Beach Textiles

Beauty

2012-03-03T19:02:00.000+11:00

pressed flowers

2012-02-29T09:14:00.000+11:00

I pressed these flowers from my garden several weeks ago. They will be laminated and used in a future project.

it never rains - it pours - or leaks

2012-02-28T20:39:00.000+11:00

Today I had nothing planned: except a few errands to run and the supermarket of course.

We have had quite a lot of rain overnight which has been lovely for the garden and of course it has cooled the house down a bit too.

I thought it would be a good idea to pick up some paint so we can continue on the outside of the house. We have painted the front wall (which is the smallest area) and I am keen to do the rest before winter arrives.

I popped into the shed, which is behind my work room, to check on the type of paint. The colour is Oyster Linen which I really love but I am always confused by all the options when I arrive in the paint department.

While in the shed I heard a loud dripping sound and as the rain had stopped some hours earlier I thought I should investigate. I rigged up some lights so I could see under the house and was horrified to see water dripping through the laundry floor. I rushed up the stairs and turned off the washing machine taps and disconnected the hoses, and then I moved the washing machine. It has been leaking underneath and the water had seeped under the tiles and through the flooring. Great. Fantastic. So I did have something to do after all. Hubby was away so I lifted up the tiles, many of which were cracked or broken as it turned out. The chip board, (MDF) was soaking wet - so now I am waiting for it to dry. I think it will be ok - it has never been sealed - the tiles were laid directly on the flooring. I intend to put a drainage grate in the floor and then seal it all before re-tiling the lot. The walls could do with a lick of paint so it should look lovely and fresh when it is finished.

I did buy the paint too - just in case.

The red and green pics are for inspiration for a colour study I am doing.

click here check out this blog - something a bit different

and this one I could waste a lot of time playing with this one.

sketching

2012-02-26T16:22:00.002+11:00

I have been really busy doing the Studio Journal course with Sharon B. Apart from weekly exercises Sharon suggests we add anything that interests us or inspires us. Photos or fabrics or even sketches for future use. The journal is for reference not to be a piece of art in itself.

I am really enjoying this class although I am finding it difficult to find time to do the exercises.

The interesting thing is the fact that I am really enjoying sketching. I am not very accomplished but I do like putting my ideas down on paper.

Art was a subject I failed at school (many years ago) so this is quite a revelation.

limelight in the garden

2012-02-23T15:20:00.004+11:00

I am not sure where the time is going at present. There is very little stitching happening but I am managing some time in the garden.

This beautiful grevillea is called limelight and it is a real treat to have in the garden. It should be great for attracting the birds and butterflies.

We have lots of birds visiting us in the garden: this morning we had a pair of cockatoos as well as our usual magpies.

decay

2012-02-11T21:13:00.000+11:00

Today I created this "silk paper" using my own method of laying down fibres and adding some textile medium. I wanted to make something to represent the decay of leaves and other matter.

I used natural silk fibres, golden sari silk and some copper spritz. The textile medium gives it some body and holds it together.

I am very pleased with the results.

Painted leaves

2012-02-10T19:39:00.001+11:00

Our weather has been very changeable lately and we have had lots of strong winds which have delivered heaps of gorgeous gum leaves on the lawn. I really am fascinated by the colours of the leaves. Apart from the green ones we have gold and brown and red. They really are amazing.

Speaking of deliveries; I have joined the product of the month group here so today I received my second monthly parcel, comprised of some very interesting pencils. Last month's product included the makings and directions for silk paper. Although I have made silk paper before I will enjoy using the items in the pack.

This is a great idea if you want some inspiration and to try out new (or new to you) products. The pencils are going to be very handy to use for my journal.

catching up

2012-02-09T21:35:00.001+11:00

Each day seems to be busier than the last. Is that a sign of aging and slowing down?

Anyway I have been meaning to mention a couple of books and blogs: they are great resources when the creative juices need a boost. So first the books.

Paper Metal & Stitch is a great feast of colour and texture and ideas. It is by Maggie Grey and Jane Wild.

The second book was sent to me quite some time ago by my dear friend Linda a
It is Embroidery from Sketch to Stitch by Pat Langford. Each time I take this book from the shelf it reminds me of Linda and her generous spirit and love of all things textile. Thanks Linda for all the inspirational chats and emails.

I have commenced a course with Sharon B and have my supplies ready. I am hoping this course on the use of a journal will help me to be a bit more disciplined and maybe more productive. Have you checked out Sharon's blog. Pintangle

In the mail today I received a parcel from Ballarat Patchwork. These beautiful pieces of felt are just for the stash. I use a lot of felt for lining projects or adding a bit of body to a piece. I just love these colours and the names of them too: they are Denim, Grassy Meadows, Robins Egg, Pistachio Icecream and Strawberry Dream. This post has gone a little longer than I intended but just wanted to add one more link.
One of my favourite blogs is Art is Basic

I hope some of this is of interest to others. It is such a big world out there in blogland and we are all so lucky to have so many opportunities to learn and share. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this.

2012-02-05T20:17:00.000+11:00

I have finished my stitcheries and they are attached to the backing.

This is one of those things that you could just keep working at. Not finishing things is one of my specialties.

It has been difficult to decide what to put on this wall hanging.
I wanted it to reflect my life here on the Mornington Peninsula.

The beach is a major part of what makes this a special place to live and I have added some other items which are not strictly speaking part of my everyday life.

I have included a dog to represent the 4 dogs that live with my 3 daughters.

The fish'n'chip shop and the CFA building are intrinsic to life here for different reasons

the take away meal is a treat, the CFA is essential to our safety and security in a fire prone area.

The church is fashioned after a Greek Orthodox church - one of my daughters and 3 of my grandchildren are christened in the Greek Church.

The next step is to add a few more embellishments and then bind and name and hang.

I am so pleased this part is done.

working on the wall hanging

2012-01-30T21:26:00.000+11:00

I am still working on my wall hanging: I have almost finished the stitcheries. Next is attaching and embellishing. I had hoped to finish before the end of January but that is not going to happen.

making a few marks

2012-01-28T11:29:00.002+11:00

I spent some time babysitting next door yesterday. It was a great opportunity to sit and try to sketch while the bubs were asleep.

After Australia Day

2012-01-27T06:34:00.003+11:00

I was too busy relaxing yesterday to do any blogging. There was cricket on the TV and so I sat, and sat and stitched most of the day.

However I did spend time thinking of this wonderful country we live in. Many of us come from immigrant families. My husband is English and my Grandparents were from the UK and Europe.

This is also a special day for us as our youngest daughter was born on Australia day quite a lot of years ago.

I have enclosed the pic above as I think it speaks of the open spaces we enjoy: our wonderful beaches and open skies.

Whenever I go to the beach I think about the fact that we are all connected by the sea and the sky no matter how far apart we are. There is great focus these days on what we own - surely what we share is more precious and more enduring.

Enjoy every day.

January

2012-01-25T21:01:00.001+11:00

I know January is not finished yet but I am really pleased with the amount I have managed to do this month.

