I AM BACK - HOPEFULLY

At last I am back able to blog.  Had a problem that would not let me in which turned out to be not mine but Harvs.  He does a retiree newsletter that he does every month and has been doing for many years.  He did not consider it a blog but it was and that is what had to be fixed because it was set up before 2007.  My blog was not.  Also added Google Chrome so this is just a test to see if I am actually back in.  If it works will post again later with some pics.  We are back in Chicago from Florida and everything is so green and all the trees are out and it looks so green and beautiful.  Glad to be back.  It was getting very hot when we left.

EMBELLISHMENTS 3rd try at posting

I don't know where this is all ending up but I tried taking the pics first and had a little trouble. Hence 3 posts.

The following are some of the little embellishments we have made in our class to add to our cloths.

First were the tassels and bows then dangles that were made on the sewing machines with the scrim cloth. they can be decorated and are made to hang from your cloth or tacked on top. I just saw a gorgeous piece a gal made and had these dangles on top of it and they looked great. This is such a fun class that I encourage anyone who wants somelthing really neat to sign up for Karen's next class. It starts May 1 and is the 1st class we did with making our own cloths and learning her type of embroidery. Her work is gorgeous and she is so casual and easy you will just love her. Very down to earth type gal.

MORE EMBELLISHMENTS MADE

UPDATE

I was never so surprised as yesterday at the Drs. to learn that the allergy blood test came back - no allergies. For years I have been told I had Allerigc Rhinitis and was treated for such with various allergies and nasal sprays. Mostly prescription. This is from an Allergy Group in Chicago. Well now I find out I have what is known as Vasomotor Rhinitis which exhibits many of the same symptoms as the allergic one but also includes all the chemical odors, weather changes, high humidity and various other things. I have been bothered by these for years and do not wear perfume or can go in a nail salon or I would get a terrible migraine.

Well as of yesterday I am off the allergy meds and am now on a twice a day nasal spray (prescription) and we will see what happens. Life is amazing. I also found out I do not have very much arthritis in my neck and head but do have a deteriorating disk between C5-C6 neck area. I have exercises to do and some meds to take for that.

Well enough of that and on to more fun things. I am including some pics of things I have done through the class. The first is a piece of fluff I put together. It is a piece of scrim that didn't gather right so I cut it off but didn't throw it out. The center is a little scrap with the basket that I have had for ages. I added some pretty eyelet and did a bit of stitching on it and came up with this.

the second was a dily that I randomly smocked and then stitched on. It is fun just sitting doing all those stitches. Would never have thought I would like doing that this much.

SICKY

Sorry I have been so long since posting but have been suffering with either sinus/allergy condition that has been giving me super headaches and that means I can't do much sewing on my class. I have been fiddling with handwork rather then the machine work we are doing now. Went to the Drs. and of course no meds until they decide what it is. Neck and head xrays on Fri. and blood tests today to determine what exactly I am allergic to. Something new to me is they can tell from a blood test and you don't have to have the needle pricks to see what you are allergic to. what a wonderful world - what next.

I did just finish one little doily piece. It was an oval doily and we smocked it and then decorated it with all different stitches. This actually was from the first class but I just finished it. We are now working on straw silk paper and scrim to attach to our projects or to be put in a book project which is what I would like to do with just the samples. I could be working on this for months. Finding the paper is not easy but did manage to find 8 x 11 pieces in the scrapbooking section of JoAnnes. The larger pieces would be better because you have to hoop them and do free machine embroidery on them and larger pieces mean a larger hoop and more freedom. I found a place on line but a 14.00 order was 12.00 to ship. Outrageous.
I decided I would wait until I get to Chicago and look around there for some.

The picture of the lace hankie has freeform flowers machined on the silk paper and then cut out around them. They are just laid on the hankie for the effect. We were doing the same type of embr. on the scrim and there is a pic of that also. Also we were making our own lace pieces on scrim by removing threads and zigzaging over the remaining threads. It looks funny in the pic but when you see what some of the gals have done with it it is just great. Some of the ladies in this class are so talented.

I have never enjoyed a class as much as I have enjoyed these 2. I hope Karen Ruane keeps thinking of new things for us or I will be in withdrawal when this ends.

4th CLOTH

This is the 4th. cloth I am doing from the first class with Karen. It is going to be the bottom of either a 3 or 4 long piece depending on how much room I have to hang it in a bedroom when I get home. I have decided to make a book with all the samples from the Extending Embellishing class I am doing now plus some small pieces from the first one.

It is put together and some pieces just sitting there not attached. Actually last night I sat and basted all the areas down to the under cloth which is the top of the lace piece. It must have been a runner as both ends were in the bag of linens I bought recently. This end had a good 12 inches of nice linen attached so was perfect for the last cloth.

In the first pic I had laid a doily down but after looking at the pics I did not like it so took it off and found a smaller one that I soaked in Oxy and it is nice and white this morning. I think the smaller white one will be better.