Back in Business

I am finally back online. My 'computer guy' Ric, put together this great new harddrive, box thingy that was so high tech that I couldn't just plug back into my dialup...so I sort broadband out, but decline the 'free' modem they offer as Ric had given me one...which nobody could configure!! So we ring back to ask for said 'free' modem. "Yes m'aam that will arrive withing 3-5 days"...FF to EIGHT DAYS LATER, a nice phonecall, a rude phonecall, a demand that the courier be tracked down, 2 trips to the library to restore my good "trademe" name, numerous phonecalls to ESOL techies and I finally hit upon a lovely brown boy (you could tell by the tonal inflections) who finally got me back!! Phew. Back and with broadband, which I have to say is just fabulous. Maybe I can make up for all that lost time....

Don't know what had happened to the font on all my previous posts...if anyone know how to fix that quickly and easily I would appreciate knowing. I dodn't read things I don't like the font of, and figure others won't either.

Some housekeeping to take care of. The February postcard giveaway. The winner of this card is Debbie (rquirion@roadrunner.com). Congrats Debbie. Drop me an email with your snail mail and I'll get it posted out. I didn't get so may comments on this one. I hope my rant about giveaway blogs didn't put people off. As the hosts of those blogs, you may certainly comment, just please don't blog about the giveaway. For those members of the CQ blog community, by all means let people know, that is different than just a general free-for-all. I will post the march giveaway postcard separately later.

While I have been offline, I have learnt something important about myself. I am not a crap housekeeper because I spend my free time surfing and stitching...I am just a crap housekeeper FULLSTOP! Yay, I don't have to feel guilty about all my time spent with y'all here and on my groups.

So, I have been stitching up a storm. Wanna see???

Firstly my work on LouAnne's Jewels on Black RR block. Sorry for the bad pic, but this block has already been and gone. I am loving the seam treatments on this block. I am starting a sampler Like Sharon B's 10m long "sushi" roll to have a stitched record of all the seam treatments I have done on postcards and the Black CQ. They may not be 100% original, but on the whole the are not "copied" either, meaning I have not seen them somewhere then conciously tried to recreate them, so I consider them to be mine.

LouAnne's whole block after myself and Hideko. LouAnne wanted layered seam treatments.
Then, as usual, after I was finished, I added some more. This motif with the same beading that Hideko did around her motif. Gotta love that continuity!
This seam is a combination of tied herringbone, chevron and flystitch.
This is my feathered fly with SRE buds and a bullion knot for a stamen. The red was again to tie in with the red in Hidekos stitching.
Lastly, stem and chain stitch arches, that could be embellished in any number of ways. My current fav stitch. It is cropping up everywhere, as you shall see. I also did the teeny spider web. LouAnne is a spider web queen. Hope this one works for her.
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Next we have Cobi's Fabulous Fans DYB (6 x 6" blocks). Cobis wanted an antique feel to her blocks. She had made absolutely beautiful fabric choices and it was a pleasure to embellish one. I have tried to add a 'fan' embellishment to each seam, as well as the motifs.



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Next we have Ati's swap block. (I showed the pieced block on the Feb giveaway post linked earlier) Ati wanted a pale green background with "cottage garden" embellishment. Well, I went a little mad, but I love how it turned out. I was originally just going to do randon flowers everywhere, but then decided to go with the "group planting" look, which I feel has turned out much better than the other way possibly would of. I think there will be a bit more work on the path, so it is clear it is a path, but I have until May to decide.



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Hmm, what else. Lorenza's Step by Step RR. Step 3 adding motifs and Silk Ribbon Embroidery. Another challenge, especially as the next step is beads and buttons, so I had to leave my motifs "unfinished" for Ati to work on. I have given you a pic of 'step 1', but I couldn't find one of Helina's work. Basically on this block I added all the SRE on the seams, and the main motifs you have closeups of.

Lorenza hadn't indicated a 'top' to her block, so I changed the orientation. It probably won't make a great deal of difference apart from the fuschias down the bottom right corner. Apart from the main motifs shown, I did the bottom right left corner, and the pink 5 petaled flowers, under the tatted medallion, between the bullion fowers. There are still gaps on the block, but Ati gets to do button clusters, so I am sure they will be filled.
A simple tatted medallion (not mine)
Here I did the fan (love that scrapbooking charm), and the vine with the lilac SRE. I had to add beads to this motif. I couldn't leave it undone.
Some spider web roses that need a finishing touch from Ati.
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Final one for this post. Emikos swap block. Now this is not due until August, but, well, I have had time on my hands. LOL I have tried to keep this within a style that I think Emiko will like (not that she is fussy). Emiko requested "subtle"tones- hahaha - I don't do subtle at the best of times, so this was a challenge. I particulary like the layered sequin flowers at the top of the block. The top sequins are a light blue , which doesn't show up well in the pic, but it offsets the blue in the fabric really nicely.

So, there you have it. I must say, uploading pictures is super quick. I just might get the last two weeks back... Watch this space for the March giveaway.
Ka kite ano (c u l8r)