking at it against the drawn lines and bearing in mind that the flowers will be filled with chunky silk pearl purls where some linen will be visible, I think it is too fine to give good coverage over the pen line. Tricia used  1 1/2 gilt twist and I have ordered some from Hedgehog Handworks so I am going to wait for that to arrive and compare but I suspect the diameter is slightly larger. Not to mind, plenty of other things to continue on with.

 

Speaking of continuing on, I have been doing so with the Mountmellick and she is looking GORGEOUS. I just love, love, love, the design of this quilt, all the fabrics used in this quilt and the mystery of this quilt. I did all the broderie perse and doesn't that vase full of flowers look divine. I also spent yesterday attached the first border and mitering all the corners and it has come out looking very grand with that fabulous striped border fabric. If you cannot tell already...I am in love....

 

Have a happy stitching weekend wherever you are....