So the winner is ...

Hummm - let's there was something really important I had to do, what was it again?  Oh Yeah!!! It's time to pick the winner for the surprise drawing is  ... 

        #31 - Material Girl!!!   

           Congrats to You dear! ;)

Material Girl  March 20, 2015 at 9:03 PM

I watch birds from my front porch. The funniest thing I ever saw was a bluejay who slid on the ice, he sat right down on it. I saw an indigo bunting once in the front of my house- don't usually see them in my neck of the woods.
A few years ago in winter, we had hundreds of bluebirds fly to some large bushes in our backyard. They just sat there and flew back and forth from bush to bush. We don't usually have bluebirds as they like open spaces. Love to watch them.
Love your bird projects especially the cross stitch ones. Good job!

Thank you all for playing and stopping by during the Blog hop.  I will be replying to each comment individually over the next week or so. I have to say it was nice to read all the encouraging statements and all your stories about the birds that you watch.  
Until next time...

Toodles,
Tricia 

What is the Hardest Part?

Here on the home front...

When it comes to sitting down to quilt, how does your project start out? Here is how things start for me.  I walk in the multipurpose room and hear this clamoring of little voices calling to me.

"Hello - we know you are out there.  We want to see some daylight. Pretty please!!!" the little voices say.
  "What?  What do you want?" as I question them all; "I want to make something today. I need some instant gratification!"

"We want to become usable pieces. We hate being in this bag, box or whatever it is we are in. It's so dark and crowded in here."  they quibbled. "Please let us out of here."

"Well my back is hurting and I can't spend all that time in just prepping." I retort " I want to see some progress."

"So take your meds and get busy!" says one sassy piece of fabric.

"UGH!!" is all I say as I head off to do just that.

"See! You just have to be firm with her." says the sassy bit to the others.

"We don't want to make her mad, then she won't do anything with us" states a piece of brown wood plank fabric. 

An hour or so later, I go back in and load up a small wooden Brie cheese container.  I have the iron all heated up and the instruments that I need to slicing this pile into submission.  Another hour later, I'm heading for the recliner with the knowledge that I have pushed myself beyond the limit again. And once again, not much to show for the past hour.
 
Now here is a question that I'm sure that every quilter can answer in a quick hurry and without much lot.  What is the hardest part of quilting for you?

These days it seems like everyone is throwing off the mantles of winter off and welcoming Spring into their lives.  They are making bright and large quilts with spring themes and/or new patterns.  Me, it seems to have hit a figurative block wall.  I'm feeling frustrated and discouraged. 

I think I have figured out a couple of the problems. One - doing things like having the wind close a van door on the your hand is not good for your dominate hand.  Neither is putting a sewing machine needle through a finger on the non-dominate hand when a cat decides to play parrot on my shoulder, scaring the begeezes out of me. Nor is stabbing your fingers multiple times while trying to something as cross-stitch or hand quilt to end up bleeding all over the dang-nabbed place.  

It's not the lack of fabric I love the scraps and bits that I have received from my quilty friends. It is my way of saving them from the trash heap, because it allow me to play with some of the newest fabrics out there.  You know that whole "make-do" concept. There are days that is all I want to do is to play in the scrap pile. Not there is nothing wrong with that. I'm sure that this funk won't last long. At least I hope not!! So fondling & petting my precious pretties is good for something at the very least.

The problem is the ironing and cutting the pieces into useable pieces.  I'm not sure if everyone who follows me knows that I have some ... okay ... a lot of health issues, including that I get some sort of injections at least once a week. There is several for my back, some in my knees, shoulders and now we have to add some injections into my neck...ewww.  There is also been talk of adding even more types of therapies to my weekly injections.  But I've digressed.

