Giraffes cushion - and the Peacock Party

Firstly, thank you for all the kind comments on my Tongariro Crossing quilt.

This week I'm pleased to say that I've finished my Giraffes cushion - designed by Kim McLean from Australia - best known for her Glorious Applique designs with Kaffe Fassett fabrics.

I finished the tapestry months ago, and then I took it in to Nancy's Stitch Studio to be stretched and turned into a cushion.  After that it lay on my sewing table for a few weeks as I psyched myself up to make the tassels.

Tassels are one of those things (like pom poms) that appear easy, and basic craft, but when you've got high standards, they can end up taking 3 days!!!

Yes, I fluffed around with tassels this week.  I wanted each one to be the same as the others, and I wanted them evenly spaced around the cushion.

They're on now, and they look great.  I'm going to record what I did here, in case a tassel ever falls off and I need to make a replacement! Mind you, this cushion isn't for sitting on - it's just for looking at!!!

I used the same DMC tapestry wool shades as used in the cushion. There is 8m in each skein.
- I cut one 2m length into 8 equal pieces - 25cm each
- I cut the remaining 6m into 4 equal pieces of 1.5m each
- I wrapped the long pieces around the four fingers on my left hand.
- I used one short piece to secure the top with a knot. I left those ends long, and later used them to attach the tassel to the cushion.  I darned them through the tapestry in opposite directions and tied another knot.  I then threaded those ends into the tassel.
- I used another short piece to bind the tassel. I tied a knot when done, and then used a crochet hook to pull those ends through the tassel.
- I trimmed the ends nicely.

I used Kaffe Fassett on the back - of course!

Kim has designed 5 cushions, and can purchase them through the Crewel Gobelin in Sydney, Australia. They are the only shop authorised to sell them.

I used tent stitch as recommended, and although it takes longer, the coverage is beautiful and it all looks so even.  It looks good sitting beside my Peacock at Sunset tapestry cushion here.

Now it's time for the Peacock Party.  Feel free to link up a recent blog post and show us all what you've been up to lately.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Peacock Party

No travels this past weekend, but I am going on another adventure next weekend.

We have to be at our destination at 1pm, and it will take at least 4 hours to drive there, so we need to leave home at 8am to allow time for a coffee and a stop at a quilt shop.  Yes! I've negotiated a stop at a quilt shop before we've even left home.

So, what will I take with me for a weekend away?  I'll take my tapestry because it's easy to see in rooms with poor lighting.

I purchased this Kim McLean tapestry at the Sydney Quilt Show last year.  Kim is well know for her Glorious Applique quilt designs using Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  Now Kim has designed some gorgeous cushions and I'm enjoying making this one called Giraffes.

The kit came with DMC tapestry wool, and I"m doing tent stitch as recommended by Kim.  It gives great coverage and I'm really happy with how it's progressing. 

The kit even came with a lovely canvas carry bag so it's quite easy to put everything in the bag and take it on holiday.

I only started this in October last year, but I'm hoping to finish most of it before the 2019 Sydney Quilt Show in June.  Then I might be able to justify buying another kit because I love them all.  You can see the full range on the Crewel Gobelin website - they have exclusive rights to sell these designs, but they do post internationally.

It's lovely to see new people linking up to the Peacock Party each week.  Our little community is growing!
Feel free to link up a blog post showing what you've been working on recently.

Inlinkz Link Party

Needlepoint cushions

I do love a good needlepoint cushion! My mum and I both enjoy working on wool tapestries.  This is mum's latest finish.

It's designed by Bothy Threads and is called Morris Bell Flower.  This is how it looked before I took it to Nancy's Stitch Studio and got it stretched and turned into a cushion.

Look at all those stitches! Tapestry is very dense and completely covers the canvas.

I've made a tiny start on my new tapestry too.  My tapestry is by Kim McLean Designs and is only available from the Crewel Gobelin in Sydney, Australia. 

I'm looking forward to doing some slow stitching on this tapestry over the next year or so.  It's something I like to pick up when I take a break from other projects. 

I hope you all get some sewing time over the weekend.  It's Spring time here and I'm going to watch my son play cricket tomorrow.