Meet....Queen Annes Lace and Confetti

Well you all know that I've been making Queen Anne's Lace cuffs for well over a year now. But, did you know that it didn't even cross my mind to make a Queen Anne's Lace ring. Until, Beth at Have It Sweet sent me an email and asked me if I could make one. The light bulb went off and I thought....Oh Duh! The Polka Dot ring was a special request as well. Loved making them both! Thanks Beth for the light bulb! And, if you are looking for some real deliciousness....visit her shop, but go run a mile first.

Folk/Peasant Cuff and Contest Tomorrow!

I'm getting ready for vacation and wanted to share with everyone my newest cuff. I love this yellow wool and the mottled look. The wool came out of the collection that I posted previously. I'm using up this collection slowly, since I love it so much. Not only the colors, but also the texture. I think this one has a kind of folk/peasant appearance.

I'm working on another for a friends girlfriend and I will post that before I leave as well. It has a totally different look and is in purple.

Come back and visit tomorrow --I will posting a new contest for your enjoyment!

Deep, Deep Red

I just finished a new felt cuff. It's a lovely red...deep, deep red. I used black and shades of grey to embroider the flowers, scrolls and leaves. It has a really sophisticated look and would look great with jeans or a great suit. I finished the inside so that if you are allergic to wool it won't make you itchy! 

 

In the next couple of days I'm going to start a series on embroidery....embroidery 101. With a few basic stitches you can make beautiful accessories, or embellish some of your own items. I am now bleary-eyed...and think I'll go rest my eyes!

Felt Connoisseur

Most of the items in my shop currently are made with felt. Rather than being a connoisseur of wine, I'm a connoisseur of felt! (See this Wikipedia article for everything you ever wanted to know about felt) I'm always on the hunt for really nice felt. I have found Spanish wool, wool, hand-dyed, made with recycled plastics, and craft felt. Of course there is also the felt that you can make from wool garments... I found yards and yards of felt at a local thrift shop, but I'm going to use that when I get around to making paper --to absorb the excess water between layers of felt. Don't hold your breath for paper in my shop, it could be years before I get around to that project!

While traveling the Pacific Coast Highway last fall, I stopped at a quilt shop, Forget-me-Knots, in Brandon, Or., and found the felt that graces the cuffs that are in my Etsy shop, Waterrose.etsy.com . It is hand-dyed and absolutely beautiful! My current felt discovery was found in an Etsy shop, MissSewItAll.etsy.com . Her shop carries beautiful fabrics from some of the major designers. You can see by this picture she also has (only one collection left!) some beautiful felt. It's sitting on my design table at the moment. As I pass it I have to reach out and touch it...the colors are rich and just waiting to be made into something beautiful. I have to stay away from this shop...it is a fabriholics worst nightmare! When you talk with Miss Sew It All...you can tell that you would love to have her as your next door neighbor if you collect fabric --not only is she funny, but I'm sure she knows the best tactics for getting fabric into the house without anyone knowing....except the dog!

I love making the cuffs that I began designing a month ago. I haven't been embroidering much over the last year, at least not until I began making the embroidered rings. I've been busy with the quilt that I posted about earlier this week. I'm also working on a book that I've been writing for quite a while about quilting. 

So, when I began sitting down to embroider these cuffs the design ideas came pouring out of my brain. I had to sit and draw some of them, since I can't make them as fast as I think them up. So, if I don't stop playing on etsy ...I'll never get around to making them all! With that...I will bid the computer adieu and get busy making some new cuffs for your enjoyment!