What I mean is that it can make it very difficult for me to stand for anything more than 15/20 minutes at a given time.  As I prep my fabrics, I try to get a pile done in the most useful cuts before I have to sit down after a while. It can take me days just to get through a loosely filled gallon size baggie.  Now don't get me wrong ... I love quilting, it's the prep stage that I find to be the hardest part for me.  I mean all that work for a 2" stack of usable cuts are nice but daunting.  

I'm sure that having pre-cuts would be the solution for a while but then I'm right back to the ironing & slicing.  I read about everyone who has one of those fabric cutting systems.  But on looking into getting to one of those my eyes dang near came out of my head. Holy Chihuahua!!! Those are pricey!!  And then you have to buy the dies for them! OMG!!! Soooo the question is ...

Someone got one I can borrow for about a month or three.  I could do a lot with a variety of HST's and squares. LOL ... no really ... can I borrow one?
 
So what is the hardest part of quilting for you & why?

Until next time...

Toodles,
Tricia

One More Tree Bird Day

Hey Y'all!!  

Don't forget there that there is one more Tree Bird Blog Hop day tomorrow!!

 

It's been so much fun seeing all of these projects that these talented ladies have given us so far.  There are a few like myself that are having give a ways on their days.  You can enter mine until Tuesday @ 11:59. And I'll announce a winner on Friday or Saturday. So be sure I can reach you if you should win my surprise gift pack.

Here is the list for Monday, March 23rd.

Monday, March 23

Debbie Kratovil Quilts

how arT you?

Hill Valley Quilting

Pink Doxies. Blogspot.com

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Fabric Bias

Lovelli Quilts

In The Boon Docks

Bacon Then Eggs

Sew We Quilt

 

See you soon!! Until next time...

Toodles,

Tricia

Oh My Sweet Tweets!!

Well my fine feathered hunting friends ...
 

Your sneak peeks have lead you here to this moment in time, where is now time for my turn to open the curtains on my own creations.  Let me start by saying “Thank You” to Madam Samm for bring us to another wonderful blog hop and Lana for taking the reins to keep us all track & shaking her pom-pom’s to cheer us on!! Well done Ladies. Well done indeed!!
 
Now you might wonder how I became part of this blog hop.  Well allow me to tell you a  tale of the journey of how my little flock came to be.
 
I had seen the announcement around in blog land I read past it without much of a mind.  For you see I had made a much bigger commitment this year to work on my own projects and would not get carried away by overextending myself that MY projects & UFO's would take precedent. Then a friend or two asked me if I was going to play.  "No" I replied, shaking my head "maybe later in the year."

 
I told myself "Self - you really don't have time to commit to a blog hop right now.  You have WAYYYYY too much to do right now and you don't have any of the featured fabrics so this should be a no brainer!  RIGHT??" 
 
To which I immediately went into my "But everyone else is playing in it" mode like a mental temper tantrum of a two year old.  
 
And of course my self started in with the whole "If your friends & bridges" spill. I mentally rolled my eyes, hang my head, crossed my arms, stomped my foot and said "Fine!! I hate you & you're not fun any more!" 
 
By now I know that you are laughing at me for arguing with myself and the visual picture that it brings to mind ...you know the one I'm talking about. The one where that cranky little red-headed two year old that you probably seen out in public at some point in your life having a very public melt down.  

Not that I ever did that in real life ... us kids had the "fear of Mother" instilled in us at a very young age. 
 
But I've digressed ...
 
Having received my birdie bounty via Ms. Donna, I'm at home banishing the bag to the bedroom where it waits.  I dash off a note to Madam Samm all the while hoping I would hear... 
 
"I'm sorry dear but you missed the sign-up deadline" but of course Fate steps in and I was on the list & should contact Lana post haste.  My mental toddler sticks out her tongue & "nanner nanner" rolls off her pert little tongue. 
 
I ask by a chance is there a way that I might be added to the end of date list as I have to quickly come up with a plan fast since all the others are weeks ahead of me.  Oh our gracious cheerleader - Lana understood and would try.
 
Now remember the bag that was banished? Well every time I would go in the room it would whisper to me.  
 
