Sensu - Framing and Fan Outline

Hi everyone, long time no see !
I have been really busy with school lately and didn’t have a lot of time to stitch. I went to a research internship in France for 6 weeks and couldn’t bring my big frame in my luggage lol. I did a little bit of cross stitch (easier to put in a bag) but not that much because i was very busy at the univeristy there.
Because I was in Europe, i missed my monthly meeting of Japanese Embroidery in November, but would never missed the December one .

This meeting was special : we just received our Phase 2-3 kit and we planned to frame it before our April class ! While all the other stitchers chose Hiogi, i went with the Sensu !

(Thanks to Dima for the lovely picture ! ) 

(If you ask, no my phase 1 is not finished - far from it - but I need a rest from this frustrating piece xD )

For those who are not familiar with the Japanese Embroidery Center curriculum, instead of doing two separated pieces for phase 2 and 3 , there is the option to combine both in one piece . To be honest,  I don’t like the phase 2 fan so I find this option 2-3 very convenient . Phase 3 projects are appealing me, but it means going throught phase 2 first. I prefer enjoy one of the Phase 3 later when this 2-3 will be done .... In 5 years at my actual pace, i suppose xD .

The kit arrived with all needed threads, cottons to sew in fabric ends, chart box, one pair of lovely komas, and ... no indication on where the colours go ! Should I guess where to put all those 19 colours??  I can’t even tell the difference between the greens xD  Dima emailed the JEC and they gave us the colour chart. We were glad they answered very fast.

It took all day to sew our fabric ends, frame and double-lace our projects. A very long process, but since our piece may sit on the frame for a long time, it's a better idea to have it double laced.

Before class, we have some "homework" to do : Outline of the fans, and foundations.

As you can see, the top of the fan et the outline of the small one are not printed on the fabric. Nancy told us it was because the fabric may distort on the framing process. In order to have a beautiful piece with straight line, we have to trace the design on the fabric ourselves after framing.

I used tracing paper to trace the shape of the fan, and some of the cloud lines . As you can see, my blue lines for the cloud don’t match the ones printed on the fabric . This is the distortion. You can’t see it on the picture, but I had to add 1-2 mm to each end of my tracing to martch the fabric .
When satisified with everything , i attached the paper to the fabric , making sure to put my needle in places that will be covered. This fabric looks forgiving if I pierce a hole in the wrong place, but I prefer to develop good habits now.

When this holding was done, I made an outline of held thread following the traced blue line.

I also had to outline the folded fan on the bottom

Eeeek. The lines are not perfectly straight. This thing is hard, and I LOVE perfect things!! 

I suppose i have to do a third line on the bottom but i am not sure, i prefer to have more instruction before doing anything. I only did the outline for the part that will need foundation inside.

And completed, with paper removed  :

Sensu is now ready to be stitched !!! 

Now that I’m back, with courses and exams done, I expect to do a little bit of embroidery before going to see my family and leave my frame all alone for another 2 weeks for Christmas . I can’t wait to put some colors on this Sensu !

I may post some pictures of my progress on foundations, and give some news about the phase 1 Bouquet, that is growing quite slowly . I progressed a lot since my last post in May, but left it untouched for the last 2 months. Since i have some thing to do before my april class, i prefer concentrate on this Sensu. I will go back to the Bouquet after ... or maybe if i get tired to do foundation and twisting thread. It becomes boring after some time xD 

WIPocalypse - March 2018

Hi everyone,

here is my monthly progress as March 25 31 WIPocalypse (almost on time !) . I've been talking a lot about Japanese Embroidery, but i still work sometime on my cross stitch. I've done a lot since my last monthly report, had some new starts on the way ( but no finishes ^_^ )

WIPocalypse rules are here on Measi Blog

So here is the question of the month : 

March 25 – What newer designers and product creators (fabric or floss dyeing, etc) out there have you discovered and recommend?
This year, I discover more of Japanese embroidery. I love de Japanese Embroidery Center designs, and also Midori Matsushima's ones. I love the silk thread, you can do so much with it, it's a pleasure to stitch because of its delicacy and beauty. 

Here are my progress !!  

Warning : VERY LONG POST. TOO MUCH PICTURES. (Joke, never enough pictures)

Japanese Embroidery

#1 Bouquet from the Heart of Japan

I won't lie, March was kinda hard for me. I've made a lot of work in February, but had to remove A LOT (like 6 or 7 hours of work, maybe more) because some things were not quite right.

So it all began here. 

