CQJP July Block

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

February Rush

Yesterday, we awoke to a sparkly world. Everything was covered with a layer of hoar frost that glinted in the sunlight.

Even though it was chilly, the sun soon melted the frost away......

In the bow window, the baby Christmas cactus is still happily blooming.




I put aside my tree skirt this week, although I wasted many hours trying to tat snowflakes for it, and tatted the TIAS instead. We're up to day 13.

 Some people are guessing it's a sail boat, while others are sure it's a butterfly.

There are several more days of tatting to come........




 At StitchMAP, we've begun our monthly hexies, and I worked first on the silk ribbon monogram.
I had difficulty creating the french knot roses, and made an alternate open rose instead.
My silk ribbon frayed quite a bit, and although I didn't mind it so much on the flowers, I really didn't like that effect on the leaves.
I am pleased with the result of my embroidered monogram.

My design samples  have been accepted for the HEX LABS and I'll be spending some time writing up the directions, but I hope next week to have made some progress on the tree skirt as well as my wrapping cloth.

I hope you have some creative time this week.
May you have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

28 comments:

  1. Hiya Suz! I have never seen hoar frost, but I imagine it must be splendid!! It looks magical in the photos. The stitched monograms are just beautiful. they would be just the thing to personalize a special gift.

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    1. Thank you, Starr. The frost does look pretty, especially in the sunshine. It's like fine crystals.

      Hugs

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  2. Your stitching is stunning. I like the frayed ribbon on your flowers and leaves. Lovely S monograms. Thankfully the sun melted all that frost. Winter will leave many memories for so many this year. I still vote tatted butterfly. Bluetiful no matter what it becomes. Bliss and Joy Stitching Dear...

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    1. I'm afraid winter has been very hard for a lot of people this year, and I hope spring arrives a bit early. Thank you, Sherry. Is it still raining in your area? I hope the ground has been saturated so the gardens are no longer parched. Happy stitching.

      Hugs

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  3. Lovely stitching! The bullion flowers looks very pretty! Now your TIAS piece looks like a butterfly to me too :)

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    1. Thanks Anita. I guess it won't be long now before we find out just what is Jane's TIAS surprise. She's kept us all puzzled.

      Hugs

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  4. Your cactus flower is ALMOST as pretty as your stitching!

    Quite the winter isn’t it? Today was not all that cold - only -11 or so, but I was so gloomy from so much winter that I found it unbearably cold! Worse than the days I jogged in -20 degrees! Funny how it eventually “gets to” you. : (
    Fox

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    1. Aw, thanks Fox! I know what you mean about winter catching up with one's spirit. At least we have Jane's TIAS to add some interest and make us think, right? Happy tatting!

      Hugs

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  5. I must admit that about the only thing I like about winter is seeing the hoar frost on the trees. I remember as a child (grew up on a farm) seeing the wonderful frost patterns on the barn windows. Wish now I had been able to take pictures of them.

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    1. Those patterns were so pretty and lacy, with a new one every morning, it seemed. Sometimes it was so cold that the frost was on the inside, too, and I remember scraping it off with my fingers.......brrrr...... I used to like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing until my knee injury, so now I run chair marathons with my stitching or a good book! lol!

      Hugs

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  6. so many pretty things you have shared with us today, impossible to pick a favourite

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    1. Margaret, I like the embroidered one best of all. My SRE has been quite limited, but I shall enjoy practicing it.

      Hugs

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  7. The snow and frost photos reminds me of a picture card photo. I dont think I would cope in weather that cold.
    My mum had that cactus in many colours...we call it a zygo cactus but I like the idea of it being a xmas cactus.
    Love your monograms your stitching and ribbon work is lovely.

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    1. Thanks, Shirley. I think they're called Christmas cactus here because that's when they're in the shops in bloom. It's a nice spark of colour among the white snow and frost....lol.....although mine seems quite late this year. I haven't done much ribbon work before, so i need a bit more practice I think. Enjoy the warmth and sunshine (I'm envious)

      Hugs

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  8. Your Christmas cactus looks happy.
    Your beautiful stitching and ribbon work, well done on the monograms
    Your pictures f your garden looks so pretty in the frost pity it never lasts long, but shows how you have it.
    Margaret

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    1. The frost is pretty while it lasts, Margaret, but I'm getting to the point where I'm growing tired of the winter........Thanks.

      Hugs

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  9. Love your embroidered flowers - so pretty!

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    1. Thanks Jane, I really enjoy embroidery. I came to it late, but I'm trying to catch up...lol! Happy stitching!

      Hugs

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  10. It does look very frosty in your parts, but the photos look so magical and glittery. Nice work on the tatting. Very clever. You have a lot of projects going there, Suz, and they are all looking very pretty indeed. Bright sunny colours to chase away the cold feelings.

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    1. Hi Dianne! Yes, the frosty stuff does look pretty (especially from indoors...lol) Thanks for the lovely comments.
      Hugs

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  11. each piece here is exquisite Susan....
    http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/

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    1. What a lovely thing to write, Karen. Thank you. I'm hoping to get back to my wrapping cloth real soon!

      Hugs

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  12. Great frost photo, Suz! Don't you love Christmas cactus plants?

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    1. I do Judy! They create a lovely splash of colour during the grey of winter, when everything else is dormant and covered with snow, or eking along indoors with the little bit of light of 'shorter' days.

      Hugs

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  13. Hello Suz. Hmmmmmmm what could that wee tatted creation be?? Something to do with Easter... My Christmas Cactus is still blooming too. Lovely they are.. Happy Belated Valentines Day to you. Hugs Judy

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    1. We'll find out in a few days, Judy, as there's only 1 more tat to go! I hadn't thought of Easter........hmmmmmmm....Hope you had a lovely heart day!

      Hugs

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  14. hhhmmmm . . . i think it's a butterfly . . .
    whatever it is it's beautiful~!

    love seeing your embroidery and am curious about what you will be doing with them.

    a glorious Christmas cactus~! mine is struggling to make a few buds but they seem to drop off before blooming out . . . the plant looks great but haven't been able to make many flowers happen.

    thank you for your recent comment on my blog. i was happy to see that you had visited and enjoyed reading what you thought.

    :-)
    libbyQ

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    1. Thanks LibbyQ! It actually turned out to be-----------(can't give it away, yet!) I was thinking it could be a butterfly, too, but I guess there's been just too much rain in England where Jane ( TIAS designer) lives for that to happen....lol. The HEX embroideries is a year-long project so I'm not sure just what I'll be making with them, and the red and white work is a Christmas tree skirt I'm making for CQJP 2014.
      Thanks for visiting and for you comments.

      Hugs

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