"Come play with us" they would tweet.
 
"No - I've no ideas on what and how to use you yet. You must wait." I harshly replied.
 
They continued to coo and tweet.  But then I was starting to hear a ticking sound any time I was near the room.  It was getting louder and louder like something out of an Edgar Poe story.  The cats would stare and paw at the door.  Yowling and howling all the more, while the ticking got louder and louder.
  
"Enough!!" I exclaimed as I grabbed up the bag.  I pull them all out. The ones from the store and some from the unit they was stored.  I resigned to my Fate and on to the table the contents went.  With my hands on my ample hips, I squint, I poke and prod, I chew my lips making the most dreadful of faces.  The mind was so ... blank!!  

The orphans have been set free to the light of day ...
"Hurray" they claimed and then no sound to be heard from them.
 
"Well now - you wanted out with all that racket you was making!  Now what have you to say for yourselves??" I gave with a peevish retort. "Speak up!!"
 
Nothing! Nada! Nilch!! I drop my head and throw up my hands.  "Fine then back in the bag with you."
 
One of my orphans tentatively says. "I was almost done but then you decided this wasn't the block you wanted for the swap. Maybe if you change the flowers, I'll be much better." 
 
"Hummm ... You might be right." I say as I cocked my head to the side.  

And with that and a seam ripper in hand, we proceed.  Two evenings I stitched by hand these new little flowers. The next morning we sit at the machine. By night's end it is complete.
 

     

This orphan came about in a lottery block using a chosen focus fabric of a basket print.  I had originally used a pale yellow floss that didn’t stand up to the darkly tea-dyed muslin that I made for the background. Which is why it ended up in the orphan box.  I change the color to white and this is how it ended.  The stitchery patterns came out of a book called "Quilting Patterns From Native American Designs” by Dr. Joyce Mori.  It is said that the bird is to be a Southwest pottery design and the flower is also from a Southwest area.
 
Okay now I have one finished project and still some bits that I could turn it into some sort of bird themed components.  What else could I whip together?  I looked down to my cross-stitch table next to my chair and I eyeball my little ornament that I just finished.  It has a pair of baby cardinals on that.  SWEET!! 

Another finished bird item. Two down – out of ?  They are just too cute not to add them. This is my first cross-stitch finish for the year.
 


Now we’re getting some place.  Now for the owls.  This was the fabric from Jo-Ann's.  They took the longest to come up with a plan.  Since I decided to take part in this hop, I thought I might as well try out some new techniques.  

I start scrap digging pulling out a handful of strips. They are different widths & lengths.  Okay I haven’t made anything wonky or log cabin-ish.  The owl is fussy cut into a rectangle and I start adding and building what was to just be a little mug rug.  What happened? This …
 

Cool another to add to the completed pile!! Yeah…let’s do the Happy Dance.  When I was with Ms. D we picked up a cool product that is just prefect for this hop. It’s Becky Goldsmith & Linda Jenkins “Backyard Birds: 12 quilt block to Appliqué from Piece O’ Cake designs.  It was on sale for 40% off with coupons.
 

I looked thru it had the Mister pick out one of designs that he liked.   He picked out the nuthatcher since we have them in the yard all the time.  So I had traced him out the week before I started the mad panic.  Cut it all out, made a few fabric changes along the and decided to try my hand at thread painting.  It is the first time trying this out, so mark another technique attempted.  This is what I ended up with…
 

    

I just finished this at 11:30pm right before sitting down to right this blog posting.  Nothing like going to the last possible minute with things.  LOL.

So what’s another technique to try?  Thinking hard, I’m thinking…as I ponder I’m looking at my sewing machine.  It has some different stitching that it does.  What if I try out some of those. 

Okay here we go.  I bought a orphan block from the Mt. Pleasant Sewing Center & Quilt shop for 50 cents.  It’s a dove like bird in a light blue-gray color on a swirly WoC that I believe the owner did.  I have the name some place that is eluding me @ this very second.  I’ll will look for later and give you the info that I have. Along with the “before” I have a picture some where. 

