Happy Sunday everyone!
Without further ado, I really need to welcome all my new followers this week, many of whom have found my blog via Claire, my wonderful cross-stitch friend in France. I know you are all waiting for the Mystery Stitch Along and I hope you can wait patiently for just a few more days 🙂 I’m very excited about it as I’ve never organised a SAL before and I know there are already several people signed up. Hopefully, Claire will correct me if I make mistakes 🙂
The SAL will be open to everyone, the more the merrier. I would absolutely LOVE IT if some of you could maybe try blackwork for the very first time with us. You have 12 days to sort out a piece of fabric to stitch on. Any cross stitch fabric will be suitable. My preference is for 14 count aida fabric but you can choose. My design is about 60 stitches square so make sure your fabric is big enough. Also, you will need some embroidery floss. Traditionally, blackwork was stitched in black, I bet you hadn’t guessed that already 😉 You can stitch in one colour, or if you prefer, a selection of colours. Some of Claire’s SAL members have used variegated threads and they look lovely too. We will be stitching with only one thread, unlike cross stitch where we would normally use two threads at once. I will provide the chart for my design FREE of charge. So, there is something for nothing! Don’t you just love that idea? I will reveal stages of the chart every Friday and there will be about an hour of stitching per week if you want to keep up 🙂 You can send photos of your work in progress to me (email address at the right of the page) and I’ll open, and regularly update, a stitchers gallery. So, watch this space……only 12 days to go!
A couple of my previous blackwork finishes are here and here so now you know what to expect 🙂
In the meantime, I declare another quilt finished 😀 Yesterday, I decided I would quilt whichever work in progress was at the top of the box of patchwork waiting to be quilted.
I’ve named this one Picnic Pinwheels because the fabrics are the colours of the most beautiful flowers in the garden and the size, at 54″ square, is perfect for a picnic rug. I made the quilt top about a year ago at the same time as I made this one and this one. They are all from the same layer cake by Moda called Santorini. Not one scrap of the layer cake is left. I like to challenge myself to leave no scraps. I love the colours and the bold prints which I cooled down by teaming them with my most adorable Moda Bella solids.
I know I make a lot of pinwheels but look at them. How can I cure this addiction? Do I really want to be cured? Nah! I think my Picnic Pinwheels could be the eye candy in my conservatory for the next few months. I’ll be spending a lot of time here, sewing in the glorious daylight, hopefully hand stitching the binding of many more quilts (still my favourite pastime ever!!).
So, don’t forget to sort out your fabric and embroidery thread. Be there or be square a week come Friday 🙂
Have a wonderful crafty week! I’m linking to the Made It Challenge over at Woolhogs. Pop over and take a peek at all the goodies made by other bloggers this month 🙂
Avis x
rutigt
/ May 5, 2013Now you really got me hooked on 🙂 I´ll be joyning your SAL and I´ll also write about it on my blog!
Your Picnic Pinwheel Quilt is georgeous!
Gun, Sweden
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Thank you Gun! I’m so pleased you are going to join us 🙂 Avis x
mindingmomma
/ May 5, 2013i really like your pinwheels
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Thank you very much! Welcome to my blog 🙂
Marie josée
/ May 5, 2013Bonjour de France j’aimerai beaucoup me joindre à vous pour le SAL ” Blackwork ” si cela est encore possible. tous mes remerciements
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Bonjour Marie josée. You are very welcome to join us 🙂
Avis x
lana
/ May 5, 2013Pinwheels are my favorite. Thanks for sharing your beautiful quilts!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Thank you. I love making them 🙂 Avis x
claire93
/ May 5, 2013gorgeous pinwheels and I notice you put coloured squares in the corners too ^^
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Yes, I couldn’t have any scraps of the layer cake left 😉 It adds a little bit of work but a lot of extra interest.
vicki seals
/ May 5, 2013I have never done cross stitch before and I think this will be a good way to start. Thanks for hosting it. 😉 vickise at gmail dot com
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Hi Vicki, I’m so pleased you want to join in 🙂 Blackwork is even easier to do than cross stitch, I think. I’m sure you will enjoy it. Welcome to my blog! Avis x
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013P.S. if you want to be notified by email when all of the stages of the SAL are published, you will need to “follow”. See top right. I can’t add your email to the list myself. (Not sure whether you know this).
minerva
/ May 5, 2013I love blackwork and would love to join your SAL – it will be my first ever! I’m not very good at deadlines in my creative work so I hope I can keep up!
