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Saturday, December 16, 2017

Christmas Postcards and a try at English Paper Piecing

My last blog post seems like a long time ago, but when I checked it was about two weeks ago. I spent most of that time sick, I had been concerned about getting the ugly bronchial mess my husband had but instead I got a deep sinus viral mess. High fever, terrible headaches, etc for about a week, I'm now almost back to normal.

I took my usual process pictures of what I was working on with my phone camera as usual and then discovered when I went to write a blog post that my phone and my computer have stopped working together. Today I finally found my camera, I had put it in my suitcase when we went to NY and had never taken it out, so I do have a few pictures.

I started to make my Christmas postcards like I've done for the past ten years or so and was finally honest with myself and admitted that I am so tired of making postcards. I made less than half of what I normally do, finally used up the bolt of timtex that I'd had for years and called it done. It felt like such a relief, I have been doing postcards since 2000 and I think I've made my last one.  Even more telling was a day later I read my horoscope (something I rarely do) and it said I'm like a snake shedding my skin to get rid of the old and start new. The postcard photos are on the phone.

Since I finished my daily stitching with a month left in the year I thought I would try something different. Several months ago I saw some English Paper Piecing in a shape that made a cross when four were stitched together. I ordered the pieces and they've been sitting here waiting for me. This summer I ordered some recycled silk sari fat quarters and decided that the two should go together. I thought I could work on them for the whole month, I lasted less than two weeks, But I did get a small piece made.



Once I get the paper pieces off the back I will appliqué it to the piece of purple silk that's underneath it in the top two photos. I've also decided that although I love the results of what I did, it is something I will probably never do again. I took the bottom photo so you could see the scale, they are one inch pieces.

Weekly Stitching
Signs of Life:The five universal shapes
wks 49-50





I'm working on the outer border now.

I'll be linking up to "Off the Wall Friday" and "Slow Sunday Stitching"

7 comments:

  1. I was wondering where you were. Hope you are on the mend. It's no fun to be sick for Christmas.
    Your silk project is interesting, but knowing how sick frays, it must have been a bear to work with.
    I made homemade Christmas cards one year, embossed velvet squares inserted into card blanks, pretty but so much work. I can see why you are saying amen after all those years.

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  2. The time to give up on a project I think is when you dread having to get stuck into it. I made large wall hangings depicting world events from 1986 -2012. In total 27 large pieces. I came to dread doing each panel, too many natural disaster, conflict, forest fires etc. 5 years on I still rejoice in the fact that I no longer am doing them... Irene from a rather wet Northern Ireland.

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  3. I love your vibrant plus signs! I need to dig mine out and make something with them . Always fun to see your stitching. I'm glad you are feeling better!

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  4. It was time to move on to a new creating chapter for you. I love youR year of stitching.

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  5. Glad you are on the mend. I love EPP but it has to be done in small doses! Love what you did with yours, those colours are just delicious!

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  6. Glad you are feeling better!
    Our interests do come and go over the years... how will we know what we really like unless we try it?!?

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  7. So glad that you are feeling better. I haven't updated my blog in a while either, but my excuse is too much work. I love your EPP. The colors are wonderful. It will look great with the purple background. Your embroidery is really pretty too.

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