New Little Boy Grand Baby

I have been visiting my daughter in New Brunswick for a week now. Baby David was born on Monday weighing in at a mere 8lb 15oz with dark hair and dimples. We are getting into a new routine here and the 19 month old Jonathan is still trying to figure out this big brother thing. I have had access to incredible internet access here and the unheard of less than 10 seconds to upload photos. So why is it taking me up to an hour at home???? Might be time to make some changes.

In the meantime, I have been working on BTCT block # 12. I started the thing more than a year ago when visiting my sister in England. I did the easy part by stitching on the oak leaves using my favourite needle turn hand applique. but it sat for more than a year in the box as I worked on easier blocks.

When I was at the Shipshewana retreat in November, I asked Brenda Papadakis for help with the back basting technique. I had done a workshop years ago, but it just was not working for me. I showed her what I was doing and she suggested using a larger (size 8) needle to baste with and then she said she traces around the basting stitches on the top of the pieces before starting to needle turn and stitch. So . . . I traced the designs onto the back of the background. I used a common pencil.

Then I traced around the shape. This is similar to what I had been doing with my needle turn technique.

The problem was what to do with those basting threads. Before I traced the design, I could not see just where to turn it under. Now I have a chalk pencil line. And I went around and clipped the basting threads half way up those fingers on each side. This way, I am able to remove a few of those basting stitches easily as I move forward. It wasn't working for me unpicking as I went.

Most of my stitches landed in the pencil line in the back. This is good.

Now layering is easier.

Well, most of the time. Not sure if I will redo this one. The stitches landed on the pencil lines.

I will wait until I have the rest of the leaves and flowers on and see how it all looks together. There will be a round bias ring to complete the wreath.

Got more circles stitched down on block # 16. There are 28-30 grapes in each cluster so a few more to add yet.

And I completed this one in Poland last month but had camera and internet issues. There will be some embroidered stems connecting those cherries.

Did I  mention I bought another new camera? One of the little girl grand children broke the new one I bought in England and so I bought a nice Canon rechargeable. No more batteries, at least for now. And, it has a beautiful flash thingy on it that will make taking pictures of my blocks more efficient.
Now I can take lots more pictures of my little boy grand children.

I am so Blessed,
Gramma Kiss