Wishing everyone a truly blessed Merry Christmas and a peace-filled and healthy New Year!
Amities, Averyclaire
24 Dec 2018 4 Comments
Wishing everyone a truly blessed Merry Christmas and a peace-filled and healthy New Year!
Amities, Averyclaire
15 Feb 2018 14 Comments
in Boutis, French, French Boutis, Quilting, Sewing, Uncategorized, Zip Bag Tags: Boutis, Design, French Boutis, Patterns, Zip Bag
This past year and already into the new year I have been busy teaching French Boutis classes and designing new patterns. I also have done several quilt trunk shows for quilt groups.
After many months my new French Boutis Zippered Bag pattern is published on Etsy as a complete kit and as a PDF downloadable pattern. The small bag when completed measures about 5 x 7.5 inches. It has a 12 inch zipper and is lined with beautiful fabric.
Once again French Boutis is an ancient art. Simply done, two pieces of special fabric are sewn together with a small running stitch (quilting stitch) on drawn pattern lines. Then a double strand of Boutis yarn is drawn through the channels from the reverse side giving the piece a raised relief. (Similar to trapunto but has no batting.) Traditional Boutis is done on white batiste fabric. However, I have fallen in love with the Provencal bright colors. Hence my colorful kits.
Luscious Provencal colors are available with the kit including beautiful lining fabrics. The fabric is 100% pima cotton and the linings are carefully chosen 100% cotton quilting fabrics.
For those not interested in a kit, the pattern and instructions are available in PDF downloadable form. However, the pattern must be enlarged 129% from 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper to 11 x 17 inch paper. It was reduced for ease in printing. A full size pattern is included in the kit.
Alas there has not been much time left for my other interests such as stitching. I hope this year allows more time and better health!
Please visit me on Etsy or Instagram at “Averyclaire222“.
Amities, Averyclaire
14 Feb 2018 14 Comments
Happy Valentine’s Day to all my blogging friends around the world!!! Hugs!
Amities…Averyclaire
27 Nov 2017 2 Comments
in Boutis, Christmas, Hearts, Ornaments, Sale, Scissor Case, Uncategorized, Valentine Heart Tags: Boutis, Christmas, Hearts, Ornaments, Sale, Scissor Case, Valentine Heart
For one month, my patterns and kits are on sale for 10% off.
Please visit my Etsy site and try your hand at a beginner Boutis project!
Each kit contains all the materials necessary to complete your project. Give it a try!
Three Ornaments
Two Hearts
One Scissor Case in your choice of colors!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Averyclaire
13 Oct 2017 10 Comments
These are a few favorites of mine for this time of the year. A “Boo Bag” … “Halloween Pumpkin” … and “Halloween Fairy.” I have a couple more to post later.
Happy Autumn! Amities, Averyclaire
07 Aug 2017 7 Comments
Here we are celebrating our 50th Anniversary with our family after those 50 amazing years together!
05 Aug 2017 15 Comments
My dear handsome, loving husband and I have been married for 50 years today! He is the light of my life, friend, soul mate, and true love! It has been an amazing journey together these past 50 years! We are truly blessed with a wonderful family and lots of friends!
And here is my lovely family!
Amities…Averyclaire
28 May 2017 21 Comments
Yes…now it’s been nearly two months since I have posted. Surely I need to take more photos and document more of our busy lives here! I did some finishing and some Boutis work, taught a couple of Boutis classes, took some time off from everything for a bit. We went on a vacation to Gettysburg and Lancaster, PA and then to Williamsburg, VA. It was lovely, relaxing and fun. I am not much for taking photos of vacations and not too much of a history buff, but I really enjoyed this one.
After I posted photos of my latest Boutis design and kit I created a tutorial to make the silk covered snap which I used for the scissor cases. I put the materials to make it into the kit along with everything else, but posted the tutorial on the blog above. It is “easy” and makes a lovely addition to anything that needs a really nice snapped finish. Check it out.
