Monday, March 25, 2013

Stitch Me Up - My Turn!

It is my turn for the Stitch Me Up Blog Hop!

May I extend a big Thank You to Madame Samm and Jane as well as our sponsor, Colonial Needle.

Here is what you came for ~

I was excited for this Embroidery Blog Hop, for I had a project on my "I think I should make this..." list for several months that would fit perfectly into this hop. I used to embroider a lot before I had kids and when my boys were really young. I loved crazy quilting and really enjoyed embroidering a variety of stitches and even would accent the embroidery with beads.
Here are a couple of bears that I have crazy quilted.

More about this project - I would make these hearts and sell them at crafter's markets and bazaars.

When unpacking from my move last spring, I happened to come across a bucket full of 44 finished crazy quilted hearts, fully embroidered and ready to be made into these hanging hearts that I evidently had made many many moons ago. I realized that I most likely would have NO outlet to ditch these hearts onto people who would never pay me enough money to cover for the time I put in to them, so I thought perhaps they would look good in a quilt. I mapped out the plan for the quilt and decided then that crazy quilted borders would look good on this to tie it all together.

I put the picture on my design wall, bought some simple muslin to put the hearts on, cut them into squares, sewed a few onto the squares and then the project sat in another bucket waiting for time/desire to continue. When this blog hop came along, I had a reason to start and finish this project!

And now the project ~

First of all, here are the "required" elements: I incorporated a few of the embroidery designs that were given to us in the crazy quilted borders.



Now for the other stuff ~
One of the hearts
Quilted with a light lavender thread outlining the hearts and then in meandering circles and hearts.

Borders before embroidery and quilting

My personal favorite of all of the embroidered designs features tatted flowers that I had made and saved for who knows what.

Here is the complete project (as of today).
I still need to finish the bottom border and then get the binding on, but here it is so far.





I placed several tatted pieces in the crazy borders. Believe it or not, these pieces of tatting are part of my test samples. My rejects, if you will, like the patterns that I was trying to figure out, but they didn't quite become really what I was looking for as I made them up. Yes, I am a tatter. Regular shuttle tatting, none of that fat needle stuff that then doesn't look like tatting because it isn't dainty enough. Learned from a friend of mine in college as payment for me sewing some bridesmaid's items for her. Best payment I have EVER received. As for the projects I have made with my tatting, that will have to wait for another blog post.









This quilt will eventually go on my 11 year old step-daughter's bed once I get it completed. (It is my Spring Break now, so hopefully I will have some more time this week to get it closer to completion).

And now for my Giveaway!

For one lucky winner, you will receive one of my hanging hearts in either blue, green or pink tones as well as a small bag of some of my "tatting scraps" for you to do with whatever you like. Please leave a comment below telling me what YOU would like to do on your Spring Break (whether or not you get one) and tell me what color of heart you would prefer.

HAPPY BLOGGING, EVERYONE!

Lavonna ZWB


Here's the other bloggers to enjoy!


Isabel @That Other Blog
Jeanette @That Other Blog ( no show) 
  

57 comments:

  1. WOW!!! oh WOW that is fantastic, I LOVE crazy quilts and this one is AWESOME to Nth degree!! That border you designed is a work art all by itself all those bit and pieces and tatting WOW is all I can say and those hearts are beautiful WOW.

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  2. Wonderful work
    Enjoy your hopping :)

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  3. Omg you have been busy. I am working On a crazy quilt block round robin and I love your stitches.

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  4. Nice way you used the flowers.
    Frederika

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  5. A nice way to use the patterns.

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  6. Great job and such a good way to link your projects together.

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  7. That quilt looks like you spent a lot of time on that quilt. It is beautiful. Nice job and thanks for having a give away. The hearts are to cute.

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  8. Love your crazy patch quilt! I'm a tatter too....shuttle only.... and love to incorporate bits into projects! Beautiful job!

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  9. What a beautiful quilt. Thanks for a giveaway chance.

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  10. a beautiful piece of work. If I had a Spring Break I would go into my sewing room and make something for myself, I always seem to be making things for others so that would be my ideal.

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  11. Lovely project! but that crazy quilt is awesome!

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  12. What a great quilt! Love how you have it set, the stitching, the tatting. All I could think of to say was WOW!

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  13. love the quilt!! you do a great variety of work, don't you. love it

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  14. Your quilt is wonderful with all the stitchery. Thanks for sharing you great project

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  15. Lavonna your crazy quilting is just beautiful on your quilt. Your stitching is lovely wow what a beautiful gift to yourself.....kudos to you

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  16. I love all your crazy quilting its all so pretty. :) If I were to win your give away I would love a pink heart.

    Thank you for taking the time to finish all your work for this blog hop

    Robin in Washington State
    assweetaspeaches hotmail

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  17. I love your quilt with the crazy quilting and the hearts on it.

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  18. And may I suggest you add today's list to this post so everyone will find your fellow stitchers as easily as they found you....after we leave a comment we don't see your past posts

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  19. I love the idea of inserting the embroidery motifs into the existing quilt plan since you love to do crazy patch quilting. Lovely quilt

    (Pink, if I were to be lucky enough to win your giveaway---since you asked, LOL)

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  20. You've done a lot of beautiful stitching...thanks for sharing! :O)

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  21. Your quilt is amazing - how clever to combine everything into one project! (I am a blue sort of gal.)

