This Queen bee, was for May's challenge (Not my design), also offered was a Redwork Girl and a Shady Lady fabric applique.

 June's challenge was this wonderful Canadian Oak Leaf, (not my design).  Stitched in Felt applique and also in blackwork.  The third offering was Crayon Coloured embroidered wild roses.

July's challenge was my Dragonfly. Which is an element from one of my larger embroidery pieces - Cheerful Flutterings.
Also offered for July was a raised embroidery Butterfly and a spider and his web (often used in Crazy Patchwork).

 August was my Aboriginal inspired Kangaroo and Gecko.

There are still a couple of my designs to be released, but since their still to come we want to be a surprise, so I can't show them here.

If you would like to join StitchMAP and learn a wonderful skill jump on over to the Yahoo site HERE and enjoy this wonderful craft. They regularly run classes to learn about colour, red work, crazy quilting and others.

You can also download my FREE iPhone embroidery app HERE or click on the link above left. (remember Android version is in production and will be released soon)

Arlene

Welcome to all the newcomers to my blog.  I have been blogging since 2009, mainly about my embroidery but also occasionally about whatever is happening of some importance in my life.

I love surface embroidery, Goldwork and Stumpwork, all of which I try to incorporate into my Crazy Quilting which is also what I love.

I didn't start doing embroidery until a few years ago, but now this is all I do.  My son and I recently created a FREE Embroidery App for iPhone-iPad-iPod, the link is on the left side bar as well as here. It's gonna be a while now unfortunately before I get an Android version up an running, son now has a full time job, and so our time is very limited what time we can spend together on it.


and Cheerful Flutterings on the 8th April.

Also on these tabs are the FREE Tutorials and template downloads for the projects in our Embroidery App. You can also download my new FREE 2014 Printable Calendar.  I posted a few posts ago on how to put it together.

I am a member of several Yahoo online forum groups, but mainly I am involved with Crazy Quilting International and their swaps, Southern Cross Crazies and their swaps, CQJP and their Annual challenge, but I would be far more involved with StitchMap, where you can learn many different forms of embroidery for Free.  To get more info on these groups their 'buttons' are on the left or right side of the blog.

My ongoing major project this year is the CQJP project, which is the 12 Days of Christmas Wall hanging.  Worked with goldwork and stump-work elements as well as incorporating crazy quilting. I am currently up to number 6.

I am locally involved in two craft groups and Scouts Australia.  Fibres and Fabrics are a local fibre arts group which I am involved with.  Here is the link to their blog.  I am also Chief Steward of the Arts and Crafts division of our local show, here is the link to the Show Schedule if you are local and wish to enter.

I live in the wonderful north Queensland city of Townsville on the East Coast of Australia, a place of great inspiration for my embroideries.

I hope you decide to come back and tag along with me on my journey into Embroidery.

Arlene

Well over the past month a few items have made it down under.
First the Orny swap with Lisa

This is the one I sent, and below is the one I received from Lydia

Then the Lion's Christmas stocking swap, here is the lovely stocking I received from Suz














And the one I sent
 and below is the Cracker that Natasha sent to me.  The santa is cross stitched and the whole piece is quilted, so lovely.
 And inside the cracker:   There is a small teddy bear missing from the photo, only because he's already on my jacket.


I've even had a couple of finishes, I finished the Redwork course on StitchMap, it was a challenge, which I am thankful for my students I mentored, otherwise I don't think I would have finished it.  During the course we made motifs, and at the end we were to make them into weights, but I would never use them, so I made mine into a book cover for one of my favorite stitch dictionary.
 Back and Front cover

 Inside back - pockets for needles cards and small scissors
 Needle and pin booklets at the front.
Now I can take my needles etc with my stitch dictionary.
I've started on my CQJP 2013, but will post that sometime soon, it's looking quiet good already.

I'm not sure what my posting will be like for the next 4 weeks as I'll be away on the 2013 Australian Scout Jamboree which is being held in Queensland this year. I leave Boxing day and return home on the 22nd January, hubby will be at home looking after our two puppies and everything else (thank heavens for hubbies like this).

Thank you everyone for following me this year, and leaving comments, and especially the help on my tree skirt.

Have a wonderful holiday season, if you believe in Santa then I hope he brings you loads of pressies, and those who have other beliefs, God bless.

Arlene

Over the last couple of months I have been mentoring two lovely ladies Leanne (an fellow Aussie) and Iris (a remarkable English women), complete their BCQC2 class. BCQC meaning Basic Crazy Quilting Class (no2), and as I had not done the course before I had to do it along side them.  StitchMap is wonderful group offering these FREE classes through their Yahoo Forum site. Here are my completed items, due to copyright, I can't show you anymore except close ups, so if you want to know more about doing this class yourself, click on the link and go to their forum page, and join.

Here is another view of the pin cushion.  If you like my beetle you can go to Joggles.com and sign on to do a course with me to make these wonderful little works of Art.  I'm extremely happy with how he turned out, the pincushion is my favorite piece.
























Here is the thread roll opened up on the patchwork side, for copyright reasons I can't show you the inside.































And the needlecase, again can't show you the inside do you Copyright.
Arlene

As you all might know I am a member of StitchMap, and part of the mentor program.  We too have some challenges that we get to participate in, and one of them was the Mug Rug swap, here is the one I sent to Ruby in the US,

To all my fellow blogger's Happy New Year for 2011.

I have borrowed this from a post from Stitchmap, thought it very appropriate, thanks Eileene......

2011 Contract

After serious & cautious consideration... Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2011

It was a very hard decision to make...

So try not to screw it up !!!

My Wish for You in 2011

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.

May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like

Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips !

May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy

May the problems you had, forget your home address !

In simple words .............

May 2011 be the best year of your life !!!

Happy New Year !!

Making the Gum Nuts.

Reading through the instructions in the magazine, I first made my gumnuts. They are made up of 6 stranded cotton, and a wooded bead. 

Hubby gave me some small files and so I've been able to make the centre hole larger, to fit more thread through. 

This was where my fingers get a little sore, as I'm holding the tread fairly tight, and they just get stiff from not moving too much.

I wrap the bead until  it's totally covered.  Here is one I experimented on first.  I used brown beads, so that if I didn't totally cover the bead with thread, the bead would not be that noticeable.

Once the whole bead was covered I then stitched button hole around the top and continued for a couple of rounds to get the end of the gumnut right.

Here are my finished three gumnuts, this took me about 2 hours to make these three.

The gumnut blossoms were a bit more of a challenge, as I wanted them to be soft, but still stiff enough to stay in position, I also didn't want them to be flat on the background fabric. So I made them up like you do when you make pom poms.

Waited for them to dry and trimmed the edges, seperating the threads with a pin I fanned them out. I then painted the tips with yellow acrylic paint and them let them to dry a day more.

Making the leaves were easier, they were drawn onto fabric, thread laid down, and couched into position, then sewn around the edge with a slanted chain stitch,

I then cut them out ready to be placed on the cushion.

Part 1 - Guidelines