Litany Against Fear Pattern

I constructed a pattern for a friend a few years back; it was a sampler of "Litany Against Fear" from the Dune books. It was a gift, and the text pattern was copyrighted for personal use only, so I have never offered it to the general public.

But every once in a while, someone will write and ask for the pattern. The most recent request was from Ivy.
She asked for the border and House Atrediedes crest. Thanks, Ivy, for the suggestion. Here's the border detail:

Just click on the image and save to your computer. 

Happy stitching!

Floral Border

Here's a little something new. It has been ages since I did any design work, but I recently found this rattling around in my brain. It's a nice floral border pattern. That's right; it's asymmetrical! I really enjoyed creating this one and used it for a small sampler. I can't give you the layout for the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, as it is a copyrighted font from PCStitch, but it's such a versatile border, I'm sure you'll find a number of ways to use these whimsical vines.

Click here for the pattern

Unfolding Leaves

I've been quite taken with leaves as of late. Here is a motif that is a ton of fun to stitch! Unfolding Leaves makes a pretty pattern for a greeting card, border or maybe even a bookmark. I've included some variations you might want to try.

Unfolding Leaves is fun and easy to stitch.

Click here for the pattern.

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

Motif Fun

I love stitching well into the night. I turn on Netflix, find a show, and stitch the night away to the flickering light of the television. My newest Netflix guilty pleasure is the television show, "Merlin." It's a horrible departure from the Camelot legends, but it's fun, the people are pretty, and I get to see some nice settings. I particularly enjoy the castle windows, which are lovely leaded glass with a quatrefoil (four petal flower) motif. Those windows became the ideal inspiration for a nice exercise in blackwork fill.

The large pattern on the left is the actual pattern of the windows shown in "Merlin." The upper right portion is that pattern expanded to create a fill. I think the diagonal quatrefoil motif would look lovely in green or red, giving the effect of a vine on a trellis.

I got looking at the quatrefoil motif and started thinking about how it would look arranged differently. The bottom two are the result. 

For these patterns, plus two bonus patterns, click here.

Using Metallic Floss

Metallic thread is a must for holiday stitching. It's a fun way to make your needlework sparkle.

If you haven't used metallics before, now is a great time to start. Don't be nervous; it takes a little practice and patience, but if you follow my guidelines, you'll find it's a lot easier than you think.

1) Keep the thread length short--about 12 inches.

2) Use a size 24 needle. Smaller needles can cause extensive fraying.
3) Condition the thread with Thread Heaven or beeswax.

4) If using two strands, thread the needle with a single thread folded in half. Make a slipknot at the head of the needle. If using a single thread, keep the tail short.

45 The needle will cut at the thread and cause it to fray. To reduce that effect, as soon as you have the needle through the fabric, let go of the needle and pull the thread through. Not only does it put less tension on the thread, it also keeps the thread from twisting.

6) Try to keep the thread from rubbing too much against the fabric. Friction against the fabric will weaken the thread and start fraying. Pull straight through the hole.

7) Good tension is essential. I recommend a laying tool or trolley needle to help make the threads lie flat so they can reflect the most light. Pulling too tight can cause kinks (especially in DMC Light Effects) and will kill the sparkle, too.

My favorite metallics for blackwork are Kreinik braid and blending filaments. DMC Light Effects is nice for cross stitch. 

Give it a try and see what magic you can create with metallic thread!

First frame job

Well, I did it. I framed the Celtic Sampler in a shadowbox. This is my first attempt at framing and no, it's not perfect. But it does give me the incentive to try again soon. Any advice or tips for making the job easier would be greatly appreciated.

Happy stitching!

Blackwork Heaven

There IS a blackwork heaven, and I've found it at String-or-nothing.com. It's there that you will find Ensamplario Atlantio: 

Kim Brody Salazar, writing as Ianthe D'Averoigne, offers her expansive book in four PDF downloads that give you just about any blackwork fill pattern you can imagine. From simple to ornate, more than 200 fill patterns will amaze and inspire you.

And best of all? It's all FREE! Download your copy today. I guarantee it will become your "go to" book when it comes to blackwork fill.

Happy Stitching!