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  22. Beautiful stitchery! Love your quilt, possible an heirloom for your children?!

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  23. What a great quilt! Aren't you glad you found a way to use your hearts?!!!
    I would choose green. Tatting scraps would be so much fun!!!

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  24. Tatting is one of those skills on my bucket list--would love to learn someday. What a delightful mix of techniques you have combined into your quilt! I'm sure your daughter will love and it will be quite the heirloom in the future!

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  25. Now why didn't I think of that...to add the patterns we recieved to my crazy quilt! As for spring break, while I'm dreaming might as well dream...a quilting retreat at a warm tropical beach! Best of bothe worlds!

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  26. I love your handwork. We just finished our spring break.And I just celebrated my 59th birthday with my family. I would love to learn to tat, but never had the patience, so I just sew.

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  27. Great stitching!
    If it was warmer I'd love to be out in my garden!
    Thank you for sharing!
    If I was lucky enough to win I'd choose green!

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  28. Your work is beautiful. I don't think we will have a Spring here in Missouri. We have cold temperatures and snow on the ground. I'm thinking we will go from heat to air conditioning this year. Thanks for offering the giveaway.

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  29. You have done a great job. Wonderful stitching.

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  30. Great stitching. I tried a tatting class years ago but couldn't get the hang of it. Your quilt is wonderful.

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  31. That is a beautiful quilt. I am sure your step daughter will love it. Thanks for sharing and for the giveaway. vickise at gmail dot com

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  32. I love your crazy quilting! No spring break for me, too old! Love your little hearts, and the green is my favorite. Thank you for sharing and the great giveaway.

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  33. Very nice! What a beautiful project. A crazy quilt is on my bucket list to do sometime in the future.

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  34. Lovely work and the crazy quilt looks wonderful.

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  35. thanks for sharing your lovely projects.

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  36. I am jost blown away by all of your gorgeous stitchin projects. Love the crazy quilting designs. For Spring Break we are gonna gon on a cruise. we have been saveing the money for a couple of years now to be abel to do it and have gone coupl sof years with no vacation. So I am gonna relax and really enjoy my Spring break with the kids & my hubby in the Bahamas. I like the pink and green hearts. conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  37. Love crazy quilting, just lovely!

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  38. WOW! What beautiful work! I love what you have done -- I so want to learn to do crazy quilting!

    I like any of the hearts ;) Pick me! Pick me!

    kearley75860 at yahoo dot com

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  39. Your work is fantastic!! I taught myself to tat years ago, but haven't tried for a long time so I know just how much work has gone into your tatted pieces! Loved seeing them!
    I would love to go somewhere mild and be able to go for walks right now without a heavy jacket! And if I were to win, I would surely love a pink heart!

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  40. I love those hearts. You are very industrious! I don't think I would have had that much time or energy. Your work is so pretty. I may try some of those hearts!

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  41. Lavonna-You work is stunnning! What a lucky girl that's getting that precious quilt. I would love to have some tatting to incorporate into a quilt that I want to make for a former colleague art teacher that I have been trying to find the time to teach him to sew! He's a painter, very talented, still teaching and loves everything Victorian. I have been working on a quIt for him. I have been retired for a few years so I technically have no "spring break." I guess you could say my spring break goes year-round. I just finished a T-shirt quilt for daughter #2 and will start on one for daughter #1. That's what I'm working on currently, but have many "irons in the fire!" Thanks for sharing.

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  42. Your work is lovely. Those stuffed animals are just darling.

    Spring break to me would be someplace warm and relaxing!! My color choice would be green.

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  43. Such beautiful Crazy patchwork. I'm in the southern hemisphere so we're coming into winter(no spring break here for a while yet) If I was to win I'd love a blue heart. lyn.robyn.smith@gmail.com

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  44. I need to travel far south to get away from the snow for my spring break! Your work is so beautiful - if I am lucky enough to win I'd love green - thank you and happy stitching!

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  45. A beautiful quilt and your work is stunning.

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  46. That is a beautiful quilt. I'm glad inspiration struck. Those hearts should be decorating a girl's bed instead of languishing in a box. I retired last May from educating so spring break now means I can spend more time with my grandchildren. Blue or green please should I get lucky.

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  47. I love this quilt. I can't imagine the time you have involved in making it, but it is simply beautiful! You do great work! I would love to be on a quiet, warm beach for spring break. We just had 12 inches of snow, and I would love to be somewhere warm! The green is very pretty.

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  48. I absolutely 'heart' tatting! Love how you have incorporated it into the crazy quilting. CQ is another process I want to try - yours is awesome. What a great way to add to the quilt by adding some of the embroidery designs.

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  49. great projects, thanks for sharing!

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  50. What a great idea to use the designs on your crazy patch project! It is sooo intricate! I would love to win a green heart. On my spring break, if I ever get one, I would like to go to New York City.

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  51. Very nice! I love your work and you are a busy girl it look like! All of your stitches look perfect!

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  52. Spring break would be nice to have if it was possible. Work and gardening is what I'll be doing!
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  53. I do not get a Spring break but I am a home business owner so I can take off when I want:) One of the many perks!
    I would love a blue heart!!!! They are beautiful and so is your quilt!!!!!

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  54. I've never made a crazy quilt, yours is beautiful. Luv your embellishments and embroidery pieces are perfect. Thanks for sharing, enjoy your Easter weekend. Pauline

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