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.

decay

 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.

This pretty button is silk ribbon on silk dupion.

Very sweet I think.

eucalyptus flowers

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.

A present for myself

I recently treated myself  to this beautiful pin pillow: it was created by Karen at 
 contemporary embroidery
  Karen has a particular style of work that I really admire and I have lusted after several pieces of hers:  on visiting her etsy shop I decided I deserved this little treasure.  
Visit Karen's blog and I am sure you will see what it is that I like about her exquisite creations.

more fabulous fabrics

Well as you can see I went back for more bargains.

Black & white spotty silk,  black & silver luxurious metallic fabric, cream silk with silver and more white paper touch voile.

The really good news is that the shop will be open for another 4 weeks!!!!!

colours of the reef

Last year I made several pieces of felt and they are just taking up space in my workroom so I have decided to make of bag out of this 

piece.  I had some matching fabric which was ideal for the lining so I have added some thin pellon and machine quilted it.  It is to be a simple bag with a fold-over flap so I hope to finish it tomorrow.  Unless of course I decide it needs a little bling to brighten it up.  The felt it made of merino wool and silk and the depth of the colour reminds me of the water in the great barrier reef.

 I have been looking through some of the things I have made in the past few years.  It is really amazing to consider how much time I have spent and how many techniques I have tried.
 

 The blanket was one I made just for the practice:  the background is wool and the embroidery is silk ribbon and stranded cotton.  The design is my own.


The piece on the right is the detail of a cushion.  The pleated ribbon flowers are made from gathered mokuba ribbon.  the roses are worked in silk ribbon.

The two pieces of silk are some that my husband gave me recently.  They are "pocket handkerchiefs" which came with ties.  I am not sure how to use them but I am thinking of a book cover for him.  The brown piece was part of a gift from his long departed grandmother.  I would like to make something that he can use.

santa - the continuing story

Santa is coming along really well.  I  finished quilting the underskirt while sitting in the waiting room at the doctor.  Almost all of the lace is attached around the edge: each piece is secured with a crystal.  
I am so pleased with how this is coming along.  The grandchildren have given it the big tick of approval which is most important.

ANOTHER DOLL

This doll is dressed in clothes I have made with the materials I was sent as part of the Embroiderers Guild UK  Forum.  We each send a bag of goodies, including fabric, trims etc to another member of the forum.  After some months we show our creations in the gallery.  This is the first of several items I am working on for this particular challenge.

The jacket is made of lovely coppery coloured fabric.  I embroidered on the back and added french knots to the hem:  beading is on the neckline.  The trousers are chocolate brown velvet and trimmed with gold braid and blue ribbon.  The vest is some gorgeous fleece which I needlefelted (by hand) onto organza.  I then machine stitched and hand embroidered it.

The hat is made of wool braid coiled around the head and the top is made of felt made with more of the fleece but this time I felted to organza again using my new machine.

On the side of the hat is a button which was included in the bag of goodies. 

The doll is another one I bought years ago - just because I liked it and new it would come in handy some time.