eastery thoughts

I've started work on an eastery embroidery pattern, so far there are more things I'm not happy with than those I am happy with!

I don't like the colours!  I am popping out today to get some more springlike colours

I can't decide if the black outline on the girl is too heavy, maybe her dress should be appliqued fabric

I think the egg needs some stripes as well as circles, I like the idea of circles to practice different stitches in but stripes would give more scope

like french knots for example!

I'm showing off here because I think this may be the first satin stitch I would have wanted to photograph close up

any thoughts would be appreciated

on my table

some gorgeous Indianish viscose/cotton jersey fabric to make a top for Annis from this lovely book.  This is the first project from this book so I'm hoping to have a finished top in a couple of days and a smiley face hopefully without very much bad language.

some knitting from this lovely book.  In fact it's the hat on the cover (hopefully).  It will take a little longer than a couple of days and I'm hoping it will fit, otherwise Annis will have two lovely things.  I should think that this will be finished just in time for warm weather, the kind that means you don't need a hat.  Logically I suppose I should knit all summer and sew in the winter but I get such an urge for wool in the winter.

and just in case you thought I wasn't working, some cat skins (sounds horrible) while I'm waiting for my lovely purse frames to arrive

what's on your work table at the moment?

flattered

Gracie's garden bazaar and court and spark and sugarplum kawaii have oh so kindly nominated my little blog for this lovely award.  They all have such lovely blogs so I'm flattered.

There are rules

the first is to thank the lovely nominators which I have already done

the second is to share seven things about myself so here goes

1. I am half Macedonian but speak no Macedonian.  I do however speak fairly fluent French

2. My children have never been to school, although the eldest has now gone to college to take 'A' levels

3. I hated sewing at school with a vengeance.  My sewing teachers were the worst teachers I ever had

4. I hate gardening ... but feel I guilty about it

5. My great great auntie taught me to sew when I was little and I remember a linen table cloth with a flower pattern all ready to embroider that I never embroidered.  Now I'd love to know where it went.

6. I love camping

7. My favourite embroidery stitch is a french knot, closely followed by a detatched chain

Finally I have to nominate 15 blogs for the award.  These are some of the blogs I love (and I do love blogs!).  I have tried not to include those who have been nominated before.

1. Hens Teeth

2. Big B

3. Pilli pilli

4. what are we doing tomorrow

5. dot pebbles

6. contemporary embroidery

7. knit a year

8. stuffed nonsense

9. lemony baby

10. renee french

11. the royal sisters

12. adventures in quilting and sailing

13. teasmade

14. zakka art

15. the happy glamper

a long weekend blog break

after my marathon of essay writing I need a little time to do a bit of sewing, knit my hat, maybe even spend some children time

so I'm taking a long weekend

a sort of holiday at home

I hope you enjoy your weekend too

x

New cards and stickers

so excited waiting for them to come

and pleased when they did

new business cards

and stickers so I can look all professional!

thoughts on purse frames

I have been umming and aahing (is that how you spell them?) about purse frames.  I love the idea but they are quite expensive to buy.  Not least because the type you sew in only seem to be available from Japan

I am scared of fabric gluefor several reasons

a) I'm not sure how long it would stick together in something as well used as a purse

b) I have a tendency to get in a mess with glue,paint,ink...

c) I like the idea of hand sewing them

they are just so pretty and make me feel all nostalgic, this one would allow for a wrist strap

these are from 3Dpatternpaper on Etsy and I love them dearly.  I think I may have made up my mind but I would like to hear from any of you out there who have had a go at this type of purse.

on my work table

I have a tendency to drift when I should be writing essays, while I am enjoying studying Virginia Woolf, I have to confess to drifting off and thinking 'brooches, like portraits'

and doodled

then abandoned my essay for my work table

and sought out some fabric paint that's been hanging around

and tried to replicate drawn lines with a single thread (I normally use two threads for absolutely everything, so this was a big step for me)

I just drew straight onto the fabric with a washable marker

I'm not sure how to make lace go around corners nicely, I may have to rethink that part.

and then feet and flowers, I used the feet and flowers from some of my aceo's for my new business cards and stickers and rather liked the idea

and that is where I'm at right now, still got that essay waiting for me so there may be a gap for a few days before I actually finish these.  I hope you're all involved in lovely crafty things this weekend (rather than writing essays!)

a little thankyou

a little late but not too late to sew for valentine's day!  If you look at the link in my side bar there should be a valentine rabbit and that should take you to scribd from where you can download and print her off.  This is the first time I have attempted such complex bloggery so please let me know if it doesn't work and I will try very hard to resolve it!

My rabbit is looking a little yellowy in today's grey light.  She is simple to sew.  You could just sew her in outline and either applique a heart or embroider one.

Am I repeating myself?

You may be a little tired of me showing more pics of my aceos but I'm still enjoying making them so I will bore you a little further!

this blue is much more electric in reality, I love it, it reminds me of dragonflies (and summer!)

and I have to admit I seem to be entering a pink loving phase

I like the idea of making bigger pictures and these are sketchbook ideas

and a boy!!  I certainly don't normally do boys (despite having two)

and this will become a little free valentine embroidery as a way of saying thankyou for following me in my ramblings. I will post it tomorrow (there, I've said it now so I will have to do it) when I can work out how to do it!

folksy friday

   I have no theme, just things I like so click on the images to be magically transported to the wonderful shops




 gorgeous journal supercutetillyfunky cheshire cat theothermousiebeautiful wool fairy orangeblossomfeltlovely dreamer brooch pantsandpaperstunning bird aceo dotterypotterythis nostalgic spider that brings back the itsy from my childhood cheerymishmash 
 

ACEO love

I am enjoying doing these little pictures they are such fun and, as my back has gone a bit funny again, they don't require a sewing machine

this is my lovely paper, although it's more like card really.  I have learned through pain and I now push the holes through first with a pearl headed pin (not quite as painful as pushing the end of a needle).  Yes I suffer for these little pictures!

Here are my first two ready for listing on folksy today and tomorrow

I have gone a little bit valentiney (well completely really) but love isn't just for valentine's day

I think it must be time for a little bit of home education now, despite the cries of  'no, mum, no'

a little bit of drawing and a little bit of sewing

lovely Indian handmade paper

so proud of my thread box ;o)

and a little bit of drawing outside in the sun

Hopefully some finished products for tomorrow