Applique Owl on a watercolor embroidered background: Whoo can spot my mistakes?

One of these things doesn't belong: 
Can you spot the one background shape that I did in the wrong color? 
And the mistake I made on the owl?
Answers:  I had thought a light yellow would blend in well but after completing one of the shapes (by the tip of the lowest hanging branch) I decided it would be too much yellow.  I chose to leave it just for fun (or maybe I was too lazy to redo my work!)  I'll call it a little bit of whimsy and smile and go on my way!
As for my poor owl.  The owl in the image has his wings pointed out, by mistake I pointed mine the wrong way and steamed it in place!  Oh dear, Mr. Owl I apologize!  As I embroidered the image I found it helpful to refer back to the original many times.  Apparently I needed to refer to it even more often!  Another touch of whimsy - onward ho!

Image printed on regular printer paper.

Image traced in reverse with heat transfer pencil.

Project Details:  I found this image online, printed it out using regular printer paper, copied it in reverse using a heat transfer pencil and my light board and ironed it onto the fabric.  I added watercolor to the background, a light green.  I copied the applique pattern in reverse onto two-sided fusible backing and, after embroidering the background, placed it and ironed it with steam following the Pellon (bought at Joanne's-see picture below) directions.

Ready to stitch!

 

This is what I use to affix my applique in place and then I sew around it.  The applique is repositionable until you iron it!

I always trace the part I am going to embroider and on the places I am going to applique I go little bit smaller than the image so I can use my pencil marks as a guide as to where to place the applique.

Usually when I use the fusible backing I stitch around the material to keep it firmly in place if it is going to be washed (such as an apron or dishcloth).  Since this is a wall hanging I wanted the tree to look smooth and not highlight stitches so I just left it steamed into place without the stitches.

If I was to do this project again I would have laid out the colors for the background ahead of time to balance light and dark colors.  Sometimes I just want to get going and let the project evolve but I think that would have helped. 

I also thought my owl blended in too much in the finished project with such a busy background so I outlined it in orange.  Next time I might chose a solid color for the owl to set it apart.

This project served its purpose, it kept me busy while I couldn't walk and as far as my mistakes, I don't think it really matters!

Looking for advice:  The heat transfer pencil that I use comes out pink.  I would rather have one that leaves a grey mark but I haven't been able to find that anywhere.  When I buy transfer patterns they are black.  Any ideas?

Shadow Box "Toes in the Sand" Beach Embroidery, Watercolor, Applique with Shells

We took a trip to the beach last summer and came home with happy memories and some really nice shells.  I wanted to find a way to display them in my guest bathroom that I was changing to a beach theme and so this project was born. 

I also wanted to play with my new favorite medium, watercolor on fabric with embroidery.  This time I used an iron on transfer pattern for the Toes in the Sand part (also purchased at Joanne's) and after transferring the pattern I first water-colored the image.  When I watercolor before stitching I can get closer to the edges and keep the watercolor more even.  But sometimes I am not sure which images I am going to paint or what colors I want to highlight so I just wait until after I have embroidered, keeping my options open.

I found the shadow box at Joanne's and bought some colored burlap there too to use as bright background. I also used the same burlap to cut out flower shapes to mount on twine to hang from the frame, adding a little bit of whimsy, my favorite!

I enjoyed this project because I finally got to use my shells!! I also enjoyed using the shadow box.  The colors and the fabric on the bird's wing matches my "Take Me to the Sea" project because they are both for my guest bathroom. 

Whimsical Birds: Embrodery, Watercolor and Applique

A little touch of whimsy always makes me smile. 

I found the image of the birds online and traced the pattern with a heat transfer pencil using my light board.

I found the trees from another drawing and combined the two, ironing the patterns onto the cloth.  I used just a touch of applique on the wings of the birds by using double sided fusible backing and a steam iron to hold it in place.  Then I stitched around the cloth.  

After I embroidered the images, I painted the trees and the "lake" with water colors.

After I painted the small bird I didn't like how his little eye blended in too much to the background.  

 It was an easy fix to embroider around the eye. 

 

 A fun, quick project that I plan on hanging in my kids bathroom by stapling it to a canvas purchased at Joann's.

 

Take Me to the Sea!

Finished Project: Stretched and stapled over a mounted canvas.

Project Details:  "Take Me  to the Sea!" is a wall hanging that I created using applique, embroidery and water color.  I got the idea for “Take me to the Sea” from a darling calendar I bought after New Year’s for a discount.  I took the lettering from the calendar, the sandcastle from a purchased pattern from the store, the birds and water drops from images found on the Internet and the sun I created from fabric purchased at Joanne's fabric.  When I am able to walk on my foot I will iron it, mount it and take a better final project picture.

You can't see it in the picture but I decided to wrap the embroidery around the edges of the frame by embroidering the sun's rays to the very edge of the cloth, this was easier so I did not need to measure exactly where the frame was going to end up but I loved the finished effect that it added to the project!
Techniques:
WATER COLORING:  My favorite new thing is to add watercolor to my projects!  Such an easy way to add color and it adds a kind of dreamy quality, in my opinion.  It is limited in that you cannot add it to something that will need to be washed.   

Water coloring can be done before embroidering around the image.  Before I embroidered the sun's rays I actually painted on the rays using a ruler.  Then I decided to use a full strand of thread so I ended up covering up the watercolor underneath! 

To add depth and to represent water in keeping with the theme I painted light blue under the lettering in "Take me to the" lettering. 

When I did the sandcastle watercolor I colored inside the image I had already embroidered.  It is a little harder to get all the way to the edges and I found that the color is darker where you start your brush so you can kind of think about darker and lighter shading as you paint.

MULTI COLOR THREAD:  I also used multicolored thread for the first time on the sun's rays and also on the bird's feathers.  The sun's rays I chose to do thicker, using a full strand with a thick needle.

For the bird's feathers I took a strand from each of the blues I had used elsewhere in the project to make a color combination that blended in well.

PLACING BUTTONS:  I laid out the buttons in the design I wanted and then I took a picture of them with my phone.  While I was sewing them on I referred back to the image as a guide and reference for where to place the buttons. 

LOOKING FOR ADVICE:
Mounting:  I stretched and stapled this to a blank stretched canvas I purchased at Joanne's.  Any better ideas for mounting?

Water color:  I am wondering if there is a way to make watercolor permanent? 

A Blog is Born Happy Creating!

For awhile my mom, daughter and I have talked about starting a blog but most of the time I felt like I had barely enough time to do creative projects let alone blog about them.  But circumstances changed when I ruptured my Achilles and I suddenly find myself with two weeks of mandatory down time.

And so this blog was born.  In the past I have found other people’s blogs both inspiring and instructional and so I thought this would be a way I could return the favor.  I am not a perfectionist with my creations at all, I love coming up with new ideas and trying to make them happen given my limited talents and artistic ability!  Plus, I think this blog and my creations will keep me from going crazy while my Achilles heals!

I’d love it if you added your input and ideas!  Happy creating!