No idle hands here

My first post for 2012. Even though I've been laying low and recovering from our horrid chain of events over Christmas I've not had idle hands, and have been busy creating.

When I was researching pulled thread work for my last module I remembered a pulled thread work butterfly I'd stitched years ago in my weekly embroidery group and wanted to stick it in my notebook as reference, then during the rummaging I came across a table runner I'd started yonks ago but hadn't finished.

Sometimes at night I just like to sit and stitch something that I can pick up and put down at any time without too much brain-drain and this was perfect, so I decided to finish it - then went on and made two smaller doillies to compliment it.

Each was edged with 3 rows of four-sided stitch then two rows of reverse scotch stitches with a little zig-zag on the corners to break it up a bit.  It was a bit hard on the eyes, but I enjoyed it and was a bit lost when it was finished.  I enjoyed the rythm of the stitching and it took my mind off  everything else at the time.

Another thing I've had a go at is making clothes again, something I've not done for over 20 years, but I've started slowly with a few dresses for Lexie.  This is the first one which wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.  Just hope Lexie likes it - she goes through phases of not wanting to wear dresses, so I'm hoping she's over that!   I'm half way through another one now - I know its not City and Guild stuff, but its getting me back into the swing of things if nothing else.

During the Christmas/NY holidays I dragged hubby to the WA Museum, as they had an exhibition on of artefacts from the British Museum, and one in particular I was really keen to see - the Snettisham Great Torc.  I'd studied Anglo Saxon jewellery for one of my earlier modules and just fell in love with their skills and artwork, and couldn't believe my luck at the chance to see this torc. It was stunning!  Unfortunately I was only allowed to take my wee camera in and it didn't take the most brilliant of pics.

Another great item was the Lewis Chess Set, well, only one piece of it really - but I loved it.  It fascinates me about the people who made and used these things. 

I really fancy stitching this wee man one day - another project to add to my list of things I hope to live long enough to do!!

Eleven down ... one to go

Finally, I completed Module 11 and sent it off yesterday for assessment.  I couldn't believe it'd taken me almost a year to do, which means I can't dilly dally with Module 12 as I want to get it all finished by cut off in May.

I can now show you some of the finished pieces I submitted.  This one above is my experimental cut work done with hand made felts.  Unfortunately the photo doesn't do it justice .  Its one of my favourite pieces.

Below is my experimental pulled work.  I used two layers of loose scrim and bamboo thread and randomly gathered the threads in a circular motion. 

I completed a notebook on all the techniques relevant to pulled work, cut work, drawn thread and needleweaving - which really come under whitework.  This is just one page of my notebook, on Dresden work.  I spent a long time too, researching museums and galleries - and was a bit peeved to find that there was a musem on Ayrshire work, just around the corner from where we were staying in Scotland a few years ago, and I didn't know anything about it. 

 And now for something completely different ... I couldn't help but include this photo I took of the little piglets at the Royal Show in October.  There's something really cute about those little bums .. and I did feel guilty the next time I ate bacon.

 We mainly went to the show to take some elderly friends to see the Clydesdale horses, but I couldn't help but disappear for an hour to view the craft section, and wanted to share some of the work I saw there.

This one won the contemporary embroidery and appealed to me because it was done with a lot of the Casalguidi techniques I like.  It was stitched by Geraldine Peterkin.

And this one won first prize in the "Any Category" and 2nd prize for the Overall Exhibition in Embroidery at the show and its no wonder, its beautifully stitched and looks just like a photograph.  Its created by Mary Pearson in free machine embroidery.  What I would give to be able to stitch like that!!

 Before we finally left for the day I had to have a peep at the cats and dogs, and fell in love with this gorgeous cat who's the mascot for the Swan Animal Haven.  I love the way she's got her paw on the collection tin ... how could you resist heh?

So now its a breather for a day or two, and then into sorting through the past 6 years of work and making sure everything is in order and putting it all together. 

Drawn, pulled and woven thread work

I thought I was making good progress lately - all I seem to do is sit and stitch at the moment, but I found out yesterday that the cut off date for this year is first week of May.  I have to finish Module 11 and complete all of 12 by then ... somehow I don't think I stand a chance of finishing this year.

I've finished the traditional pulled thread sample, drawn thread sample (above) and needleweaving sample (below) and I'm half way through the cutwork sample.  Then have the experimental samples and my set of accessories to do.  There just isn't enough hours in a day at the moment!!!!!

I went to the city last week to find a special birthday present for hubby and decided to pop into a technical book store (as you do) found Janet Edmond's book "From Print to Stitch" and Cas Holmes's "The Found Object" and JUST HAD TO HAVE THEM .....

 then a few days later happened upon a secondhand bookstore (honestly, it was by chance!!) and what did I find in there .... Gold!!! Yes, another Jan Messant book.  They are SO hard to find ... this one was in perfect condition, so I put it under my arm, then found "Inspired to Stitch" and put that under my arm ...

and then another find .... "Needlemade Laces".  By this stage I had to get to the cash counter before my hubby dragged me out of the shop.