This banner was stitched by the dear husband of blogger “Love those Hands At Home.” You can read more about it at Kerry’s blog in her March 27th post. It is exquisitely stitched. The colors are beautiful.
All ready for Halloween is this fun pillow done for Pat.
And Christmas as well also done for Pat. I love the cross stitch fabric she used!
A couple of Spring finishes…a chunky little Robin and an Easter Bunny couple. Since Easter is done and Spring is nearly over…it will be ready for next year!
A pair of scissor holder/pinkeeps done for Carol who was giving these lovely little pieces as beautiful gifts.
And another early Christmas finish for Southpaw Stitcher.
Southpaw Stitcher also completed an early June piece.
And Anne stitched one of my FAVORITE pieces from Prairie Schooler…R is for Rabbit! I hope someday I find enough time to do this one for myself! Of course I absolutely fall in LOVE with every single piece I finish for others and now my list of wanna-stitches is NEVER ENDING!
For myself I have completed a couple of more colored Boutis pieces but don’t want to post photos until I decide if I am making them into patterns. I am also in the middle of stitching a larger 24″ square piece white on white. But it is nothing to look at until I begin to do the cotton cording, so until then no photos.
Thanks for always stopping into my blog. I love when you leave comments for me, so please do if you like what you see!
Amities, Averyclaire
06 Apr 2017 16 Comments
in Boutis, Embroidery, French Boutis, Hand Quilting, Needlearts, Quilting, Scissor Case, Sewing, Uncategorized Tags: Design, French Boutis, Patterns, Scissor Case
French Boutis is an ancient form of French quilted needlework. Traditionally it is all white on white, but I adore the bright Provencal colors and created this SCISSOR CASE to entice people to learn this art. It is done with a small running stitch and a back stitch on two pieces of batiste, then yarn is drawn through the channels to give it a raised relief. I am working VERY hard to bring this art to the USA. I teach classes for a minimal fee and sell beginner kits on my ETSY AVERYCLAIRE page. The kit is available in a variety of colors (8 different colors) and includes everything you need to complete one scissor case. Please tell your quilting and needlework groups!
UPDATE: This pattern calls for a silk covered snap. I have provided the materials in the kit, but I put the tutorial at the top of this page for all to use.
28 Jan 2017 31 Comments
in Boutis, Hand Quilting, Needlearts, Needlework, Quilting, Uncategorized, Valentine Heart Tags: Boutis, French Boutis, Hand Quilting, Valentine Heart
The past month or so I have been avidly working on designing more French Boutis patterns. Today I published one just in time for Valentine’s Day on my Etsy site.
This French needlework technique is easy to do if you like handwork. Stitching the piece is rather like hand quilting, a small running stitch, on two pieces of batiste. Then the boutis yarn is drawn through the channels by inserting a tapestry needle from the back between the two layers of fabric. Voila!
In my kit I provide the pattern, instructions with photos and finishing technique, the white and pink batiste needed to complete two hearts, a white sun catcher and a pink sachet. Also included are the two needles necessary for stitching and toothpicks needed for stuffing in the tail ends of the yarn cording. Other materials you provide are white and pink thread, a ribbon or cord for finishing, and filling for your sachet.
I am working on about six other designs as well. If you love handwork and would love to try this ancient French Needlework Art, give it a try. There is also a digital pattern available. It’s a small piece, easy to work up quickly…just in time for Valentine’s Day! I also teach French Boutis to anyone interested.
Thank you to my dear French friends, Nicole, who introduced me to this beautiful art nearly 15 years ago with a gift for my newly born granddaughter, to Maggy and Nicole, who have supplied me with lots of books and magazines for inspiration, to Elisabeth, who sent me a piece of her own hand worked Boutis, and last but not least to Elizabeth from Canada at Seams French who shares this passion with me!
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! (The comment form is at the top of the page under the date)
Stay tuned for more finishing work next time!
Amities, Averyclaire