People lost their needles and threads ????

I don't think so. Everybody's just busy. I have a fall fair at church this Sat., and I've been really busy with that. Though I have worked on a couple of small projects to try new things. i made a Halloween treat bag using the glow-inthe-dark and fluorescent threads DMC makes. It was cute, and I found out exactly how to work witht hose threads. I also started a Christmas ornament, just for the sense of accomplishment. I was working on a big project, and I was running out of steam. I find it helps sometimes to switch to something easy to finish so I feel like I've actually done something.

Louisa

Actually, I would think most of us are stitching and USING our needles and threads :)

Like Louisa, though, I am very busy. Scouts, sports, exercise, work. If I get a length of thread in a night, I'm lucky!

Linda

Ah , i just wanted to know where all the Embrodery talk went ??thank you , mirjam with 4 needles in my hands

In my case it's because I'm more action than talk at the moment. I'm working on a banner for church, and approaching each step slowly and deliberately.

It's going to be a baptismal banner, and I had already started a banner to hang in a specific place - sort of an odd size/shape, over a door. Then the fire marshall decided that we needed an EXIT sign there, which pre-empted that project, so I put it aside.

A year and a half later, we got new pastors who decided they want a big baptismal banner that we can put names on to accumulate during the year, and each year at All Saints Day start afresh (next project: a partner banner for funerals). So back to my thinking cap to figure out how to adapt what was already done to a new presentation. So I've decided to make it sort of a tryptich shape (only inverted, point on the bottom)....the center panel is blue moire, with a white silk shell stitched on, and "shading" done in clear sequins along the shell spines, to make it look "wet." There are three large sequin-filled drop shapes "dripping" off the bottom of the shell. (Typical baptismal symbol.)

I bought some beautiful gold silk fabric for the side panels, on either side of the blue, and on those I will sew (with the machine) clear plastic "pockets" into which can be inserted business-card size name cards as baptisms occur.

Across the top (48" wide), which I'm working on diligently now (this is supposed to be done by the first Sunday in November) is the phrase "New Life in Christ", on white silk, satin-stitched in gold silk thread. The font I used (~4" letters) is a contemporary font in a traditional style, in that the shapes of the letters are pretty traditional Times New Roman-ish, but the heavy strokes have "hollow" centers on some of the characters, so I'll fill in those strokes with royal blue silk to match the center panel.

Part of the delay was having to design both banners in my mind before proceeding with the first, so that there'd be consistency of materials and thematic integrity. Thinking takes so much longer than doing, in some cases!

So I have my work cut out for me. It takes me 2-3 hours per letter, and so far I've done NE...it'll have to be consistent effort if it's to be done in time!

Sue

Sounds gorgeous! Please be sure to post a picture when it is done and let us know so we can see!

Linda

Good luck in finishing Susan. I'm sure having thought things out so well beforehand will pay off in production time saved.

I've gone back to finishing my holly cross stitch. I'm doing a sashiko heading and footing to the cross stitch. So far I've drawn the pattern out on tracing paper, and am now in the process of basting the pattern to the fabric, then tearing the paper off - next I'll hand stitch the pattern in gold thread. The length of time this is going to take me I didn't want to trace the markings. I might have to go on a search to find enough gold thread to do it all. But first things first.

Last week I worked on my crazy quilt pillow, and did a dragonfly, which is in my album if you want to look.

Susan i am impressed , may you enjoy it fill it with new births.. mirjam

Speaking of Current projects , Friends mooved house last year and hinted they would love a real traditional `laufer`, but my loom isn`t warpred for that. Thus i said i will embroider/applique /sew some kind of Laufer. It took me a while, than i decided to use the 4 letter in their family name as petals of a flower that i will applique ion to the middle of that `laufer`, I stylized special leters , making them more round and full ,,,,,, from that point i worked my way out to the

That sounds nice, but what is a "laufer?"

A Eropean name for an elongated [heavey] table cloth ,, ohh i think it is called in English a RUNNER .. mirjam

Dora, you may just given me an idea to use some bits I've done over the years with some fabric and some crazy quilting.

I'll let it bubble around for a few days. Cheryl

Are you typing with your toes, then?

Pat

Usually with my eyes , mind and heart ,,,,, mirjam

The only thing I would say about previously worked pieces is that it is sometimes a bit difficult to piece them in without cutting off part of the worked design. Otherwise I enjoyed it. It certainly makes the work go faster. The pillow is 25.5x25.5 inches+seams, and I have a second one to do as well.

I plan to applique my TW 'Castle' onto the second pillow. You may not remember (Diane will) but the fabric it was stitched on was defective, and ripped in a couple of places. So I can't really use it in any other way.

Dora