"Slow Stitch" By Clair Wesley Smith, is a book I bought a number of years ago and reading it gave me one of those 'Ah Ha' moments when I linked her explanations to why I felt the way I did when stitching Kogin.
She writes an informative blog about her work which is always a good read and I have been watching some of her videos that she has posted on Vimeo.
I can see I will have to work my way through these.
I do like this idea of using a lace or doily to make the embellishment on the surface. For this next one I have used a slightly bigger piece and the crocheting is done with a thicker thread, so the finished size will be 6.5" square.
I decided that the central flower motive was what drew the eye in. If it drew my eye in it might just catch the eye of a bird?
I couldn't sew straight onto the crocheting so I first drew the bird onto a piece of muslin and stitched the padding stitching.
I then cut around the shape and needle turn appliqued this onto the surface, without the beak.
It still wasn't easy to stitch because that doily was 'nobblie'. thank goodness for my laying tool.
I think that I might add small tassels to the corners to finish it off.
There are always a lot of crocheted doylies at the Op shop so I will keep my eye out for some more.
The next pin cushion used an old lace doily. This was held down with some buttons and running stitches.
Image Martingdale
When I went into my own stash of old doilies I found that I only had a couple that were small enough to use and I had collected these in Op Shops some time ago. They are both beautifully crocheted, not rustic at all. On the first one, I sewed it into place on the background piece using a sewing thread of the came colour.
It looks rather like a mandala and so nicely crocheted. The background fabric only measure 5.5" square and after sewing the back on and stuffing came down to 5 " finished size. It is such a nice piece I didn't want the embroidery to take away from the crocheting so I used paler colours in my silk threads so as not to overpower the original. I hope I have done it justice.
My knitting needles were in such a mess. I had just put them all into a couple of empty tins and after them falling and spilling on the floor, numerous times, it was time to take control. Boy, do I have a lot of knitting needles. Some have been inherited from family members, some were given to me and a lot have been purchased by me. It took a full day to collected them all from all the placed I had secreted them. (I have a horrible feeling that there are still others hiding.) And there were just too many to keep in just one case. So I made three!!!
I used left over furnishing fabrics to make the cases. That is sturdy and will protect the needles.
One for normal knitting needles, both straight and circular.
One for small needles that I use in toy knitting, and one for the double ended variety.
At the end I had two sets that were just too long to fit into any of the bags.
I might donate them somewhere. I should never have to buy needles again, but I wouldn't count on it.
Things are all over the place here. My daughter-in-law is very ill with Covid and we are trying to look after the girls without catching the virus ourselves. It is really tricky. All around us people are ill with the virus. A close neigbour has been taken to hospital and she has 6 week old twins who they would not take into the hospital. Her husband is trying to cope on his own. She is from Poland and has no family here, so all their neighbours are trying to help, with Max insisting that he can manage. My cousin, who also lives on the island had a bad fall. His son came to visit and brought Covid with him and now his wife has come down with it. Neighbours are helping out there as well. Thank goodness we live in such a supportive community. I walk early in the morning, so I can be alone on the beach, and am trying to stay away from everyone. I think I will travel on the barge rather than the ferry for the next little while if I have to go to the mainland.
So Pin Cushion No 2
I managed to find a heart shaped button for this one. I only had one.
Front
Back
Then I tested a doll pattern to use with my grand daughter Jasmine. It was not easy. It looks easy and the knitting is straight forward but the assembly is difficult. I'm not so sure this would be suitable for a child learning to knit. It might put them off knitting forever! I think I will get her to knit it and I will sew it together.
In contrast the Izzi doll was so much easier to knit and make-up.
They are about the same size but the Izzi doll is more attractive.
There are lots of variations on this pattern as well.
On the embroidery front it is unpicking and I have only managed 1 sample piece for the machine embroidery.
Big problem here. I went to lower the upper tension only to find that the machine does this automatically and there are no instructions in the operation manual as to how I can do this manually. It has taken me nearly a week to work out that there is a small icon on the display screen where I can change this. I am seriously thinking about reverting to my old machine on which I know how to change the tension.