Chain stitching in embroidery and crochet - My block for the Splendid Sampler #thesplendidsampler

There’s a reason that the chain stitch is one of my favorite embroidery stitches.

It reminds me of my grandma.

My grandma and the hundreds of doilies she crocheted out of an endless number of tiny chain stitches. Her crocheted chain stitches look almost identical to the embroidery chain stitch.

I absolutely loved visiting my grandma’s house. When you walked in the door you could see her doilies right away. There’d be one under every plant and lamp. Doily table runners on the side tables. And at Easter there would be pretty yellow and pink and purple ones out. She had a little “stitching station” beside her chair in the living room, so when she was relaxing and watching tv, she would be crocheting. No idle hands for Grandma.

Grandma and Grandpa. Check out all those doilies in the background.

A little over a year ago, while organizing my craft supplies, I came across a bin full of grandma’s thread that she used to make her doilies. About 20 opened spools, some full and some with just a bit of thread left. I had stored them away because I wanted them to stay just as they were when my grandma passed away. But now, years later, I decided the best way for me to honor my grandma was to use her thread.

So I started making her doilies. Stitching the same pattern she used, with her thread, and her tiny crochet hook.

“DOILY: Starting at center, chain 16. Join with sl st to form ring.”

16 chain stitches made, thousands more to go.

My first doily using grandma's floss. The green is from a tiny ball of thread I found hiding in the center of a larger spool.

I was a couple rows into my 4th doily when I was asked by Pat and Jane to design a quilt block for The Splendid Sampler. I knew immediately that I wanted to continue to honor my grandma and her doilies by combining her main craft of crochet with my main craft of embroidery, and my mom’s main craft of quilting. I wanted my block to represent our 3 generations of crafting.

My quilt block is of a “crocheted” doily being stitched with a tiny metal hook.

I love that I finally got to design an embroidery using the chain stitch with what the chain stitch always reminded me of. Grandma’s doilies.

"Crocheted Thoughts" My Splendid Sampler quilt block.

You can get the free pattern for the embroidered quilt block on the Splendid Sampler homepage by clicking the link below.

Get the free pattern here: thesplendidsampler.com

Let’s make the quilt block together! 

Over the next couple of days, I’ll be sewing and embroidering my Splendid Sampler block LIVE on Periscope.

You’ll be able to sew and stitch the block right along with me, and ask any questions you have along the way LIVE and I’ll answer them during the Periscope. We’ll hang out and craft together!

So first, go download the pattern at the Splendid Sampler by clicking here.

Then download the free Periscope app to your device from the App Store for Apple products or Play store for Android (if you're using an iPad, look in the iPhone only apps).

In the app, click the person icon and then the magnifying glass icon, and search for my user name, penguinandfish. Click follow. I will Periscope LIVE at 9:30pm central time, starting tonight, March 20, 2016, so tune in (Periscope should notify you when I’m live). Then grab your crafting supplies and we’ll make the block together.

Note: You do need a Twitter account to use Periscope. If you don't have or want an account, you can still view my Periscopes live (but not participate in comments) at periscope.tv/penguinandfish.

Can't watch LIVE?

If you missed any of the Periscopes live, you can watch all of the replays at:

katch.me/penguinandfish

I'm making EVERY SINGLE BLOCK of The Splendid Sampler LIVE on Periscope and you can watch them all by clicking the Katch link above.

You can also check out my blocks so far on my Instagram at:

instagram.com/penguinandfish (I'd love if you followed me there)

Need some help with embroidery?

I did a few embroidery lessons leading up to the release of my block for The Splendid Sampler. If you're new to embroidery, need some help transferring your design, want a stitch refresher, or want some fun tips and tricks, then check out the replay videos.

To watch, click the katch.me/penguinandfish link then click the "collections" tab on the website. Click "Embroidery Lessons" to watch.

I’m excited to work on the block together with you.

Happy stitching! And good luck with all the rest of The Splendid Sampler blocks.


best
-Alyssa


Comment below, or feel free to contact me (Alyssa) at emails [at] penguinandfish [dot] com (type out using the “@” and “.” symbols with no spaces).

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If you found this post interesting, I hope you'll join me to get weekly emails on how to craft a happy life - and make something cute in the process. For signing up you’ll also get a FREE hand embroidery pattern.

