Jungle Safari Embroidery

I'm still free motion quilting on the big quilt I showed you in my last post. Every day I try to spend three to four hours quilting, knowing that entries into our August Iowa State Fair must be delivered on July 30. I'm half way along. More progress pictures to come!

In between sittings (at my sewing/quilting machine), I've prepped a new hand embroidery project that will usurp my "Snowmen A to Zzz" embroidery project, and hand-pieced starfish blocks.

More than a year ago I finished the pencil-colored and embroidered Noah's Ark birth sampler for our first grandson, Tay. My daughter recently asked if I would make a similar birth sampler for, Aesa, Tay's baby brother who was born last November. A jungle animals theme wasn't easy to find, but after considerable on-line searching we settled on this, which I was able to purchase and download for only $5.

All the animals printed out on an 8-1/2" X 11" page of paper. With my handy printer-scanner-copier, I enlarged the whole thing to 140 percent.

I played with the cut-out shapes, arranging and rearranging them into a pleasing configuration. I chose a subtle, sand-looking creamy-beige fabric on which to trace the designs, individually. Here's the zebra on a 6" X 6" fabric square. I traced with a Sewline mechanical pencil. I love this marker and need to get a refill pack of the aqua-colored lead (though I'm pretty sure it's really not lead). 

I backed all the pieces with a very lightweight fusible web purchased at my local quilt shop. I don't know what it's called, but in Australia it's Whisperweft.

I traced two of the monkey designs separately onto very pale green bamboo print fabric. Each monkey will flank the center piece that will be embroidered with Aesa's full name and birth information.

I will pencil color each design using Derwent Coloursoft pencils. After coloring, I'm not planning to paint the colored areas with Folk Art Textile Medium. That fabric medium is recommended to prevent the colored areas from dusting or washing off. I don't want to use the textile medium because 1) I don't think the piece will be washed, 2) it intensifies the color, and 3) it leaves an almost semi-gloss finish on the fabric. You don't want that stuff anyplace on a piece except where the color is! It shows.

All the embroidery will be stitched with Cosmo thread which I like a lot! (Thank you Deb for that birthday present!)

Mr. Hippo didn't take long to do with a simple backstitch. I used a #11 Jeana Kimball embroidery needle and two strands of Cosmo. I already know I'm going to like this project!

I want to share this very special photo with you, sent to me by my daughter.

She took the picture from her vantage point as she was pushing the side-by-side stroller occupied by her two little boys. The 7 month-old is on the left; the 21 month-old is on the right. 

One of my friends remarked that it looks like something on a Hallmark greeting card. All I know is that I teared-up when I saw it. Maybe because it's so darned precious!?

On another note, if you're wondering how you can help tornado victims in Alabama and Missouri, please see my Stitchin' Mission blogpost. There's an address to send fabric and money (for batting) in Joplin. Linda