The fabric in the first pic has been in my stash for years and I decided it was no use

to anyone while it was in the cupboard. I cannot remember why I bought it in the first place - probably because it was a bargain.

My eldest daughter gave me some of her stash recently. I know, it was just what I needed - more fabrics. Anyway there was a large piece of high quality polar fleece. Unfortunately it was a very dull colour, like the colour of milky coffee but as you can see in the second pic it matches the cotton fabric perfectly. Once I saw the two fabrics together I just new I had to make a couple of cot covers for the twins. They are very light weight but nice and cosy too.So the stash is a little thinner.

This gorgeous embroidered satin fabric was also in the bag. When Meaghan bought it she intended to make a cushion so today I made it for her. It is appropriate to make it now as it is the beginning of the year of the dragon.

These pieces are from my own stash. I have decided to make a mini quilt or collage or small piece of crazy patchwork each month and have put a some fabrics and trims in zip lock bags for each month of the year. These ones are January.

I have just a few days to complete it before the end of the month.

The cricket will be on the TV tomorrow - it is the Australia Day Holiday - so I will have time to do some stitching.

I hope everyone is having a terrific week.

blossom

2012-01-22T21:01:00.000+11:00

progress - slow but progress

2012-01-21T17:54:00.004+11:00

I am still working on my wall hanging. It has been a challenge as I have found it very difficult to do the machine stitching on such tiny pieces of fabric. After much thought I have decided to try a different approach - using felt and beads etc to build up the small stitcheries. I am determined not to give up on this and Carol has been very helpful with ideas and encouragement.

Visit Carole's blog here

books in the post

2012-01-18T20:32:00.000+11:00

This week I have received 4 books in the post.

The first one was a gift from my friend Julie. It is really gorgeous - the title is "An Elizabethan Christmas" by Sheila Marshall. It provides detailed instructions for the creation of Elizabethan Christmas Tree Decorations. I intend to put this one away until the winter. These are the kind of projects to work on when the weather is cool and and house is warm and snug. Thanks so much Julie for thinking of me and sending this book.

The other three are ones I ordered last week. They are "Fabulous Surfaces" by Linda Monk, "Mixed Media: new studio techniques"
by Isobel Hall and Maggie Grey and "Contrasting Elements" by Jan Maries.

I have plenty to read and to inspire me now. I really don't know where to start.

I bought these books here

We are so lucky to have such beautiful books available at reasonable prices.

Thanks also to Linda for helping with including links in my posts.

Relection

2012-01-15T14:14:00.003+11:00

I am having trouble with this post. Not sure why.

I have been sorting through some old photos and thought I might make a collage of the place I previously lived. Our house was by a fresh water lake and the reflections and scenery were different every day.
\

another project finished

2012-01-13T19:46:00.000+11:00

It has been another cool day today so I have spent this afternoon watching the cricket test match from Western Australia and stitching.

I am really happy to have finished this journal cover. It is something that has been on my mind for some months and I haven't had time to spend on it.

I have to admit that I had a few difficulties with this - only because I was not concentrating.

Once I settled down it came along nicely.

I have used an organza ribbon to tie around it and a little loop & toggle which is designed for jewelry but suited this perfectly.

Everything I needed for this was in my stash, even the book, so that is very satisfying.

Too cold to swim

2012-01-12T19:57:00.003+11:00

The weather has turned cold and and blustery but of course the grandsons must go to the beach when they come for a sleepover.

Journal cover

2012-01-10T21:09:00.000+11:00

My journal cover is coming along nicely.

I have my three grandsons staying so there isn't much time for sewing.

This evening I have ironed some thin batting to the back of the work. I would not usually pad a cover like this but I want it to be extra luscious to feel as well as to look at.

The weather has turned quite cold and very windy so our evening visit to the beach was brief and limited to walking. The wind was howling and the water was really rough: the boys thought it was fantastic of course. Now they are all settled in on the couches with quilts and pillows and we are watching a DVD of the Smurfs.

Tomorrow they want to do some sewing which suits me fine. I think the weather will be pretty cool again.

Playing with the sewing machine

2012-01-09T21:13:00.000+11:00

Don't you just love picking fabrics and threads and trims to start a new project? I do.
In fact I think I could spend a lot of time planning and not much actually stitching.

My husband is out this evening and so I have my sewing machine on the kitchen bench, the 20/20 cricket is on the radio and I can see out my kitchen window: the sun is just disappearing now. Daylight savings is great.

The second pic shows the stitching I have done this evening. The colour is not good but never mind. I have stitched ribbons and trims onto the fabric with the doiley attached. Over the top I have added burgundy nylon tulle and stitched it down with matching and contrasting threads.

I managed to break one needle: I serviced the machine last week but forgot to change the needle. It really needed a thicker, stronger needle anyway so now it is done.

The batting and lining are downstairs so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

It really is good to be doing something creative.

Eastern rosellas

2012-01-08T19:12:00.002+11:00

These beautiful eastern rosellas visited my garden today. I am always amazed by the detail and colours on these birds.

making welcome

2012-01-07T22:02:00.000+11:00

Yesterday we visited some old friends for a lovely relaxed lunch outside.

Our friends are recently retired and I had encouraged Carol to take up some embroidery. We had spent some time discussing ribbon embroidery: I sent her home with some ribbon, hoop. needles etc and The ABC of Ribbon Embroidery and I was pleased to hear that she had enrolled in a local class' You can imagine how disappointed I was to learn that she had found the whole experience really discouraging. The "ladies" in the class had been together for many years and didn't make any attempt to welcome two newbies. I have attached a pic of what Carol had been doing in the class: her comment was that it was no where near good enough! She felt quite intimidated by comments that were made and says she will never be good enough to do any form of embroidery.

What is it about some people that they cannot encourage others?

I intend to stretch and frame this piece and give it back to Carol - it is good work and she should be proud.

Taking care:

2012-01-03T20:55:00.000+11:00

Our sewing machines and equipment serve us well if we just give them a little attention.

I was unimpressed when my overlocker would not work properly last evening but when I tried to recall the last time I gave it a good clean and changed the needles I just could not remember.

This machine is not used often but I do want it to work when I am ready so tonight it is having a lovely clean up. I use a pressure can of air to clean away the dust and make sure there are no threads lingering.

Changing the needles is not a lot of fun but neither is re-threading the machine so sharp needles are a necessity.

I find the re-threading very challenging so I have treated myself to a baileys and milk in the hope that a more relaxed attitude will help.

It has been another warm day (38degrees here) and I have my eldest grandson Ben here with me. He is content to watch some DVDs with the air conditioning going.

At present he is watching Thor on blue ray with 3d glasses on.

We only have one pair of these glasses and this is the first time they have been used. He assures me they are really good. The sound is amazing - I am not sure I need to see it all though.

I can hear a little rain on the roof just now and the sunset is a fiery red.

