Wonderful Art in the mail

Recently I have been involved in several swaps and I received in return these great treasures.
Firstly this beautiful postcard from Barbara in Germany.
It is made from Lutradur and lace and is painted/dyed blue and has gold painted sections as well as gold glitter sprinkled throughout it.
The texture is amazing----Thank you Barbara.


Next I have this absolutely outstanding piece of art from Julie.
I swapped her two of my tassels for this masterpiece--how lucky am I.
I forgot to take a photo of the tassels but if you visit Julie's blog you can see them.
The depth of the embellishments on these ATC sized pieces is incredible and I can't stop touching them.
Thank you Julie you are indeed a wonderful artist.

Great Reading

I picked up these two magazines today from my local Needlework store and wow they are fantastic.
The Quilting Arts Gifts magazine is loaded with wonderful ideas on making fabulous gifts by some of the most talented artists around.
Then there is the latest Cloth Paper Scissors but I must admit that I haven't looked at it yet because I can't put the other one down.
Oh well there goes my creating for a couple of days.

Sorry about the poor photo but you get the idea as to what I am talking about.

Crazy Corner

Back in May My friend Sandy from the US sent me in a parcel that included some fabric scraps.
I suggested to her that I could send her some of my pieces and that we could make a crazy square and embellish it and then send it back to each other.
Well Sandy has had her crazy square finished since June and has been waiting for me to do mine so we could swap--so don't faint Sandy it is done---but I'm only showing you a tiny section so you can see that it is finally done.



I hope you like it Sandy (when you get it that is)

TAST Week 44 Zig Zag Spanish Knotted stitch

I can't believe it but I am a week early not a week late.
Sharon B is away in NZ for a short time and has posted both week 43(this weeks stitch -see below) and also week 44(which is next weeks stitch) and I have finished both of them.
I decided to do this sample while I was in the mood and it was no use keeping it to post next week so here it is.
No matter what I did I couldn't make it look neat and tidy and I tried to keep it even but to no avail so what you see is what you get.
I also found there wasn't much I could do with it as well.

The fabric is a pale blue linen and the thread is Perle Cotton

TAST Week 43 Drizzle Stitch

This weeks stitch is Drizzle stitch.
I think that I have done this stitch before-once- when I had a day with a friend who was trying to teach me Brazillian embroidery.
I find this a fun stitch to do but I have problems using rayon threads-they seem to find every little piece of skin that may be sticking up on my hands and I am forever pulling the threads.
My sample of the cluster of stitches is worked in Broder Cotton- and believe it or not it measures only 4 cm---the single stitches to the right were worked in a thick silk and I used a chenille needle with a bit of effort to pull the needle through the stitches--just to see what they would look like.
Altogether I am pleased with this sample.

TAST Week 42 Twisted Satin stitch

I am a bit late with this --life has been a bit hectic this last 3 weeks but thank goodness I can now get back to doing the things that are fun-which includes the TAST challenge.
Week 42 was Twisted Satin stitch -a fun stitch to do.
I kept wanting to go on doing more stitching which is unusual for me because I normally do a few designs and that is it.
Once I started putting the beads into it -well there was no stopping me.
I found it easy to get movement with the stitch as well.
These are the samples I have chosen to show you.
I have used a linen fabric and various threads and beads.
Now for this weeks challenge.

I've Found it

Yippee I've found it.
Back on the 26th August I blogged about a piece of fabric that I had made which I was going to use for my challenge in the Artists Muse.
But it got lost by the time I was going to make something out of it-I don't know how but I searched high and low but nowhere was it to be found.
Well this week I have been culling my stash and getting rid of fabrics that I have hoarded since the year dot I think.
I had five pieces of flannelette that I was going to make my son some shirts (they were the days when people wore home made clothes) he was 18 at the time --he is now 36 and wouldn't be seen in a flanny shirt(he wouldn't then either that's why they were never made up)
There were other fabrics with an even longer history than that but it is too embarrassing even to tell the few people who drop by and read this.
Anyway back to the story I found the piece of fabric that was missing--filed away in a folder--don't ask me how it got there as I haven't a clue.
The problem is now I can't remember what I wanted to make with it.
Ah maybe I will make some postcards.
The fabric has a calico (muslin) base and I tore up strips of different coloured organzas and using gold thread stitched it onto the background fabric mixed with metallic pieces as well.
It reminds me of a landscape--what do you think it is.

Floriade 2007

Yesterday (Sunday)we went to Floriade ---which is an annual festival held in Canberra for 4 weeks in September /October.
We almost forgot to go because we have been away and I have been so busy and yesterday was the last day.
Commonwealth Park is a mass of colour at this time of the year (Spring in Australia) and the flower beds are arranged sometimes by colours and sometimes by flower varieties.
I like taking photos of the flower beds because it gives me plenty of inspiration for my stitching.

The first photo is of one of the flower beds.


The next photo shows 3 or 4 beds leading up to the rear of the amphi-thearte where they hold live entertainment in the summertime ----------

This is one of the beds besides the lake----

And here is another view----

We went at 9am because I wanted to take photos without hordes of people getting in front of me.
Floriade is an important event in Canberra and brings a lot of visitors to our beautiful city not only from other states in Australia but also from overseas countries as well.

The Lake View

Floriade is held in Commonwealth Park which is built around a section of a man made lake.
It is the most picturesque setting and there are ducks swimming around and all the children love to feed them bread.

They also plant the flower beds around the edge of the lake.

And this gentleman was sitting on the edge of the lake painting a picture of the lake --he was oblivious of the people around him watching and taking photos.

