Because I can…

I came home from Quilt Wyoming with all sorts of new bits and pieces in my luggage, including a quilting stencil that one of my new friends had won as a door prize and didn’t think she would ever use. I knew I’d use it, so in my bag it went 🙂

I always find it a bit difficult to settle down and get things done when I come back from a trip but I really don’t like wasting my time at home. I unpack my bags, do laundry, sort out the essential paperwork and then start thinking about what I’m going to need for my next trip…

And then I want to make something. But something that doesn’t require too much thought and doesn’t necessarily have to be for anything!

Time to trace that stencil onto some Kona cotton and get to stitching. It took about 4 hours to chain stitch each design. I chose some #8 Eleganza variegated perle cotton so I could just use one color for each design. I really didn’t want to be thinking too much.

I managed to find the stencil on line so I can tell you it is a Patricia Ritter mola design from Urban Elementz in the small size. if you want the same one I have you are probably going to have to search a bit because it is copyright 2013, so it’s been around a bit.

Here is my humming bird. The design is one continuous line, just right if you were going to use it for quilting! The completed piece is only 7 1/2″ square, including the borders.

And here’s my lizard, again one continuous line.I added a few running stitches just for fun.I don’t have any use for my little pictures so why did I make them?

Just because I can!

I have also been working on next month’s butterfly but I had to think about that a bit more.

On Sunday I am leaving early to fly to North Carolina for a few days teaching and a few days fun. Then I come home to get ready for Stitches Midwest. If you haven’t done so already you could really do me a favor and click the Stitches icon on the right hand side… As always clicks mean prizes and we all like those… In this instance it means a prize for me, but you’d have played a part so you could feel very good about yourself?

And while you are on the Stitches website you might notice that my Folk Art Embroidery class is full but there are  spaces in the other classes… there’s still time to sign up!

But first I get to see the sea. There will be pictures.