Tomorrow should be cooler and after babysitting the twins we will go out for a meal and to the beach I think.

thinking out loud

2012-01-02T19:57:00.000+11:00

The weather here is quite hot at present: about 39 degrees today. It is not the best time to try fine needlework so I am spending time messing about with needle felting which achieves several things. First it is a chance to use up some scraps, second is the unique piece of fabric that results and finally it is really relaxing.The first pic shows the fabric which has an old piece of nylon scarf attached with some free style quilting.

The second is the back of the created fabric. I used a piece of felt as the background material and you can see how the needles force the applied fibres and threads through the backing. You can also see my quilting threads on the back. I will probably line this or perhaps paint it. I am not sure what I will be making with it yet.

The last pic is some of my favourite hand dyed fabric and a lace doiley I coloured at the same time. The photo makes the lace look a lot lighter - in fact it is close in colour to the pink on the fabric.

These are the beginnings of a journal cover.

2012-01-01T19:44:00.000+11:00

I have finished my little purse. The fabric consists of scraps of fabric & thread felted together on the embellishing machine.

Tulle was then bonded with mistyfuse and it was then lined with cotton fabric.

I added some stitches and joined it together with blanket stitch and some other stitching.

It has turned out quite well: very shabby chic.

Just the right size for my phone.

sitting still

2011-12-31T14:02:00.000+11:00

My car is parked, the house is quiet: time to just sit and think a little.

It has been a very busy year with some stress and sadness and lots of happiness.

As the year ends I guess I could look back and analyze what I have achieved and what I have failed to do (or done badly) but I think I shall just look forward. There is nothing I can do about the past but the future is mine: I hope I can be creative, maybe a little better at housework, a good wife, mother, grandmother, neighbor and friend. I know it will be a busy year: that is the way I like it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - MAY IT BE A GOOD ONE

Gardenia

2011-12-26T21:22:00.001+11:00

There is no time for stitching at present but each day the garden produces something very special.

today this beautiful gardenia bloomed for the first time.

Isn't it glorious.

Water Lily

2011-12-25T19:46:00.002+11:00

It is Sunday evening and we are relaxing after a lovely day with family.

We have had a problem with our internet again so I didn't have a chance to wish my followers and friends a happy Christmas.

I do hope everyone enjoys the holiday season and feel refreshed and creative when this busy time of the year is over.

Yesterday my water lily bloomed for the first time. It is always so exciting to achieve something new and I have wanted to try to grow a water lily for years. Success!

Summer Solstice

2011-12-21T22:06:00.000+11:00

Today is the longest day of the year: the summer solstice here in Australia.

It is also my birthday and I have had a lovely day. Several emails and calls from friends and family were great and then this evening I saw my husband's Aunt and Uncle (in UK) on Skype which was good. As usual on Wednesdays I minded the little twins, Chelsea & Caitlin and my father in law is staying with us.

These days we don't buy presents for each other unless there is something we particularly want.

The pic on the right shows what I received from my dear husband.

This little raised garden is outside our bedroom window and has always been really messy. I have been wanting pebbles to finish it off and so this week I received 12 bags of pebbles. That is what I call a perfect gift.

Oh, by the way, the first pic is of a Santa I made last year. It is my own design and is called Swaggy Santa, reflecting the Australian bush.

The spirit of the season

2011-12-19T20:33:00.000+11:00

As Christmas day approaches the days are busy and mostly happy but yesterday, Sunday, I popped out to a local shopping centre to buy a couple of things. At the entrance to the car park there is a pedestrian crossing: as I turned in there were two young women chatting, one of them standing on the crossing. If someone is on the crossing motorists are required to stop. I wound down my window and politely mentioned that this lady was standing on the crossing. Her friend apologised but the young woman who was on the crossing told me what I could do, in most unladylike words. You know it really upset me: it kind of stained the day.

On the other hand I have received some gorgeous hand made cards in the post and some lovely goodies from Judy and today a parcel arrived from Corrine at http://dosfishes.blogspot.com/. I have always enjoyed Corrine's blog and love her approach to her art. Corrine recently opened an etsy shop and I took the opportunity to buy myself a gift. It arrived today and I will try to take a pic tomorrow and show you.

I have been trying to finish off a few small items each evening. The first pic is Polly Pinkeeper. The second is a button embellished with beads and buttons. The last is another toggle using an aboriginal designed fabric.

2011-12-16T19:12:00.000+11:00

This pretty button is silk ribbon on silk dupion.

Very sweet I think.

Some of my Santas

2011-12-13T20:35:00.001+11:00

more little stitcheries

2011-12-10T19:40:00.000+11:00

I am gradually working my way through the little stitcheries for my wall hanging.

This project has become a bit of a chore and I am contemplating putting it aside for a while in the hope that my enthusiasm returns.

Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T19:15:00.000+11:00

The tradition in our house is to make our own tree each year.

It doesn't appeal to everyone but I am always very happy with it.

First I find some small branches from the wood pile. This is not as easy as it seems because none of the branches is quite right so it is the overall effect that matters.

Unfortunately it is necessary to spray the branches with insect killer as the gum nuts can harbour all manner of crawlies: I don't mind them but they seem to disturb some people.

I don't decide on the colour or number of decorations until the branches are selected and in their pot.

This year I decided on silver - all of these decorations are ones I have used before - some of them I have had for years.

I am not sure whether I should add lights. I like the simplicity but we always have lights. Lots of lights.

Of course it is light until really late here because we have daylight saving and we are close to the solstice (longest day) so lights really are a bit obsolete.

If the "tree" stays intact after christmas I usually leave it in place and decorate it again for Easter or just hand things on it that please me.

By the winter it is usually kindling wood for the fire in the dining room.

decorations

2011-12-06T16:47:00.001+11:00

I have been sorting out my Christmas tree decorations and thought you might like to see some that I have made for previous years.

Most of them are made with felt and have sequins added and bells inside.

My daughter made the red and green ball out of a polystyrene shape and sequins.

One of the stars is embellished crazy patychwork.

Tomorrow I should have my tree well on its way. It is a process.

Melbourne

2011-12-05T22:22:00.002+11:00

I took these photos from the plane as we returned to Melbourne from Northern NSW in October.

I am always fascinated by the clouds, and the patchwork of paddocks below. The open spaces soon make way for houses and factories: and then the airport itself.

Over the past few years we have made this journey to visit my father-in-law: for many years the ground below was brown and dry. The creeks and dams were dry. There were no grazing animals or crops. The drough covered much of the country.

Now the paddocks are green, the creeks are flowing and the dams are full.

This vast land of ours is so beautiful ( I have not seen even half of it) and at the same time so treacherous. We are often impacted by drought or flood or bush fires and yet it offers so much. Beautiful flora and fauna. A glorious coastline.

I am going on tonight. We don't have a thanksgiving holiday here but goodness we have so much to be thankful for.

buttons & brooches

2011-12-03T12:54:00.001+11:00

These are two more completed brooches. The centre one is another Christmas themed piece.

glorious gladioli

2011-12-02T18:05:00.003+11:00

These lovely gladioli grow in my garden without any help from me. They were already in the garden when we moved here and they multiply each year.

