Roses...

Just roses, more roses than words...

Roses on pendants,

on tiny ones

and bigger ones...

Roses on a ring

and roses on a ring pillow...

Happy Sunday, dear Friends!

Hardanger Ring Pillow on Hold

After finishing the rose wreath, I found that my hardanger scissors went MIA. I turned the entire studio upside down and also gave it a good shake, but the scissors are nowhere to be found, so I ordered new ones. 

As I wanted them here as soon as possible, I ordered them from Italy instead of the USA.

Big mistake... the store doesn't have them in stock and it will take about three weeks to receive my new scissors.

So this project is on hold until the new scissors arrive or the old ones come out from their hiding place. Whichever happens sooner. 

In the meantime, if you see my scissors, please tell them to come home. Thank you :)

Wishing you all a lovely week,

Hardanger Ring Pillow in Progress

For the last few weeks I have been playing with the idea of designing a hardanger ring pillow encrusted with ribbon embroidery and beads.

As the idea went on paper, the encrusted part became more delicate and discreet than planned and that is fine. At the moment I am in the process of adding the ribbon embroidery rose and beaded rose garland and hope to do all the cutting, wrapping and weaving next week.

There is quite a bit of "agony and ecstasy" going on with this piece, more than with any other project I have ever worked on, but we will sort it out somehow, this ring pillow and I, won't we? 

Wishing you all a beautiful day,

New Project, Progress, Finish

The new project is a CD sized cream-gold-bronze block, with lots of sparkle to be added, and it is going to be ... a snowball. Sounds fun, right? Well, that's all I can say about it for now, but I'll be able to give you more details as soon as the embellishment is complete.

Progress is on the daisy wreath ring pillow - all the petals are complete, moving on to the centers and keeping the doodle cloth busy, testing a couple of ideas for making them and the calyx.

And there is also a finish - the red rose became a pendant in a silver setting, a belated birthday present for  my daughter's much loved kindergarten teacher. 

I wish you all a happy, creative week!

Daisy Wreath Design

There's a new ring bearer's pillow in progress over here. I have dreamt this one on cream silk, with lots of fresh daisies and... a tiny dragonfly. Don't ask, it just had to be there. Anyway, this is the design I have come up with:

Please, feel free to download and embroider if you'd like.

I am making the daisies with woven picot petals (DMC perle no.8), French knot centers ( 1 strand of DMC stranded cotton 677, 676, 728). For the stem stitches, fly stitch leaves and calyx I am using 2 strands of DMC stranded cotton 733. The small daisies are going to be beaded, and the dragonfly will have woven picot wings and a body made of French knots.

The story of a ring bearer's pillow and of so much more

When Lee Albrecht asked me to take part in the exhibition "Maos que bordam pelo mundo" (Embroidering Hands Around the World) she is hosting within the Campinas Patchwork Show in Brazil, I didn't think twice before saying yes.
Amikor Lee Albrecht megkért, hogy készítsek valamit a "Hímző kezek a világban" című kiállítására, ami a Campinas-i Patchwork Show keretén belül került bemutatásra, rögtön igent mondtam.

Then, as I started thinking about what I should make and being a bit overwhelmed by my desire to create something perfect and unique, I thought that maybe I was too quick to say yes... Saying yes... Yes! A ring bearer's pillow! And this is how this pillow was born:
De amikor elkezdtem gondolkozni azon, hogy mit is készíthetnék ami egyedi is, tökéletes is legyen, elbizonytalanodtam és megfordult a fejemben, hogy talán túl hamar mondtam igent... Igent mondani... Igen! Egy gyűrűpárna! És így született ő:

From all the pieces I have ever made, this is the one that is closest to my heart. It is not perfect, and now I know that it doesn't have to be. Because it was made with love and when it was off on it's journey to Brazil, a piece of my heart travelled with it. And I believe that this piece of heart is what gives real beauty and value to any handmade creation.
Az összes eddigi munkám közül ez a párna áll legközelebb a szívemhez. Nem tökéletes, de ma már tudom, hogy nem is kell annak lennie. Mert szeretettel készült és amikor elindult hosszú útjára, a szívem egy kis csücskét is magával vitte. És hiszem, hogy minden kézzel készült alkotásnak ez a "szív csücsök" adja igazi szépségét és értékét.

