Under a Blue Moon

After my frustrated post about not being able to find anything silk ribbon embroidery related at my local craft and sewing haunts I got an email from Patricia Eaton of Bird Nest on the Ground saying she had a book on the subject she wanted to send me along with some fabric and silk to get me started.

My gracious. 

Imagine my delight to come home and find this waiting for me:

That is the envelope she sent!  And the cutest thing is she sent her husband to the post office to mail it!  It was so pretty I almost didn't want to open it.  For about an eighth of a second then I tore into it (carefully – wanting to preserve the envelope). 

And would you look at the bonanza it contained.  I wish you could have seen my face. 

First of all when Patricia said she wanted to send me a book I didn't realize she meant a book she WROTE!  Herself!

Not only did she send me the book – but she included everything I need to get started; a wooden hoop, assorted needles, two pieces of fabric (one of them vintage), embroidery floss, not to mention the silk ribbon in the most luscious pinks and greens (my favorite color combination), a booklet she also wrote on "How to Write on Fabric,"  a little beaded flower she made (and that I need to really inspect so I can copy it in white for my ivory crazy quilt patch).

But the very best thing…the thing that almost made me cry when I saw it – that someone would go to this amount of effort – was this pincushion.  

Patricia I cannot even convey how touched I am.  Thank you.

Crazy, I'm crazy for feeling so lonely….

Now you are going to have that song stuck in your head too.

I'm back in the cellular world – yippee!  I felt a little adrift not having a cell phone for 13.5 hours.  Anyone that has children who mostly communicate with them via their cellphones understands my angst.   Said children are 21 and 23 years old but still.  One worries.

I am not sure what I was searching for – maybe an embroidery stitch – but somehow managed to fall down the very alluring and inspiring crazy quilt hole.  I found some images on Flickr of the most gorgeous cream crazy quilt with the most incredible detail.  Flickr led me to Ivory Blush Roses' blog and I'm smitten. 

I had a bunch of ivory fabric swatches so I figured I would just have a go at it.  My crazy quilting leaves a lot to be desired.  After I did it I actually figured out the proper way.  Oh well.  There's always next time.  I have bits that aren't stitched down but I figure the embroidery and embellishment part will take care of that.

And it's all about the embroidery and embellishment – let me tell you.

This is a case where more is more.  Just hang tight and I'll show updates over the next couple of weeks.  I've just warming up.  The little daisies in the picture below were from my wedding dress.  My bridesmaid's sister was following me around at the wedding picking them up as they fell off my dress and she put them in an envelope and gave them to me after the wedding.  They have been in my sewing basket ever since.  I figured I'd put them to good use.

I found the fabric for my apron.  I also found the most adorabale online fabric e-tailer called Pink Chalk Fabrics for modern sewists.  I was so excited that when I placed my order I spelled my name completely wrong and had to email them after the fact with the proper spelling. 

They carry some of the Lecien line that I've seen little teasers of on various quilty blogs I visit.  If you go to the Lecien website you can see all of their lines but let me warn you – you will suffer cuteness overload.

My plan is to have the main part of the apron be the squirrel fabric and use the floral for the flounce on the bottom and the ties.  The apron doesn't have a pocket so I'll either do a pocket in the floral or I'll do it in the squirrel but edge the top of the pocket with the floral.  I have to see how busy it looks.

I can't wait to get my hands on it.

I am getting no where with my newfound interest in silk ribbon embroidery.  I went to JoAnns and asked if they had any books, supplies, kits, ANYTHING and the women working there just looked at me blankly and vaguely gestured in the direction of the embroidery floss and said IF they had anything it would be over there.  I hate when store personnel do that.  Instead of sending me on a wild goose chase just find someone that can answer a definite yes or no.

Pretty much the same experience at Michael's where I actually did see a kit about two years ago.  It must not have caught on because they sure don't carry it now.

There are plenty of on-line resources but I think I need a how to book before I get started.  I'm not sure what width of ribbon to use.  When I did it before I used regular old satin ribbon and not the easier to work with silk ribbon.

To console myself I bought a book of copyright free images of fairies and angels.  It comes with the images printed on card stock and a cd with the images.   I like the cd because I can adjust the colors and print the images myself.

I mainly bought it for the image on the cover and wouldn't you know it's not included in the book