Anyhow I lifted the bird off the background and added a tie-dyed peace sign. From there I try to make it appear to be fly through the symbol.  I used one button to machine appliqué the pieces back down to the background.  When I quilted it, I used the meander stitch over and over heavily inside the sign.  On the outside I again used the meandering but leaving as is.  I made the binding from the same fabric as the peace sign and attached it with the same meandering to finish the project off.

     

Now I did received the birds in the tree from my oh so generous friend Pat from Lifeinthescrapatch, and I’m starting to put that special design that I will be sharing that with you as I go long. So “Thank You Ms. Pat!! <3

Well that you got through all that, I’m doing a give-away as a reward.  What will it be?  What dears is a surprise. By answering this questions:
Where do you go to bird watch?  What is the most unexpected bird did you see?
 
Easy-peasy right?
 
Once you leave a comment be sure to stop by the other ladies that are sharing their bird creations with everyone today.  I will have a random drawing on Tuesday the 28th.  Please be sure I can contact you if you win. It's open to everyone and really who doesn't love surprises!
 

Friday, March 20

Freemotion By The River

Sew Incredibly Crazy

Tea Time Creations

Baa's Amazing Adventures!

Selina Quilts

Ramblings of a Quilter  (Here I am!!)

Busy Bee Quilts

Quilted Delights

Grandmama’s Stories

Well now it’s time for this birdie to go visit her nest for the night. So thanks for stopping by, good luck in the drawing and until next time.
 

Toodles,
Tricia

It's All About the Birds

Welcome Y'all!

So here we are again and I have a fresh pot of coffee on for us. Now we can gather around the table,we can exchange "information" (yeah let's call it that - lol) and admire today's postings here on "Tree Bird" blog hop list. 

There is so much talent that I must sound like a broken record as the old saying use to be. I'm amazed to see such the variety of projects shown so far and we still have 3 more days to be tempted with.

I have been hard at work and I can't  wait to show it off come Friday!! 

As you may have notice that I have been leaving little bread crumbs out so that you can follow them along as we play? 

Like a little trail like in "Hansel & Gretal".  

What do you think you will find at the end - I'm sure it's not some old black kettle?  

Follow the path to see what sweets will greet you.  

So here is another sneak peek for you without much adieu.

Now come Thursday, these talented ladies will be waiting for you with some sweet tweets for you.  

Thursday, March 19

The Raspberry Rabbits

More Stars In Comanche

Sew Many Yarns

Super Mom - No Cape!

Stitchin By The Lake

Jane's Quilting

Quilting Through Rose Colored-Trifocals

Quiltscapes

 

Please be kind and give them a peek and maybe a comment or two about what you seek.  Until then ...

Toodles,
Tricia

Day of the Irish & More Bird Sneak Peeks

The day of the Irish is upon us and all in the land, the people are wearing green and eating traditional dinners that might include corned beef and cabbage.  It's possible that a pint of a good hearty stout or several shots of a good Irish Whiskey could be had without trying very hard. As I'm sure that many versions the Irish Blesses is going about too.  So here is a nod to my heritage.

 Now for more "Tree Bird" news...

Tomorrow is another day for the "Tree Bird" blog hop with these talented ladies on the list below:

Wednesday, March 18

Red Eye Crafts

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Ridge Top Quilts

Stitching By The Beach

Seams To Be Sew

Living My Dream

With Work In Hand

Are you keeping up with all the pretty items that they are sharing with us? Are you as impressed as I am? Would you like another sneak peek of what's coming on Friday? Well here you go my friends.  

From there I will be on my way as I'm hard at work for my big reveal.  Hope to see you there. I'll be back tomorrow for the next sneak peek.  Until then ...

Toodles,

Tricia

 

Tree Hop Continues...

