Rainbow scrap challenge and Casalguidi

It's the last week for baby blue in the Rainbow scrap challenge and I've managed to get my dancing stars blocks done just in time.  You can see what everyone else has done this week over here

I had a textile class on Monday and we did some playing with free motion sewing on our sewing machines. When we got the tension and stitches right we made a note of the sewing machine tension.  Something I have never done before so a really useful exercise.  It was good fun although and a great chance for a good gossip! 

But what I did also do was some more of my casalguidi embroidery - nearly there!

Rainbow scrap challenge

Baby blue isn't a colour I have much of but I managed to put together a few blocks and some leader and ender bits also.  I must admit though I'm loving the little houses!  Jump over to here to see what other people are doing for the rainbow scrap challenge.

Casalguidi

And a bit more!

I've subscribed to receive coupons from JoAnn's (i shall be in the USA in 13 days time - yay and will undoubtedly get time to squeeze in a little fabric shopping) and apparently they say it is National Talk Like a Pirate Day tomorrow!  How funny is that (me hearties!)

Casalguidi

I've managed to get a little bit more done on my embroidery.  It's such fine work that I need a really good light to work in and although I bought myself a neck magnifying glass I still struggle to see the threads!  The bullion stitch in the middle of the flower was stitched and unpicked so many times, it nearly got abandoned but I'm glad I persevered! Just the stems and buds to do now.

Evolon

Last Monday I had did a workshop on Evolon.  This is a man made fabric constructed from spun polyester and nylon fibres.  Its a really soft fabric that resembles a fine suede or chamois leather.  Whats nice about it is it can be melted or distressed with a hot air gun, cut and etched with a soldering iron.  It takes expandable paints and embossing powders with out affecting the surface and can be stitched on really easily.  So it was playtime at the class!  And here are the results of my messing around!

This is after the Evolon has been spray painted.  I also did a couple of pieces of Lutrador

Then I had some fun with some stencils and some rubber stamps.  My favourite so  far is the peachy one on the bottom right of the picture with the large red lilies!  I printed a lily onto a piece of Lutrador and backed it with heat and bond and attached a couple of pieces for added interest.  You can't actually see it in the photo.

I have used the soldering iron and removed some of the oblongs and used some heat expandable paint at the top of the piece.  I have a piece of rainbow organza that looks quite good layered over the top, so might do that and try some machine sewing also.

I must admit I have no idea what I am going to do with them but it was fun to just play around and experiment!

Finish it up Friday

Today I am linking in with Amanda's Blog at crazy mom quilts.  Its a show and tell on a Friday of work finished.  And its not often I am in the position to post anything that I've completed.  But this week I am proud to say I have completed two things!  My Don't look now cushion for a friends 50th Birthday

and some detail of the sewing

I am really pleased with how it has turned out so I hope she likes it.

I have also this morning done my last jog (yes I did say jog) in the 'Couch to 5K in nine weeks' course.  It is a NHS initiative to get people fit and healthy by building them up to jogging 5K or 30 minutes.  When I started 9 weeks ago all I could jog in half an hour was 7 minutes (that's 7 one minute jogs) but this week I have completed three 30 min runs!  Yes I feel great and my stamina levels have gone up by a huge amount.  Not sure what to do now as I don't want to loose that fitness level but I'm also not a great lover of jogging.  So while I decide I will carry on jogging three times a week for the required half hour!!!!

Trio the dog

Our friends came for a BBQ today and they bought Trio the dog they are looking after for the weekend!  He is absolutely gorgeous but he couldn't resist our pond and spent most of his time either front paws in it or all of him in it!  Its so nice to have a dog around the place again so we forgave him (not sure the fish will or when they will surface again).