Click here to join (it's FREE too!)

The cutest Foundation Paper Pieced hexie pattern by Tiny Toffee Designs

When I started quilting about 15 years ago I had a question, and it lingered in my head for years.

“How do you make a quilt with all sorts of different intricate pieces and angles?”

I had my eyes set on designing a quilt with cute animals on it. Animals that were actually sewn pieces in the quilt, and not appliquéd or stitched on top of the quilt. I wanted all the pieces to fit together perfectly like a puzzle.

I never asked my question out loud. I assumed that only master quilters with ninja math skills could make quilts like that.

Then I stumbled across “foundation paper piecing” and the stars aligned. This is how quilters were making the intricately pieced quilts!

Foundation paper piecing is almost like quilting-by-number. The design is printed onto paper with each piece labeled with letters and numbers like A1, A2, A3, B1, B2. You first cut the paper into the different sections like the A section and B sections. Then you sew your fabric directly to the paper in the order of the numbers for each section. Finally, you sew the finished sections together completing the design.

By following the lines on the paper, all of your fabrics line up perfectly to each other and form the intricate patterns that I absolutely love.

It looks difficult, like Sudoku for quilting, but it’s actually very easy and enormously satisfying.

I gave foundation paper piecing a try. Of course, like a crazy person, I decided to make a design myself having never done it before, and for a magazine deadline. I made a simple elephant head design and fell in love with the foundation paper piece sewing process.

My first adventure in Foundation Paper Piecing. Designed by me for Quiltmaker's magazine, 100 blocks vol. 5

After that project, life got in the way and I never did foundation paper piecing again. I wasn’t doing much personal crafting at the time (BOO!!!) so foundation paper piecing went, with lots of other things, to the wayside.

However, over the past year I’ve changed a few daily habits, and now I craft every day! (During my nightly 9:30pm central live streaming Periscopes)

After making the commitment to get on Periscope every evening and craft, I’ve made and tried more projects in the past couple months, than I have for the past 4 years. It’s amazing what a tiny amount of time every day can yield.

So when I got the opportunity to try paper piecing again, I knew I could commit, and jumped at the chance.

I met Susi Bellingham of Tiny Toffee Designs on Instagram (@lillaluise) and instantly fell in love with her foundation paper pieced patterns.

There were three immediate things about her foundation paper pieced designs that set off the “squee” meter for me.

1: The paper piecing was TEENSY TINY.

2: The designs were of super cute animals like foxes and narwhals.

3: The finished designs were hexies for English Paper Piecing.

Cute times 3!

Image from the Tiny Toffee Designs Instagram account (@lillaluise)

We got chatting and I was super excited when she asked me to be in her blog hop for some new little hexie designs.

I was asked to try her “Shine like a Star” pattern.

I cut the pattern into its A,B, and C sections and was ready to go.

I was going to do the background in one color and the star in another (I had the fabric out and ready to go), but when I was about to get started I had 3 mini charm packs of fabric within arm’s length. They were stacked up on a pile of fabric on it’s way to a “fabric stash” bin.

I opened up the charm packs and used them instead. The 2 ½ inch pieces of fabric weren’t large enough to do the background or the star pieces in all the same color, so I had to mix and match, creating a patchwork look.

A stack of mini charm pack fabric cuts. I used one charm for each paper pieced segment.

3 little patchwork stars.

I couldn’t be more happy with the result. I ended up with three little patchwork stars. And they are SO CUTE!

I ultimately sewed the 3 finished hexagon stars together using English Paper Piecing techniques and glued them to a leather journal with contact cement. I punched holes in the cover of the journal and stitched on the work “Reach”.

Reach for the stars!

Decided where to place holes then punched the holes into the leather sketchbook cover.

My finished leather sketchbook. Reach for the stars!

What do you think?

I’m so happy with how the turned out.

To check out Susi’s totally cute new foundation pieced hexie patterns, check out her etsy shop, blog and instagram:


Tiny Toffee Designs ETSY shop


Tiny Toffee Designs blog


Tiny Toffee Designs on Instagram (@lillaluise)



If you want to watch a replay of my live Periscope of me making this entire project from start to finish, click the link below.


Click here to watch replays of penguinandfish Periscopes.


