Work In Progress

I originally made this little tree scene cameo seperately. It was not long previous to my marriage break up and being, as I considered it, a picture of Pandora's Box and open... I felt that my husband would realise that I had made my decision to leave. Stupid I know! But the story goes that once Pandora's box was open and the contents had flown out, they could not be retrieved.

I thought that once I allowed my mind to see the truth... which was that our relationship had been over for a long time (a thought which I avoided seeing for many years)... I could not 'un-know' it.

So I'd blush or my heart would jump when he saw me working on it. As if he'd possibly be able to connect it. But there it is.

Long time ago now. Happy now. Nice kids. Nice life. All good so don't you worry.

This Is From My Second Ever Embroidery Although I Did Little Bits Once Or Twice

I must get a photo of the whole piece. It's nice. There are three of the Bluebirds on it. Have a look at all of the cards if you want to. Up to you. Don't if you don't want to. Of course. I put it here again so it will come up in the label 'Birds'. I try not to repeat myself. I try.

P.S. Here's my first embroidery.

Another Of The Grandmother's Fans

I have to tell you I began to run out of ideas by the time I'd finished the fans. You'd think I might have gone to the many, many books I have for inspiration, but I got a bit stuck in a rut and repeated the same borders in various combinations. Ish.
The butterfly border is pretty, done in hand spun linen and Hollyhocks are always good. I'm not sure if I've ever put a link to making Maltese Cross's before, but here is one on Bhavani's blog.
HI BHAVANI!!! Your blog is terrific!

Have I Put This In Before? Is Anybody Out There?

Let's see... the heavy outline is in Roumanian Couching, a very useful stitch and deliciously strong. My use differs in that I have worked it straight rather than on an angle as in the diagram. I discovered it first in a reproduction (book) of DMC designs... I'll look it up (it's in the other room and that's way too far away tonight)... the design in the book is THIS design and I did the Monogram later. The 'M' is an upside down 'W' from an old Illumination.

Inside the main trunk of the 'M' is Detached Buttonhole, obviously, with silk I dyed myself in a moment of rare experimentation. I don't like to dye thread, or rather, I don't trust it... all those hours stitching and then it runs or fades... s'pose 11 years later and it's still colourful.

So that's about it, with a little Padded Satin stitch and some straight 'fill' stitches. Easy Peasy.

The stems and leaves are with, is it Kookanda or something? Fine wool. Absolutely beautiful to use. The dappled colours give a subtle shift in hue or shade that works well anyplace.

Just to give you an idea, the tan 'satin-backed-shantung' is the actual colour of the quilt background. $4 at St. Andrews market and exactly perfect.

More From My Crazy Bag Class... Anne's Version Of Events

The beautiful lacey flower I adapted from an old lace piece that one sees in various histories on the subject. I've done it in 8ply wool on the large Wagga as well. I'm giving my secrets away here as if I'll never go back to teaching again, or write that elusive book, but there you go. You can see it's a simple combination of Bullions, Detached Buttonhole and.. and.. well, I have to wait for the picture to upload before I can remember what else. Ah! I see now! Anne hasn't completed the flower! Ha!

To the side is an adaptation from one of Carole Sample's borders.

The other picture is of the Lady I posted a week or so ago, of Dini's version. This I drew to fit into Anne's spot, and she is very pretty. I think I said it before, but Anne's bag is so cheerful, I love it.

Detail Of Anne's Version Of My Crazy Patch Bag

Anne has been coming to my classes for years and has been a great ambassador, recruiting all of her friends and getting me over to their local patchwork shop (Patchwork Collections in Healseville). Our 8 session 'term' turned into 24 sessions! I'll miss her when I take my break from teaching. I can see already that the monthly day/class at home will start up again, but next year. I still need some breathing space to be able to figure out the new job and new routine.

But... I miss everyone already! Sniff..!

You can see the varying colour choices make an enormous difference. I love the overhanging flowers. Anne has put two of her grandchildren's names on this piece as you can see (with buttons).

Compare our birds. This one below is from my bag.

Flower (You Might Have Guessed It Was A Flower)

Such a simple rendition of what was originally an outline for a Thistle. It's stitched in Flower Thread almost entirely with Buttonhole, the only exception being the vein on the leaf and the stamens, which are Satin.

I've been busy finishing the dolls, which are getting ready for their 15 minutes of fame in the newspaper... and working. That's why I've not been here. You'll see soon enough though and I'll certainly make the hugest announcement when the girls are ready. I love them myself. The fabrics are gorgeous.

Bug From 'A Schole-House For The Needle' 1632

The design is so old. Coincidentally, a friend managed to get hold of a facsimile of the original book, published in 1998, (ISBN 1 872665 72 1 in case you're interested).

It's a pretty little bug. I worked it mainly in Chain stitch with Flower Thread.

I'm probably repeating myself with pictures by now. If I was better organised I'd write myself a list hey? And I am pretty good about such stuff (I delude myself)... but I'm so busy! When will it stop? The business? I've just this week started a new job so it'll take me a bit to settle in. Then I have to organise my life around it with the view that this is it! This is how much time I will have from now on, and so if I am to complete the many things I desperately must complete, then I have to do it! And NOW! So... it follows that I'd better get off the computer and do some work. Trouble is, it's housework I need to do first. Boring!

