Seekrit Project

 

So - if you guys haven't realized already, my hubby and I are huge nerds.  You know what else is nerdy?  QR codes. I'm also a big 'ole textile/craft nerd (whodda thunk it, right?!)....so.  I am making mah hubby a QR code sampler for his b-day....which is tomorrow.  Which is why I'm crowing, I just finished the last stitch moments ago.  All I need to do is block and frame it!

Woohoo!

Wanna know how I did it?

Ok.

1.  I went to this website, and created my QR code.  I used the "XL" size, and the "text" options.  When the code generated, I saved out the image.  It looks like this:

 

2.  I messed around with some free cross stitch pattern generators, but for such a relatively small and concise pattern, I couldn't get anything to work.  So.  Being the nerd I am, plain old graph paper isn't good enough, so I used excel instead.  (For the nitty gritty:  I bordered every cell, and created a 5 count using 'thick border'.  I used a dark color, but not so dark, I couldn't see the grid lines.  (I used color, rather than symbols, since I hate reading x-stitch patterns with symbols with a firey passion))  It ended up looking like this:

3.  Then.....I stitched away!  (Ok, what you really wanted to know were the details.  Ok....It's an 18 CT, and I used double stranded floss.)  Anyway, this is what the finished stitching looks like:

I'll unlock this post tomorrow so the surprise isn't ruined (In case hubs swings by for some random reason...), and post a picture of the final framed piece.

So, it's a little later than 'tomorrow', but here's the picture of the finished piece.  Hubs loved it!  :D

In the spirit of getting back into the swing of sewing posts.....

 

Here's the gown I'm attempting for Solstice (12th Night if I can't get it done in time...)

I've made up the bodice, and I'm finishing up the last of the eyelets TONIGHT.  (No really, I am!)  I'm using this fabric from one of the German gown options (I'm keeping the other choice for the German gown, and that works out perfectly, since this fabric works better for the Italian, and the other works better for the German, so........ WOOHOO.)

 

Apologies for my excessively poor photography skillz - the  fabric is actually a higher contrast green/gold than it shows in the picture.  Honest.

I've also made up 36 teeneh-tineh tassels for the sleeves. (Of which I will take pictures of and update this entry tomorrow.)  I have the best hubby in the world!  He braved my sewing room and took a pic for y'all!  I used sorta-kinda the same method I outlined in this post, but wrapped the 'head' super-duper tight and long to mimic the look of the shank on the tassels as seen in the gown.

I ordered some Austrian velvet ribbon to create the scallops around the neckline and sleeve slashes.....

But when it arrived, it was ever-so-slightly too bright to work.  (Especially since with my eyelets and tassels, I've gone the more 'olive' route than the 'apple' route.)

So, I've up and ordered some Italian (heh) double-faced velvet ribbon.  (Which hopefully, will be here tomorrow) I'm really hoping that this color works out better, because the double-face is probably going to be easier to work with to get the scallop look.

If all else fails, I know I've seen velvet ric-rac (I know, I KNOW) in some of the boutique-ish type shops around here.  Hopefully I won't have to go that route, but it's a last ditch.

OK - On to the PARTLET!

As much as I'd love to do something closer to the portrait and be all smashing and completely fabulous.........I don't have the time nor energy to devote that much time to a silly partlet.  As much as I want THIS:

Ahem.  Back to what I was saying.......I have a pattern that I used for the partlet for my black gown & purple gown - it's pretty much exactly right what I need, down to the ruffle at the edge.  (Although the portrait hints at a separate collar piece - look at the right side of her neck...is that a seam between the collar front edge, and another running at an right angle around the neck?)  Anyway, point being - I can get the look without having to draft something completely new.  To get the chock-full-of-stuff 'look' without putting in the (wo)man hours to embroider, I'm going to use some fabric that has some stuff already onnit.  Like:

  or 
.....then all I'd have to do is add tassels and whatnot to make it *pop* just a bit.

If all goes well, I'll finish the eyelets and be able to try on the bodice tonight to make sure it is going to work the way it's supposed to work.  (I'm a bit terrified it's going to be too small.)
Ok, well if that isn't a big enough post!  ;)