The Pekinese Stitch

One of our favorite stitches is the pekinese stitch, which we used for the large stems on our Harvest Basket Block. I (Teri) have done a short video showing you how to do the stitch, but we also wanted to share the versatility of the stitch. You can achieve many different looks, depending on the kind of thread you use, the thickness of the thread, how tightly you weave the stitch, and whether you pull the loops to one side or keep them centered. The possibilities are endless!

I hope this video is helpful and you will want to try the stitch. Then take a peek at some of the ways we have put this stitch to use below and be inspired to give it a try. Enjoy!

These stems on the Violets block from In the Garden are stitched with Weeks DyeWorks #5 pearl cotton.

Valdani #12 pearl cotton creates the stem for this velvet violet on our Lovely Botanicals quilt.

And the same stem treatment here on a new design we are working on, Alsatian Urn, also with Weeks DyeWorks #5 pearl.

The Alsatian Urn also has the pekinese stitch woven much more loosely, creating petals on these daisies. Here, we used Thread Gatherers Aurora thread.

Two more examples of loosely woven, loopy pekinese stitch. The first flower has two strands of Weeks floss for a frilly effect, and Painters Threads #5 pearl is used for the flower petals around the button in the second picture.

A loose pekinese stitch with Weeks DyeWorks crewel wool makes nice furry boots. 

Stay tuned for more about this block in the very near future!

Rows of loosely woven pekinese stitches with two strands of The Gentle Art wool thread create a headful of curly hair. In these examples, the loops were left loose on both sides of the backstitch.

And the same technique is used for the geranium leaves on these flower boxes, using Weeks DyeWorks crewel wool thread.

And finally, we used silk/mohair yarn with the pekinese stitch to create this bird's luxurious tail feathers.

Isn't it a wonderful stitch? If you have tried it and would like to share one of your creations, please share it with us on our Facebook page. We'd love to be inspired by you!

And if you haven't joined the fun at the Woolen Oak Mystery Stitch-A-Long, it isn't too late! Patterns 1-9 are available for free download, and there are three more lovely designs to come. Our group on Facebook hold tons of inspiration, tips, and fun. Get them while they are free! You might even see a kit or two you would like to order.

Going Around in Circles

Last week, Kara share a tutorial for appliquéing tiny circles. It seems that we appliqué artists never run out of circles to stitch in our designs, so I (Teri) thought we might look at a few other methods, and focus on one of my favorites.

Circles, like the soul, are neverending and turn round and round without a stop. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

As Kara noted last week, when we taught this first class a few years ago, this block (an Elly Sienkiewicz design) needed some small berries. In my version of the block, I made the berries in three different ways, so that I could vary the texture—and of course, demonstrate three techniques for making small circles. 

A circle is a round straight line with a hole in the middle. ~Mark Twain 

There was panic on a couple of faces when seeing how small those berries are. Why do we fear the circle? We need not—there are so many ways to approach a circle, and with all the choices, you are sure to find one that you love. And some ways are just so easy! So let's add to our circular toolbox. 

Three ways to make these tiny berries.

By far, the easiest method is to use ultra suede. You don't need to turn under the edge, and it is easy to cut to any size. I've even used it for a tiny bird's beak. A thin, sharp needle sews through it with no problem. Easy as pie; nothing to fear. 

The very bottom berry in the photo above is made of a group of Colonial knots, or you could use French knots. It gives a raspberry effect. Also simple, and it gives an interested added texture to your piece. Variegated thread, like the Valdani I used here, also adds a spark.

A circle is the longest distance to same point. ~Tom Stoppard 

Let me tell you about my favorite circle. 

The Spiral Trellis 

A Tutorial 

1. Draw your circles onto your background. Backstitch around the circle, directly on the drawn line, in a counterclockwise direction. Here, I've used #12 Valdani pearl cotton, but you can try it with many different kinds of threads for various effects. 

2. When the circle is closed, put your needle under the next stitch to the left, about halfway. At this point, you may want to switch to a tapestry needle or use the eye, so you do not have a sharp tip piercing the thread. All of your work will now be on top of the ground fabric. 

3. Wrap the thread around the needle from the front around to the back in a clockwise direction. Pull the wrap taut. 

4. Holding the thread in place, pull the needle through, forming a knot. Repeat in each stitch, moving counterclockwise around the circle. 

5. When you have gone around the circle in all the backstitches, you will continue by putting your needle in between the stitches, wrapping and knotting as before. This is the only tricky part; at first you almost have to “feel it,” but with each round it gets easier to see where your needle should go. Don’t give up! It’s worth it! 

6. When your berry is close to being filled, skip to every other stitch.

7. For your last stitch, pull the needle into the stitch, through to the back and knot off.

Aren't those spirals pretty? 

Over the years, I have grown to love this special stitch. It just adds such fun texture and even a bit of dimension to my work. Here are a few ways I have used this gem of a stitch. 

On my redwork fairy tale quilt—a near-future post—my crown needed jewels, and the spiral trellis was perfect for a butterfly head. Here, I used two strands of The Gentle Art floss. 