My Detached Buttonhole lace star is over the main 9-patch seam to disguise it a little, or to break up the straight lines. The favourite colour and a favourite fabric too. Again with Flower Thread. I love it's delicacy, and the matt finish. It's boring if we use the same textures all of the time. Oh, and the woven grasses are a favourite piece for their texture. That colour again!

Really, I've moved into flourescent colours or light pinks at the moment, but my class girls think of that green as me because it had been for so long and it crops up in the class curriculum a lot. And I drool over it every time (907 for the initiated).

Last Picture Until I Photograph The Inside

My initials, as you see. Easy peesy.

Students Version Of My Lady

The face is coming out incase you're worried! I redesigned the picture I'd done for the big quilt giving it a bigger dress, more your 'Crinoline Lady' style. I've drawn up a bloke too. Dini has used mostly Perle 8, with Stranded for the flowers in the basket. You can see the sample of Needlelace on the hem of the skirt.

My version in in the body of the Crazy patch, bottom right-ish on red, but Dini wants to make a small hanging with geometrically seperated images, and maybe a border in between like the inner border on the quilt.

Some More Of The Bag

I realise that I havn't photographed the inside, which is lovely (groovy) old maybe 60's or perhaps 70's fabric. I think 60's. It's at Lazy Daisy at the moment, spruking for a class, but I'll be there tomorrow too so I'll try and remember to take the camera.

I am taking my bunnies into Craft Victoria's shop on Monday during my lunch break. Frances Atkinson from The Age newspaper is going to do a little article on them for the column 'I Made That'. I'm not sure if they'll be in next week or later, amd it isn't a big article, but I'm excited.

It's raining outside, warm in here. My honey-bunch is going to our caravan by the beach for the weekend for a father and son fishing adventure (hopefully the fish comply). I'm off to play with my daughters and maybe my son as well. It's my eldest girls birthday!! Yay!! Although 27 is just ridiculous and I can't believe it. I know we feel this almost every year, but it's getting ridiculous!

And I have a class Sunday at my house. All Welcome! rmsquare@connexus.net.au

I'm A Bit Sick Of The Colours Here But Then I See It Every Day And I've Moved On. 1996 Is Ten Years Ago!

The initial is from the 'Encyclopedia of Needlework' by Therese De Dilmont, that beauty I refer to here and there. It's straight out of the book, enlarged a bit, but otherwise exact. I used an antiqued cord, with the ends Satin stitched over. If you can get the book, do. It's the 'Desert Island' one. You know... if you could only have one... etc. etc. The date is one of my daughter's birthday.

Traditional Wheat Like You See On Old Bread Cloths...

This lovely design came from ...er...ah... I can't think of her name...sorry! The book was/is called 'In Stitches' and was written by an English comedian who used to do her embroidery during breaks on set. Great book. I learnt a bit from her attitude and dedication to beautiful work, and to 'going for it'. She did a few pictures, one of her son lounging on the couch, a pig and something else that I liked a lot.

Please tell me if you know who I mean so I can give credit where it's due.

I chose my own stitches for the design, using... Padded Closed Buttonhole (all the heavy sections of the stems), Closed Herringbone (for the small sticky-out-bit coming off the left-to-centre wheat head, it's called Plait stitch in link but it's really Closed Herringbone), Whipped Stem stitch (for the skinny sections of stems), Satin Stitch (for all of the wheat heads) and Straight stitches (from the wheat heads).

Easy Peasy! Simple stitches. Closed Buttonhole, or Broderie Perse (no-one's told me if that's the right name yet)... is such an easy way to get the fullness of Satin stitch without the need for such finess. It's very pretty and effective. The 'spine' of the Buttonhole gives a strong, graphic edge to any design, so it can be better than Satin, often. I love Satin stitch though. I want you to know that.

You can see one of the butterflies I worked out for the 'Butterflies In The Meadow' kit, just above the wheat.

Cutwork Heart And Crown

I have an old, unfinished doyley my Grandma had been making which inspired me to lend my hand. The motif that you see is worked in Broder cotton, an absolute favourite of mine. It's easy done, with pad stitching underneath the buttonhole. What's that called, when you work the buttonhole close like that, to make it Satiny? Some French name... Broderie Perse?

At the moment I'm working on some Reticalla lace with Buttonhole Bars and Detached Buttonhole, can't show you my design yet but I will.

The fur fabric is peeking through.

P.S. If you follow the 'Directions' link at the bottom of the page on the 'Reticalla' link you'll find some good info.

Another Swallow From The Big Crazy Quilt

There are more Bag pictures to show you yet, but I have to keep the mystery and intrigue going so I thought I'd post some others from the quilt instead, although, the night is young.

This picture was taken from a stick-on pretend tattoo I bought from a Show. Like an agricultural type show. I'd intended to wear it to one of the quilt show presentations, just peeking above my left breast or something, but accidently left it at a newsagency in their photocopier, never to be seen again.