They really don't seem to fit in with the other plants in my garden but you must agree they are really lovely. The dark one is a tomato red and the other is salmon pink.

crazy quilting

2011-12-01T20:50:00.001+11:00

I am thinking of joining a crazy quiliting challenge next year and so today I was looking for suitable fabrics.

This is not something I feel terribly confident about so I have to think carefully before I commit to it.

So far I have joined a class starting next February and also the TAST challenge. Perhaps I can use these together with the crazy quilting challenge.

online courses & roses

2011-11-28T20:52:00.000+11:00

I have been wondering lately about the value of online courses and tutorials.

If you have participated in any of these or offer such a course/tutorial I would love to know about it.

I have recently completed a course with Karen Raune and one with Carole Brungar.

The projects were quite different as were my reasons for doing them.

As these were the first two online courses I have taken I was not sure what to expect so I think I was pleased with both of them.

The photo is just one of my roses which I have altered using the options in Picasa.

spring in the garden

2011-11-27T14:03:00.001+11:00

cutwork with silk ribbon flower

2011-11-24T21:08:00.000+11:00

This little silk ribbon flower on satin seemed just right for popping in behind some cutwork: it was just a little practice piece which I did years ago and the lilac fabric is part of a recycled bed sheet. The cut out circle is finished with button hole stitch and chain stitch.

felting with the embellisher

2011-11-22T18:49:00.001+11:00

I was looking for a particular piece of fabric when I came across the pictured piece of work. It consists of scraps felted to a piece of green felt using the embellishing machine.

I intend to add some bling and make something amazing - well I hope that I am inspired to make something with it!

I have finished some of the pieces for my "Road to my house" wall hanging. I have decided to put this aside now so I can do some sewing for Christmas.

Oh and my camera had a lovely rest and is talking to me again.
Technology - it is quite beyond me but I am pleased that I don't need to make any decision about a new camera just now.

faux cutwork button

2011-11-21T20:45:00.000+11:00

This button is finished!!!! I used silk for the foundation fabric and used perle cotton thread for the button hole lace around the central motif. The rest of the embroidery was done using single strands of hand dyed silk thread. The stitches used are button hole stitch, french knots, spider web roses, stem stitch, seed stitch and chain stitch and probably some I have forgotten. When damping the piece down for damp stretching I added some colour to soften the background fabric which looked too harsh. The button is 4.5cm across.

Being a tour Guide

2011-11-20T17:05:00.000+11:00

This week friends from New Zealand were in Melbourne for the Presidents Cup golf tournament. Fortunately for me Sue was happy to catch up for a day of talking and looking at some of the sites in our beautiful city.

We don't see each other often but always have plenty to talk about. After having a chat and planning our day we set out on a very hot (35degrees) windy day. Our first stop was St.Pauls Cathedral which is a very beautiful building with lots of things to see. Beautiful architecture, tiled floors, timber roofing, huge columns - I could go on. It really is worth a visit if you are in Melbourne.
http://www.stpaulscathedral.org.au/
After that we crossed Flinders Street, taking in the view of Flinders Street Station which is our central suburban railway station.
http://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/melbourne_details.php?id=774
We were headed for Federation Square and in particular the Ian Potter Centre which is part of the National Gallery of Victoria. They had several really interesting things happening in the various spaces there but we were particularly interested in the "Man Style" exhibition.

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/manstyle2

It was really fascinating to see the evolution of fashion in menswear. I was especially interested in embroidery and buttons on some of the garments.

We also managed to see lots of other works of art - ancient and modern. A day spent with Sue is great fun as well as a fantastic opportunity to learn more - Sue has been an art teacher and is an artist in her own right and is part of a group promoting sculpture in her home city in New Zealand.
I feel like a sponge soaking up so much information. It really is a treat.

http://www.publicsculpture.org.nz/index.php?page=gallery

Melbourne boasts some interesting public sculpture so it was a perfect day. The menfolk were at the golf and although we had planned an evening meal together it was not to be. My darling husband has a horrid chest infection and couldn't go out so we came home just as another storm approached.

cameras & windows

2011-11-19T10:03:00.002+11:00

My camera is refusing to talk to me so I am showing you a picture of one of the side windows in our house.

It is typically Australian leaded glass work and several of the houses in this street have similar windows.

I took this picture because I am thinking of moving the window panels to another area of the house.

Our new tv is opposite these windows and we find that during the day many of the programmes we view feature these gorgeous images. The sun shines right on them which is beautiful but................

Anyway if anyone has suggestions about a new camera (easy to use and modest price) I would be glad to hear from you. I feel quite lost without my constant companion. My camera is like a second pair of eyes and a memory bank which I use often.

Oh I meant to explain about the header: when I was at the beach a couple of weeks ago the thong was on the beach - abandoned. There was no-one swimming - in fact no one else on the beach at all. It just needed to be photographed.

See I do need a camera.

finding time to stitch and time to write

2011-11-15T21:29:00.000+11:00

They say that as you grow older the days seem to fly by.

Well I can assure you that I don't seem to have enough hours in the day or days in the week.

I have to snatch a few minutes here and there to do some stitching.

The first pic is of a button I am making - the piece is being damp stretched.

The second is part of my wall hanging. It depicts something you will often see at the beach: a shower where you can wash off the salt and sand. These facilities were turned off during the drought of the past decade but now that water is available they are on again.

I have been making some dorset buttons. They are quite relaxing to make and I can do them while watching TV or minding the little girls.

It is a way of using up some of my threads. This one is actually yellow and green and needs a bit more work.

little stitcheries.

2011-11-11T21:51:00.000+11:00

These little stitcheries are for my wall hanging.

seaside again

2011-11-08T21:13:00.001+11:00

Today I went on a little drive to Rosebud beach - doesn't the name sound lovely. It is a summer holiday place and can look a bit tatty when the holiday makers are not there.

This is the way I like it though - time for quiet walks and many photo opportunities.

The collage shows some of the vegetation found around the area of the Rosebud Pier.

Mostly grasses and at present lots of seed pods ready to be picked up by the wind.

We had a big thunder storm last night and lots of rain but this afternoon was sunny and still. Rather humid at home but lovely and fresh by the bay.

There was a huge container ship passing through the port phillip heads. This is the entrance to the ports of Melbourne. It is a very narrow area of water and has to be carefully navigated. It is always amazing to see such huge vessels setting out on their long journey.

christmas is on its way

2011-11-06T17:07:00.000+11:00

As the festive holidays approach I thought I would make a brooch to wear on the day but I wanted it to be something I could wear anytime.

The stitches include bullion stitches, french knots and and spider web flower in the centre. Buttons fill the spaces. Because this is on a dome shaped button I had to be sure there would be no fabric showing through so the stitching and the beading is very tightly packed and took many hours to do.
The outer edge is bullion stitches and button hole lace very casually put together. Again I wanted to be sure there was no fabric showing. I think in future I would use a coloured fabric for the background instead of the white silk.

Several people have asked about the size of the buttons and brooches I have been making.

The buttons are 5cm across and the toggle on the previous posting is 5.5cm long and 1 cm across the end.