Now it looks like this.  
Well... almost. I was too lazy to take another picture with paperbag done ;)

(It looks so empty without pinks !!! )

#2 Colours of Spring

This piece is a small kit from Midori Matsuchima. I did a little but of work on it, but it was before i has my Japanese Embroidery Class... si it's VERY FAR from perfect. Since i'am working mostly on my bouquet, i don't know when I will comme back on it. Maybe i will remove everything now that i had a complete formation. So here is what i looked like on the last time.

It's a little bit sad. I should really remove everything.

Cross stitch

Most of my time is on Japanese embroidery.... but i still do cross stitch ! Usually when i am too tired to do anything but repetitive movement and counting while watching movie. There is something very relaxing about cross stitching, almost contemplating.

In those 3 years (Ishhh.. ) of not blogging, i did a lot of work. I will try to recall every WIP and new beginnings i made ( And no finishes at all lol). I will try to have NO OTHER BEGINNINGS this year ... easier said than done. 

It all came to this : 

ok so let's go back to my UFO's... WIP's to see what was improved.


#1 Elegance of the Orient

Yesss ! A lot of work done ! 

 

Tadaa ! Lighting is not that good, maybe i will take another one someday.

#2 Jazz café

... and yess ! Improved ! 

Still a lot to do, but coming good !

#3 Mad Hatter

Well.. no. nothing.

Sorry

#4 Pagoda View

  Yes ! A little bit. Not easy to spot on this pictures. I will have another one someday.

 

 Bad lighting and bad phone kills art.

#5 Mini Hogg

Yay ! Moredone. But still unfinished. 

New Starts

This is where it hurts. When you should work on your things and you literally procrastinate cross stitch by cross stitching something else !!!

#1 Charlotte

From Mirabilia, my favorite. But I lost the pattern on my last moving :(

#2 Villa Mirabilia

This lady is so gigantic !!! I did almost nothing 

#3 Mini Birthday mouse.

Okay, I lied earlier when saying i finished nothing. I began AND finished this little cutie.

Ready to put in a card !!

#4 Kimono Sunset 

Annnnd thats it. For my defense, two of them were on a Eventually-To-Do-List. And i finished another one. 

So i think that's it... 

I feel so guilty for having all those WIP. Not blogging made me lose track of what i was working on, and how much of them i had !!!

As we say in french : Admitted offence is half forgiven.

Ok, this was long post. It's the punishment for not blogging for so long. Thanks for having made through it !!

Hello 2015 !

15 days later...

Happy New Year everybody ! I wish you time, health, love et 50% reduction on thread and patterns for 2015 !

2014 was a great year for me. After more than 10 years without cross stitching, i found my old sewing box covered in dust. Since I had quit my part time job in 2013, it was the first time I had nothing to do during Christmas time. (I had always been working fulltime during the 3 weeks vacations to have more money). And this is where everything started.

One year later, I am very pleased to have a blog and show you my projects and progressions.

***

Everything was listed as new project in 2014, so I don't have picture of before/after to show you.
So, let's go with the progression of my work so far, separated by resolutions. 

To finish

#1 Elegance of the Orient, Dimensions/Gold Collection

I didn't make progression this month, here is just a picture to show you where I am for now. I hope to finish it in 2015

#2 Jazz Cafe, Anchor/Maia Collection

This is the one I've been working the most on during Christmas Vacation. I completed the Elbow, the hairs, a little bit of the flower and almost finished the face (She looks more like a human now ! ) I love working on this project. The thread and the Aida are high quality ( Thanks Anchor kit! ) this is a pleasure to work with thread that's not knotting every 10 minutes ! I hope to give it to my parents this year !

 

***

To make progress

#1 The Mad Hatter, HAED/Hanna Lynn

No work has been done on this one on December. I do it very slowly, I hope to make a little bit of progression this year but i'm not sure to finish it, since I have more enjoying projects than this one. ( Hope it will not become a UFO ... It would be my first one :/ )

#2 Pagoda View, Anchor/Maia Collection 

New start here !! Because I can't bring Jazz Cafe home when my parents are there, I was stitching this one. Here is a picture of the work so far.

And the finished product will look like this :

You can see there is a major difference in the colours (grey and purple) It is because the image of the package I received was this. With purple. Such disagrement to see the grey thread instead of the beautiful purple expected.  

