Nicola Foreman Quilts
  • BLOG
  • BAGS
  • CUSHIONS
  • QUILTYSTUFF
  • QUILTS
  • TABLERUNNERS
  • WALL HANGINGS
  • CONTACT ME

Hand Embroidery with Valdani Perle Thread

30/8/2019

0 Comments

 
Here's a close-up of the words that I'd hand embroidered using a Valdani Perle thread from the Cross Patch Favourites collection. I'd had a comment on one of the pictures of A Merry Christmas Garden on my FB page, asking why did I say it had been hand embroidered when there wasn't any embroidery on it! Maybe they thought the words were printed on the fabric as my stitching is quite neat!
Picture
0 Comments

Bigger Perfect Circles

29/8/2019

0 Comments

 
I've also been preparing more applique shapes using the Karen Kay Buckley Bigger Perfect Circles too. These will be stitched in place on blocks 5 and 6 - I've had quite a production line going on in my sewing studio, cutting out fabric cirles and gathering them onto the KKB templates. A quick squirt of Best Press, a shot of steam from the iron, and then leaving these to cool down for a couple of hours gives great results. I'm a great believer in using good quality tools for my sewing, and spending a few extra minutes with the preparation certainly does make a huge difference to the finished item! These circles will be appliqued into place by hand, using a Clover Black Gold needle and those Superior Threads Superbobs which are pre-wound bobbins of 60wt polyester thread. I've had my packet of Bigger Perfect Circles for ages, but they are available from Sew & Quilt. 
Picture
0 Comments

Berries, Berries, Berries Galore!

28/8/2019

0 Comments

 
I've been busy making even even MORE berries for my latest project with those Karen Kay Buckley Perfect Circles - I decided to make the whole blooming lot in one session. I love pressing these, but I'm not so keen on pressing Mr F's shirts! Anyway, these are for the next 3 blocks of A Merry Christmas Garden. I've also prepared all the bias stems for the next 3 blocks 2 - great preparation will hopefully give me great results!
Picture
0 Comments

A Merry Christmas Garden - Block 3

27/8/2019

0 Comments

 
​I am absolutely thrilled to bits with my latest block from A Merry Christmas Garden. This is a lovely festive project by the Australian designer Gail Pan and thiese lovely fabrics were supplied as a kit from Cross Patch in Wales, here in the UK. This block was very simple to put together - a little bit of hand embroidery, lots of hand applique (which I absolutely love) and some machine piecing. The 6" star block is repeated throughout the quilt in an assortment of colours. This block just needs a final press on my wool pressing mat and then I can make a start on the next one!
Picture
0 Comments

Vintage Sewing Club - Month 8

26/8/2019

0 Comments

 
On Friday morning there was a knock on the door from the postman, and what should he have for me but a little parcel from Cross Patch! The next month of the Vintage Sewing Club - another selection of four gorgeous skeins of Cottage Garden Threads. These really are lovely for hand embroidery, and have a beautiful sheen to them. Each month a pattern is also supplied, but I haven't stitched those yet - there are just not enough hours in the day to stitch all the things I've got on my to-do list!
Picture
0 Comments

Berries and Leaves and Berries and Stars

25/8/2019

0 Comments

 
More applique has been prepared and stitched into place for block 3 of this gorgeous quilt A Merry Christmas Garden. I've been using Karen Kay Buckley Perfect Circles for the berries, berries and more berries - and they really do give perfect results! The hand embroidery has been stitched using a Valdani Perle thread that is from the Cross Patch Favoiurites collection, and it is a loely thread to use. All the components of block 3 are now ready to join together - love how these colours and fabrics all look together, it's such a lovely project to make. Spending an hour or so in the evening with some hand sewing is a great de-stressor after a hectic day at work.
Picture
0 Comments

Tree of Life Block 4 - Wise Old Bird

24/8/2019

0 Comments

 
Goodness me the next instalment of this lovely BOM has arrived from Cross Patch already! Tree of Life is this year's mystery button club by the Australian designer Lynette Anderson Designs and like the other birds from the previous months, "Wise Old Bird" is made with a combination of applique and hand embroidery. I haven't actually started this one yet as I have been busy with so many other projects, but I'm hoping to make a start on it as soon as my "to-do" pile has dwindled a bit! At this rate the final reveal by Lynette will happen before I've got the first block stitched!
Picture
0 Comments