Thanks also to everyone who comments on this blog. I really appreciate all the feedback and encouragement.

toggles and buttons

2011-11-04T08:18:00.000+11:00

I am so far behind with so many things I am beginning to think I shall never catch up.

The course with Karen Raune is finished and I am only half way through. Of course I can continue on as the information is still available. This has been a really challenging and interesting course.

This is a toggle which is made using some cotton fabric with an aboriginal design.

My stitching could be a lot better but I am not going to point out the faults. Suffice to say that I am happy with it.

Free Machine Stitching

2011-10-29T21:27:00.000+11:00

These small pieces of stitching are part of my wall hanging "The Road to my House".

My free machine stitching was a bit of a challenge but I am reasonably pleased with them. The next step is to embroider and embellish them.

2011-10-25T18:29:00.000+11:00

My wall hanging is finished (at last).

The backing fabric is black and I have decorated it with some twigs, leaves and small gum nuts from our garden.

Before I put it on the backing I damped stretched it. The picture shows it pinned to the cork board ready for spraying with water.

I was a little concerned that some of the colour in the threads might run but all was well.

This is to hang in our lounge room.

I am pleased to see it finished because I have been distracted by other things lately

Sunday evening stitching

2011-10-23T20:57:00.000+11:00

It is Sunday evening and while we watch the Rugby cup final I have been finishing off some of my buttons.

We have had a lovely sunny and warm day today. One of my daughters and her husband came for morning tea and while the men talked my daughter and I took their dogs for a lovely walk. The spring gardens in our neighborhood are in full bloom and the air is full of beautiful aromas. There is nothing quite like the smell of the eucalyptus trees when it is hot and dry.

Our next door neighbours have returned from their holiday in the uk. I am not sure how they did it: they took their five year old daughter and 1 year old twin girls and managed to visit family and friends in Wales and the South of England as well as time in London, Disneyland in France and a few days in Spain.

They are as unhappy about the screen as we are which is good. I am sure we will be able to work out a solution!

Back to the stitching. I am finding these buttons and brooches are really fun and give plenty of scope for creativity. I think they would look great on a scarf or clipped to a bag.

I hope everyone is looking forward to a busy and happy week.

neighbours

2011-10-21T15:02:00.002+11:00

What is our world coming to?

This is the side view of the back of the house next door. They have had several rooms added to their home to accomodate their growing family. On the back is a lovely decking with room for the children to play and to eat outdoors. We have always been able to see them coming and going and we chat when we have time. The new building regulations require that a "privacy screen" is built to block them from looking at us and us at them!!!!! There is a similar treatment at the front of the property too. Goodness, heaven forbid we would ever "see" each other. We are so accustomed to pop over to the fence line for a quick chat or a wave of the hand as we come and go. Now we will have to knock on each other's front door.

Apart from all of that it looks so ugly. No I am not happy about this.

Our neighbours will be home from the UK tonight and I so look forward to them coming home.

my first button

2011-10-19T22:21:00.000+11:00

This is my first button. I am very pleased with it.

This second pic is of the damp stretching of the piece before constructing the button.

I am amazed at the difference this step makes to the finished item.

stitching

2011-10-17T15:52:00.001+11:00

I am doing an inline course with Karen Raune and this is what I am working on. It will be a button when it is finished. We are doing french knots, bullions, needleweaving and other stitches to make buttons or broaches.

and another beach

2011-10-16T16:26:00.001+11:00

We have been up to Tweed Heads for a few days to visit Mike's dad and to soak up a little warm weather.

One of the things I had forgotten was that the Jacarandas would be in bloom. The one pictured is in the back garden of a house near my father-in-law's house and as the plane takes off over that area we can see this tree from the air. So beautiful.

The pictures in the collage are of Greenmount Beach at Coolangatta (Queensland) which is by far my favourite place to have a swim. The water was 21degrees which is a lot warmer than down here: the locals thought I was mad to want to go in at that temperature but it is so lovely with the surf crashing around.

Later in the evening we had heavy rain and lots of thunder: further north the storm was much worse with quite a lot of damage I think.

We are home again with our warm socks on and the central heating warming us up.

I have been doing a lot of stitching so will show you the results in the next day or so.

another day another picture

2011-10-15T20:08:00.000+11:00

Morning walk

2011-10-14T21:19:00.001+11:00

books and branches

2011-10-10T18:11:00.001+11:00

I have almost finished my wall hanging. I don't think I have ever done more "unstitching" on a project before. A matter of an overdose of ideas.

I have been troubled by the number of empty and misshapen branches but of course this is a normal part of the native trees that surround us.

Today I picked up some books I bought on line.

These are not your regular hard back books.

They were advertised as "display novels" and as you can see the page are blank.

Now these suit me quite well while I wait for my new reading glasses but they offer such possibilities for creativity. I bought 15 white covered books and 4 black covered books for $20. What a bargain!!!!

If you had these books what would you do with them?

something old and something new

2011-10-08T19:03:00.001+11:00

I made this tiny pin cushion while babysitting the little girls next door.

It had to be something that I could carry in my handbag and pick up and put down whenever I had a minute or two.

The edging is not finished yet: I have to wait till my new reading glasses arrive (about another 10 days)

so that I can see the stitches!

I made this bookmark using aida cloth and silk ribbons, threads and beads. I cannot remember when I made it but it was several years ago.

It includes crystals to add sparkle.

I do love silk ribbons. They are so lovely to work with.

My Grandsons

2011-10-03T21:37:00.004+11:00

It is the second week of the school holidays and my three grandsons have come to stay for a few days. This evening we went out for dinner and stopped at the beach on the way home to see the sun set. It was so relaxing and now they are settling down to sleep on the lounge room floor and couches.

The weather will be good tomorrow so we will probably be exploring the rock pools again.

gifts in the mail, recycling & a dilemna

2011-10-02T20:16:00.000+11:00

Today I have been thinking about the way we consume so much "stuff".

Some of it gives us great pleaure: the pic on the left shows the lovely parcel I received from Jennie. http://jennie61.blogspot.com/

These little treasures will form part of the wall hanging I am doing with Carole Burangar.
http://kiwicarole.blogspot.com/
The next pic is of some of the materials I will use for the wall hanging. I am pleased to know that much of what I shall be using will be recycled materials and that everything I need is already in my stash.

Carole suggested we use old linen and tea dye it. However I have some doileys I have dyed for just such a project. I also have some old lace hankies which will fit the bill perfectly.

Some of these look too good to use but they are stained or torn so it seems like a good way of using them up.

Now to the dilemna.

We want to buy a new television with access to the internet etc. We have just 2 televisions in our house: one in the lounge/living room and one downstairs in the work room/guest area. The one upstairs is 10 years old and the one downstairs was passed on to us by our eldest daughter.
Both of these sets work. They are good. We do however want a larger and more modern set.

What do we do with the one set we want to replace? If we take it to the local waste disposal centre it will be shipped off by some company: probably to some third world country where it will be pulled apart by some poor people without any care for their welfare.

The charity shops will not accept old tvs.

