March and April CQ blocks

 I visited my mum and dad in July and came back with all manner of bits and pieces of fabric, saree borders , bits of embroidery from a peasant top which my mum made for my sister and me as kids.
 All perfect for the  Crazy Quilt blocks I was making for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2016.

This is the March CQ block which is beside this cross stitch piece for the Joyful World Stitch along.

The pink and gold zari brocade piece is part of the border of one of my mum's sarees. It's falling apart but I've added some embroidery in blue chain stitch tohold the piece together.

The blue fabric is cotton dyed with indigo.   

This is the CQ block for April.
Since acquiring all these precious bits of fabric I've begun to put together the CQ blocks in no time at all. So instead of stitching the pattern for the month from the Joyful World stitch along first and then agonising over the CQ block, things have gotten so much easier. I hope I'll be able to catch up, it's almost August and I've only completed the pages until March.
Have a good week. Hope you catch up with whatever needs catching up with.  

A Chinese Thread Book

A Chinese Thread Book or Zhen Xian Bao is an origami book made by the Miao people of China for the purpose of storing thread and needles.

I've made mine with paper like they are traditionally and I've decorated the front and back covers with paper embroidered motifs.

 The inside is simple in comparison. I wanted the clever little origami pockets to take center stage so I kept the embellishments to a minimum.  

There are seven pockets in all. I've read that they go up to as many as fifteen pockets. That's a lot of thread in someone's stash. 

The back cover.

Would you like to make a Zhen Xian Bao? I followed the instructions in this video tutorial  by Paper Kawaii to make mine. The embridered paper motifs are my own creations.

Have a great week.