Sand Castles

Then there were these sandcastles which were truly amazing.
There was more than 20 tonnes of sand in the Old Parliament house one and 60 tonnes of sand in the War Memorial one.
After they were built they were sprayed with a bonding glue to prevent them falling to pieces if it rained.
Each year there is a theme associated with Floriade and this year it was Great Aussie Icons and what is more of an Australian icon than both the War Memorial and the Old Parliament House buildings--both situated in Canberra.
The first photo is of the War Memorial Sandcastle------



And the second one is Old Parliament House

How clever is this?

Beanies

Then there was the creative beanie/hat display.
There were beanies and hats that had been knitted --croched--or felted into innovative designs.
This is just a few but there were so many.





A crown fit for a queen-----





One covered with faces-------

And I just loved this hat which had the brim covered with teacups and a sugar basin and a milk jug plus a plate on the crown with food on it.
This is the front view--------




And the back view---------

How creative some people are.

TAST Week 41 Lace Border Stitch

Lace Border Stitch has been a problem for me -I really could not get the gist of the last piece of the instructions about "don't forget to pass the needle under the bar formed as it is neccessary to form the knot"--I didn't know whether I went up under the bar or down under the bar.
Sometime it looked like the ones in Sharon's pictures sometimes it didn't.
So I did samples of both and then I did one where I went under the bar on the right hand side--
and I ended up with rows that looked very much like each other in some form....BUT...I think the green row on the right hand side is the correct one.
But then they could be all wrong and if they are well I rather think I will just have to admit that this stitch beat me.
I like this sample anyway and I'm glad that I have been learning stitches that I haven't heard of before and I must admit I will be sorry when the TAST challenge ends.

I have used a very nice even weave linen and Perle cottons for this sample.

TAST Week 40 Linked Double Chain

Week 40 was Linked Double Chain Stitch another new one to me.
Even though I found this stitch easy to do I really don't know where I would use it but it is a nice stitch sample anyway.
I do like the snowflake desighn that I achieved at the bootm of the sample.
I have used variegated perle cottons and a linen fabric.
Now to tackle week 41 and I am having a bit of trouble getting the hang of it.

TAGGED

I have been tagged by Dianne of FaeryDi's fame and I have to list 7 honest things about myself
so here goes-------------
1.--I commit to doing things without really thinking "do I have the time to do this"
2.--I eat too much and then hate myself for doing it.
3.--I can't turn my mind off when I go to bed at night and wake up 3 hours later thinking about something that I should do.
4.--I love creating things but I really have to force myself to complete it before I launch off on another project.
5.--If I find a new project/hobby that I like then I have to get everything that goes with it.
6.--I treasure true friendships old and new especially my new blog friends.
7.--I love books to do with fabric-fibre or paper but very seldom read all of them--but the pictures are great.
There you have it.
I haven't mentioned my family --only the things that people don't know about me.
Now I have to Tag 6 others.
And I choose these people so I can learn more about them.

Susan D
Val T
Hilary M
Lynne
Joanna
Emmy

Over to you ladies.

Children's School Holiday Classes

Tomorrow (Thursday) is the last class this year for the children's school holiday classes at the Embroiderers Guild.
I am doing this little bag with them --it is made from Yellow Denim that some-one donated to the guild and so is the panel of critters in a jar.
I have 16 students ranging from 7 to 16 years old.I also have help from other guild members who supervise them.
We try to give the younger children a one on one helper and group the older girls into groups of 2 or 3.
I have cut all the pieces out and stitched the folded over hems as well as making the handles.
The panel is ironed onto a piece of fine iron on vilene so that there is a bit of support as they are stitching.
When the children have finished the stitching which is mainly running stitch they can embellish the panel if they wish.
I then have to finish sewing the bag together so that they can take it home with them.
Here is the finished bag sample which has a long strap that can't be seen here.



This is a close up of the panel and you can see the stitching,

After this is finished I will be able to get on with my TAST samples.

Me and my Granddaughters and the Exhibition

Thank goodness the weekend is over.
I have just spent 4 days working hard at the Embroiderers Guild exhibition and I can't wait to get back into creating and blogging with my friends again.
The exhibition was very successful both in the quality and quantity of work and also the attendance by patrons.
I sold 4 items in the exhibition itself--only small things but it is very rewarding when you realise that someone likes your work enough to want to buy it.
One of the things that I did sell was the magpie bag that I had posted recently.

I have included a photo of me and my granddaughters taken on our recent visit to Tasmania.
I have converted it to an old photo colour because all the girls were wearing red and it really dominated the photo and I wanted you all to see them without getting distracted by the colour.
I rather like how it looks now.

In the front is Charlotte - in the middle row is Alexandra -Ebony and Matilda and then there is little ol' me up the back--do I look proud or what?
Now I must clean up the mess in my sewing room so that I can get creating again.

TAST Week 39 Reversed Buttonhole Stitch

Week 39 saw us doing Reversed Buttonhole Stitch which was another new one to me.
I worked this on the last day of my holidays because it was raining all day and what else was I to do....lucky that I took the fabric and thread with me just in case.
I have used an even weave linen and Perle cotton---I am not sure if I have done it correctly but it looks ok to me anyway.
In the second row I did up and down buttonhole stitch for the base.
I like the look of the circular one also. Now for week 40.

I'm Back

Hi all I'm back home again after a great holiday -nice to see all the family again-but that boat trip back across Bass Strait was rough and I don't have very good sea legs--Yuck.
I will post later on today with what went on but now I have lots of jobs to do.