Needlework Tuesday - One of my Quilting Goals for this Year

Back in January, I set three quilting goals for myself: become comfortable doing blocks with set in seams, embrace machine quilting and take it to the next level, and learn crazy quilting.  Today I am sharing my progress on the third goal, crazy quilting.

 

I have been doing an online class with Kathy Shaw.  She has designed a wonderful class that cover all beginner aspects of crazy quilts and if I had actually read all the words instead of just skimming and looking at the diagrams, I would have avoided several errors.  All participants are making the exact same design, including block and embroidery, though we picked our own fabrics and colours.  I am about half way through the embroidery and then have the silk ribbon embroidery and a several other accents to consider. 

Needlework Tuesday is a regular weekly post where I share the progress of my various needlework projects over the past week. I enjoy the encouragement that I receive from my readers and in return visit their blogs and cheer them on with theirs. You are welcome to grab the cute little mouse and create your own Needlework Tuesday post. Leave a comment with a link and I'll be sure to visit with you.

Following are close ups of some of the embroidery and beading.

I've been working at my sewing table and it's a good thing as I have been stitching with my supplies spread out.  This way I have access to additional threads should I need a change.  My boxes of beads are closed and moved slightly away from the edge of the table (don't want them to become vacuum fodder). The supplies shown in the bottom left corner and those currently in use.

I included this photo as i wanted to show how I actually work.  Generally, I am not a kit person, I gather far more supplies than I will need and then par it down as I go.  I am pretty sure by this point that I have narrowed down the colours of floss I'll use, but never say never to adding a new one if needed.  An the huge spool of pink rayon embroidery thread, that's from another project and it just didn't get put away.

Best thing I did was to purchase some new packages of needles. This way I know that I am using the proper type for embroidery .  The eyes are big enough to thread but not so large they are hard to pull through the fabric.  It always helps to have the proper supplies at the start.

I am curious whether you do embroidery or crazy quilting?  Do you have a favourite product you always come back to or a book that you can't work without.  Please leave a comment below and if you have a blog post about this, enter it with Mister Linky.   I look forward to visiting with you.