Stitching Friends Forever

May Flowers
Week one

Spring is in full bloom and we are enjoying the pretty flowers all around us.  We also have been busy stitching and finishing projects for our new blog Stitching Friends Forever.

STYLING WITH STITCHES

While we have been working hard, our sewing machines have been humming along getting everything sewn up.   So we thought we would treat them to sewing machine covers with new cross stitch patterns and fabrics.  They were a lot of fun to stitch.   Why not make one for your machine too?

RJ's:  This is a simple finish that can be made as easy or hard as you want.  First just find a cross stitch pattern that you love and want to put on your sewing machine cover.   I chose This is my Happy Place by The Scarlett House.   I think cross stitching is the happy place for so many of us and I loved stitching this design. 

Cross stitch, fabrics and rick rack
Added bird on spool and rosebud border to stitch

I bought this lovely fabric of rosebuds and tiny birds at a great little quilt shop.  I was all set to use it for the sewing cover, but I worried the white background just didn't go with the country mocha linen.   I went back and forth on using this fabric.  At first it seemed the white background might pull out the white letters on the stitch.  I thought if I added a row of rosebuds to the bottom and a tiny bird on one of the spools it would work even better.  I was all ready to go with it...but then I decided to look more at fabrics I already had. The red and cream check seemed better suited for it.  But I still really wanted to use the rosebud fabric too.  So, I coffee dyed a small piece for pockets and added it to the check cover.   Now I was happy!            (the rosebud border chart can be found here).    

Coffee dyed pockets

Pocket with rosebuds and tiny birds picks up the bird and rosebud border in the stitch

I decided to line mine, add rick rack trim and stripe ties.   I added a double pocket  for embroidery scissors, a small ruler and pins.   You can add any embellishments you wish like lace, buttons, a ruffle etc.   Then it just needs some ties which you can add with buttons or stitched into your seam when you line it. 

Stripe Ribbon Ties

This is my Happy Place
by The Scarlett House
40 ct. country mocha linen
over dyed threads

                                                                                   

                                                                               🔻

Mary's:  My Stitching Friend Forever suggested the pattern Pineberry Lane's Proper School of Needlework when I was looking for something that would work for a sewing machine cover. With just a few adaptations, I was very pleased with the result.

Stitch and fabrics used

I made a few changes to the original pattern.   I changed the words to our blog name, gave one of the sisters blonde hair and completed the thread on the spools a different way.   I filled in all the spools with X stitches in DMC 869 and then wrapped the spools with DMC 613.  I used the chart LHN's Quaker Bird for the flowers instead of the ones that were called for.

I had no idea how to center words but with RJ's instructions I was easily able to make the adaptation. Moda has some of the best fabrics and I chose Kansas Troubles Favorites II in two contrasting colors.  I am very pleased with how my cover turned out.  I even lined it!  I hope  you enjoyed seeing our sewing machine covers.

Closeup of trim and heart buttons

Proper School of Needlework
by Pineberry Lane
28 ct. cream Cashel linen
called for threads with changes listed above

Next week we have a grab bag post we hope you will enjoy and our stitches from our challenge.  Until then, hope you get lots of stitching in this week.   Mary and RJ  

                              Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature
                                                               Gerard Nerval