So-So No-Sew

My BERNINA went to rehab last Friday. It was long overdue for it's not-so-regular freshen-up. I've been without a sewing machine for my daily hour or two sewing sessions to start my morning for about a week now. 

Simple enough, I grabbed my year-long alphabet stitchery project. I would have enjoyed relaxing in my comfy chair in the living room rather than my sewing cabinet chair. . .

However, Doodle and Woodstock (the two conures) like the morning routine AS IS. And they like to spend the daily morning sewing time in their cage in the sewing room. To change their routine would subject me to noisy squawks as they made their annoyance with a change to their itinerary known.

I know, it's crazy, but it's just easier this way. Some days, I'm grateful that THEY let US continue occupying the house with them. 

As for the stitchery project. I'm on the letter S for Sheep and spiderweb stitch which is giving an added fluffy dimension to the sheep. As I've been discussing in this newsletter from time to time, I've taken a departure from the execution of this pattern to add quilty elements to the project.

If you're interested you can grab the original charts here. 

With just a few letters left, I am looking forward to sharing more on the final stages of this project soon.

To keep things interesting this week, I switched things up a bit to add some beading to the stitchery routine.

I think I shared a similar starfish project a couple weeks ago. My embroidery guild is making some for a holiday tree charity event at the local art museum. Unfortunately, I don't have permission to share those pattern notes here. 

However, even better (I think), I am happy to share this YouTube video that walks you through all the steps to create this two-sided version of the starfish. I like this version even better because the starfish are finished on both sides.

Now, if you're not familiar with beading, these instructions may not make much sense.

The two-sided starfish feel a bit more 'stable' than the one-sided version making them a bit more versatile for things like zipper or key chain fobs.

Here is one I attached to my purse zipper with a jewelry ring.

Next week, maybe I'll have a few more sewing machine things to share. . . or not! You never know what will turn up around here.

Happy Stitching!
Joan