What to do?

adding colour

2011-09-27T21:41:00.001+10:00

Thanks for the useful comments about my wall hanging. It does help to "discuss" a piece if only to reinforce previously held thoughts.

I have decided to go with my original idea and add some colour. As I look out my kitchen window I see a lot of tree tops and the various branches, leaves, flowers and of course birds.

Although at first glance the eucalyptus
trees seem quite dull, in fact there is a lot of colour and texture within. You just have to look for it.

Anyway I now have a clear picture in my mind of what this piece will be. I want it to be something that reveals itself slowly. I want it to be peaceful and calming. Meditative.

flowers & leaves

2011-09-23T22:12:00.000+10:00

I have added some red flowers and some green for leaves but I am not sure about the effect. I really liked the look of it with the simple lines.

Maybe less is more. Comments would be appreciated.

progress

2011-09-19T21:36:00.000+10:00

I have taken advantage of the recent warm weather to catch up on a little stitching.

My hands feel a lot better when the days are not so cold.

The wall hanging is coming along nicely.

I have added a few hand stitched branches and some french knots and other stitches.

The warm weather is over for a few days now and we have gale force winds and rain which will last most of the night I think.

works in progress

2011-09-11T19:14:00.000+10:00

At present I have several projects underway. The one pictured on the left is a wall hanging for our dining room.
I have had this piece of linen in my stash for quite a while and it is ideal for this purpose.

The inspiration is all around me: the tops of the gum trees that I can see from my kitchen windows.

The pic on the right is a small piece from one of the high trees.
When the galahs are feeding in the trees they often break off twigs and small branches. I found this one on the steps one morning. You can see the little buds and a tiny flower.

I have made a start by doing some machine stitching, couching threads as I go. I also wound some metallic thread onto the bobbin and turned the piece over to stitch some of the lines. Some hand stitched branches will be added when I can manage it.

The leaves will be made using organza and you can see there are two sitting on the fabric. I will bond two layers of organza ribbon together, using mistyfuse and then cut out the leaves which will be stitched on individually. The flowers and gumnuts will be added once the leaves are in place.

While Ally (grand daughter) was staying with us she drew a page of vases and other shapes while watching tv. She cannot just sit and watch: so she draws.

Anyway we decided to scan the page and print it onto a piece of dupioni silk. Before printing we bonded some light stabiliser to the back of the silk to give it a bit more body.

This will be stitched to a cushion for her bedroom. I am so thrilled that she loves to create and is confident enough to want to preserve her drawings in textiles.

The piece on the right is made using more of the fabrics I received in the recent EG challenge. It is the beginning of a needlebook.

some of my favourite things

2011-09-09T19:30:00.001+10:00

These pics are some that I took recently when we went for a walk in our neighbourhood. Some are taken from my kitchen window. The area has lots of eaucalyptus and other indiginous trees.

I have had a lovely week, some stitching, some babysitting, a special dinner with my husband, a visit from our beloved granddaughter and I have also managed to paint the dining room.

Our grand daughter has been here for two days and will stay a couple more days. Tonight she planned and prepared a lovely meal for her grand dad who has been away for 5 days.

The highlight was this delicious trifle. What a treat. We feel so pleased that at 14 Ally still loves to come and stay with us.

some things that I have learnt

2011-09-03T19:45:00.000+10:00

When I set out to make the box I pictured in my last post I wanted to try something new. The fact that the fabrics were ones I would not have chosen myself I felt free to try something different.

This was the beginning of lots of lessons.

On this journey I discovered that

1. If the project is described as "easy" that just means that the person writing the book had no difficulty doing it.

2. A project that includes lots of small pieces of fabric and very little stitching can only be harder than one that requires lots of stitching. Those little pieces just move around as they please.

3. When creating a round element in a project figure out how you are going to do the outer edge before you commence.

4. Cutting, folding and ironing small pieces of cloth is not easy when you have arthritis in your hands.

5. Trying new techniques is challenging and satisfying.

5. Dropping your spectacles on the bathroom floor on a Friday evening is likely to cause considerable inconvenience.
Yes I did that and yes it does.

EG challenge box

2011-09-01T20:07:00.000+10:00

I have been working on this box for a challenge through the embroiderer's guild UK forum.

recycling

2011-08-30T21:21:00.002+10:00

Today I found some real treasures at a small op shop.

The lady is a wall hanging.

You might be picking up on the fact that I am interested in faces.

a stitch in time..........

2011-08-26T19:51:00.000+10:00

Today I spent more than an hour cleaning my iron: what a waste of time that was. The iron needed cleaning because I am often too impatient, lazy, careless, stupid.............to protect the sole plate when I am using fusible mesh or glues and today I paid the price. It was lovely and sunny outside and I was in my sewing room cleaning my iron. Lesson learned!!!

While working on the iron my thoughts drifted to an item that sits on a shelf in my sewing room. It is something I am very fond of but I am wondering if it has any meaning.

My youngest daughter bought this at a market many years ago: she was in her late teens and loved it at the time.

Now she wont have it in her house: her 14 year old daughter loves it but she is not allowed to take it home.

It appears to be made of plaster and the reverse side is hollow (shell like).

At present it is covered by a pillow case as one of the little girls I babysit seems to be frightened by it.

I find the detail and the rings and chains to be quite beautiful and the
eye is fascinating.

It is about 40cm from base to top of head.

beach box

2011-08-22T18:32:00.001+10:00

We are enjoying some beautiful spring weather so a visit to the beach for fish'n'chips seemed like a good way to spend Sunday.

The little box is progressing well too but I am easily distracted when the sun is out.

painted satin & dyed lace

2011-08-19T20:22:00.000+10:00

I have been wanting to make a little trinket box for some time but I just haven't found enough free hours in the day to make a start.

Last evening a business colleague called in for a meeting with my husband so I took advantage of the fact that I would not be missed and spent some time starting off this project.

It is to be a small square (cube) fabric and lace box suitable for the dressing table. I started by cutting out a strip of card (acid free of course) for the main body of the box.

The fabric is some white satin from the stash and the lace is synthetic and I tried to dye it when I was with Linda years ago. It is a very pale gold colour.

To create the colour on the fabric I dipped the satin in some lukewarm water and then used a brush to apply some lumiere paints to the damp fabric. In order to spread it out a bit I rolled the fabric up and then rinsed it

under the cold tap. I wasn't too bothered about making it even or consistent because I want it to show through the lace in a random way.

Once I was happy with the colour I placed the fabric on an old towel and ironed it till it was almost dry.

I had to wait till the morning to attach the lace to the satin.
Using mistyfuse I bonded the lace to one half of the fabric as I didn't want the lace on the inside of the box.

To give a bit more shape I have put some batting under the fabric on the inside and now just have to decide how much bling to add before making the base and the top.

So far I am quite happy with this little box. It is quite pretty and the colours remind me of the sand and sea.

2011-08-17T20:21:00.001+10:00

I have been trying to create a collage and the result is what you see here. The pics are taken in my garden with a few altered images included.

vintage linen & lace

2011-08-15T07:17:00.000+10:00

These are some of my recent
purchases at the op shops.

