BJP 2011 January Thinking

Here is my January Dragonfly for BJP2011.

This is my first year to join in on the Beaded Journal Project...and I already having a head full of ideas! Finally, I decided on a theme for my monthly beaded projects...critters! If you follow the blog, you know that I do a lot of blocks and projects for friends, cyber friends, and family.
 One thing I want to do for myself is a large crazy quilt project. I have visions of shabby chic with loads of white, cream, beige fabrics with bits of pastels in lace and embellishments. I have not pieced the first block, because I do not want them to be square...and have not decided on what I "do" want yet! Agrrrrr...some on brain, you can do it! Sorry, I digress...
Anyway, I thought that critters would be a good addition to the project...when it ever gets off the ground! And, I want the critters to be all sizes...some large, some small, some round, some not so round...a real variety.
Therefore, all of my BJP 2011 monthly projects will be critters that I can later stitch down to the crazy quilt full size project. This complicates the creation process some too...because each item must be able to be attached firmly to the final crazy quilt project. So, this first one is also a test! As you might be able to tell from the photo, I used water soluble (traced with a chalk pencil) and hooped it on top of felt. After stitching all the beads firmly into place...I hope to be able to carefully cut the dragonfly out and then be able to handstitch him into the CQ project...more about that when the time comes I'm sure!!

Here are the big stones I'm thinking of using...and other smaller ones will cover the wings, body, and tail. So wish me luck! I'm off on a new adventure in beading! Oh, here's a closeup of the main beads...I wish you could see just how gorgeous these are!

Melissa's Hearts and Flowers Block

Here's a crazy quilt block I'm beginning to stitch on for a cyber pal, Melissa. She pieced the block...and swapped with me. We are both going to keep the theme "flowers and hearts" in mind as we embellish each block. Oh, and you might want to check out Melissa's blog "Honey Bee's Bliss" as she is a whiz at silk ribbon...and I love looking at all her eye candy on her site!

This will be mailed by mid February...so, I thought I had better get started. My first thought was to do some seams, but then I had a second thought that the block was so small...about 9 inches...and I might stitch myself into a fix if I didn't figure out what motifs I might want to add. Embroidery is the first medium that jumps into my mind...so off I went to hunt some designs.

The first was easy, a simple monogrammed "M"...for Melissa of course! And this one was so fast to stitch, I just couched some 7mm silk ribbon down with silk thread in a matching color. Add a rose and some French Knots...done! Yeah!!

 The next motif was a bow with hearts...and I'm working on that so will have some photos later this week I think of a finished product. I don't remember where I got this little heart from...but most likely it was the Flickr Pool I belong to called Hoop Love Vintage Transfers. Check them out! They have some great embroidery motifs you can use on your own projects...and contribute some to the pool too!

 That one's a little hard to make out...perhaps this last one will be better. By the way, these were printed and then I traced the image on to tissue paper...so any errors are my own poor tracing skills...not the creator of the design. LOL! This last little flower is from a design of Hanging Flowers that Mary of NeedlenThread posted. If you have not checked out her site...you are missing a wealth of embroidery knowledge! It is my very favorite site to visit!

So, I'm off to stitch some more!

TDiTM Stitch #129

Simple, but effective. Add some flower beads or silk ribbon spiderweb roses above/below the lazy daisy trio...if it is stitched in green...for a very effective little garden row seam.

TDiTM Stitch #128

Starry, starry night!

The top row is done in metallic thread, and the bottom in bright teal.

TDiTM Stitch #127

Here's a mostly beaded stitch...

TDiTM Stitch #126

Here's another seam with only straight stitches. It is full, and I find it really pleasing even without any beads.

But, with some pearls at the bottom of the little arrows...or on the T-bar of the base stitch might be good too!

TDiTM Stitch #125

Check the side bar for a link to all previous TDiTM Combination Stitches.
It is a little unreal to begin 2011 still doing Twelve Dozen in Twelve Months combination stitches...but we are almost done, and that is an odd feeling too.

Stitch #125 is all straight stitches...it could be dressed up very easily by adding seed beads to the ends of all the rays.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you and your's a great 2011!

Another "A"

This letter A is in Garamond, the same font as the blog is now in...and I like that it's wide.

Basically Beaded Continues

The next round in Basically Beaded round robin is completed, boxed, and ready to be mailed.

I added some odds and ends...and these red roses, blue half circle seam...

and this little blue flower and pearl seam.