It Was A Very Good Day...

Brynwood Needleworks - Handsome's Vest

Destiny and I got those buttonholes sewn out first thing yesterday, leaving just the buttons to be hand sewn in place. It took a whole twenty minutes for me to finish Handsome's vest for his gig last night. Now he's "regulation" for this group's dress code.

I left it a bit roomy, thinking it might be more comfortable for him to wear while playing. If he prefers it to be more fitted, I'll make that alteration later. I'm extremely happy that I was able to sew it together on a relatively short notice for him. This is the shortest lead time I've had since about thirty five years ago when I made what I called the "24 Hour Embroidered Shirt", for a relative. That's a story for another day.

Handsome loves his new vest, which makes it that much more rewarding for me. He appreciates my efforts and attention to detail, and that's why I'm pleased to make anything whenever he makes a request.

Brynwood Needleworks - Ribbon and Pearl Cotton Embroideries

After the vest was done, I turned my attention to the Strawberry Blossom & Roses Sachet that's next in line. All the ribbonwork is finished (there's more than what shows here) and it's ready for stems and leaves. I'd say that yesterday was a very good day.

 

I'll be at Nifty 50s today, so this will be what I'm working on while I spend time with some of my quilting friends. What are you working on these days?

My Finished Gift...

I presented my gift yesterday to my friend, Sharon of Corgis In My Garden blog. I was fortunate to be able to spend an entire day with her, but I don't want to give you all the details quite yet. I'm going to tell you all about it on Tuesday (with Tag) instead. I'm sure it's not hard for you to figure out why.

I gave you a peek yesterday, and thought you shouldn't have to wait to see what I created with all that ribbonwork.  She brought along a gift for me (a fabulous, scrumptious, gorgeous homemade pound cake and beautiful tray - perfect for the Flying Cloud), but I'll share more about that next week, too.

Thank you for a driving down for the day, Sharon-friend. I'm so glad we could spend the time together. (The weather was perfect, too, wasn't it?) I hope we get a chance to do it again sooner, rather than later.

Summer Strawberries...

 

Sometimes, a smaller project - something that makes one smile - is just the perfect thing for a hot summer day. I love making ribbon embroidery roses into small strawberries, so I pulled out my supplies and thought making a few more would be fun.

  

Tiny stitches, scrumptious silk ribbon and verdant green threads all combine to create the designs that I make up as I go along. I don't draw out the pattern before I begin, I just start with the basic spiderweb for the roses and scatter on my fabric. After all the buds and flourishes have been added, I stitch the stems and leaves. When I'm finished with the stitching, I sew up the strawberry shape, stuff it and sew on the wool leaves. A simple project, really, but always a sense of accomplishment with the finished strawberry.

How do you spend your hot summer days? I'd love to hear what you're up to!

Baby Bling...

Remember those sweet, little shoes I showed you in this post?
They were sent by my niece's best friend, to embellish for her beautiful
daughter, Evie.

With the wedding over and the happy couple back at home,
I was able to concentrate on this project.
Ribbon rosettes, Swarovski crystals, sequins and ab glass beads.
Little girls need pink...and just the right amount of "Baby Bling".

What do you think?
I hope Evie and her mommy love them!
I hope her mommy sends me a photo of Evie wearing them!

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic...

I received this beautiful pin before Mum and Burt's wedding.

It's another stunning example of the needlework talent of my
friend, Paulette Racanelli of Beedeebabee.

She and have share a mutual admiration of each other's work,
and a little while ago, we agreed to do a swap.
Her favorite color is pink.
Mine is a peach/pink.

I sent this to her...
and she gifted me with one of her stunning beadwork pins.

I received her reaction on Monday, and it surely made me smile.
We've gone back and forth, Chip and Dale-style...
"You're work is the most stunning and beautiful."
"No, I insist, your work is the most stunning and beautiful!"

We both agreed that we'll be good friends for a long time,
and we look forward to the time when we'll be able to sit
across the table from each other and share a cup of friendship tea.
Then, I'll tell her, in person, that
every little thing she does is magic!

Don't forget to click on her blog link to see all her fabulous creations!

I Just Couldn't Resist...

I know, I know...I said I'd finish that beaded shawl first,
but the French silk ribbons were calling me.
I couldn't concentrate. I tried to resist, but I just couldn't.

I ran my fingers through the ribbons and selected shades
of soft pink, seashore blue, earthtone, white and sand...
and then I started to manipulate and stitch them to buckram.

I added a milliner's bow in champagne duppioni silk, and then
a few velvet leaves and buds...and created this combination to be
used to embellish a new project I've been working on in my head.The soft cotton candy pink ribbon became a large rose,
and I hid clusters of sand and earthtone blossoms with
sparkling beads beneath its petals. There will be more to this one
before it's finished, but for now I'm happy with its sweet beginnings...Ribbons in soft, sultry colors make my heart sing.
Just like sending a Valentine to myself.

Resisting these ribbons is like resisting chocolate.
These ribbons make me weak in the knees.
I just couldn't resist.

A Gift To Dream On...

I was in Michael's last week and came across this beautiful book box. It was exactly what I was looking for! (Remember, I told you a couple of days ago that I'm the wedding planner for an upcoming wedding.) I wanted to give this new bride a collage of colors and items that I'm planning to use for her wedding to her Mr. Dreamboat. This bride is wonderful as she's leaving all the planning in my hands. How often does that happen?

I love the sentiment on the front of the book box. It says, "True Love is a friendship set on fire". Perfect words for this couple as they've only known each other forever. The theme for their wedding is "At Last".
When they open the box, they'll see my vision for their special day. A beach wedding in colors of the sky and sea. White and aqua ribbon roses, sparkling gems to mimic the shimmer of the ocean - and the love light in their eyes, the fabric for their attendant's dress, and seashells that will be the theme for their dinner table. The bride's dress is going to be flowing layers of white organza or chiffon, accented with ribbon roses (which I really love creating!). I'm going shopping for the fabric very soon. The wedding is April 17th, so there'll be no dawdling on this project.

Between now and their wedding day, I hope the bride and Mr. Dreamboat love this gift to dream on.

If you're new to my blog, you can always click on my photos to enlarge them. I will be posting photos of the dresses and wedding, as they're available, for you to see!