Mini Archie’s June Furtle Around The Blogosphere

 

Furtle (v): to have a rummage or delve into the contents of something

It’s a good job I have a secret finish from last month to show you because otherwise my contribution to this Furtle would be the link to join in and nothing else! Not only did I forget to review my mini objectives in last month’s post, I also forgot to set new ones*. As it turns out, that matters not a jot! I have higher hopes for July, but it’s very much weather dependent as if we have yet another heatwave I shall likely be as successful as this month. 

In May I realised that if I got a shift on, I could make something I’ve been meaning to make for a while in time for the birthday of the friend it was for and the thing which was stopping me suddenly became clear: make it as a Christmas tree decoration. What’s the something? This pattern by Laura Howard (she also has a blog, Bugs and Fishes) which is designed as a decorative embroidery hoop but that wasn’t something I could see fitting in my friend's house. Reducing it to a 3” circle meant that it would hang on her tree,  something I could very much see fitting in her house. First I had to learn how to trace off an iPad (here’s a video tutorial and here’s a photo tutorial) as I don’t have a printer. Then I had to remember (after trying other options) that not only do chalk pencils exist but that I have several (off to a flying start, as you can tell) and then I sat in my bathroom (no window so lovely and dark) to trace off the text:

Then doubled the fabric (so the white thread wouldn’t shine through if I decided to travel across the back) and tried a couple of combinations of glasses, light source and stitch:  

It wasn’t stem stitch which is good because it’s my least favourite to do!

Got settled with my usual choice of stitch for this sort of thing, backstitch, and then progressed at a much faster rate. Then I roughly marked the position of the big snowflakes and stitched them (quite a bit of pulling out the stitch I’d just done to get the angle of the short lines right):

Added in the small stars/snowflakes, using the pattern as a guide for placement:

Auditioned some beads from The Cupboard Of Possibilities to use instead of the knots in the pattern and found some I liked:

Discovered they were aqua not clear as I’d thought:

A friend brought her bead jar round and we found some solid white petite beads which worked really well so I drew round a glass to give me an idea of where the edge might be, used the pattern as a guide for placement, put lots of full stops all round and set to:

Finished (the fun bit)! 

I then put off trimming and making it up for a few days but when I did get going, I discovered that a new roll of paper parcel tape was the right size for marking where the edge would be:

I cut two pieces of black fabric for the back and two circles of felt and four of card (but only used two in the end): 

And made up the front and the back: 

Chose the hanging ribbon:

And the metallic thread I’d use around the edge:

Stitched the two halves together using black thread (also added a bit of  stuffing and then took it all out again):

I also added an extra bead on the right hand side as once it was
made up, I realised there was a gap my eye kept being drawn to 

I then stitched round the edge with coral knots and ta dah!

That brings the number of Fettling Points for 2026 to a grand total of <drum roll> one. I hope the next one appears before the end of the year! 

How has June treated you? I hope you weren’t like me and touched absolutely no sewing/knitting/crafting stuff at all?

*Writing these now (while I remember!) rather than at the end of the post. 

In July I hope to:

• Start the new scrappy trip quilt. Stamping some squares on some fabric will count as starting so I’m hoping to at least get one square stamped in the thirty-one days July has available to me. 

The link for the Fettle Those Finishes progress reports will be open tomorrow so I’d best get mine written - that won’t take long! 

I is pretty in pink *modest face* You knows what else will be pretty in
pink? The quilt you is going to start in July *firm face* 

Linking up to the June Furtle 

If you're linking up, please add a link (one per person, please) to your blog post, which could contain: a mosaic of all you've made in the month, something you've made/started/worked on, a goal which you'd like to achieve in the next month (and then in next month's post you can reflect on that goal and set yourself another one - I find this particularly handy if I'm in the midst of a big project and finding the making of hundreds of blocks to be interminable), anything crafty you'd like to share. This isn't just for sewing or quilting, but is for all crafts so if you knit, make lace, make clothes, do anything which could come under the heading of 'craft', then please link up. Please visit the link immediately before and after you and leave an encouraging comment, and more if you can manage it - we all know that comments create joy, so let's spread some around. Also, please treat all the linked posts and their authors with respect - I want this to be an inclusive space for all crafters and crafts and all are welcome. If you're not sure if you're welcome or you belong, you do - this is by no means a closed space and if you want to join, then you are most welcome. If you need help linking up, please leave a comment and I will do my best to help. Please add the Furtling button to your blog post: copy the code below and paste it into your blog post - it should then magically appear when you publish your blog post (I'll do my best to help if you have any problems) and it will help people find the Furtling page with all the details of the link up.

<p style="text-align:center"><a href="https://archiethewonderdog.blogspot.com/p/furtling.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXDD7-BYr5nXJtGn7HIFUcDUZfLGBTpazWKP8TCUWdkA6zd2285lbJX4aoMug6QyKDdxtxA-njWnhvf0GugU-An4z5lTFcqmYnae0Gb68FR0ZmydWYETGSa2oF1NeQDMVNwZBnUHTpsD7/s200/textgram_1548790799.png" alt="Archie The Wonder Dog" /></a></p>

To link up, go to the link at the bottom of this page and click on 'link up' (it's a blue button) and then add your link (website URL), a title (this could be your blog name but could also be something interesting to draw people to it (keep it clean!) if you prefer), and your email. This last one doesn't appear on the link (I will have access to it - I won't use it unless there's a problem and I need to contact you) so don't worry that you're about to share your email address with the world (or the handful of people who find this link), you're not! The link will remain open until 10th July; if you're seeing this post after this date, I'm afraid you can't link up to the June Furtle, but you can link next month if you like.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter