Imaginesque

I took to surfing the internet not long ago and came across a most amazing blog: Imaginesque. Jack London once said, "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." And C.J., the mysterious author of this amazing blog does just that.

Using simple motifs as building blocks, C.J. shows us step-by-step ways we can create our own blackwork and embroidery masterpieces. Biscornus, fill patterns, and border patterns have opened my mind to a new world of possibilities. 

More than 280 posts fascinate and inspire. One of my favorites is "Blackwork Floral Biscornu Pincushion Pattern Variation" (May 20, 2012): 

I love the shape of the leaves in this floral motif.

C.J. also offers friendship bracelet patterns and there's a nifty little blog on bookbinding.

Oh yeah! And all the patterns are free!

So go take a look, get inspired, and start stitching at Imaginesque

Framing made easy

Well, now that I have learned how to frame, I'm finding it a lot less intimidating. One of the best methods I've found is at Carol Leather's Needlework Tips & Techniques. This easy-to-understand tutorial uses foam core board and straight pins to secure the fabric. A couple of stitches at the back corners, and it's ready to display in the frame. The nice thing about this method is that the picture can be removed from the board and washed if necessary.

I used Carol's framing method for my most recent pattern, Fleur de lis:

It really was simple and stress-free, after I figured out how to handle the glass without getting smudges on it. My secret weapon? Vinyl gloves, of course!

And yes, this pattern will be available soon at Ant of Sweden.

OMG, this is SO much fun!

I found the cutest fabric flowers! A wonderful tutorial from Living Craftily Ever After shows us how to make the most charming fabric flowers.

I had to try it, so I pulled out some denim scraps and gave it a whirl. Well, denim is heavy, so it didn't turn out so well with a folded square as shown in the tutorial. So I cut the squares into triangles and left the edge rough.  I'm pretty darned happy with the result:

Quick, easy, and versatile, these cute flowers are the perfect embellishment for a hair clip, bulletin boards, picture frames, and more.

Give it a try! If I can do it, anyone can.