Karen Ruane's Alchemy online class.... is running now...

I couldn't take Karen's class this time around but I know they are very busy over there..

so I disassembled an old piece I was not happy with....

 I cut it into blocks and put it back together making two small quilts.
Now I will add more embroidery and embellishment, remembering all the great inspiration I got from Karen Ruane's Alchemy class 2013 . I took last year, such a worthwhile class.

This is  beautiful cotton yardage I bought on Etsy, I had to show you.

"Prairie" sewing kit progress...

Measuring tape embellishment added with button hole stitch.

I'm adding beads to the Venice lace piece.

 Sharon B's WIP Wednesday is inspiring me to get work done on my new "Prairie" sewing kit. It will be for sale in my Etsy shop, crazyvictoriana.etsy.com.

Inspiration; illusive and mysterious...

The natural world is full of free, amazing, abundant inspiration.

My amaryllis, two buds have opened, one to go.

Interwoven Globe, edited by Amelia Peck, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a fascinating book about the worldwide textile trade, 1500-1800. Textiles; the production of, the procuring of, the deciding how to use the textile, how to embellish it, what social class it was meant for, all of this is truly interwoven through history. Where ever we have been or what ever we have done, textiles have been right there with us. People in the past were very ingenious in using what was available to them to get some amazing results! Inspiring!

Embroidered & Embellished book review...

This is one excellent book.

Christen Brown's book is #1, beautiful and #2, well written with great pictures and excellent directions. Her compositions are fabulous. She is an amazing and skillful artist. I hope to meet her someday. I'll have to take one of her classes when I visit my son in S.Cal. If you are an embellisher / embroiderer you want this book for your reference library for sure.
http://christenbrown.com/about/gallery/embroidery/index.html
Published by C&T Publishing, they put out really worthwhile books.
http://www.ctpub.com/

Work in Progress...Sewing Kit

Venice lace added, left. Beads added to chevron stitch, right.

 I am taking part in Work in Progress Wednesday at Sharon B's Pintangle http://pintangle.com/wip-wednesdays-faq/. This is my project I'm reporting on. It is a sewing kit and will be available in my Etsy shop, Crazyvictoriana.etsy.com. Sharon has a lot of great ideas. It's fun to see other peoples' projects and progress.

I really like the Venice lace piece I bought in Etsy; Cathyscrazybydesign.

Beads added to the hand embroidery on the pocket.

Small beads added to the french knots.

Crazy quilt, art quilt, vintage sewing notions...

I'm working on a crazy quilt to showcase vintage sewing notions.

I got this vintage half doll and card with hook and eyes from one of my favorite Etsy shops https://www.etsy.com/shop/MissIvyVintage. The half doll was made to be used as a decorative element on a pin cushion or what have you.

Silk Yo-Yo's

I whipped up a lot of Yo-Yo's last night,silk, tulle,cotton.

Interviewing...deciding on where they should go.

This I like, beads and vintage buttons will be added too.