Loving the pinwheel quilt – fabulous colours.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Thank you! Well, there’s a first time for everything. Don’t worry if you can’t keep up. The posts will always be here on the blog 🙂 It would be great to have you on board! Avis x
Patch
/ May 5, 2013Really love the colours in your Picnic Pinwheels Avis, gorgeous.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Thanks Patch 🙂
ulla fredriksson
/ May 5, 2013Oh I am following yout blackwork sal.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013That’s very good news 🙂 Welcome to my blog Ulla. Which country are you from? I noticed you have some lovely embroidery on your blog! Avis x
jule
/ May 5, 2013Beautiful spring-y pinwheels, love the colours. 🙂
I think I’ll join the blackwork SAL, never done it before.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Yey!! So happy to have you on board Jule 😀
treadlemusic
/ May 5, 2013Oh my goodness!!! I am absolutely in love with that one! I have a ‘thing’ for pinwheels, too (the workshop I did last month-Disappearing 4-Patch with a Twist- was a huge hit!!) and always have! I think it is a pleasant childhood memory thing…hmmmm? The quilting is so perfect for your piecing! Such a joy to have!!! Hugs, D
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 5, 2013Thank you Doreen. Yes, I remember the little windmills we used to get at the seaside. Little things….. 🙂
daniellajoe
/ May 6, 2013I love your quilts!!!!! 🙂
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 6, 2013Thank you! I have a lot of fun making them too 🙂
daniellajoe
/ May 6, 2013I can imagine that 🙂
witchylin
/ May 6, 2013Your quilt certainly has a summer look to it. I can just imagine you sitting on, it eating strawberries, under the shade of a big tree. Pinwheels are gorgeous, there are so many ways you can use that design and every quilt looks entirely different with the fabric choices.
The blackwork sounds like fun. I did decide I wouldn’t have time to join in, but what the heck, I’ll find an hour a week from somewhere. 😉 Off to find some Aida, there are some coloured pieces in my stash and I have lots of threads…………See you Friday.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 6, 2013Thank you Lin 🙂 I agree, pinwheels are so versatile. I’m pleased to hear you will be able to join in the SAL. It wouldn’t be the same without you! Coloured aida always looks great. I’ll be interested to see what you choose. I hope everything is going well with your kitchen refit! Avis x
lisasff
/ May 6, 2013Oh! I love this! Beautiful!
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 6, 2013Thank you 😀
Diana
/ May 6, 2013I absolutely love this quilt! Is there a pattern somewhere for this. The colors are gorgeous.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 6, 2013Hi Diana, Welcome to my blog. I just make them up as I go along so there is no pattern yet. However, if you use my pinwheel tutorial (on the right of the screen) with 10 inch squares you will only need to add the sashes and borders. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions. I’m happy to help 🙂 Avis x
passionbroderie
/ May 11, 2013Hello from France, I would like to participate in your SAL “Blackwork” I am a friend of Claire (http://cestclaire.over-blog.com/) good weekend bye
Corinne
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 11, 2013Hi Corinne! Welcome to my blog. I’m delighted you are going to join the SAL 🙂 have a lovely weekend. Avis x
quiltingpiecebypiece
/ May 12, 2013I haven’t done blackwork in ages, but I recently received a Sashiko kit and it reminded me so much of it that I had to stop myself from trying to make it totally reversible. (Of course, Sashiko is not worked on a counted thread basis and is supposed to be just a running stitch, but I think it was the one-color thread decoration on a one-color background that reminded me of blackwork.)
Anyway, I’ll try and hunt down my old counted thread supplies and join in. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed that.
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 12, 2013I can see the similarities 🙂 We will be taking the SAL very slowly so that beginners and stitchers with very little time will all be able to keep up. It will be fun to have you in the group 😀 Avis x
Maryanne
/ May 15, 2013OOOOH AVIS, its absolutely sensational!!! You make it look so easy xxx
Oh Sew Tempting
/ May 15, 2013Thank you Maryanne 😀 It is really easy. As long as you can cut squares of fabric and sew in a straight line, anyone can do it! My pinwheel tutorial is on the right. Avis xx
Maryanne
/ May 15, 2013Heehee that’s the problem!! X
marie-laure arnoux
/ June 18, 2013so fine, I would like to join you for your blackwork sal.
Isn’t it too late ? so many time I have dream to join a blackwork sal
mla from France
Oh Sew Tempting
/ June 18, 2013Hi,
it’s never too late 🙂 The final part will be published on Friday so if you can catch up and send a photo, that would be amazing! Welcome to the group. Avis x