So here we are again and I'm here to give you a new sneak peek of what is coming up on Friday, March 20th on my day. 

 
Have you figured out what yesterday's snippet was?  Is your curiosity getting the better of you yet? Have you any guesses?  Well I hope you will stay tune for the little birdies to come out of hiding.

In the meantime, be sure to take a peek at what the talented ladies have to share with us tomorrow.  Here is the list to follow:

Tuesday, March 17

Tomorrow's Treasures Today

Childlike Facination

Pig Tales and Quilts

Quiltsmiles

Ella and Nesta's Little Room

Thimblemouse and Spouse

Gracie Oliver Arts

Well now I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek and Wednesday's list of talented ladies and their blogs.  Until then....

Toodles,

Tricia

Spring??

Tree Bird Blog Hop begins!

With the winter snows melting a way here in my little piece of earth, the little birds are coming back to the yard - chirping, scratching and fluttering about.  The "girls" have been also watching the chipmunks and squirrels skittering back and forth too from their favorite door. They are just as happy as us 2 legged members to see spring may finally be coming to the area. So what comes next? 

Well Madam Samm of Sew We Quilt comes up with another great blog hop for us to enjoy with the turn of the weather. Over at It Seams To Be Sew, Lana will be a our cheerleader for the "Tree Bird" blog hop.  

I had originally told myself I had wayyyy too much on my plate to do this hop.  That I was sticking to my guns to spend the year working on my long list of UFO's and WIP's.  I was all set ... I went to JoAnn's with my friend & enabler - Mrs. D where I was initiated with bird fabrics EVERYWHERE!!  And I mean that quite literately. I would go down one aisle and the down another to try to get away. At least that is what I had hoped - but alas it was not so.  I ended up with a half yard of ... yup - you guessed it -  bird fabric, a bowed head ... and the knowledge that I am not as strong as I had thought.  But I did enjoy the bird blog I was part of a couple years ago, so I guess it was meant to be. 

So now I'm neck deep in ideas with a week to go before my day of Friday, March 20th. Will I make it?  Well I think I will build the suspense by giving a small sneak peek for every day of the blog hop until then.  With the big reveal on my day.  So be sure to keep coming Monday through Friday next week to see what is going on.  I will also be sharing each day schedule of talented ladies sites will happening. I know I'm a day late but please visit this past Friday's group of talented ladies.  Be sure to leave them a big "Hi!" in the comment section and cheer with us for all their efforts.

Friday, March 13

It Seams To Be Sew

Life in the Scrapatch

Amy Stitches

Lakeshore Stitches

Needled Mom

Quilt in a not - Shell

Suebee's World

Now we reconvene on Monday  the 16th with these lovely ladies.  When you get a minute go and take a look at their pretty collections.  You might find some cute ideas for gift making items.  It's never too early to start on those holidays at the end of the year you know.  What?  Just saying ... lol.  

Now we will reconvene again on Monday the 16 with these talented ladies below. 

Monday, March 16

Sew Peace To Peace

Moose Stash Quilting

Buzzing and Bumbling

I Piece 2 Mary

Quilt Doodles

Just Let Me Quilt

Les Quilts

A Stitch In Time

But before I forget here is that sneak peek.  And with that I will say adieu for the evening... until tomorrow.

Toodles,
Tricia

The Woods Are...

The books we read is said to be a reflection of the person who reads them.  Well if this is the case maybe I should be afraid to know what mine says about me. I am currently reading "Until You Are Dead, Dead, Dead: The Hanging of Albert Edwin Batson" by Jim Bradshaw and Danielle.  This is another non-fiction full of darkness and mayhem.  Which I guess is the way my mind is tonight. I should have this down in no time at all and ready for it's review next week. 

" "I began to worry that the line between the hunted and the hunter might often become blurred"- Inspector Boris Sukurev" "(page 46)

Now that was a very interesting statement that I found in another dark story that I just finished up the other night. This book is called "Russian Wolves" by Jim Musgrave. Published by Bookbooters Press (October 2002). I won this one from the author in a give-away on booklikes.com.