Family Tree House pattern from Baltimore Elegance, by Elly Sienkiewicz. 

  

Here, I used Wonderfil #5 pearl cotton thread, from Sue Spargo's Eleganza collection. It was great fun to see how each pattern was different due to the variegation of colors. 

One our new designs has swags of asters, and the spiral trellis was perfect for the flower centers. These are also made with #5 pearl cotton, by Weeks Dye Works. 

  

After finishing the asters, I began working on the border of my fraktur quilt, which had berries. I was working with wool, so it would have be SOOOO easy to cut them out of wool and stitch them down. But I thought the dimension of the spiral trellis was just what it needed. So I made 36 of these little berries. And I loved them. But I might be ready for a short break from my favorite stitch. 

Have you tried the spiral trellis stitch? I hope you might give it a go, and see what you think. It is a fun way to add some pizzazz to your circles! 

Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel

Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel

As the images unwind, like the circles that you find

In the windmills of your mind! 

~Alan and Marilyn Bergman

A Clear View of 2020 Goals

It's not that I (Teri) have too much time on my hands, because I don't. But I do have a propensity to procrastinate and run down unnecessary rabbit holes—which explains this slightly creepy meme of me and Kara. But the sentiment holds true: we do wish you a happy 2020, and we hope that you will be able to fit some fun stitching projects into your year.

For my part, I have decided to look at my list of goals and make them public. Many of them are new projects; at least one is years in the making. Did I mention that I procrastinate? Kara is a much better "finisher" than I—oftentimes, I am ready to put a block aside when I complete the last stitch. I guess I'm more of a "blockmaker." Kara is not satisfied until it becomes a project. I wish that would rub off on me a bit. So to that end, I am hoping that you all may help to hold me accountable to complete my goals for this new year. 

Here goes!

(1)

We have a new series in the works—a set of seasonal cottages, which we hope to be ready to release and teach by springtime, or sooner. All the models are appliquéd, and they are ready for the embroidery of wreaths and flower boxes. And then they need to become more than just blocks. Watch for more about these soon!

(2)

The first two blocks from our new quilt, Woodland Reverie, are complete and will be the focus of our class in Williamsburg at the Academy of Appliquè this March. We are plugging away at some of the other blocks, hoping to have more to share soon. Or at least by March! Kara is doing the blocks on a black background, which offers quite a different look; it is fun to see the variety that the different colorways offer. (See A Woodland Walk to the Academy and It's Almost Time!)

(3)

Our Floral Elegance vase, wool appliqué with ribbon flowers and embellishment, needs to become more than just a pretty block. We have the perfect fabric to frame it for a wall-hanging. And of course, it needs to be quilted—not really my forté, but it's a small project that should give me some good practice. We are teaching this in Nebraska at Baltimore on the Prairie in September, so it would be nice to have a complete project to share. 

(4)

The other class we are teaching in Nebraska is our Baltimore Fraktur. Kara and I are both working on completing small quilts with this block as the center medallion. Our two designs are similar, but vary a bit. Suffice it to say, we will be "putting a bird on it." Beyond that, you will have to wait and see our final outcomes. Kara, of course, has a huge head start on me with this project! (See We Are Heading to the Prairie!)

(5)

Remember our Fairy Tale Album? Think waaayyy back. At the time, I thought it would be fun to make a redwork quilt using some of the motifs from that quilt. I did all the embroidery. Twelve blocks. I picked fabrics for a simple patchwork block to make as a setting for those embroidered blocks. I made the first block and put them in a pile, which then got moved to a bag. Three years ago. In my defense, I packed a house I'd lived in for 25 years, moved to a rental, moved to my new home, and....need I say more?! Excuses, excuses. It's time to make a quilt! (See Fairy Tales Through the Needle's Eye and A Magical Year.)

(6)

My mess. You see evidence of at least seven or eight projects here, either in piles, baskets, or tote bags. If I were a "finisher," I could put everything away when the project is complete. But I move from one block to another, keeping things organized and grouped for when I get back to it. I'd like to think that my brain isn't as messy as my space, but one couldn't convince my ever-tolerant husband of that. I have always been a juggler of many things. Since we have an empty nest, now I just juggle my stitching endeavors. It seems I always choose stitching over organizing and cleaning, but I am feeling the need to step back and create a clean slate may be in my near future. (See From Chaos to Order to see what this space CAN look like.)

(7)

And in my spare time—copious amounts, to be sure—I would like to continue to work on my Baltimore Album quilt with the blocks I have made for my class models. Five blocks do not make a quilt, so I'll need to keep stitching! Who knows what year this goal will be achieved, but that doesn't mean I can't be thinking about what block I might stitch next.

So there is my list. If you are a regular reader of our blog, then you will hopefully see updates as I check goals off my list. Or partial goals. 😊

What about you? Do you have some stitching goals that you hope to accomplish in 2020? We would love to hear about them! Please feel free to share in the comments below.

May your new year be filled with stitches!

