Birds and Embroidery...smile...

It's amazing how bird seed manufacturers target specific types of birds and delivers said birds. After purchasing mega quantities of bird seed from Costco and setting it out on my deck, we've been visited by a whole host of birds and critters.

Until the Lord of the Backyard is heard in the distance-that's what I call the hawk and his/her family that is supported by our small valley at the bottom of the hill. RUNAWAY!....RUNAWAY!






Here's my progress on my purse:

Planet Earth

Planet Earth Video and Handwork

Has everyone been watching the Planet Earth program on TV? The one Oprah loves? It is TV at it's best-except for the abundance of commercials. Never have I seen more nature and Volvos all at the same time...GEEESHHHH! Let us enjoy the program with only a few commercials and the products will be appreciated so much more!

Great TV means you have to have a great handwork project. Here's progress on mine. I've flipped one of the hexagons over to show the fusible interfacing on the back, which helps avoid the puckering you sometimes get when doing an embroidery project.
Embroidery Tip: If you're like me and you have more than a few projects going at once, get a separate container to hold your pattern, material, scissors, etc. It makes for easy transporting from handwork areas and organization.

Hand work Projects

Alongside quilting, I enjoy working on an embroidery project. The one I am currently working on is an embroidered purse from a magazine pattern. The construction uses embroidered hexagons and I've adhered craft weight fusible interfacing to the back of the Osnaburg fabric.

This pattern calls for linen and I've chosen to us a type of material, Osnaburg, which is an inexpensive substitute for linen. This material has a very loose weave. Fusible interfacing will also help hold the fibers tighter so your stitches lay nice and flat without stretching the fabric.

Embroidery Tip: I use Pellon Craft weight fusible interfacing on the back of my embroidery. If you are transferring a design onto fabric, the interfacing makes it easier to draw on. Using a stabilizer also allows you to forgo the use of a hoop and makes the stitches lay flat, without stretching the material. All you crazy quilter's out there might like to try this product. Besides not stretching your silks or satins, crazy quilting fabrics are generally very fragile fabrics and over time, wear out before others. The use of this fusible stabilizer my help hold the fabric together over a longer period of time.