Description:
Set in Russia, this riveting story traces the development of a serial killer and how one man's desire to get his family to America causes him to use this killer as a paid assassin for the Russian mafia. Can CIA agent Dr. Abigail Soloman convince her government of the horrifying discovery she has made?

This book has all the things make you coward under the covers, jump at every thing that goes bump in the night and at that moment ... you can't remember if you locked all the doors and windows. It's beyond the realm of dark but how does someone write darker that dark? But I know that is the only way to describe it. It grabs you by the throat and that little pulse in your neck grows louder and louder as your life is slipping away.  Mr. Jim writes in a style that has me think of a very demented Stephen King mashed up with the likes of Jack the Ripper on the literary world.

In my opinion the story line is dark, demented and dangerously addicting to be a eyes wide open read. The blood lust starts at a fast pace frenzy that sent shivers down my spine but I could not put it down and was reading so fast that my e-reader had problems keeping up with me. The development of the characters was so vivid that I could see in front of me.  I could almost smell the sweat of desperation of famine as it opens up in Southern Ukraine in February 1932, in the village that hasn't seen food for 6 weeks in cold of the Russian air, and the despair of those who live there. Here's a word to think about - cannibalism. 

Enter Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo - a loyal man to the cause who follows the Communist Party Rules to the bitter end.  We walk along with him has his mental break. The man who has a job as a teacher, is a patriot, partisan, husband to Pauline, who is expecting their 3rd child; and there is one more thing that this mild mannered father is above all else ... a serial killer.

We are taken in the dark mind of this man who thoughts are so demented it's like a train wreck that has you frozen right that on the tracks as the 2 behemoths are barreling down on you.  Your brain sees it but you just can't look or get away no matter how hard you try.

Now we can add it government corruption that goes all the way up to the Attorney General's Office, the Russian Mafia, and people won't be missed and things really get interesting. But let us add an element we that we all know racism. That becomes a bone of contention between Commander Kanowsky and  a description provided by the Commander as "an Ingus college boy" Inspector Boris Aukurev. As you can guess "Ingus" is not a kind word.

The inspector is a man who has the ability to get inside the criminal brain. We can't help to root for him throughout the book as the hunt begins with brick walls at every turn.  We can see how it takes over is the Inspector's life.  This chase continues for 12 years against all odds.  The suspense and the terror of the hunt and the hunt has my heart beating fast like I, too; is running against the darkest that is surrounding us. It has me thinking about that line from the poem by Robert Frost, Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

“These woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.” 

The twist and turns will have you dodging like you are also running with the pack.  Yes ... I did say pack. The line between the hunted & hunter indeed get blurred.  But without giving more a way, I admit that I spent several nights glued to the e-reader long into the wee hours of the morning. The e-reader smacks me in the forehead as I'm reluctantly fighting to keep my eyes open for I must continue the chase. 

Mr. Musgrave - I salute you for writing a story so dark that literally scared me to mental death!!! And that takes quite a bit of doing for a reader who cut her middle-school literary teeth on Stephen King's "IT"!!

I'm more than happy to give this book a Horrifying 4.75 of  5 stars out. And that is my honest opinion that I freely offer up as a winner of this book.  I will be looking for more of your books with out any doubts!

And this my friends is my review tonight.  I will be back with another tempting tidbit of literature for you to read. But until then...

Toodles,
Tricia

 

 

March 2015 Project Of the Month Tutorial

Celtic Craft Felt Candle Mat

Sorry that this a couple days late but we had several medical appointments this week that shifted my schedule a bit. Anyways…

This month I wanted to make a candle mat to celebrate my Irish heritage.  If you didn’t know it, the national flag of the Republic of Ireland is a tricolor flag of green, white, and orange. The official Pantone color designations for the green and orange are PMS 347 and PMS 151, respectively. For me, it’s nice to know these things some times.  I tend to be ummmm… let’s see… OCD-ish on things like this.  And it will be handy when looking at the felts at your local craft store.

