catching up with projects

 Yesterday I had some treatment on my knee and while I was waiting for the surgery I did quite a lot of stitching.  My sewing room is cluttered with partly done work or sample pieces I have done in the past. 

I have a stall at a christmas market soon so I am trying to finish things off.  This little piece with french knots on silk will make a pretty  button or hair clip. 

This second piece is a needlebook.  Hand dyed cotton fabric with silk ribbon, beads, sequins and embroidery.

 I will line it with green felt to hold the needles.

There is batting between the fabric and the felt to give it a softer feel.  

 

The last item is silk ribbon on calico over a self covered button.

It just needs some metallic threads to finish it off.

I am always so happy to finish things that have sat around for a while.

Holidays amd precious friends

 This week I was lucky enough to take a quick trip up to the Gold Coast (southern Queensland) and while I was there I caught up with Elizabeth Peters.  I first "met" Elizabeth on the Country Bumpkin Forum, which no longer exists, and we have met in person several times.  We spent some time op shopping and also enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch in Southport: take a look here.

We spent some time looking at Elizabeth's beautiful creations: lace and felt and lots of other treasures.   you can see her work here

On a previous visit to the Gold Coast I bought this little wicker case to keep some needlework supplies at my father-in-law's house.


He lives in Tweed Heads which is at the very southern part of the Gold Coast.



On this visit I was so excited to see the contents of the case again.

 It contains needles,beads,buttons and a piece of embroidery to work on while visiting.

 I had a lovely time away but am happy to be home again.

needlebook

 At the recent exhibition at the Frankston Waterfront Festival I was asked to make a needlebook for a lady who loves pinks and lilacs.

 Fortunately we were able to discuss the fabrics and colours and these are the ones that took her fancy.

The fabrics are hand dyed by Tina Whitely.
 
 

 It is to be a small folder with some pellon for padding and some hand quilting and embroidery and beading.

The pages will be made from this pale green felt.

As well as this I am to make a matching scissor case too.

I do hope it pleases her. 

ANOTHER NEEDLEBOOK

 This is my December needlebook.  It was very much a fun project.  I was given some scaps of fabric & ribbon by a fellow embroiderer: her project wasn't working out so out came the stitches.   I cannot waste such bits and pieces so they were added to my stash of similar scaps.

 I decided to create some fabric using my felting/embellishing machine.  I started with the scraps and ribbons and added some other fabrics and fibres.  Having done that I fused some more scraps and some chiffon from an old scarf to the base fabric: after that I applied the heat gun and then fused some tulle on top.  To break up the "neat" look I took to it with the soldering iron, just opening up a few areas to show 

 the original colours.  I also added a bit of gold foil to lighten it up . Then I stitched some green braid on each end:  I was going to line the inside but I realised the "wrong side" of the fabric looked really cool so I did some free machine stitching through the whole lot and 

then stitched in some felt
and here it is - my final needlecase for the year.

Oh I also stitched some soft braid trim to the upper and lower edge and then painted some liumiere metallic paint to seal it. 

It looks a bit dodgy but it actully feels really nice to use.  

ANOTHER PROJECT FINISHED

Yipppeee, I have finished another needlebook.  This is one I have really enjoyed making.  The original fabric had been sent to me.  I cut some "windows in the fabric and inserted another fabric

 in the space.  Onto this fabric I added different elements: some threads, some
other fabric and then covered them with organza and secured the lot with free machine stitching.

To make the needlebook I lined the fabric with some batting and then some fabric I had in my stash.  I made a cord to finish the edges and used some pink felt to accomodate needles.  The edges looked a bit bland so I stitched on some lace that I had dyed some time ago.  This seemed to finish it off nicely.  To fasten the "book" I made a cord on my machine and that just completed the project.

Now to finish the ironing!!!!

A LOVELY GIFT & A PROJECT FINISHED

I am having trouble with the picture 
editing tonight and am too tired to try to fix it.
I have finished my crazy patchwork needlebook.  I decided that less was more in this case and so it is a bit light on for embellishment.  It is quite pleasing to look at though. The pics show the front and back.


the more exciting thing though was the gift in the mail from Judy at Judy's fabrications.  The most gorgeous little felt slippers embellished richly will be treasured always.  thanks Judy.


Well I am going to give up on this as my shift key doesn't want to work either.  I think it is probably me.
 

pins & needles

I thought I would share pics of some of my pincushions and needle holders.  Over the years I have made several pincushions and bought some, and of course some have been given to me.

The pincushion in the shape of a shoe was given to me by Nancy McEvoy on her visit to Australia a few years ago.  I treasure it along with the memories of meeting such a lovely person.

TT

The big pincushion with the cotton reals around it is not the most beautiful but is probably the most useful.  It is nice and big and sits on the table with my sewing machines.  I bought it in an op shop.

I have several needle books/holders which I have made and use as the whim takes me.  The white one is probably my favourite.  I made it at a time when I was just taking up needlework and it has many different elements and stitches.

