Travelling Girl

Well the time is almost here for my trip to the sunny Gold Coast....well I hope it is going to be sunny...and warmer....on Monday, although there is supposed to be a cold front and some rain coming......

The precious pooches need a baby sitter so Nana is going to be there for them while Mummy is away visiting her family in the UK and Daddy is working.  

I will be 'off the air' for most of the time I am away.  Because I am travelling by bus, my luggage has to be kept to a minimum so I am not taking any sewing with me, but will take the opportunity to relax and read instead.  

Beau and Chloe with my big son

Bye for now I will be thinking of all my friends in Blog land.

Tidying up

There comes a time when I cannot stand the mess any longer and just have to tidy things up.  Started with the box of variegated/overdyed threads...will need a larger box though because I still have some of these to wind.

Stef Francis threads still to wind off on to card

My no. 3 and 5 perles were a mess just tied through holes on cardboard and left dangling which meant that over time they keep getting tangled.  The same with my many fine wool threads.

last of the perles to be wound

tidy perles

Now that I have made a big effort in winding them off onto cards cant believe how few of the perles there are...I always felt that I had masses of them....well if I include the 8's which are in yet another box, then I guess I do.  Haven't even thought of the rayon threads, and then there is a box of crochet threads....do we all go through stages of wondering how well off financially we would be if we did not do sewing for a hobby.

where did these come from

enough here for two of us when I finish

oops forgot about these tapestry wools and odds and ends

I knew I had a lot of  fine wool threads from doing baby blankets for the grandchildren and then the needlepainting but who needs so many.   I have divided them up and there was enough for Di to have her own box to reduce the stash. Saves her carrying the large box they were in back and forth.

After my recent buying spree, there were a lot of loose packets of beads on the shelf, so bought some more stacker containers, and presto all is neat and I can see my beads and trinkets at a glance.   

Now that I have all this tidiness happening something drastically needs to be done about the shelves and cupboards themselves being re-organised.  And of course we will not open the cupboard in the next photo for the time being....that might wait until I have had a holiday.  When it is all done I will be able to post some photos of my sewing room before it gets all messy again.

Sorry this post is a bit topsy turvy but blogger seems to want to do his own thing with the arrangement of the photos and text.  

Half Chevron Stitch

For this weeks Tast stitch ....half chevron...I decided to work on one of the new pieces of wool felt from my shopping spree last Sunday.  I am glad I did because it was nice to work with, and I think shows off the stitching really well.

"Fantasy"

The threads I used were from my Stef Francis stash, and also some of the "Cottage Garden" stranded (again from my spending spree) under the flower.  With the addition of the beads it looked like it grew in fantasy land.  (yes had to use the new ones too)

If you link to Pintangle  you will find more lovely examples of the stitch.

Have an appointment this morning so this is short.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Busy Sunday

On Sunday went for a drive with my neighbour from my previous unit.  We stopped for lunch at Highfields a little township a few miles from here, where there are lots of little  shops in touristy groups  to explore. I found the beads at the Danish Flower Shop, where they had lots of lovely new colours. There is a luscious red purple, and a gorgeous bright blue.  When I spotted the rich red I had to have that as well.   My excuse is that I cant get out to buy as I need them so like to have things "on hand" just in case.

In the same precinct I found this owl to put onto my Marsh embroidery

Then I came across a larger owl to use as a decoration for scarves.  This will be perfect to wear with my new grey skirt.

I also found this fern charm which I think looked like a feather to go onto my feather embroidery.  I also bought 2 little owl ornaments but they are for a gift so cant show them yet.  Owls and seem to be becoming a part of my life I wonder if that is a good omen.

Next we went to a place called "The Village Green' where there are gorgeous gift shops....which is where I found the owl ornaments.  Could not leave without visiting the Patchwork shop, where lo and behold found the very fabric that I have been looking for, to use as a backing and border for my Marsh Land piece.

Couldn't resist the three lots of wool felt which feels so soft.  They had a good range of colours but settled on these three.  it was here that I also found the Cottage Garden threads in the picture at the top with the beads.  Who can go into a shop where there are lovely threads and not come out with some to add to the stash.
On the way to visit my friends brother in the aged care home, we came across a market in the park near where we were headed and I believe I bought these pickles from the best cook in town so the proof will be in the eating.  I only wish I could have taken home some of the lovely home made cakes and biscuits which she purchased, but must stick to the diet.

Tast week 18 Crossed Buttonhole Stitch

I have been very slack with my blogging of late.  When I say a lot has been happening, dont think I have this wonderful social life...because I dont.  My main social life seems to involve medical appointments.   I have been busy though and this week has been not exception.

Sharon's Tast latest challenge is Crossed Buttonhole stitch which immediately bought a reaction of yuk! what can I do with that!

Anyway I drew some curves (yes I always do things the hard way, and they began to look like bridge arches, and reminded me of the Sydney Harbour Bridge so then, because Sydney is renowned for its beaches this work in progress became 'Bridge to Beach".....

WIP Bridge to beach

As I was painting the background ...yes...after I did the embroidery but you know how it is one thing leads to another..... I noticed that the right hand arch reminded me of a feather.....which led me on another tangent.....

 Feathers!   well they are not perfect feathers, I call them impressionistic feathers from exotic birds.

I had purchased the Caron watercolour thread I used on the bottom feather the previous day because it reminded me of the colours of the kookaburra so this worked in nicely. The red and blue thread is a stef francis overdyed  stranded cotton. Dont you just love variegated threads.

The background fabric is the remnant of a fatquarter I purchased at the textile fair last year, but alas cant remember the name of the stall.

If you go to here you will find lots more wonderful and interesting ways to use this stitch.

Wheatear Stitch Week 17

Well yesterday I had all these alternative names for my sample of wheatear stitch. Settled on Marsh Land and the more I look at it the more I think I should have stuck with Mish Mash.  Wheatear stitch does not lend itself to much creativity, although in days to some I will probably see something on SF and wonder why I did not think of that.   I tried to keep to the free style of making the stitch and not the absolutely true method.   Anyway I did get a bit lot of couching practice with tying down the other threads.

Firstly I laid down some coloured pieces of fabric onto the background, and then I used thread that could only be couched to form what I wanted to look like twisted vines and tree trunks.  The blue is supposed to depict some water....8in an abstract way of course.    I also got out the inktense pastels and coloured in an area to give the whole thing a sense of looking into the distance .  

the best part is that I got rid of used up some "stuff" Those long beads have been around for about 15 years and this is the first time I have had a use for them.

Now what do I do....this is the quickest I have been for yonks with getting my stitching out I usually agonise over the design for days......well there are a lot of threads that need to be wound off on to cards....there is vacuuming and mopping....in other words housework....it must be time I found a maid but unfortunately am too old to have any more children :)