Marie Suarez

Sometimes I need a change from knitting and crochet.  Once a year, I find myself craving for a little embroidery work.
So, when I discoverd the lovely shop 'het gaerehuys' in Ghent, I couldn't resist buying a kit.
It is from 'le chat dans l'aiguille', and they have wonderful patterns.

I could spend hours in this shop...

this little basket is called 'Summer'

a lot of different stiches and colours

So - still in emboidery-modus - when I read about a workshop patchwork & embroidery near my hometown, I quickly enrolled.
The teacher was Marie Suarez, a Spanish wonderwoman who makes the most exquisite designs.

It was just perfect.  We learned a lot of new techniques, stitches and tips&tricks to get a professional result.
This is it , after 2 days of 'hard' work.

working with felt & jeffitex

all 4 sides have different emboidery

would be nice for easter eggs too, in yellow/purple...

For more inspiration, I bought her delightful book filled with little embroidery projects.

Many thanks to Sophie Van Driessche and Patchwork Atelier Varsenare, for organising this wonderful and inspirational workshop, the great lunch in the garden and the homebaked cakes.

patchwork mania

I love flea markets.  that's partly because I love old things, and partly because you don't spend a lot of money and have a nice afternoon.

When I see old dressmakers items, old odds and ends, pieces of lace or threads turned yellow by the years, I really can't resist.
The box I keep these things in is starting to pile over, so I really needed a project where I could use some of these.  and in a magazine I noticed a small patchwork with a lot of left overs and ribbons that would be just perfect for my stash.

The most fun was actually sorting out the fabrics and the ribbons, choosing the perfect position for the old buttons and nicnacs, arranging and rearranging.

and then finally putting it all together, embroiding a little, adding a piece of felt, and here it is, my finished object.

I choose 'Chic et pas Cher' because that is the name of my sewing club. It's an old expression meaning  something 'chic' but not expensive.  And that's exactely what it is.  Nice, but not expensive !

granny squares bag for winter

My first granny squares bag was made in all bright and funky summer colours. 
But now, I prefer the more sober and soft autumn colors, just like the colors you see on the trees.

Last year I bought a couple of skeins from Drops, and I used them to make the grannies for this bag :

The wool changed into a variety of colours, so I just kept crocheting and the result was very harmonious. 

I cut some lining and sewed it in by hand.  The handles are old, I used them before.And I added the felted flower too.

It is a nice big soft bag - just what I wanted.

naai - etui / sewing set

Een tijdje geleden heb ik het patchwork virus opgedaan.  Het heeft me behoorlijk hard doen zweten en zuchten, maar onversaagde toewijding en doorzettingsvermogen hebben het volgende resultaat opgeleverd :

een naai - etui met allerlei vakjes om mijn naaigerief netjes op z'n plaats te houden.  De voorkant is gemaakt in een soort vouw-patchwork.  Je plooit de stofjes in allerlei hoekjes en dan passen die in elkaar en stik je ze vast.  Erg leuk werk ! Om op te bergen plooi je het dicht, en strik je alles vast. 

Met een klein restje stof heb ik dan nog een boekje gemaakt voor mijn borduurnaalden.  Ik had een voorbeeld gezien op een blog van iemand die antieke naaibenodigdheden had.  De borduurtechniek is Assissisch of Perzisch borduren.  De naalden zitten vast op een lapje vilt, dat ik met de zigzag schaar afgewerkt heb.   Het is me al vaak van pas gekomen !

Some time ago, I tried my hand at patchwork.  The result is this envelope that holds all my sewing stuff together.  There is a place for everything.  When you're finished, just fold it together and close with a bow.  I also made a smaller envelope for my embroidery needles.  It is based on an antique pattern, and the stitch is called Persian embroidery.  'Naalden' means needles, you see Flemish and English are quite similar.  I use it a lot, it is very handy.