And to join me in my nightly LIVE Periscopes, download the free Periscope app to your device. In the app, click the person icon then the magnifying glass, then search for penguinandfish and click follow. My Periscopes are at 9:30pm central every evening. Your device should notify you when I'm live.


Happy stitching!

-alyssa


Feel free to contact me (Alyssa) at emails [at] penguinandfish [dot] com (type out using the “@” and “.” symbols with no spaces), or leave a comment below.

________

If you found this post interesting, I hope you'll join me to get weekly emails on how to craft a happy life - and make something cute in the process. For signing up you’ll also get a FREE hand embroidery pattern.

Click here to join (it's FREE too!)

Designer's Choice winner for the Critter Patch and Threadbias Baby Quilt Design Contest

We have a winner for the Threadbias Baby Quilt Design Contest featuring our Critter Patch organic fabric line from Clothworks Textiles. And the winning quilt design for the Designer's Choice category is...

 

Natural Corridors

by ml_wilkie

Why did I choose it as the winner?

I love the simplicity of this quilt but it's still full of design details. I like how each of the Critter Patch patterns lives in it's own small space within a small square or triangle. Sometimes the triangle lives alone and sometimes it's paired with another. Ml_wilkies description of the quilt is: Modern asymmetric quilt, interpreting habitat corridors that connect wildlife populations. I think the squares and triangles living alone and some of the other triangles living together perfectly show this. It's like the sparrows that throw all the bird seed from the feeder to the ground so that the chipmunks have some food too. Ok, maybe not the best example, but it's the "wildlife" that I see out of my studio window.

The other part I like about the quilt is that the squares and triangles as a group are centered within the quilt as a whole, but they appear off-center because of the cream square that they're positioned on. It's a simple gesture that I find really interesting. It's tugging on my graphic designer heartstrings.

More winners.

I wanted to thank everyone who participated in designing a quilt. It was amazingly inspiring to see what you came up with. To see the People's choice winner and the two runners up for each category, check out the Threadbias post. Check out all the entries here. Ml_wilkies and the People's choice winner will receive all the Critter Patch fabric they need to actually make their quilt design. How amazing is that! Congrats all!

Picnic Pals fabric collection

Hi all. Here's a quick glimpse of my new fabric line Picnic Pals. I'm really excited about the super bright summery colors. The fabric will be shipping to stores in July so make sure to tell your favorite local quilt shop that you'd like them to get some for you! The free pattern to make the rainbow quilt will be available in July as well. I couldn't wait to share it even though I know it's a couple months out yet. I can't wait to make one for myself, it'd be perfect for a picnic blanket. Remember, Picnic Pals iphone cases and ipad skins are available now over at society6, yay!

Jean quilt progress

Thought I'd share how I spent my Saturday. I worked on my jean quilt! I started it a couple of months ago and spent the entire day on it today. It's a "log cabin" style quilt with gold woven wool squares surrounded by one inch strips made out of old jeans. The dark colors are the outside of the jeans and the the light colors are from the insides. To make it bigger you just keep adding strips around the outsides of all the squares. I'm hoping to make this into a queen sized quilt and I'm about half way there right now. Unfortunately I ran out of old jeans. Boo. I'll have to try and steal a few more pairs from the hubs, but until then this project is on hold.

Safari Sweet is released!!!

The lovely Brandi over at Clothworks Textiles let me know yesterday that my first fabric collection, Safari Sweet, is out. Yippee! So tell your favorite quilt shop that you want some. :-) One of the neat things about it is that it's all organic. And not just organic, but GOTS certified organic. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is a third party organization that makes sure every part of the process – including harvesting the raw materials, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading and distribution – maintains the organic status of the fabric. Here's a link for more info on GOTS certification. Another super fun thing is that there are new organic solids that coordinate perfectly with Safari Sweet, and there are also a couple of flannels in the collection. Check out Clothworks Textiles blog and website for more. Over here at Penguin & Fish, we have all of the animals in Safari Sweet available as embroidery patterns and a few of them as embroidery kits. I can't wait to stitch up some animals and make little pillows with the sample yardage when I receive it. All you friends who are having babies know what you'll be getting as gifts. heh heh. I'd love if you could help me get the word out about Safari Sweet. I'll definitely share some more pics once I receive samples. Fun!