The top tail wing is annoyingly crooked, but you get that. 'Eitlean Beag' means 'Little Bird' in Irish Celtic. The words are around the other way, that is... 'beag' is 'little' and 'eitlean' is 'bird'. I was sitting at the Hoddles Creek Draught-Horse Festival, embroidering as a demonstrator for someone or another, and an oldish Irish gentleman came up and talked to me for some time. I could have listened to him all day too, with his gorgeous accent. I'd been embroidering the Armstrong motto (my maiden and maybe soon to be reclaimed name) which is 'Invictus Maneo' ('I Remain Unvanquished'... a lie, by the way) and I asked him if he could give me some Irish, since he told me he studied the Celtic. I'll always remember him.

The swirley surrounds are from the yugoslavian Embroidery book I keep mentioning. I miss that book.

More Details, Hope You're Not Bored Yet??

Here is the pattern for my butterfly. It's all Knots and Bullions, with a Stem stitch outline (I'd do it thicker if I did it again, more significant), Satin stitch pink spots with Stem stitch outlines... It's all written there on the diagram.

When I say Velvet stitch, you might know it as Ghourdies or Turkey Knot? I can't see a suitable link else I'd conveniently and typically, helpfully and (always) happily give it to you.

Make the Knots FAT and many-wrapped, using all 6 strands and keep varying how many wraps you do, you know... 4-6-8. Something like that.

Show me if you do one! I get all alone and lonely if you don't share.

You probably didn't notice, but I've missed a bit. Not on purpose, I just didn't notice and now I don't care.

Detail from Somewhere On The Bag

These borders are pretty. The Chain scallops with Fly stitch edges and Lazy Daisy centres is a variation of the border on the front of the bag, I thought it up all by myself! I think. Or did I adapt it from one of the books? Hmmm...

The other one... with the roses... is surely from a book. It's always hard to tell because we rarely follow exactly, hey? Either/Or... Nice! The fatness of the velvet and of the threads is lovely in the flesh.

'My love's like a red, red rose that's sweetly something in June

my love is like the melody that's sweetly sung in tune..."

Sorry! But I can't remember.

The Sides Of The Bag

You can see I love that Maidenhair stitch. And that good old Chevron stitch! Really, there's nothing much else here, excepting some Buttonhole (you're not getting a link to that!), some Bullions and another Maltese Cross. Er... ah... Lasy Daisy... Hmmm..? As I said before, the idea was to keep the bag chunky and fairly simple.

It annoys me how I revert to old favourites instead of TRYING OUT THE CRAZY BORDER STITCHES! What is it that I havn't done that yet after TWO extremely dedicated attempts? I'm a bit thick!

To tell you the truth, one of my favourite Crazy Quilts is stitched ONLY in Feather stitch with a wheat-gold coloured thread, like a heavy perle or silk. Beautiful. It doesn't weem to matter how well its stitched or how limited, Crazy always looks good. You can't go wrong. Carole Samples book, magnificent and the best ever though it is... is very sterile in its perfect stitching, in my opinion. My most professional, art-schooled, cleverest side of my (otherwise humble) opinion.

But I'm Just Going To Show You A Bit At A Time

Otherwise there'll be too much to tell.

This is (obviously) the front, or back of the bag. Once again, I had no intention of working any PICTURES! For goodness sake! I just can't stick to that SIMPLE plan! I made it to help sell some hand made wooden handles Bustle & Bow's had got in, but in the end the handles didn't suit the bag, so I took these off an old tapestry bag I'd been given (which was useless because the side gusset was so narrow you couldn't get your hands into the bag).

I began to make a 'Carpet' bag in all brown velvets, with green and gold threads only... which got boring pretty quickly. Very quickly. Again, as with the big quilt, the idea was to showcase the incredible borders from (particularly) Sarah Bonds little brown book. The butterfly-looking border below the 60's trippy butterfly is an adaptation from Carole Samples book on Crazy Quilt Stitches.

I liked the old, old friendship quilts where the women wrote their names in ink... and in keeping with that I wrote the poem in indelible ink:

'A fair little girl sat under a tree

Sewing as long as her eyes could see

Then smoothed her work and folded it right

And said "Dear work, Goodnight, Goodnight!"

When and if I get to writing a book of my designs and methods, I have always set this poem aside for the last page. It's by Baron Houghton.

Grandmother's Fan Detail

Otherwise known as 'Japanese Fans'. I call it 'Grandmother's Fans' because of my darling Grandma.

I put a lot of the woven Maltese Crosses over the quilt, particularly on the fans. If you take your time, they're not difficult, I promise, and they're fun. I space the outside stitches a bit... that is, don't have them meet in the middle (you'll see where I mean if you look at the link), this accentuates the cross a bit.

The spiders web is worked in some mohair I pulled out of a fancy knitting wool. It had ribbon and this and that all bundled together.

Using the Holly-Hock old-fashioned fancywork as a border also works well. I did a big one on the Lion & the Unicorn cushion cover I'm making too.

The black line you can see at the bottom of the photo is the outside binding/border.