Most of them are stained or have holes in them so I will use them in some fibre art.

Some of them are really fine and delicate.

I often wonder who made these and when they were used.

smocking pleater

2011-08-13T20:37:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago I bought a smocking pleater. I know it doesn't seem to be the sort of thing I would be interested in but I am endlessly curious about all needlework techniques.

In the past my friend Karyn has pleated fabric for me to experiment with and I have enjoyed using the pleated fabric in my own way.

I was visiting one of my favourite op shops looking for doileys (as if I don't have enough already). As my purchases were being added up I glanced at the window display and there it was. An Amanda Jane pleater. The price was unbelievable - I could never justify paying new price - and so I am the happy owner of this amazing contraption.

It has sat on the shelf for quite a while as I have been really preoccupied with other things.

Today I decided to see if I could use it. In a step that is unusual for me, I read all the instructions and some smocking books before I started.

My first little piece of pleating has turned out just fine. Now I need to figure out how to tie it off and secure the threads.

I am not likely to be making any pretty dresses but I might make something interesting.

Any hints or advice would be most welcome.

Crazy patchwork & machine embroidery

2011-08-08T21:57:00.000+10:00

I am currently working on some challenges & swaps for the Embroiderers Guild UK Forum and so cannot show what I am doing until these projects end.

In the meantime I thought I would show you a cushion I made quite some time ago.

The fabrics and ribbons I used are some favourite scraps and left overs: the burgundy and grey work well together and the ribbon and lace complement the fabrics.

The rose in the centre and the one in the right hand corner were stitched with my Janome memory craft 300E.
I had stitched the fabrics together; some by hand and some by machine and then hooped the fabric up to create the roses.

I then added lace, ribbons, buttons and hand stitching.

I am going to investigate the use of the embroidery machine in future projects. The use of machine generated embroidery is often criticized as "not creative": I hope to show that this is not a valid criticism.

Beautiful helebores

2011-08-06T19:23:00.000+10:00

These beautiful Hellebores are growing in our garden and always delight me with their fragile beauty.

The flowers are easy to miss as they bow their pretty heads and this means that they are not a good cut flower either but they are real treasures in the garden.

They usually drop a lot of seeds and so each year there are more to enjoy.

The colours are very delicate and the petals are like paper so they give the impression that they are painted.

Thanks for the comments on my eaucalptus flowers.

I was surprised to learn that some of you were unaware of these amazing flowers. I will look in some of my books for projects that feature them. The flowers vary from white, through yellows, oranges, pinks and reds. Some are tiny and almost invisible while others are bright and showy.

The trees offer nectar & shelter for birds and often provide homes for small animals, such as possums as well.

In addition they brighten up our landscape.

eucalyptus flowers

2011-08-03T19:54:00.000+10:00

I made this some time ago and it stays on the shelf in my sewing room. the stem and one leaf are stitched onto brown wool felt.

The upper leaf is worked as a detached element on calico using gumnut silk threads.

The caps on the top of the flowers are worked using green felt and silk threads.

The flowers are made using red silk threads bound together, similar to making a tassel, and these were inserted in the caps and then stitched to the stem.

I added some fabric stiffener to the ends of the flowers to keep them in place.

Although this is such a simple piece I am very pleased with it.

The variety of flowering eucalypts is extensive and always interesting. They attract nectar loving birds and provide colour in the garden. Many of the trees have interesting leaves and bark. They are messy, dropping leaves throughout the year and often losing rather large limbs after strong winds. Many of them shed long sheets of bark on a very hot day in an attempt to provide themselves with mulch to keep their roots cool. A very efficient idea.

tyvek treasures

2011-07-25T19:52:00.000+10:00

Tyvek is one of my favourite materials to play with.

It is so easy to use: painting, stitching and distorting with heat all give great results.

I find lumiere paints give a rich effect and respond well to heat.

Organza ribbon and a fabric flower are added to this piece.

This tiny face was also painted with lumiere.

I used copper wire to create some structure behind this and the organza ribbon is combined with metallic angelina fibre.

This also has copper wire on the back and the hair is made from silk tops.

What was I thinking.

2011-07-24T19:05:00.000+10:00

I made this little pin cushion a few weeks ago and once it was all finished I realised you can see the loose threads from the back of the work.

I am so cross with myself for being careless and not making the back neat.

This is something I do like to do - finish the back of my work neatly. In fact I am a bit obsessed by it, so you can imagine I am not pleased.

The back is stitched together in blanket stitch and although I hate the thought of it I am going to have to unstitch it and fix it up. Those loose threads will drive me mad.

Amazing Cactus

2011-07-18T22:07:00.000+10:00

These are some of the cactus on display at Garden World.

There is a huge display which attracts visitors from all over the country.

These are such strange plants.

They seem prehistoric.

kookaburra in the garden

2011-07-17T19:38:00.000+10:00

Today this young kookaburra
came to visit. There were two of them flying around in the garden behind us and were being harassed by the magpies and noisy minas. I am not sure what they were looking for but they didn't have a chance to settle. Anyway I went outside to try to take a photo and one of the kookaburras landed on the veranda just above me. It seemed to be quite a young bird and stayed still long enough to have its photo taken. We often hear these iconic Australian birds in the early morning and at dusk but they are well camouflaged. It is a real privilege to see them up close.

old books and fresh flowers

2011-07-16T21:17:00.000+10:00

As promised I will be showing some more pics of the plants I saw during the week. I have to edit them so they don't take up too much space.

The pic here is something I created from one of the orchid photos.

Isn't this flower just exquisite:
it hasn't fully opened yet.

The altered picture was created using adobe photoshop. In the standard edit page I went to Filters and then Distort and selected the Polar Co-ordinates option. This is one of the more simple alterations I have done but it is very effective.

Now to the question of old books. I have noticed of late a tendency to use old books for various kinds of arts and crafts - altered books, collage etc. Personally I have a problem with cutting up books; they seem to be too precious. I wonder how others feel about this issue. I bought a book from the op shop recently with the intention of using it in a creation I am planning but I find it impossible to cut it up. It is not an important or particularly special book and cost me just $2.

Well that is my quandary at present. Any help would be appreciated.

Garden World

2011-07-15T19:35:00.001+10:00

Yesterday I went to one of the biggest garden centres in the area.
Garden World at Braeside is divided into several individual areas: there are of course the usual garden plants, an irrigation

centre where you can buy water tanks, irrigation systems etc, there is a small hydroponics area, collectors corner which has a wonderful display of cactus, orchids and other exotic plants.
While I was there I took lots of photos and so
today I will include some pics of my favourite corners.

My favourite section is the water garden area. This has recently been refurbished, with new displays and a large fish pond outside. I could spend hours wandering around there, looking at the fish and the plants in the ponds as well as enjoying the sounds of the fountains and waterfalls.

It was quite sunny so the reflections are really spectacular.

I will show you some of the orchids and cacti in the coming days.

