June FNSI results

I still don't have the Internet but it won't stop me to post the results here as I promised :). I decided to finish the work on the tablemat. I did all the layers some time ago and pinned them together but I couldn't move on with quilting them. The main point to make this tablemat was to exercise and try free motion quilting. I did some of that on other fabric pieces to get a feeling but still I was worried how it would come out. But, if you don't try you're not going to be better, so finally I started free motion quilting on the tablemat. Last Friday night I finished that all.

SewCalGal blog has the year long event called Free-Motion Quilt Challenge. Each month there a different expert showing how to learn and make various free-motion patterns. In January there was this leaf pattern shown and I thought it would be good to make on my piece:

Here's the centre square sewn together

and the whole tablemat:

Now, I need to make the binding and it will be ready.

June FNSI

This post will be "Excuses and Apologies" one. I signed up for June FNSI and I will be sewing that Friday night. I have two things going on and will work on one of these:

1. Baby quilt I started in May
2. Patchwork tablemat for which I used some scraps

The table mat was made mainly to give a try in free motion quilting. I started this yesterday and it is sooo hard, the needle doesn't always go the way I want to, but it's fun to try it.

Now the "Excuses..." part - unfortunately I won't be able to show you the results on Saturday, as I don't have access to the Internet at home now. My Internet provider did very, very bad thing as they cut me off by mistake and it cannot be fixed that easily. So, lack of internet access will be more than just few days. I'll do my best to post some results over the next week. So sorry once again :(.

Sashico pillow - hanazashi stitch

Here's the second Sashico pattern I finished recently. It's called hanazashi, which means flower stitch. This is the second Sashico pillow I made. I thought of making a pair that would be made the same style, but still remain different. I'm glad how it came out and I think this embroidery is great to decorate the house.

Now, I will make a break with it but it looks great to me so for sure I'll come back to it once and will try other patterns. There are plenty of them and they can be used in many different combinations.

There are a couple books about Sashico, the one I decided to buy for myself was "The Ultimate Sashico Sourcebok" of Susan Briscoe. To me it contains all that book about embroidery should have:

1. some information about the origins and the history of the embroidery - in fact in this book it is very detailed, including many photos of some old things made with Sashico
2. part about tools, fabrics, threads needed
3. various examples and projects where Sashico can be used - coasters, table mat, greeting cards, curtains
4. finally, the list of all the various patterns

If someone wabts to try out these patterns, then this book will be a good source. Though, I had to read the info on how to make the patern a couple times before I figured out all about it. Once I did for one it was fine for the second as well.