Now I just need the time to sit and read them.  I have the new glasses ... just need the spare time. 

I found the hand sewing quite a strain on my eyes, after not doing fine work for a long time, so went to the optician for a checkup.  Two new pairs of glasses later ... I now have 5 pairs of glasses.  One for long distance, one for the computer, one pair of bifocals, one pair for sewing, and a pair of multifocals which my 2 year old grandson mangled and can only be worn if I develop a head like an alien.

I'm hoping out of all these pairs of specs I should be able to finish my needlework and be able to read my new books without getting mega headaches and boz-eyes ... just got to find where I put the damn things now. 

Drawn thread work

Suffering through the hottest summer on record isn't conducive to fine hand work ... I'm either wet through with sweat, irritable and bad tempered, or just plain lethargic and can't be bothered.  But, I have made an attempt on my drawn thread work for Module 11.

It's been a long time since I did such fine work and I'm finding it difficult on my eyes, despite using a magnifier, but I do love this type of needlework.  So far I've managed to hem stitch a piece of linen with mitred corners, and do one band of drawn thread work.

This one is four sided stitch and easy to do once you've done the labour intensive removal of threads.  Weaving the drawn threads into the remaining fabric is tedious, but gives a lovely finished edge and is very secure.  I've got 3 more bands to do and 2 corner bands ... if only the weather would cool down.

Just to let you know the latest on Sammy - he's doing okay.  He's not a happy-chappy having to have 3 lots of medicine rammed down his throat twice a day, but it's keeping him going and he seems happy enough.  I have found my own home remedy to assist him - dried cuttlefish from the Asian supermarket.  Not the white stuff you find on beaches and feed to your budgie - proper dried fish for eating.  I rehydrate it for him and it seems to work wonders.  The vet told me they're going to try it on other cats with megacolon and from now on will name it "Sammy's Cure".  Fame at last!

Not enough hours

I've decided not to bore you silly with any more posts about my Singapore holiday, other than to share this lotus flower with you.  It was next to the pool and I could see it from my apartment window, so each day I would go down and photograph its progress, from bud ... 

to starting to open ....

... to revealing its beauty ...

... to fully opening for the world to see.

Then no sooner had it done this, than it was chopped off by the gardener and disappeared! 

Since being back, life has been hectic.  We have the house on the market, so its busy, busy, busy keeping on top of chores to keep the house/garden clean and tidy, as well as starting to pack up boxes to declutter.  Then of course there's been the days where we've sat glued to the tv, crying silently, watching the devastation we've suffered in the first 6 weeks of the year, from floods to bushfires.  Queensland is a place I've fallen in love with and its been hard to comprehend what its gone through recently, I just hope it bounces back to its former glory.  Then locally we've had too many bushfires, destroying homes and peoples lives.  The latest at Kelmscott/Roleystone took 72 homes.  Yesterday me and my parents went to the Wacky Witch, Kelmscott and donated clothes and kitchen ware, tv's and food for the people who have lost everything.  The people at Wacky Witch are doing an amazing job, so if you want to help, please visit their facebook page for details:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Support-the-victims-of-KelmscottRoleystone-Fires-WA-6211/192817427402618

In January I was invited to do another talk on my Chinese textiles, this time at the South Perth Collectors Club ... thank you to everyone there for making me feel so welcome, I thoroughly enjoyed the night and meeting you all.

I've also been running private classes for Linda, who wanted to learn my stumpwork Viola.

We had two lovely Saturday mornings together, chatting and becoming friends, here's Linda trying to focus her eyesight on cutting out the tiny stumpwork flowers.

Two days ago I got an email from School of Stitched Textiles to say they'd received my CD of Module 10, so now I sit patiently waiting for the feedback.  Always a nervous time.  I seem to have spent months just getting the documentation together and there's never much to blog about when I'm putting that together.

Now it's full steam ahead on Module 11.  I've managed to do Sample 1 which is 6 blocks of pulled thread work in traditional style ... hell on the eyesight!!!!!  Next is an experimental sample.

 

And yesterday my latest ebay purchase arrived in the post .... a Constance Howard book, and one which I would've been better off purchasing PRIOR to starting  my City and Guilds .... this covers everything, and is brilliant for inspiration.  Just got to find the time to sit and read it in peace.

I've also been inspired by Carol's zentangles at http://postcards-and-stuff.blogspot.com/, so decided to have a go myself.  Great fun and I can see me doing more of this.  Give it a go!

Once you start it you can't stop and time flies by.  Great relaxation. 

And of course I've also been spending time with my grandchildren.  Here's my little granddaughter helping me water my pot plants, so cute, so pretty and yet ....

... you wouldn't think this was the same child.

This is sometimes how I feel after a busy day!