Please remember that any photos, images or text on this blog remain my property, but if you wish to use any that you see, feel free to contact me for permission. Thank you for respecting my request and enjoy your visit.......Joy

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Felting & Postcards

This month's challenge from the Stitchin Fingers Postcard group was a swap for a felted postcard.  Lucky me my partner for this swap was Sheila in Scotland.  I have swapped with Sheila a number of times and have always been thrilled with what she sends and she is always on time or early.......If any of you have been in swaps before you know how frustrating and annoying it is to always be waiting for yours to arrive - sadly on the odd occasion there has been nothing.  I don't mind getting an email or notice to say it is coming, but will be late because of family commitments, health, work etc.  What I don't understand is why someone would commit to a swap and then 'drop out of sight' and you don't even know if what you sent has arrived safely.

Anyway, enough of 'standing on the soap box' Sheila has once again sent me a lovely piece of her work. Here is what she sent - she said she used both wet & dry felting.  I love her colours. Thanks again Sheila.

I can now also post a photo of the card I sent to her - as it arrived safely in her letterbox yesterday.  This is my first 'official' attempt at needle felting.  I have borrowed a machine from a friend who is letting me play with it.  It is great fun!  What I did with this little card is I used a piece of green silk and partially embellished it to the backing (pelmet vilene) to use as my background. 

As you can see from the photo I left parts untouched and I rather like the idea of how the silk has pleated or gathered - I think it adds an extra dimension.

Then I stitched down a piece of lace ribbon and over that I embellished some flowers, using multi-dyed scraps of wool.  I then used some ordinary knitting wool and embellished it down for grass.  Finally finishing off with some beading.

Somehow I don't think this little machine is going back!  She is wanting to sell it - I can see a new home for it very clearly and I know exactly where it is going to go.......

Have a great week, till next I write, take care
Joy

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Tesselations

I don't know about any of you, but I have always been interested in doing a tesselation quilt.  But have been put off starting one because it looked so complicated.

BUT one of the blogs I follow - Kay Sorensen of Quilts + Colour, has posted part 1 of a tutorial on designing your own tesselations.  It looks soooooo easy - if you click here it will take you to her posting.  You can also get to her blog by clicking on the link in the right-hand column.  It is a great blog to read.

Can't wait till she posts the next part.  I will put up a post when she does.

Till then,  take care,   Joy

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Ah the pleasures of shopping in Chapel St

For the past week I have been in Melbourne cat and house sitting (in that order!!!) for my son, dauther-in-law and granddaughter while they are having a holiday.  Mostly when I go up to the big city I'm usually busy babysitting Jorja (I'm nearly 4 Nanna!!), but this time they were only home for a day before they took off.  The first couple of days I did some work in their garden (they are definitely not gardners....)  It's not a big garden, but does get weeds and has bushes that need trimming.  With Mr Jingles (the cat - who by the way is a 'she') we managed to get a fair bit done, so I decided that as a reward I would firstly go to the Prahran Market - a very cosmopolitan venue and treat myself to some of their wonderful sauces and treats to take home.

The market is in the middle of the famous Prahan shopping strip - Chapel Street - and one can't go to the market without strolling along the strip, window-shopping and stopping for a Latte and a slice of continental, very chic.

Of course, you can't go 'window shopping' without buying something - like this absolutely beautiful soft leather, denim-look bag.  Isn't it wonderful - not too big but it can put a lot of stuff inside.

I did manage to do a little hand sewing while away, but now that I'm back home need to get back to my UFOs.  Will post more pics when I have a couple more finished.

Till then, take care

Friday, June 4, 2010

I'm so pleased with myself......

as today I picked up from the framer's a cross-stitch that I have been working on for 12 months.  I finished the stitching a couple of weeks ago, cleaned, pressed and took it to the framers.  When he bought it out -  I thought wow I am thrilled at how it looks in the frame.  Can't wait to get it up on my wall - it will probably go in the lounge room.  I used 3 different sepia/brown colours for the stitching as I wanted to create an 'olde world' look and used a combination of full and half cross stitches for depth and texture.
Cross stitching was one of the first crafts I learnt along with crochet and I have always loved doing it.  I find it very relaxing to do, even though you are counting threads and stitches all the time.  In the coming months I will put up some of my other work to show you.

Now that this is finished and framed I am itching to get out another chart I have of a bouquet of Australian wildflowers which is stitched on black linen.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Another productive weekend

The fifth weekend of the month (when it happens) is usually pretty busy for me.  This last one was no exception.  Saturday was the get-together of the Geelong Scquilters.  We usually meet at The Blanket Box in Geelong, but this weekend we went to Pentland Patchwork in Bacchus Marsh, for me about 1.5 hours drive.  A really lovely day with a bunch of lovely ladies.

Then on Sunday I drove to Hoppers Crossing (about 1.3/4 hrs this time) for the Blue Willow Cottage I-Spy Charity Quilt sewing day.  These little quilts are donated to the Cancer Ward at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.  The girls at Blue Willow have been organising this day each year for some time now.  The Regent St girls (who I belong to) sew I-Spy quilts for them during the year, but some of us also go and join in the sewing bee.  It's great fun - no pressure; good lunch provided; they even bring around your coffee/tea for you instead of making it yourself!

These are some of the quilts that were produced or in the process of being sewn.  It's like a production line - someone is cutting; someone is ironing; some of us sew the blocks together; put on the borders; some do the quilting; and of course someone is sewing on the bindings.

In this photo afternoon tea is being brought around to us.
This photo shows LeeAllan, Dallas, and shy Sharon with her head down, busily sewing and some more of the quilts around the walls.
I'm afraid I forgot to take my camera with me to the Scquilters get-together, so no photos to show you. Will tie a piece of string around my finger to remember next time (???)
Have a good week, till next time,
Joy