sketch box

Well this is a productive week so far.  I have managed to paint more window frames and clear out our storage area.  Having off site storage is very handy but you keep so much junk!

Anyway tonight I have spent some more time on the box that I started a few weeks ago.

It is done now. 

I think.  

I hope. 
 
This will be great to hold a small sketch book and pencils.

I have another box on its way already so that will be tomorrow night's project.

In the meantime two of my grandkids are blogging.
Matthew here 
and Ally here

op shopping

This week's visit to the op shops revealed a definite wild animal theme.

Isn't this fellow adorable.

These gorgeous boxes would set a retro theme on the dressing table.  They are in perfect condition.

They are fitted and lined in satin. 

These shoes look like they are ready for a wild night on the town.













It really is amazing what you can find in an op shop - these items were still on the shelf when I left. 

  

 I have been working on my embellished fabric.

 I fused some organza ribbon over the 
piece which made it more stable and also softens the colours a bit.

I bought a little carboard box at the op shop near the library this morning and it was just the thing.  

There is a bit more to be done but so far I am pleased with it.











The op shop is one that I visited last week when Anne was here from the uk.  It is a small shop with very friendly volunteers working there and there are always plenty of doilies and trinkets to tempt me.  The time I spent with Anne was a real treat and I look forward to her return next year.

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books and eggs

It has been a busy week, again, so we are sitting down and watching an old episode of Frasier.I have seen this before so I can write while I listen.


In the past couple of weeks I have found three really interesting new books.  The first is Make Your Own Books & Boxes by Peter Baumgartner published by Search Press in 1996.  It was originally published in German in 1994.   This edition was translated by Clare Turner.  I have never managed to find such a useful book on the subject.  This is one that I will use often. 

 The second book is by Meg Evans,
Hand-Stitched Boxes.  This edition was published by David & Charles
in 1998.
This has so many wonderful projects and easy to follow instructions.  I can see one of my stitched gardens on the top of one of these boxes.

I bought the third book just because the cover looked so interesting.  I am not really interested in making lace, well I wasn't until I started reading this.  Anyway here are the details.  Contemporary Lace Making by Constance Nieuwhoff. Published by Van Nostrand Reinhold in 1975 and translated from the Dutch by Danielle Adkinson.

And now for something completely different.  Last week I broke an egg to find it has two yolks.  This is a rare occasion these days although I remember as a child our own chickens often produced double yokers, as we called them.  Anyway this evening as I was preparing a quick meal I was thrilled to see two more and couldn't resist taking a photo. I know it is a bit off the track but it shows how easily I am impressed.

stitched gardens

 I have quite a love of knot gardens:  I have created several and I thought I would show them to you today.

This first one is stitched on hand dyed fabric using silk threads and lots of french knots and turkey stitch.

I particularly like the colours in this one.

This one was my first attempt and I was helped with stitch selection & colours by Bev Tully.  It took many hours of concentration.
Again I used silk threads.  It is lovely and soft to touch and is on the top of a round black box. 

I stitched out this heart pattern on my embroidery machine and then filled in the gaps (hearts etc) with different threads and stitches.  It was a kind of a 
sampler, and looks prettier in "real life". 

I have mounted this one on top of another box which I have covered with an interesting paper.

I use this one in the sewing room for bits & pieces. 

Another of my designs:  I found it difficult to deal with the idea of it being divided into 3 sections.  I do like symmetry. 

This tiny one was lots of fun to do: it is a little pin cushion set in a shallow wooden bowl.

Well, the days are just flying by and I am not stitching much.

My current project is a small piece of embroidery to be set into the top of a music box for my grand daughter.

I have used some calico which has blotches of colour in pinks/mauves. When I was painting batting recently I used this piece of calico to cover the batting as I ironed it dry and it picked up the excess paint and looks quite good.
I have used my Embroidery machine to put her name on the fabric as I am in a bit of a hurry and now I am just stitching some simple flowers in an informal way on the fabric.

By tomorrow it should be complete and set into the box.