Mimi Dietrich: Honoring Baltimore's "Hometown Girl"

This past weekend, I (Teri) had the privilege of attending the opening of the special exhibit, Hometown Girl: Contemporary Quilts of Mimi Dietrich, at the Maryland Historical Society Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. What a thrill it was to share this day with Mimi—along with hundreds of her family, friends, and students. Mimi has inspired countless quilters over the course of her career, and her character has touched everyone who has been fortunate to know her. 

Mimi began her opening lecture with the story of a friend who had given her a file of papers—all the entries for a quilt contest. Mimi decided to give the quilt that she had entered in that contest (and the papers) to the Maryland Historical Society Museum. Thus, the exhibit honoring Mimi and her quilts was born. "The staff made a dream come true that I didn't even know I had," she stated. 

The reception following the lecture provided opportunities to
meet and reconnect with fellow quilters, family, and friends.

Mimi related the tale of a small girl, who slept under this Dresden plate quilt made by her great-grandmother, who she had never met. The idea that her great-grandmother had actually touched this quilt had a profound effect on Mimi. She decided that she wanted to make quilts.

The exhibit included quilts made by students in Mimi's first year-long Baltimore Album class. While "Baltimores" were typically primarily red and green, she says that when she teaches, she encourages her students to make the quilt in whatever colors they love. "It's your quilt. Make it your own. You can do anything you want."

The model quilt for Mimi's Year-long Baltimore Album Class, which she still teaches locally. 

The three-looped bow is typical in Baltimore Album Quilts, and Mimi often incorporates it into a Baltimore-style block she designs. Here, you can even see it in the quilting of the center medallion of the above quilt.

Mimi's own Baltimore quilt, along with her monogram in the middle. This quilt only took her fifteen years to complete!

"Thirty-five years ago I started teaching quilting and appliqué classes. Amazingly, at that same time, there was a revival of Baltimore Album Quilts. In 1989, Elly Sienkiewicz wrote a book about these quilts, Baltimore Beauties and Beyond: Studies in Classic Album Quilt Appliqué, Vol. I, blending her historical background with patterns to make these traditional designs. I loved this! I loved hand appliqué. That is when I discovered that my place in the quilting world was right here in my hometown.   

"In my classes, students start with traditional techniques and designs, but each quilter has an individual personality. I give my students permission to use their favorite colors and fabrics, adapt the patterns, and make the quilt their own. I believe it is important to know the tradition, but it's creative to be inspired by the original quilts, rather than copy them. I've followed this philosophy for twenty-five years.

"My favorite classes to teach are year-long classes. It is awesome to spend a year with students, watching them learn, grow, and stitch their heirloom quilts. I am always awestruck by their creativity and their success.  Every class makes me feel like we are recreating the tradition and heritage of these amazing quilts that were made in my hometown more than 125 years ago." [emphasis mine]

  

I'm not sure how I missed getting a close-up shot of the strawberry block that Mimi mentions here. I think when I saw that block with the bright blue, it surprised me so much that I stopped studying the rest of the individual blocks. It made me smile. Did they run out of red, or did they make a repair, or did someone just have a fun sense of humor?

A couple of experts studying this exquisite Baltimore Album Quilt top.

It's unusual that the purple hasn't faded. Note the inking on the flowers.

 

One can never have too much inspiration from the traditional quilts, right?

Mimi shared her inspiration in the first hall, and her connection to the tradition of the Baltimore quilts in the second. Her contemporary quilts, completing the exhibit, are as fun as Mimi herself! 

Baltimore Hon

Mimi explained that her Baltimore Hon quilt includes elements of the Baltimore Album Quilts: birds, flowers, and embellishments. Above, you can see the three-looped bow, dimensional flowers (black-eyed Susans are the Maryland state flower), real earrings, and ruby slippers—because "There's no place like home [Baltimore], Hon!"

   

Of course, the Baltimore birds have to be the Oriole (baseball team and MD state bird) and the Raven (football team)! 

And it's not Baltimore without a crab cake!

 

I may be partial, but I think Maryland has the coolest flag!

 

I loved this little quilt of Mimi's. As it was in a case, I could only get a shot of it with the light behind me, hence, my shadow. I trust that doesn't mean I am looking at the gutter; I choose to enjoy the irony, as I believe my sights are set on those stars!!  

In her talk, Mimi shared that she wants to pass on the love of quilting to the next generation. She told stories of teaching nieces, neighbors, and her grandchildren how to sew quilting projects. I think it would be difficult to be a part of Mimi's life and NOT feel her passion for the art and want to join in the fun. Because if Mimi is teaching you, I guarantee that you are having fun. And her encouraging nature will convince you in no time that you are, indeed, a quilter. In fact, I imagine that she has touched many of you reading this in some way. Do you have any Mimi memories you'd like to share? Please put them in the comments below! If you are reading this in email, you can follow this link to post your comment.

Congratulations, Mimi, for this well-deserved honor!

Mimi closes: "I am honored, humbled, blessed, and full of gratitude."