Late setting this up but Sale at Etsy store

 

I've continued the sale on some of the "Fall" patterns and added the few Halloween patterns. They'll be 20 percent off until Nov. 1.

https://1creativestitches.etsy.com 

Next section of woodland quilt

 

Here I am back again with another section of my woodland quilt. I decided since it was woodlands I needed to finally add some mushrooms. Got a bit carried away, as I tend to do, with the moss but like enough that I won't be removing any.

When trying to decide on threads I came across a box of old flower threads I bought ages ago. I have some Ginnie Thompson and some DMC. DMC isn't making the thread any more but they do some some new eco threads that would be nice for this section. I decided I wanted the matte look of the threads for most of the embroidery. To substitute regular DMC for the flower thread just leave off the 2 at the front then you have the regular floss number. Flower thread comes in 1 strand that has the thickness of about 3 strands of floss, at least that's what it seems to me.

Using a Frixon pen I doodled where I wanted the log first. It's 2 layers of brown felt. I used 2 to give the log some dimension. They were basted down the center to hold them in place. Then I used DMC 839  brown size 3 pearl cotton. I just did long straight stitches next to each other to cover the felt. 

Next came the moss. Again I used 2 layers of felt and cut them in rough circles. I used gray but green would be good, too. For the french knots I doubled the thread. The knots are a variety of wraps so that they are different sizes. I did 2,3, and 4 wraps. The threads were Ginnie Thompson: 409 (like a dark olive green), 448 (sage), and 470 (dark green). Then just because I thought it would add more texture, I used DMC 2730 (olive) and 2318 (grey for pebbles). You can see in the photo I covered the ends of the log with the knots. If you use grey felt you could leave areas bare to look like the moss is growing over a rock.

Since I'm not using any red in this piece I decided to make the mushrooms light purple. I marked 3 lined where I wanted the mushrooms. The stems are 2 strands of Ginnie Thompson 100 which is white, though since the thread is so old it's taken on a creamy white look. I made long straight stitches so the stems are about 1/8" wide. The cap is 2 strands of Ginnie Thompson 610, a light purple. I filled in a dome shape with straight stitches.  The french knots are 2 strands of the creamy white, 1 and 2 wraps. I used 1 strand of DMC 2642 (light tan) to stitch a few straight lines along the bottom of the purple and a stitch across the stem. I also did a few stitches on top of the log between the 2 larger mushrooms.

I thought the mushrooms and moss needed a snail and for it I used regular DMC embroidery floss. The body is 12 strands of 898 to make at least 4 stem stitches curving up one end for the head.  I used a single strand for the antennae. The shell is 3 strands of 841 and 6 strands of 746 mixed together. I couched it in a spiral using 2 strands of 841. After finishing I saw that I lost the look of a shell but decided to leave it,at least for now.

The flowering plant is made with 1 strand of Ginnie Thompson 448 to stem stitch the stems. I used 2 strands for the lazy daisy leaves and the 1 wrap french knots. The french knot flowers are 2 strands 260.

I decided it also needed some grass so I used Ginnie Thompson 412 to make some straight stitches.

Only 2 more sections to do! I already started on the one above this one and may make some of it's embroidery down in the empty area above the log. See you next month :)

Old free pattern now at Patreon

 

I had this pattern here back in 2019 but removed it to fix some things but never got around to relisting it. I sorted the old PDF and put it over at my Patreon site.Maypole Embroidery

As always I'm working on too many projects and nothing seems to ever get finished. I think a lot of it comes from fabric and craft stores closing. I really prefer to see my supplies in person so I tend to hold off ordering things I know I need. Like right now I really want a white pen for marking embroidery on dark fabrics but have been putting off ordering one since last fall. 

Living in 2 places doesn't help either. I was hauling things back and forth to work on them where ever I was then I decided to keep some projects at one house and some at the other. Didn't work too well. I kept wanting to work on a project that just happened to be at the other house. Then there's having supplies at both places so it always seems that the thread, pattern, or fabric I need is at the place I'm not.

I did finally finish the PDF for a new rabbit but since it's coming on Fall I think I'll wait to list him. I have a new cat done and then there's still the gnomes to do the directions for. The solution to putting off writing the PDF's would be for me to either get the software I need for the old laptop I'm using (win7) or get a new one and the get new software. I have been using versions of Microsoft Publisher since my first computer and that ran win3.1 (a step up from DOS!). I never got it for the 7 because this is a hand-me-down from my husband. I'm still using an old desk top computer with win xp (with no internet)at one house to write all the patterns and then this lap top to do online stuff at the house with internet. It makes it all to easy to put things off.

I am still working on the next sections of the crazy quilt so come back for them. This next section is one I'm really liking.

The next sections of the crazy quilt block

 I'm late this month due to having the flu the second week of the month. It was rough and I still feel weak from it. My allergies are super bad again, too. I did decide to do more of the embroidery so that instead of putting the 3 sections up for July, August and September, I'm putting them all up now. You can now see the entire piece too. 

Now there is one problem with this embroidery. I worked on it while I was dealing with the flu and have now lost the paper with most of the DMC embroidery floss numbers. It's another reason I'm late putting this up. I've been searching but I decided to give up.

Look at the section with the web. I removed the bright green plant and embroidered some grass and flowers. I used narrow silk ribbon for the long leaves.

The blue water section is made similar to section one. It has the same yo-yos, small white flowers, and fish. Go back to the Feb. post on it.

Along the "water" edge I drew lines to look like various grasses. I used feather and stem stitches. There are french knots in the curves in the feather stitches. The cat tail plant was made with padded straight stitch and outlined with stem stitch.

Next I added the ferns. I do have the color for them. It's DMC 890. I used 3 strands to stem stitch the curved stems and lazy daisy stitches for the leaves. I did two in DMC 842, but wasn't happy with them so only did the 2.

Around the ferns are lots of french knots. I used 3 strands of DMC white, 936, and 937 to make them. I then decided it needed a few small "rocks". I used 4 strands of DMC Flower thread 2642 to make 3 wrap loose french knots. This time I stopped myself from going crazy by covering all of the fabric. It was hard to stop but I'm glad I did. I have a box of DMC and Ginnie Thompson flower threads that I'm trying to use more often. I also have a box of DMC rayon thread. It was sent to me from DMC when I was one of the winners in a national contest they were involved in. I found it breaks easily so I guess that's why they stopped making it.

Between the extreme heat and my allergies I'm not getting as much done as I want but I do have some new patterns to get up at etsy. I'm also thinking about bagging up bits of tatting I have filling a large candy jar to sell. I'll post when anything gets listed. 

Thanks for reading and try to keep healthy!