Oh, be still my embroidery loving heart!
Believe it or not there are things you may not know about me.
I have a passion for and am drawn to the tactile beauty of Victorian era crazy quilts and all of their beautiful stitches and embellishments.
They fascinate me!
I just know there are are stories behind every collected piece of velvet or satin, the meanings lost after so many decades.
I am also happy to know that there are many out there still creating beautiful works embellished with embroidery, buttons, beads and silk ribbons.
Some vintage blocks I found on a trip in 2015!
Crazy quilt with feather stitching made from dress scraps.
Found January 2018.
Book Cover
When fellow C&T author Kathy Seaman Shaw contacted me about her new book, “Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts” and asking if I would help spread the word by participating in her blog hop, I said YES without hesitation, because I know that there are others out there who are just dying for inspiration for embroidery and handwork as well!
While there are many books on Crazy Quilting Embroidery out there -
Kathy’s vision for using the seam line as a guide is inspiring!
She starts out in her preface by relating how her great-grandmother never had idle hands, and loved to quilt and do needlework. Kathy feels that she inherited her love of handwork from her great-grandmother, skipping a couple of other generations before reaching her as neither her own mother nor her sisters like to sew.
Her goal of challenging herself to see just how many crazy quilt seam designs she could create with just a handful of basic stitches blossomed in a personal “Twelve Dozen in Twelve Months” blog challenge. Visit Kathy’s blog at Shawkl.com to learn more!
Stitching over the line -
As I thumbed through the pages of Kathy’s book Stunning Stitches for Crazy Quilts I was visually captured at the intricacy of each design.
So delicate!
Kathy states that she created some templates early on, using graph paper as a guide to mark the needle up and needle down positions to help keep her stitching patterns even. And then after these stitches were made she could go back and fill in other areas easily.
Sample Page.
I love the “Prong” designs!
Imagine these in block centers or corners!
A bit more about Kathy!
I love how she said “Faith, family and friends can get you through anything – but stitching will keep you SANE!” I so agree!
There are 480 designs fully illustrated in this beautiful 127 page book. I am going to draw for one lucky ebook winner, which means even international folks can enter!
- July 8: C&T Publishing, https://www.ctpub.com/blog
- July 9: Pam Kellogg, https://kittyandmedesigns.blogspot.com
- July 10: Hazel Bomkamp,http://therebelliousneedlewoman.blogspot.com
- July 11: Christen Brown, https://1creativeone.wordpress.com
- July 12: Amina K., https://stitchfloral.blogspot.com
- July 13: Susan Santoro, https://organized31.com
- July 14: Bonnie Hunter, https://quiltille.blogspot.com
- July 15: Floresita, http://feelingstitchy.com
- July 16: Kathy Shaw, https://shawkl.com
We will draw for our lucky ebook winner on Wednesday morning, July 17th before I head out the door for Bedford, Pennsylvania.
Good luck everyone!
Due to this scheduled Gift-Away, and the fact that I am headed out the door and pointing the van from Louisville, Kentucky back to Mouth of Wilson, Virginia – we will catch up with all of the goings on from yesterday’s Orca Bay workshop from my book String Fling at the Sew In with the Cozy Quilter in TOMORROW’S post – everything is going to just shift a day this week!
Quiltville Quote of the Day
While it may seem small, the ripple effects of small things is extraordinary.
Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone – I’ll catch you next from Virginia!
Safe journey, Bonnie, the weather is messy.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels! Yea for a night at the cabin!
ReplyDeleteI love that quote from Kathy also! What a lovely book! I've added it to my Amazon wish list in case I don't win...thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMust have talked too much, got cut off. You have Saud if you build 4 patches, a quilt will come. What size do you build 4 patches?
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Safe trip home. Love Kathy's book. I too have a love of crazy quilt s and embroidery. Such gorgeous work was done. So glad it is gaining popularity.
ReplyDeleteWow - looks like a great collection of stitches to explore! 🍀🤟
ReplyDeleteI love quilting and embroidery. Would live to combine the two. I'll have to order the book of I don't win. Thank you Bonnie, for more inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI’m a very new quilter — much less than a year under my belt — and fairly hapless at embroidery, but the photos from Kathy’s book are enough to inspire me to start a crazy quilt — a labor that will undoubtedly take years to complete... but that will be crazily fun.
ReplyDeletehooo quel superbe livre de broderie, ce serais un plaisir de le gagner!!!!bravo pour ton blog Bonnie, je te suis depuis des années et je ne m'ennuie jamais sur ton blog qui est très agréable!!!!!bisous
ReplyDeleteI got this book and it is absolutely delicious! It has so many great ideas on stitches. I can hardly wait to add these to my ongoing crazy quilt project.
ReplyDeleteI would love this book. Taking my first class on these stitches next month!
ReplyDeleteMy niece and I have been talking about doing a crazy quilt together ever since we saw a beautiful example in a quilt show. This book will be perfect for us!
ReplyDeleteTook Kathy's online class & she is thorough with plenty of instructions.
ReplyDeleteI love the peace and gentle happiness that comes from doing hand stitching .... thank you so much for bringing this gorgeous book to everyone'a attention! Smiles and thanks!
ReplyDeleteAmazing work. Love the ideas in her book.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable! One should think everything has been created and printed already but still so many new ideas and jewels to find. Love this idea!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an amazing book
ReplyDelete