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour.

crafting at last

2011-07-14T19:32:00.000+10:00

At last I have had some time to play - I want to make a journal cover and to try some different materials or techniques. I have had a pack of Lutrador on the shelf for months and could never get around to using it. I also have the wooden printing blocks I bought from Etsy a while ago. I decided to use some lumiere paints and one of the blocks to add some flowers to the lutrador.

So far, so good.

The flowers look fine.

This is going to be a slow project so I will show some more in a day or two.

Gems in the winter garden

2011-07-11T19:52:00.000+10:00

a little bit of stitching

2011-07-10T19:19:00.001+10:00

I bought this pretty little doiley some time ago and had intended to dye it as the fabric in the centre was very worn with some small holes.

It was so pretty that I really didn't want to add colour to the lace so I decided to add some embroidered silk flowers and a few beads.

I am quite pleased with the results.

On Friday, after lunch at the Tanti Mornington Hotel I took the grandchildren to Sunset Beach which is nearby. The water comes right up to the wooden steps when the tide is in.

The children would have stayed for hours but I was freezing so we set off to the mobile library in Mount Eliza to stock up on reading matter.

Using up the stash

2011-07-07T20:36:00.001+10:00

Today, with the help of my youngest grandson, Matthew, aged 8 I made a couple of pair of trousers for the little girls next door. I bought the fabric about 13 years ago and was going to make something for Ally who is now 14 but she disliked the fabric so it has been in the stash all that time. I am sure these will be good for crawling around in and at last I have put the fabric to good use.

I love winter on the Mornington Peninsula

2011-07-06T20:54:00.000+10:00

The last few days have been bitterly cold with gale force winds and heavy rain. Of course my first instinct is to stay in bed for the day or at least to stay inside but I have decided to embrace this wonderful weather, after all we are recovering from 9 years of drought and we asked for this rain.

Today I went out for a coffee at the Rocks at Mornington which is one of my favourite places. On the way back I took a few pics of the bay (Port Philip) which looked so beautiful and of course the clouds were piling up with more rain promised.

I am not doing much stitching at present as this weather does cause me some
difficulties with my hands. I wake in the morning with stiff and painful fingers and it takes most of the day to loosen them up.

I can still take lots of photos, look at all my books and mags for inspiration and of course I have my sewing machines.

The grandchildren are on school holidays and so all four will come for a two night sleepover tomorrow. That is always something to look forward to.

Friends & Neighbours

2011-07-04T21:19:00.000+10:00

The little girls next door will be 12 months old soon and I decided I would like to give each of them a special outfit.
They are not walking yet so I thought some nice warm trousers and a knitted top would make sense. Sounds like a great idea and the sewing of the trousers will not be difficult but I don't knit well enough to create anything suitable so I put out a call to my friends and was thrilled when Laurel offered to knit two little tops for me.

I chose the pattern and bought the yarn and sent them up to Laurel in Queensland. Today the first little garment arrived and I am so thrilled with it. I couldn't wait to show it to you.

Now I have to find a pattern and yarn for the second one.

Thanks so much Laurel for being kind enough to do this for me.

Another lovely weekend

2011-06-26T20:42:00.001+10:00

The days have been flying by: Mike is working away from home a bit lately so the weekends are extra special. We have to do the usual chores as well as catch up on family & neighbourhood news. We try to go out to lunch on Sundays. Today we went to the Rocks at Mornington. We had a really lovely relaxed lunch although the weather outside was very windy and rough.
The Rocks restaurant and cafe, Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne
Yesterday I went to the football, Australian Rules,at the MCG, with my daughter Rebecca & her daughter Ally. We all barrack for Melbourne and our team beat Richmond Tigers. It was a lovely outing - just us girls. When we arrived back at Rebecca's house her husband had cooked enough dinner so that I could bring some home for Mike and me.

As if that wasn't good enough: our neighbour Keith filled the trailer with prunings and took it to the recycling centre and came back and took our old fridge away as well.

That's what I call a great weekend.

Oh, the pic at the top shows the books I am using to find inspiration - thanks for all the suggestions.

desperately seeking inspiration

2011-06-24T19:58:00.000+10:00

I am a member of the Embroiderers Guild in the UK (so I can belong to their forum) and we have a lot of swaps and challenges throughout the year.
At present some 10 of us are participating in a round robin traveling page: each person starts their page with a doodle and a theme and then it is sent on to the next person to add their interpretation of the theme. Once it has been to all other 9 participants it arrives back to the originator complete. It really is a great challenge. We are about half way through this one and I am looking forward to seeing my page when it arrives home.

The other activity we are doing at present is a goody bag swap. Each person sends a bag of fabric & embellishments to another member (as decided by the person running the challenge). There are guidelines regarding the amount of fabric etc and we can add batting, thread etc from out own stash. The idea is to make something to keep with the bulk of the goodies provided and then to create a postcard to send back to the person who sent the goodies. The picture above shows what I have received and I cannot seem to build up any kind of inspiration at present. I love the fabrics and the trims & gemstones etc but cannot seem to make a start.

Please feel free to let me know if you can suggest what I could do. I feel nervous about cutting into the fabrics (which is quite out of character for me).

The forum is available to members of the Embroiderers Guild UK and it has a wonderful gallery showing the work that the members have done throughout the years. Take a look if you can.

early works

2011-06-19T17:28:00.002+10:00

The weather has been cold here on the Mornington Peninsula and so I have spent quite a lot of time indoors. Now you might imagine that would provide me with an opportunity to catch up with my housework, but no, I have been sorting through boxes of "stuff" that I haven't looked at in quite a while.

I was surprised to find this little doll's jacket which I made when I was about 8 years old. We had a dutch family living next door and the daughter of the house took an interest in me and decided I should learn to sew.

Some old calico was produced and some threads, and the lesson began. I do remember making this and also some other small garments for the two dolls I owned. The design and the stitching is pretty rough but it always reminds me of the kindness of the young woman next door. I have no idea how old she was - perhaps 16 or 18 but I do remember spending time in her home which was always spic and span and yet very welcoming.

This next piece of embroidery is something I made for my "hope chest". I was engaged at 19 and we didn't have much but I was determined to have some pretty things. It would have been a semco kit I think and I did several of these and also embroidered some pillowcases.

My stitching was really quite neat in those days: good eyesight helps.

I do like looking through those boxes containing memories and treasures.

It is always hard to decide whether to keep old cards and scraps of wrapping paper - or that flower I pressed when on my visit to the uk. (I know I should not have brought it back with me). I hardly ever look at them and sometime my children will have to sort through it all.

What do you keep?

For those who are interested in my visit to the Peninsula Hot Springs: it was sensational! I had been nervous and a little self-conscious: swimming in the surf is one thing - sitting still in the mineral baths is quite another. Then there was the thought of taking my clothes off for the massage!

Well, the whole atmosphere was so relaxing that I was comfortable from the moment I arrived and to be honest didn't want to leave. The mineral baths are soooo relaxing and the massage was just what I needed.

It is funny how we often we let a lack of confidence spoil something special. The visit to the springs was a gift from my neighbours (for babysitting) and I really do appreciate it.