Finished UFO!

It's that time of the year, the winter months, to work on those Unfinished Objects. I worked on this wonderful shawl again while at Stitchin at the Beach 2020 in early January. It's a class I took from the EGA (Embroiderer's Guild of America) entitled "Flowers for a Fall Evening" by Kris Andrews that I've written about before. After getting back home I decided it was time to finish and get one more project out of that UFO box! Here are the final steps in this lovely, crewelwork shawl.

The last leaf which sits at the center back of the project in Appleton wools is worked in 402, 403 and 404. Long and short stitch is becoming easier for me to do, especially in wool.

The vein, in 407, covers up the void and completes the shading.

Chenille thread adds highlights and it's by The Thread Gatherer "Silken Chenille", SC060 Burnished Gold. It's variegated. (Check out their website for some gorgeous threads!) You have to work with short (12") lengths because it's fragile, using a chenille needle.

Here is the finished leaf Don't you think it's beautiful?

After pressing both the silk lining and the completed shawl it's time to pin the two right sides together. It's so long that I had to do it on the dining room table to support the fabric so it wouldn't stretch or distort. And I almost used every pin in the cup pincushion!

Next it was time to let it hang over the banister for a few days to rest.

After pressing the opening on the end to turn it through, I pinned and hand stitched it closed with a Ladder Stitch. You can't even see where it is...love that stitch!

The last step was to topstitch all around the edge so that the lining doesn't peak out. Not an easy job because the two fabrics slide against each other. So I pressed and steamed it again around the edges with a press cloth. Starting at one end, I pinned in sequence from one end up to the other...lots of pins! 

The easiest way to get a consistent, even top stitch was to use my Narrow Edge Stitch Foot: the fabric rides against the black blade (it doesn't cut) and moving the machine needle over to the left the correct distance. It was much easier to stitch and it came out perfect!

So this UFO is completed.....

except I want to add a small hand-beaded black fringe on the short ends.  

That's for another day and blog post!

Juggling

I like to juggle projects. I get very bored if I'm working on the same project for too long. I prefer to be really excited about a project or technique even though there are times I have to get something done, like finishing a new class for a deadline (that's now...). The little girls dress (constructed 2 of them) is done and the instructions are almost finished. Lots of work.....

So how do I juggle? I have projects in various stages of completion. And I work on them for short spurts of time between what I have to get done (household chores, cooking, gardening, walking the Big Dog, filling orders). Yesterday I had 1 1/2 hours free so I finished this little girls dress which will go into a Samaritans Purse Christmas Shoe Box.

What other projects are in the pipeline? I'm washing and cutting out 2 more dresses for Christmas Shoe Boxes. I will put each one and any additional supplies into a plastic bag that will be ready when I have some extra time.

Other projects: My Medallion Quilt I've already written about.... 
I've started another quilt Block of the Month with my good friend Jeannie of The Old Fashioned Baby. It's called Cream and Sugar by the Fat Quarter Shop. We just received Month Two. I like the idea of working on this with Jeannie and working monthly on it towards a goal. Here's a photo of Month One (there are two of these blocks).

Then there's a UFO box project from a Phyllis Brown class: a Weary Traveler Pillowcase with lots of hemstitching. This one I work on in front of TV so I feel like I'm accomplishing something.

I count 4 projects in the works. I work on one or two everyday to keep working forward. Of course, this doesn't include the ones rattling around in my head waiting to be put into paper, fabric and stitches. I'd love to hear what projects you're working on!

A Poem about UFO's

Where ever I go and teach I run across ladies who say they're worried that our skills, whether heirloom sewing, clothing construction, tailoring, needlework, etc., are being lost. Schools don't teach "Home Ec" anymore which is a real shame because it is a life skill kids need to learn along with basic cooking. Many young, new sewers don't learn the basics of sewing, and therefore don't have the knowledge and skills to really turn out well-made items. Project Runway (and I do enjoy watching the series on occasion) is an example of sewing fast but without basic knowledge and techniques. The series has promoted the sewing industry and encouraged younger generations to try to learn to sew. And that's good!

Those of us in an older generation wonder what will happen to our creations. I sew for my grand children and they have a closet full of wonderful, custom clothing. I still take classes and have the usual UFO's: unfinished objects in a box in one closet. This time of year, after the Christmas rush and bustle, I go through that UFO file box and pick one or two to work on in front of the fire on these cold wintry days (and we have a snow storm approaching today).

The number of projects and kits is starting to dwindle...that's IF I don't take any more new classes! But I probably have more UFO's, sewing ideas and designs in my head along with fabrics, trims and patterns that will never come to fruition. But I keep trying and challenging myself!

I came across this poem that reminds me of so many stitchers and their stashes and uncompleted projects. I thought I would share this. The author is unknown.

"A Bit of Fancy Work"

It was a bit of fancywork
That she had tucked away
A vine and wreath of tiny flowers
To finish some other day.

Her needle, threaded, still was there
Her scissors and thimble too,
All ready to complete the work
When she'd nothing to do.

I found them in her bureau drawer,
Right where she laid them down,
Waiting there month after month
Ready to be found.

I seemed to hear her low, sweet voice,
As thus I stood alone;
Before me was the work she'd left,
The worker now gone.

Her busy hands will work no more;
My tears unbidden start,
I breathe her name and press her work
Close to my lonesome heart.

Oh, when my hour of going comes,
May life's work be well done,
And something beautiful to be found,
By loved ones when I'm gone. 

Hopefully I won't leave a lot of UFO's for my children to have to deal with. They both have many things I've made for them and their families. Here are two photos of UFO's I inherited from my mother and I completed them (our daughter helped with the evening bag one that I wrote about before, the 3 generation purse).

I just sincerely hope that our schools and other learning/teaching venues will bring back and teach the basics of sewing, tailoring and embroidery to the next generations so they too can enjoy and reap the benefits of these wonderful skills!