Author Archives: playfulstitching

Four Ways to Embroider Sea Corals

Posted on July 14, 2015 by playfulstitching

In my last post I promised more sea plant stitches. OK, so corals aren’t technically plants. And neither are sea anemones. They are still beautiful sea life that can be interesting to stitch. 1.  Chain stitch For a many branched … Continue reading →

Posted in embroidery | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Three Ways to Embroider Sea Grasses

Posted on July 7, 2015 by playfulstitching

Exploring the different colors and textures of sea grasses is half the fun of snorkeling. Fish dart in and out of vision range, not letting you get too close. The plant life, however, is another matter. It’s usually easy to … Continue reading →

Posted in embroidery | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Green Banners for Ordinary Time

Posted on June 30, 2015 by playfulstitching

Every now and then, I get a commission for a set of church banners. This year has been unusual in that I’ve made three sets. I like making them because they are so different from what I usually make. My … Continue reading →

Posted in church banners | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Baby Clothes

Posted on June 26, 2015 by playfulstitching

Making baby clothes is pretty quick for the most part. All the pieces are small; seams are quick to sew and there isn’t a lot of details to slow down the process. When Alison was visiting in April, she bought … Continue reading →

Posted in clothing | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Summer Sewing

Posted on June 6, 2015 by playfulstitching

Setting goals is important for getting things accomplished. Otherwise, it’s too easy to mosey along, dabbling here and there and getting sidetracked by the demands of chores. For my summer sewing, I decided to get all my clothing sewing done by … Continue reading →

Posted in clothing | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Summer Blouse

Posted on May 30, 2015 by playfulstitching

My daughter Martha has inspired another garment for my summer wardrobe. It’s a blouse with gathered cap sleeves that have a unique twist. Martha says she was going for unusual construction techniques like those that were common in the 1930’s. … Continue reading →

Posted in clothing | 3 Comments

Skirt and Culottes

Posted on May 26, 2015 by playfulstitching

Drafting my own patterns for my clothes is part of the challenge that I love about sewing. I love the planning and structuring of all the pieces that need to fit together in just the right way to achieve the … Continue reading →

Posted in clothing | 4 Comments

Pants and Shorts

Posted on May 7, 2015 by playfulstitching

I’ve been on a sewing binge again. This time for clothing. Life comes in spurts and it’s no wonder to me that my creative urges also come in spurts. Sometimes I coast along and sometimes I find myself all aflutter … Continue reading →

Posted in clothing | 3 Comments

Snorkels and Masks

Posted on April 28, 2015 by playfulstitching

So far, all the swimmers in Swimming with the Stingrays have been faceless. Their blank heads have been taunting me from the beginning. As a doll maker, I should be able to draw the faces. It’s just that I didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in applique, embroidery | 2 Comments

Embroidered Stingrays

Posted on April 24, 2015 by playfulstitching

Our stingray adventure took place at Stingray City off Grand Cayman island twelve years ago. This snorkeling expedition was the highlight of our cruise.  The water was crystal clear. The weather was warm and not too hot. The snorkeling was good. … Continue reading →

Posted in applique, embroidery | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments