How to Waste Time While Embroidering

Hi everyone:

Okay, as if I don't spend enough time watching Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife (thanks, Ebony!) and Mr. Selfridge, as well as cruising several social media sites, I've now become addicted to another series on Netflix. 

It's really the fault of the Academy Awards, which I love to watch every year and enjoyed again this year (all those gorgeous gowns, although I do miss Cher's outfits). Kevin Spacey was on Jimmy Kimmel's show after the Oscars and they were talking a bit about his series, House of Cards. I'd never watched it or paid much attention to it really, after all, it is about politics, so how interesting could that be? Well it turns out it's really interesting! 

Filling in the embroidery based on Darcy Ashton's design

So for the past week I've been spending my afternoons watching the episodes on Netflix and doing some hand embroidery. I figure I can at least say it hasn't been a complete waste of time if I've made some progress on some of my projects.

Embroidery detail

I finished the outline on this design which is actually an appliqué design by Darcy Ashton. I thought it needed a bit more, so now I'm filling it in with some french knots and chain stitches. I drew the additional stitch details with a Frixion pen so I can erase them later with the iron - on the back of the embroidery, of course. 

Of course I couldn't be just working on one project, so… I designed another embroidery pattern and am working on the sample. Here's a little peek at it. I'm really liking how it's turning out and have used a fly stitch in part of it, which I haven't done before. Gives it a great look, I think.

New Art Deco embroidery design by Chatterbox Quilts

I'll be showing you more of this new design in a future post - if there are more episodes of House of Cards to watch, that is.