Norma's Needleworkz

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Some Earlier Stitcheries

Since I have just joined Yahoo's hand embroidery list I thought it was time to share some of my stitcheries on my blog as I would like to post at least one of these in an album in that list.


This is the FIRST quilt I ever made and I copied it from "Woman's Day Book of American Needlework" written by Rose Wilder Lane and published in 1963. For those of you who have followed the tv series "Little House on the Prairie" Rose Wilder is the daughter of Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder. This book of needlework is a comprehensive history from Colonial times to the 1960's and is one of my favorites. The top picture shows the center of the quilt. There are several techniques involved here with the very center being an appliqued sunflower. Each petal of the sunflower is quilted then the center is grid quilted with Herringbone Stitch over the quilting. For two rows - they can't be rows as they're are going around the center (tee hee) oval quilting that is over-lapped, one round of feather quilting, another round of oval quilting that is not over-lapped, with the remainder of the quilting done in the traditional diagonal grid. AFTER all the quilting was done I did Herringbone Stitch embroidery over all the circular quilting. I did enter this in one of our local quilt guild shows (a SHOW not a competition). It is currently residing on my bed.


Here is a piece I'm particularly pleased with. It is a true embroidery piece entitled "Two Sisters". The background fabric is silk (the first time I'd used silk in this way or any way for that matter). The stitching is all done in DMC floss using anywhere from one strand to eight strands and using basic stitches: Outline, Stem, Running, Satin, Buttonhole. Split Chain and French Knots. It was completed in 1998 and for now hangs on my bedroom wall.


This piece is Jacobean in design and was meant to be done in needlepoint. Marching to a different drum I chose to use Danish Flower Thread on Floba fabric which has a self inner border. I backed this with a deep hunter green satin and am using wood bell pull hardware. I did this piece in 1999 and it hangs on my bedroom door.

6 Comments:

At 10/30/2006 10:38:00 AM, Blogger Mandy said...

What lovely items you show! The quilt looks really impressive - all that white with the delicate yellow ovals. Beautiful.
I really like the Jacobean piece too. What an interesting fabric you chose to use. The green really shows the whole piece of really well.
I am not surprised you are pleased with "Two sisters". Its a delightful piece.
Thanks for sharing all of this.

 
At 10/30/2006 01:54:00 PM, Blogger abeautifulcraft said...

Really beautiful Norma ..... you do such beautiful work, like Mandy says, very impresive. I love it all!

 
At 10/31/2006 05:57:00 AM, Blogger katiejayinpa said...

Norma....it is all just wonderful. I would love to see these things close up and i am excited to think that maybe in 2007 i will ge tthe chance to meet you face to face and see who did these great things!

ktk...

 
At 11/01/2006 01:20:00 PM, Blogger Charlene ♥ NC said...

Oh, my. What beautiful work you have done on these embroidery pieces. That quilt is fabulous-just the sheer size of it. The other pieces are so detailed and beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

 
At 11/03/2006 03:53:00 PM, Blogger Julia said...

Norma....these are all just wonderful. I would love to see these pieces close up.
Jacobean is something i have never had a go at.
Thank you for sharing..

 
At 1/12/2007 04:46:00 PM, Blogger Sarah E. said...

HAH! I KNEW I recognized your name...I've been drooling over that bedspread of yours since you posted it!! You are GOOD!

 

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