Milagros! Hand-stitched and embellished.

Milagros ~ by Jane LaFazio

I'm enjoying making these hand-sewn and embellished milagros so much! I'm teaching a one day workshop in San Diego on March 2. Details here. 

I made a little video.

Online workshop on MILAGROS coming soon! Are you on my email list? SIGN UP HERE.

Milagros are religious folk charms that are traditionally used for healing purposes and as votive offerings in Mexico, the southern United States, other areas of Latin America, and parts of the Iberian peninsula.

Milagros! in felt.

Hey San Diego, I'm teaching this one day workshop at Art on 30th. Details and sign up HERE.

I've been creating some new ones for the workshop:

Milagros by Jane LaFazio

with help from BeBop!

Hand stitching

my stitch guide bag ~ by Jane LaFazio

I wanted to have a stitching reference for my students, so I created this bag (above) from my watercolor illustrations of the embroidery stitches I use regularly. While I was making the bag, I thought they'd be great to sell. When I finished the bag, I realized I'd have to sell it for something like $400! ha! Yes, there is only one bag, and I bring it to workshops I teach.

sample of the buttonhole wheel stitch ~ by Jane LaFazio

detail from my stitch guide bag ~ by Jane LaFazio

I love to use variegated hand dyed threads like these from Laura Wasilowski. I also like these, from Caron. I like either 8 or 12 size pearl cotton thread, and use single strands when I stitch. Here's a guide, from Laura, on which needle for which thread.

Speaking of thread, I store my threads using this inexpensive yet practical system called "Floss-A-Way. 

Button hole wheel stitch by Jane LaFazio
(Read about my stitched and beaded bra for charity here.)

Oh, did you see this post from Pokey Bolton about CRAFT NAPA and my stitches?

I'll be teaching two hand-stitching workshops at Craft Napa:

Garden Patch Friday, January 8 

Text & Textiles Saturday, January 9

Registration closes for CRAFT NAPA on December 7th!

If you can't take a hand-stitching class from me, take a look at this online stitch guide, it will keep you busy!

hand stitching

hand made felt and stitching

hand made hand stitched felt by Jane LaFazio 

I made a piece of felt last month (using wool roving and hot water) and then I cut it into pieces and now I'm stitching on them. More paisley theme. They're probably eventually end up sewn back together in a larger quilt/wall hanging.

hand made hand stitched felt by Jane LaFazio  (about 5x7 inches each piece)

I love teaching people to make felt, it's so magical! I'd love to do a workshop of felt making in San Diego this fall. I've got the roving (below). Just need a location and enough students to make it worthwhile.

some of the pieces created by students in my recent  class at Random Arts

Stitching Guide to go and a give away!

side one of my bag

side two of my bag

It started with these pages in my journal

I wanted to create a handout for my students, so I drew it in my journal, scanned it and printed it out. Then I printed it on fabric, then, I stitched it. Then I sewed it to a muslin bag. It's my official stitching reference bag for my classes. Cute, huh?


By the way, I'm teaching at the Long Beach Quilt Festival in July and check out this generous blog post by Pokey Bolton about one of the workshops I'm teaching. And, speaking of Pokey, I'm giving away Series 900, Episodes 1-13 of Quilting Arts TV on DVD. brand new! No, I'm not in this series, but just feeling generous. (Actually, I ordered a second copy by mistake, so why not give it away!) Leave a comment and tell me if you enjoy hand stitching and what is it that you stitch. I'll select a random winner on June 19th!

leave a comment and maybe win this DVD set

Work in Progress

Some works in progress. 

Hand stitching

If you know me, you know I love to hand stitch. I'm guest posting on Alisa Burke's blog today, showing some of my favorite (and so easy) stitches.

Hand stitching

detail of Venice ~ by Jane LaFazio

 detail of Pomegranate Jam ~ by Jane LaFazio

detail of Recycled Circles ~ by Jane LaFazio

detail of Orange Sherbet ~ by Jane LaFazio

Since I clearly love to hand stitch, and do it nearly every evening...AND have done needlework since I was 16 years old, you'd think I'd know more about needles. I do not. My needle case is full of every different size, and most of the time, I can't find the right needle for the thread I'm using...And since I love thread, and frequently buy it here,  I asked my friend, Laura Wasilowski to inform us all on the whole thread/needle number thing.

Matching needles and threads for hand embroidery
by Laura Wasilowski

One of my favorite pastimes is adding hand embroidery to my fused art quilts. If you need a means to escape from your everyday woes, try hand stitchery. Your woes will fade away like a nasty rash after ointment is applied.

But like any treatment for woes you must begin with the right tools.

Matching the correct embroidery needle with your embroidery thread makes stiching a pleasure. Here's a handy chart to help you pair your long eyed embroidery needle with pearl cotton thread.

Pearl cotton thread is my choice for hand dyeing as well as for hand embroidery. With a slight sheen, this thread has the strength to hold up well when repeatedly drawn through fabric as a single strand. It also comes in a variety of sizes. Sizes 3, 5, 8, and 12 being my favorites.

couching size 2 thread (by Laura Wasilowski)

Size 3 pearl thread is very thick  making it difficult to stitch through your typical quilting fabric. But lay it on the surface of that same fabric, couching it into place, and it yields bold line and texture. Or use a Size 1 embroidery needle with the Size 3 thread to stitch through wool or felt with ease.

size 3 thread (by Laura Wasilowski) 

A size 3 embroidery needle works best for your Size 5 pearl cotton thread.

Size 5 thread is traditionally used as embellishment for crazy quilts. For fusers, stitching through 1 or 2 layers of fused fabric is about the max with this thread. Couching is always an option with size 5 thread.

My go-to thread for fused art quilts is a Size 8 pearl cotton. It shows up well, stitches easily, and lends it's self readily to all those details you can't make with fabric. A size 4 embroidery needle is the perfect size for Size 8 thread although you can use a Size 3 needle as well.

size 9 thread  (by Laura Wasilowski)

For a delicate touch, use a Size 12 pearl cotton thread with a Size 5 embroidery needle. This thin thread works great on small fused elements and quickly stitches through layers of fused fabric. When I really want to escape my woes, I load up Size 12 thread.

+++++++++++
thanks Laura! I'm ordering a bunch of needles from you today, and I'm going to mark them by number.

For more tips, visit Laura's Thread-u-cation Page on Laura's blog.

HOT summer blog hop giveaway continues over at Lyric Kinard's blog!

Another in my nostalgia series

Completed "Nostalgia: Zinnia." I showed you how I started this quilt here. 

This is another bit of letter from Ralph's Letters. I love using bits of his letters in my work. A reminder of such a crazy, happy, youthful time.



Backstory: I transfered the flower from my sketchbook, which was quite pink, but I didn't have pink thread, so I used a rosey brick color thread. It wasn't working. So I painted the flower a rosey brick color. Still wasn't working, so I covered the rosey brick stitching with tulle!


And the Sketchbook Challenge starts today! Jill Berry has chosen an awesome theme and I for one am thinking on it......
and Happy New Year!! One of my words for this year is "light." Leave a comment and tell me one of your words for 2011, and I will chose a random winner (on Jan 4th) and send you something. something cool.