This needlebook is the one I use most.  Another early piece of stitching.  The square pincushion was one I made because I had embroidered the flower on a piece of silk and wanted to make use of it.  The circular piece of embroidery with the lilac border is a needleholder that hangs on the wall.  Silk ribbon flowers and beads make it pretty.
 

New Needlebook

I started off making my June needlebook with lots of confidence but as the month progressed the less I liked it.  Not the fabric or the stitching - I just didn't think it was suitable as a needlebook so today I decided to make a "new" June needlebook even though it is now July!!!!

I just picked up some scraps and made a square piece of crazy patchwork on the machine.  I sandwiched a piece of thick vilene in between the patches and the lining:  from there I  folded the square into a parcel, added some wool to the inside and added buttons and cord to the outside and there you have it.  June done & dusted.

June Needlebook .... started

I

I was given this piece of silk by a friend in Belgium a long time ago: it is a gorgeous grassy green and I wasn't sure what I could use it for.  Another friend who I met through the Country Bumpkin forum does wonderful smocking so I asked her if she would be kind enough to pleat several pieces for me.  That was ages ago and it has been stitched to a piece of calico and laced onto the frame for longer than I like to admit.  It has been hanging on the wall above my sewing machine for a while now and last night I decided it would be the ideal starting point for my June needlebook.  I will do some random stitching in whatever colours come to mind.  You can see I have made a start.  Once the stitching is done I will decide on other trims, charms, buttons etc from the stash. I have an idea about the lining but will show you that next time.

This is one of my grandsons (Michael) waiting for me to make some space so he can do some painting.  All of the children love to sew and paint and generally make a mess of my sewing room - it is lovely when they come to stay as there is always something for them to do.  Michael is particularly interested in cooking which is great.  He made a mud cake on Thursday night and a vanilla cake on Friday night.  So much for the diet.

PRETTY PINCUSHION

 

Last night I added a magnetic clip to the inside of my needlebook, but of course I had to put it on the outside of the lining as I had been silly enough to finish off the construction already.  I decided to cover the little magnets with a pretty lace motif which I had in the stash.  The pink was just the right shade so I felt quite pleased with the result.  

The wool I used to line the needlebook was so pretty and I had a small amount left so I decided I "needed" another pin cushion.  Goodness knows how many I need but I do love making them so that was my goal for the evening as we watched an old episode of A Touch of Frost.   I had another of the little lace motifs and added a few french knots and embroidered flowers: blanket stitch and some polyester filling and you can see the result is quite sweet.  Now I wonder, do I need another scissor fob?  Not that I ever use them: they hang from door knobs in my sewing room and occasionally one goes to a friend for a gift. 

SATURDAY EVENING

It is saturday evening already and May is almost done.  It is cold here: about 14 degrees I think and we had lots of rain last night.  It was a good day for gardening and I planted a grevillea Robin Gordon in the front garden, also 2 Correa Dusky Bells and 1 Correa Alba.  These plants grow particularly well here and attract the native birds.  I  can see this garden from my bedroom window so I am taking extra care with it.

Last night I constructed my May needlebook using the fabric I coloured with water colour pencils.  I was really happy with this piece.  The design was easy to draw and colour and the stitching just did itself: well I did it but there were no set rules so it was very relaxing to do.   

 I had a lovely piece of aqua wool to do the inside and it matches perfectly.  I just have to decide on how it should be fastened.  Should I just use a pretty ribbon or would a magnetic catch make more sense?  Any ideas are welcome.

After that was done to my satisfaction, and inspected by my dear husband I decided to make a start on another challenge.

On the Three Creative Studios Forum we are given a "cue" every week to inspire us to do something creative.  Sometimes it is a photo or a drawing or just some musings.  This week's word "SPEAK" really had me stumped.  I was watching TV and thought I would just take a piece of calico and put it in a hoop and with a needle and some silk thread and see if it would SPEAK to me.  The pic above is the result.  Over the next few weeks I will work on this piece and share the journey of discovering what it will reveal to me.

SWAP NEEDLEBOOK

In my prevoius post I showed the beautiful silk needlecase sent to me by my swap partner on the Country Bumpkin Forum, now I will show the one I sent to her.
These swaps are great because they encourage you to do something extra because it is for someone else.  You have the added joy of receiving something from another stitcher who you have not met.

The next swap is one I am doing through the Embroiderer's Guild, UK.  I will write more about it soon.

Gunnamatta & a Gift

T

This week I received this gorgeous black silk needlebook as part of a swap on the Country Bumpkin Forum.  It features beautiful wisteria climbing over a gate.  The inside includes a green felt leaf for needles and pockets to hold other stitching necessities.

This is the first swap the new country bumpkin forum has conducted and has been a great success.
http://www.countrybumpkin.com.au/forum/index.php?topic=65.msg2500#new

 

 

 

Today I took a drive to Gunamatta Beach, an ocean surf beach not too far from home.  It was cold but there were plenty of people enjoying the water.