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| A happy teddy face. What a cheeky grin! |
That will teach me to get distracted and procrastinate. The Teddy Blanket was not ready at all!
At that time, I had embroidered eyes and some noses. There were mouths and weaving of ends yet to go; not to mention joining the squares and adding a border.
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| Every teddy has an embroidered face and flap-about ears as a horizontal seam is in progress. |
I had also considered purchasing some fabric for a silky, smooth lining on the back to give baby another type of tactile stimulation. It would also hide any unsightly embroidery ends on the reverse side and, now that I needed to work quickly, that was a very attractive proposition.
In previous versions of this pattern, I was able to embroider through the crocheted stitches without having any major threads visible on the back but that takes extra time and consideration–time that I don't have right now.
You might think a backing would take extra time too … well … yes … but I can work quickly with an iron and a sewing machine.
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| A closer look at the whip-stitched ears, embroidered faces and double crocheted seams. (Australian / UK terms) |
Embroidery doesn't come easily to me. My fingers become clumsy with a needle, even a large yarn needle. It makes for slow going but it also gives me time to think.
After weeks of deliberating on whether to add a wider border to the blanket, I have decided 'yes'.
It will be in yellow, the reasons outlined in "Blocking for The Edge" but that presents a new challenges in colour management and to find a suitable border pattern.
I prefer to have white separating the yellow border from the blue edges but there won't be enough white yarn. The slow process of embroidering enabled me to think of new design solutions for both the colour problem and choice of border.
I've decided to use white ribbon to 'freshen' the transition from blue to yellow. That decision has narrowed my choice of border to designs that include filet crochet where a ribbon can be nicely woven through the stitches. I still haven't finalised the border design, but now I have a starting point for the initial row(s).
It is such a good feeling to have come to these conclusions so, just like the teddies, I can also 'put on a happy face'!
It won't be long now until baby arrives!
Related Posts on Lupey Loops
"Stashbusting to a Deadline", 21 February 2017: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/stashbusting-to-deadline.html
Includes details of the "Bear Necessity" pattern.
"Yarn Chicken", 24 February 2017: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/yarn-chicken.html
Includes a quick description of intarsia technique and a detailed tutorial about the mathematics of calculating yarn amounts.
"The Inevitable Time to Unwind", 2 March 2017: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/the-inevitable-time-to-unwind.html
Discussion of design choices.
"Blocking for The Edge", 7 March 2017: https://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/blocking-for-edge.html
Blocking tips for the neatest shapes and edgings.
Embroidering faces definitely takes effort to look just right. Your bear blanket is looking really lovely and sounds like you've got a plan for the finish. Good luck getting it all done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tammy! The faces are all slightly different - each teddy has its own character and I love that.
DeleteWell.. nothing better than a deadline to get your moving! I hope you get it done fast! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope it gets done quickly too but I have had a hurdle in finding the lining in the right fabric and colour. I might have to make a special trip to source it. Meanwhile the clock ticks ...
DeleteThanks for your encouragement, Teresa. It helps to know people are cheering one on. :-)
That is one lucky baby to have such a gorgeous blanket. Good luck with the finish.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meredith. The finishing is taking longer than expected. Do I use some of the right fabric that's not quite the right colour or hold out until I can find exactly what I want?
DeleteHow they will love this blanket! It is so so sweet.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Thank you Amalia. I'm sure it will be very much loved as its new family love teddy bears already.
DeleteWhat a cute blanket! It's great when you have it all planned out. I find the decision-making process the hardest. But this is great. It will look gorgeous all finished up. I do like the idea of fabric lining the back. Can't wait to see it!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the decision making. It can take the longest time but it is also the most fun and stimulating. I love the creative process but sometimes I have grand ideas! Then it is a struggle to make the plans come to fruition.
DeleteAs for this blanket, I don't want to start crocheting the edge until I have lined the back because I want to attach the lining with the sewing machine - much quicker than hand sewing. Once the lining is attached, I will be able to hide the machine stitching underneath the border crochet. That's the plan anyway!
We'll see how it goes. Thank you for your encouragment.