Baking and Blackwork

Where the time flies, I have no idea. It seems like ages since I've posted here, though I have been meaning to for days. But the days get away from me sometimes, and I simply cannot seem to fit it all in.

First, a big THANK YOU for visiting Byrd's Nest. 10,000 visits and growing! I hope you're finding your visits interesting, educational, and maybe even a bit humorous. Your internet time is precious and I appreciate your spending it with me.

Find this and other free patterns at
https://sites.google.com/site/wyrdbyrdsnest/  

The Precision Induction Cooktop by Hearthware  http://www.precisioncooktop.com/ has become a valuable member of my kitchen appliance team. I fried tortillas not long ago. It was great to be able to pause the cooking process between batches--no burning oil! Blanching tomatoes for spaghetti sauce was quick and easy. It's lightweight and portable, so I can move it around the kitchen or even take it out on the deck. I keep it out on the counter where it takes up a bit of room, though I hope that Hearthware decides to make a wall-mount storage rack for the cooktop someday. I still haven't made candy yet, but when I choose to, I have a feeling it will be a breeze with the PIC.

Final decision: if I had a fair amount of disposable income, I think I'd splurge and buy it ($139.99). If I was living in a dorm or studio I would definitely buy it. And it's guaranteed that when I get my dream camper trailer, the Precision Induction Cooktop will come along for the ride.

Still puttering around with the Celtic heart border; I'm caught up in a local political issue, so my time is not really my own right now. I find myself almost pining for winter when issues will be (somewhat) resolved and I'll have time to sit down with my needle and thread. Until then, I stitch a heart here, a heart there...

It's that time of year--when your friends and neighbors decide that the one thing your life is missing is a giant zucchini. I got two! Fortunately, I was able to give one away. The other has been dedicated to some of the most wonderful zucchini cookies and zucchini bread! I made two loves of bread, two batches of cookies, and I still have a third of a zucchini left! Hubby is not a fan of stuffed vegetables, so that option's out. Any ideas what I can do with the rest of this zucchini? 

Find the recipes I used at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-nut-cookies/detail.aspx

and http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moms-zucchini-bread/detail.aspx

Speaking of bread: I had a hand at French bread this week. Oh. My. Goodness. Now that's what I call living! 

So, how'd the pot roast turn out?

The Precision Induction Cooktop puts a nice sear on meat. It was quick and easy.

Chuck roast seared in the Precision Invection Cooktop.
I used Montreal Steak Seasoning  for a light rub.

I'm afraid I had the temperature a little high for cooking though, so the roast was finished rather quickly. Like two hours faster than I had planned.  Keeping it warm made the meat tough. Oh well. Lessons learned.

The next day, I tried fried chicken according to the directions in the PIC cookbook. It turned out juicy and tender. The recipe was easy to follow and results were exactly what I'd hoped for. Which brings us to the cookbook and the Precision Cooking Club website. The website is a nice source for information and recipes.  At this time, both the book and the website are the same, but there's lots of room for new information on the website. Precision Cooktop owners get exclusive access (you'll need the serial number of the unit to sign up). It's a nice inclusion in the total package.

The PIC has a fan that runs whenever the cooktop is in use. It's not exactly the quietest fan, either. On the other hand, the unit does not radiate heat, so the kitchen is cooler.

The more I use the PIC, the more I like it. Still a very enthusiastic "Thumbs Up".

On the stitching front: I've come up with a new border pattern, Celtic Heart.

Celtic Heart Border

There are a lot of half stitches in this one, so it's best suited for even weave. Aida cloth is not recommended. I do plan to design a slightly larger version more suited to all fabrics in the near future.

THANK YOU!

I logged onto my Blogger dashboard this morning to find I have 8,001 visits!  Thank you all for your interest in my blog. To celebrate, here's a bookmark pattern I think you might enjoy:

Happy Stitching!

Celtic border

It's far from finished, but I'm so excited about my new design that I just can't wait to share it.

I love Celtic knot work, the beautiful, winding lines weaving gracefully in and out, the intricate and painstaking attention that it requires to both draw and stitch. This one is not yet available for sale, but it will be soon at Ant of Sweden. In the meantime, pay a visit and check out my other patterns. Perhaps you'll find just the right thing for those upcoming Christmas projects.