More Pouches and Pockets.....

We are at the tail end of Karen Ruane's class Embroidered Pockets but I can see I'll continue to make pockets and pouches until the cows come home. I started out with some broderie anglaise and doodled a sashiko design with micron pen and then did some stitching with hand dyed thread. I added some bumpy bits and just folded it up and laid it to the side. The next time I looked at it, some of the dye from the thread had bled onto the white cloth. I had nothing to lose so soaked it into some oxi-clean and most of the dye came out so the piece was once again usable.....but I really didn't like it.

click on the images for close-ups....

hand dyed thread bleeding into white cloth

washed in oxi-clean

 so.....I cut it up into pieces and started some patchwork with the fabric used for the bumpy bits.

cut up and did some patchwork

lots of embellishing

I created 4 panels and edged each with lavender piping.

only used 3 of the panels and made a circular base

I wanted the top opening to be rigid and circular.

stitched in a steel ring covered with binding. it measures 6" across the base, 25" around  the middle with the poufed out sides and it stands 9" tall. it's lined with white cotton cloth.

I now had one panel left over so another pocket was in order.

more embellishing and doodling....

for the back, I stitched all the little scraps left over together, made some patched bumpy bits, added some more doodling and it turned out looking like the face of a robot....to me, anyway.

and here is the completed front with a green cotton lining.

and the back with that funny looking patchwork piece stitched onto some white embroidered cotton.

I've also been playing with my Inktense Pencils and a hand quilted muslin piece that was done years ago just for practice. It's 2 layers of muslin with cotton batting in between.

I colored with the Inktense Pencils and applied textile medium over it to make it permanent. You can use water but the textile medium prevents the colors from bleeding to other areas of the cloth.

Once it dried, I added some stitch. More on this one next time.

Have a great weekend and do something creative for yourself.

Crocheting Bullion stitches and more....

I've tried crocheting bullion stitches many times but found it much too fiddly and time consuming.....but I watched this video this week and it is demonstrated using a latch hook to help ease the stitches off the hook and I've finally been successful with this technique. Thought some of you crocheters might like to try it. The video is here.

Here are the first two I've made. Click on the images for closer views.

bullion stitch flower made with worsted yarn

bullion stitch flower made with hand dyed bakers twine

....and just a few pictures of some of the things I've done in the last few weeks...

paper folding

shuttle tatting Josephine Knots

Needle tatting Josephine Knots

Cutwork and Shisha mirrors on hand dyed silk velvet

Doodling with paper scraps and pen

You can follow me on Instagram...   https://instagram.com/deanna7trees/

Have a great weekend.