Lee had the great idea to frame the pillow for the exhibition, and look what a beautiful frame Joao, the framer Lee works with, has made:
Amikor megérkezett hozzá, Lee bekereteztette a párnát és nézzétek, milyen gyönyörű munkát végzett a keretezője, Joao:

And here it is at the show, surrounded by so many wonderful embroideries:
És íme, a kiállításon, rengeteg csodálatos hímzés társaságában:

The plan was that I would personally attend the exhibition, but unfortunately life got in the way of this trip, so Lee was so kind as to dry the bouquet of roses I have sent for her birthday and use them as a table decoration next to my pillow and also included a few other little details, making me virtually present... Now isn't that (too) the kindest, sweetest gesture?
Az eredeti terv az volt, hogy személyesen is részt veszek a kiállításon, és annak ellenére, hogy ebbe az utazásba "kicsit" beleszólt az Élet, Lee kedves segítségével, virtuálisan mégis ott lehetek, mert asztali díszként ott van, például, a rózsacsokor amit születésnapjára kapott tőlünk. 

Muito obrigado, Lee, meu eterno carinho por você!

The story of this ring bearer's pillow is far from being over, but for now I know that my little piece of heart is in a good place, in kind and caring hands...
A kis párna története még nem ért véget, de egyelőre tudom, hogy jó helyen, szerető, gondos kezekben van...

For more photos of the event, please visit Lee's blog at http://leealbrecht.blogspot.com/

2, 20, 200

Crazy quilted ring bearer's pillow no.2, 20x20cm in size, and blog member no.200 :)

By the time the seam treatments, embroidery and lace beading were done, I realized that adding anything to the boomerang shaped patch would take away from the shape of the fan.

As I felt the same way even after sleeping on it (not literally...), I finished it up and I am happy to present my CQ'd ring pillow no.2:

The rings are going to be attached to the trim in the upper left, with cream silk ribbon, but only when the time comes for the pillow to be used...

And last, but not least, I am also happy to welcome Kathy Shaw (Shawkl), as member / follower no.200 of my blog, and to present her with her choice of a hardanger angel or bookmark by this Christmas :)


Have a beautiful weekend, Everyone!




P.S. I've been without internet connection for the last two weeks, so many emails remained unanswered. I am kindly asking for your patience for one more day, will start going through the letters tomorrow. Thank you!

Back to the future

After a small break, I am back in my studio again, working on another ring bearer's pillow:

The colors, threads and laces are the same as on the previous pillow I made, but this time I took my chances with piecing a fan block. 

I was a bit nervous about the curved piecing, but I think it turned out beautifully. 

The seam treatments still have to be finished and the laces embellished with beads... 

I have several ideas for how to treat the "boomerang" patch, will have to decide on that by Tuesday so I can hopefully finish the pillow next weekend.

Until then, have a great time this weekend, Everyone!

Crazy Quilted Ring Bearer's Pillow / Gyűrűpárna

Ready for the big trip :)
A nagy útra készen :)

I loved every minute of planning, designing, choosing just the right "ingredients", embroidering this pillow...
Szerettem e kis párna születésének minden pillanatát...

I hope that one day it will fulfill its function and bring all the best in the world to a happy couple :)
Remélem, hogy egy szép napon eljátssza majd a szerepét és sok szerencsét fog hozni egy boldog párnak :)

Crazy Quilted Ring Bearer's Pillow in Progress III

Matters of the heart...
Szívügyek...

... with silk ribbon roses...
... selyemszalag rózsákkal...

...in the light of the setting sun.
...a lemenő nap fényében.