Anyways, I was gifted some craft felts from my librarian and my friend Donna.  Donna also gifted me a good many ribbon types to use in my project. 

This is what the supply pile looks like. I also had two plates to use to draw my circles.  One was the saucer plate and then the salad/dessert plate. That list is as follows:

1. One piece of Pirate Green rainbow classic felt
2. Two pieces of orange rainbow classic felt
3. 1/2 yard of cord or braid
4. Threads: Gütermann colors Orange #470, Green #760 and White # 20
5. Coats & Clarks metallic decorative thread  T10 scan number 073650 84903 9
6. A scrap piece of batting is optional

 So I did a search for free Celtic knot work images and  I found this one here. It is a simple design and it brought together two elements associated with Ireland.

So first thing we are doing is to trace your plates. The smaller one is done on the white and the dessert plate is on the orange felt.  The shamrock leaves are easy as they are just four little green hearts at 1”.  Refer to the photo below. My white circle is 6” and there are two orange circles that are 8” before I trimmed it down to 7-1/2” when I finished the piecing.

I then went to my window for a little tracing of the knot work onto the white felt like this…

       

For the sake of making it easier to see in the photo, I made it a bit darker on this piece of white felt in the second photo. Once you done that, set aside for a few minutes.

Now for a couple of helpful notes about making the know work.  After many attempts with the regular flat ribbons, I found that the gold coin like cording was the better choice.  The reasons why is:

1. Unless the ribbon has the same print on both sides, it didn’t work when doing the fold from the center to the half dome shape turns.
2. When doing the half dome turns, the ribbon wouldn’t lay flat on the curves. This could be work on pieces that are bigger than the 6” on the white circle.
3. The types of ribbon that are either cord or braid styles was able to address these two issues at this size I was working with for my mat.

The piece I used for the braid wasn’t much, less than a half yard I believe.  This particular one has an iridescent “thread” that gave it a beautiful glimmering effect and it had me thinking of rainbows and pots of gold.  Which is also associated with Ireland and leprechauns.

  

So now we got our white felt prepped & ready to go, we can start by pinning the gold cord down to the felt following the knot work pattern we traced earlier.

 

I used the gold thread that is shown in the supply picture above. I am using Coats & Clarks metallic decorative thread  T10 scan number 073650 84903 9 according to the label.  Then I just used my favorite needle which is a #7 embroidery needle because of the large eye makes it easier to thread the metallic thread.  I just stitched the cord down few centimeters working it in and out of the braiding so that it blended in.  You can erase any pencil marks that might be seen.

From there I moved on to the shamrock using the green Gütermann thread to hand stitch them down on top of the gold knot work. Refer to the picture below.

 

I decided to bring the green color out a little farther in the piece so instead of using floss I used the green thread for a  more delicate look when using the tiny blanket stitch to sew the white piece to the orange background. You can used the white thread if you don’t want that extra color pop.

At this point I trimmed by orange circles to 7-1/2” so that there is an even rim showing. So if you got your white just a little wonky… don’t worry we can fix that. Be sure to cut your optional batting in this step to match if you wanted to add a little cushioning to your candle mat.

Now once you finish stitch the blanket stitching you now can use that second orange circle by making a label and stitch the two pieces together to cover up the stitching on the back side making it all pretty with the orange thread listed in the supply list.

Now there it is.  A little piece of Ireland at your fingertips.  You can also place a pop can tab on the back a hang it up to display it.  This beauty is 7-1/2” in diameter and prefect for those little spaces.  I hope you enjoyed this month’s project. I have already gifted this one and will be making another with the little penny rug tabs added on.  Be sure to come back and see how that one comes out too.  Until next time.

Toodles,
Tricia