Vintage Sewing Club - Month 7

23/8/2019

0 Comments

 
I was sorting out some photographs on my phone, and realised I hadn't shared this one! These GORGEOUS Cottage Garden Threads arrived a few weeks ago and are from the Vintage Sewing Club that I've been taking part in. Excellent customer service from Cross Patch as always!
Picture
0 Comments

A Single Pear

21/8/2019

0 Comments

 
Here's a peek at some applique ready for the next block of A Merry Christmas Garden. This single pear is really very pretty, and has been made using the Apliquick method of applique. It just needs a good press on my new wool pressing mat, and can be joined to the rest of the pieces to make block 3 complete. 
Picture
0 Comments

Bee Happy

20/8/2019

0 Comments

 
As well as stitching A Merry Christmas Garden, I've also stitched a smaller project by Gail Pan. This was supplied as a kit from Cross Patch, and included all the fabrics for making this wall hanging, including the backing and binding. Along with the fabrics, vintage buttons and a cute bee charm charm were included and are just perfect to embellish this project with. The hand embroidery has been completed using one of the gorgeous blue Valdani perle threads that were in the Cross Patch Favourites collection (no guesses where they came from!) and the variegated thread looks perfect with the blue fabrics that Julia chose for this kit. And the little silver coloured bee charm has been hand stitched into position...
Picture
Picture
...and here's the completed wallhanging. This was machine quilted very simply using a walking foot and a dark blue Aurifil 50wt thread. A narrow quilt sleeve has been hand stitched to the back, and it's all ready to be displayed on the wall of my sewing studio. 
Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    About me...

    Hi - welcome to my quilting blog! My passions are my family, my dog, my friends and sewing, not necessarily in that order! 
    ​​I live in Suffolk, not far from the coast, surrounded by the beautiful countryside.  
    ​If you want to share or pin any of my pictures, please link back to my blog.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture

    Blogs I follow

    A Quilt Lady
    A Quilting Life
    Abyquilt
    Anne-Grethe's quiltblog
    Anne Marie Quilt
    Bente Malm Quilte-Design
    Bloom
    Cinderberry Styitches
    Daisy made it
    Dilly Dimple
    Karis Quilterier
    Evas Quilterom
    Erickaeckles
    Fantasia Yarns
    Gail Pan Designs
    Hanne's Quilt Corner
    Halfpenny Home
    I'm a Ginger Monkey
    J-quilts
    Just Jude Designs
    Kviltstina
    Leanne's House
    Liv Aagots Quilteblogg
    Lily's Quilts
    Litamora's Quilt & Design
    Lynette Anderson Designs
    Merete's Quiltestue
    Mona's quiltblog
    Pam's Paradise Stitching
    Pia Si Sia
    Random Ramblings
    Sigrun's blog
    Sølvi's blog
    U-handblog
    ZewNice

     UK shops

    These are the UK shops that I use to purchase my quilting supplies - fabrics and threads etc.
    Bramblepatch
    Buttonberry
    Coast and Country Crafts
    Craft Den
    Cross Patch
    Emma's Fabric Studio
    Fiona's Fabrics
    Glenroy Designs
    Halfpenny Home
    Hulu
    J-quilts
    KIS Quilting
    Patchwork Chicks
    Quilter's Cloth
    Quilters Haven
    Sew and So's
    The Eternal Maker
    The Fat Quarters
    The Quilt Room
    U-handbag

    Australian links

    Cookies and Cream Craft
    Homespun magazine
    Little Quilt Store
    Quilt Fabric Delights
    Under The Mulberry Tree

    Scandinavian links

    Lapp-Elisa Quilts HB
    Lappedesign
    Lappedilla AS
    Myquilt
    Northern Quilts
    Quiltegården
    Quiltekroken
    Quiltemagasinet
    Quiltespecialisten
    Sy-Sammen