WISCONSIN--Violet

 
And here we have...drum-roll please....the 25th block--and we are halfway home with more lovely violets!  Four states share the violet as their official flower, making Wisconsin the third one to be stitched so far--soon to be followed closely on the heels by another (Rhode Island) next.  To see the first two, go to Illinois and New Jersey.  I'm varying the colors a bit to add variety to my quilt.  Petals have all been filled with Satin Stitch--and oh, how they shine! 

 
Here's a bit of the history for those who are interested and keeping track...On Arbor Day 1909, the school children of Wisconsin selected a flower to represent their state.  The wild rose, trailing arbutus, and white water lily were in the running, but it was the common wood violet that won hearts and twice as many votes.  But even though it was the sure winner, it was not made official until 1948, when the Youth Committee of the Wisconsin Centennial Commission, discovered that the violet had never been designated as such.  Without wasting time, a bill was prepared, and by an act of legislature the wood violet (Viola papilionacea) was adopted forty years later, on June 4, 1949.  Better late than never, I say.

COLORS:  J.&P. COATS variegated lavender six-strand cotton floss for petals; DMC #3822 flower centers & #3349 for leaves and stems.  Satin-stitching done with 3 strands; French Knots with two; Outline with three.

BRILLIANT IDEAS:

•  Due to changes on Flickr, it was brought to my attention that some people were not able to print out the patterns due to incompatible issues with certain browsers.   By changing the licensing on my pattern images, everyone should be able to download and print them out now.  If anyone is still having problems please let me know and I will keep trying.  Patterns are HERE.

 

• The advantage of saving images to a file is that you can reverse and print them out quickly if you plan to use a transfer pen to trace them.  Use tracing paper rather than tracing on printer paper--ink soaks in and bleeds and lines may not be as fine as you want them.

 

• There are many means and methods for transferring embroidery designs directly to cloth--and here is one that someone sent me recently.  If you have a glass coffee table, place a small lamp under it and turn it into an instant "light table".

Comments

[Vee]

It's a two-step process, but I was able to save the picture to my file. Phew. I was getting worried there for a minute.

[Heather Johnson]

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I look forward to hearing back from you soon!

Thanks,

Heather Johnson

[April]

Number 25! Congratulations! I have been reading your blog for a long time and have been following along with the State Flower project. It will be a quilt for my 8 year old granddaughter when completed. I'm a little behind you, but am enjoying it a lot. Thank you so much for this project.

[Velma]

Congratulations on completing 25. I always enjoy seeing your lovely hand work. I can't wait to see it completed. I know it will be a beautiful work of art.

[Kristyne]

This is just what I needed to see - beautiful reminders of spring. Thank you.

[Account Deleted]

I love violets. I remember the first time I smelled "violet". It was a perfume make by Yardley, and I was in high school. I loved it. Now I have violets growing out by my little pond.

Congrats on the half way point Vicki. Your embroidery is lovely, as always.

[Account Deleted]

P.S. Your blog is doing what mine as been up to, a couple of times recently. It is taking awhile for a comment to post, and a little circle dilly bopper goes around and around, indicating that, until the comment posts, but it eventually does.

[vicki haninger]

..I don't know what's up with that dilly bopper thingy majingy! :o)

[vicki haninger]

I love violets too, everything about them. I think these have been my favorite flower to stitch so far; the satin stitching is so pretty on the small petals.

The halfway point has been reached--I do feel a certain sense of accomplishment!

[vicki haninger]

I'm with you, stitching flowers does seem to bring spring a little closer. Winter seems too long this year.

[vicki haninger]

Thanks Velma, I've got my "eye on the prize" and keep stitching on--keeping that end result in mind! The best kind of motivation sometimes.

[vicki haninger]

Oh I'm thrilled you have joined in with the stitching! What a wonderful gift the flower quilt will be. I know your granddaughter will love it!

[vicki haninger]

Hi Vee,
I'm glad to hear you had success! Thanks for letting me know. I was getting worried too. :o)

[Gumbo Lily]

I really like the two-toned violets. You do nice work!

I recently read another method for transferring an embroidery pattern. You iron a piece of muslin/fabric to an 8.5 x 11" piece of freezer paper. Then just run it through your printer to print the pattern. I tried it for making travel tags for suitcases (printing the addresses on fabric) and it worked great.

Jody

[Bonnie]

I have collected and saved all your state flowers up and including Idaho. When I go to Flickr to get Wisconsin and South Carolina it will not let me save the pic. I can print it out but wanted to save them all in a file as I cannot start the quilt for some time. Can you tell me how to be able to save the pic? When you printed the embroidery pattern on your blog, I had no difficulty in saving the pic. Thank you for all the wonderful flower patterns.

[Mom Wald]

Lovely as always. If I were to use your pattern and embroider a block for each color of violet in my Southern Wisconsin garden, I would have enough for a lap quilt.

Thank you for the spring colors on these cold days.