Tuesday Stitchers import: May reveal and June progress

Well, it took longer than I'd planned to find my camera, get fresh batteries into it, take the pictures, find the cable to connect my camera to my computer, edit the pictures to a decent size and cropping, and get them ready to post. Ain't that the way of things! It's not just the stitching that takes all the time.

As previously mentioned, life has been treating me like a ping-pong ball of late, and I'm trying to just smile and go with the flow. I'm a little behind on things across the board, but I still find a couple of minutes every now and then to make a stitch or two, and they do eventually add up!

Here's what I managed to get done for May:

I didn't manage to get an embroidered applique done yet for May or for April, but I do know what will go onto each one, assuming I find time to get the sketches and the stitching done.

I added a butterfly chain, with the chain done in a variegated sewing thread.

and I played around with the V-formation ideas as I was working.

Then May was over, and it was time to  start on June! Ack!! Where does the time go?

I added another butterfly chain on June's block, with seed bead accents this time.

Chain stitch is becoming a go-to stitch, and I'm liking the way the variegated thread worked.

Blanket and buttonhole have always been go-to stitches for me. I'm particularly enjoying playing with spacing and leg lengths.

I'm also really liking variegated threads lately.

Chain stitch on the left.

Feather (or is it Fern?) on the top, worked in a variegated metallic thread and varying leg lengths.

The star fabric was pretty faded (I reclaimed the fabric from a much-loved and worn-through garment), so I traced over the stars with metallic running stitches, and have started tracing over the cloud patterns with little white rayon running stitches.

The bottom is a magic chain worked in doubled-over space-dyed crochet cotton with the (now yellow and orange) ends woven back through the chain and couched into place. It's not my favorite line, but I'm leaving it alone anyway.

This is double chain (chain worked back two links instead of one) worked over a satin ribbon for spacing control. Originally I'd planned to slide the ribbon out after the line was finished, but I caught the ribbon too many times with my needle and it wouldn't budge, so now it's staying. I kinda like the result anyway. :)

and this is my least favorite seam so far. It might come out because it isn't getting better with more layering and it might be puckering my fabric. Ah well. It's a chain stitch with the chains held open by fly stitches and then the open spaces filled up with French knots.

I'm finding that  strongly dislike working on this project with the thicker threads. They feel cumbersome, and they distort the fabric base more than I want to tolerate. I think they'd be okay couched down, but stitching them through the cloth is just proving to be one frustration after another.

So it's back to thin threads and detail work for me!

Well, now I'm off to my weekly CQ meetup, without which I might not get any sewing at all accomplished! 

I won't be able to post this weekend, as I'll be busy with dance performance again, so I will aim to get my next post up by Monday evening, or Tuesday afternoon.