I was sooooo disapointed. I decided to look in my stash where i own more than 200 skeins. I found the 3 purples matching so I began to stitch. But then, I-don't-know-how-many-hours-later, I saw the picture of the two other cross stitch pictures associated with this one :

Well.... the two are made with grey thread. The package lied to me. I will remove the purple thread when I will have more courage. Until then.... I hope to make progress on it.

#3 WOXS Mini's

My little sister paid me a one year subscription of the Magazine The World of Cross Stitching for Christmas, and I will work on the little minis they're sending each month. This is the January project, a little card ^__^

***

To start

#1 Kimono Sunset, Anchor/Maia Collection

I bought this kit on September, and I hope to start it this year. But I will wait to have one of me project finished before! I don't want to have 10 projects in the same time... I don't like the rotation concept ( But I do not judge people doing it ! It's their thing and way to do, not mine !! )

#2 Charlotte, Mirabilia

The last time I went to cross stitch boutique, it was to buy needles ( Only had one left) and new box and bobins because I missed place for all my skeins the last time.
The problem is, I can go there and buy only the things I have to !!!! I fell in the Mirabilia Collection and absolutely had to return home with her :

The owner didn't had the fabric in stock so she ordered it for me. I will receive it in one or two weeks.  I can't wait to do the first stitch !

(Surprisingly, It costed me around 85$ CAN for everything (including taxes) and would have cost me 88,37$ CAN (At today's rate) if i had bought the exact same thing on 123Stitch with shipping fees ... )   

 ***

So, this is it, I hope to be here on January 2016 to see the progress made through the year, and that you'll be still following me ! 

Now is time to get out of the internet's and stitch ! Have a nice week end !

:)

(So sorry if there are mistakes, I try to improve my English everyday !! )

Christmas before time

I'm writing you from my overheated appartement ( I think the landlord is allergic to cold ), while the snow begins falling outside, slowly and gently. Weather forecast announce 25 cm tomorrow, with super strong winds of 70km/h.
Readers, I present you Canadian Winter. Canadian winter, here are blog readers. Maybe I'll have picture for you ^_^ (Because I still got 2 exams tomorrow, and 25 cm of snow is NOT a reason to close the university. )

But, the snow is not the main reason for my title here.  Something more exciting !
My mom told me yesterday she had no idea what to offer me for Christmas. I suggested : Why not one of the Millenium frame I showed her last time ? My dad is CabinetWorker ( Erf, google translate, he makes wood furnitures ) and maybe he could make me one of those ?

Well, since my dad have too much too do, she decided to buy me one !  I was sooo glad !

And more over, my little sister bought me a one year subscription for The World of Cross stitch magazine ( Insisting on the fact that she want me too do the littles freebies for her baby... which will be done with great pleasure ! )

And you, have you asked for something specific for Christmas ?

****

I have done a little work on my two pieces this week ( Even if i should not, and study instead )

Jazz Cafe from Maia Anchor , I have done a little bit of the hair, maybe more than the half, and began the white flower.

(With a closer look)

And then Elegance of the Orient, by Dimensions

I've done a little of the blue since the last time, and more of the .... hem, yellow shawl the she holds (the grey on the left) 

And in exclusivity today, a picture of a "New" Start !

 I've began this one during the summer, but since I want to offer the Jazz Cafe to my mom, i've put it on the side for the moment to concentrate on my future gift.

Here is The Mad Hatter from HAED design, made by Hanna Lynn (I'm a total fan of her work !)

And this is my progress so far

Made on Lugana 28 ct

Tent stitch, 2 over 1

This is the first time I stitch on evenweave fabric and I love it ! I think it is smoother than Aida, and the finish is less rought.

I will gladly show you what is tent stitch in another post ! This sort of stitch is the easiest (in my opinion) with HAED design. It's a kind of Half-stitch, but with better cover than the regular one. I use the parking method too because ... well because I'm not crazy enough to try to do this with the perfect back technique.
And the big hole on the latest picture it is because I dont have this exact colour of thread. Since I bought almost 250 skeins the last time, and rolling them was a real nightmare, I thought making a break was not a bad idea. ( Ok the little boutique that sells embroidery stuff had 13 colours missing in the ones I needed for this, and I was too lazy to go back 2 weeks after )


Soooo this is it for this week. Pray for me to have success in my exams that are beginning tomorrow until Friday. May all the gods me on my side, and the spirit of all the mathematicians who would be terribly mad against me not doing my homeworks !

(And please, If somewhere I had a bad use of a word in English, I will be very happy to know. I'm writing this blog to be better in with the Shakespeare language. Don't be shy to correct me :)  )