TAST 2010 - Week 20 - Buttonhole Cup & Week 21- Detached Slipped Chain Stitch

I have slipped behind with my embroidery again so today, after spending most of the morning in the MRI machine, I sat on the verandah in a sunny spot and stitched. ( I also slept a bit in the cane chair in the sun.)  I just wasn't sure about week 20.  A circle is a circle is a circle.  But I must say that I enjoyed working this stitch in one strand.  I am looking to design some wall hangings for the new baby and as their theme is animals I thought I would give fish a run.  I think that this design could be developed to make a really interesting embroidered wall hanging.  This small space doesn't allow me to do too much with the fish but I'm sure that in a bigger area I could develop those fish.  The circles are perfect for fish air bubbles and there are any number of variations in size, colour and texture that could be used.

 

The stitch for week 21 didn't get off to a good start. First off I embroidered the name of the stitch for week 22 and then had to do some reverse sewing.  I find working with rayon thread difficult, of course that is what came out of the thread box first.  I tried one, then two, then three strands and all seemed to work.  Thick threads work well along with perle cotton and silk threads.    I rather like this little bird, (I was trying for a chicken but a bird will do) and think that the shape is great for children but I don't think I would use this stitch.

To see what everyone else is doing have a look at the Flikr group and all the instructions can be found at Pintangle.

Fog

I woke this morning coughing like mad, asthma.  I went to find my puffer and realised that outside the windows the world was white.  We sometimes get a bit of fog but this was dense and the street lights gave out an other world type of light.

So, as the sun should have been rising Miss Charlie and I headed out for our walk, taking the 'River Walk' that floats on the river and leads to the city.  Today there was no city to be seen only the fog.

 

This is the normal view looking back along the path.

 

The scene today.

Bike riders loomed up out of the gloom and even the swallows sat quietly on the rails.

 

Looking up at the cliffs it was as if the fog had taken me to another part of the world.

The high rise apartments disappeared into the clouds

and suddenly there was the 'Storey Bridge' seemingly broken in half.

I got to the top of the path and found TV News crews filming from this vantage point, along with lots of other photographers.  I thought I would take some shots from here also but when I looked through the lens I saw spider webs.

Looking at the fence I saw that spiders had hung web that the fog had be-jewelled.

On some railings they had really got to work.

In other places it looked like strings of diamonds.

I arrived home to find that the fog had worked a bit of magic in my own garden.

 

I walked inside and looked in the mirror to see that the fog had been working on my hair without me knowing.  It was all curly!

Turning up like a bad penny

I still feel a bit not all there after the little operation but the best thing is that there was no cancer.  After having had a breast cancer before when there is a problem I panic.  I still have to have some work done on my knee but the surgeon thinks he can fix that as well.   My blood pressure is on the way down and I am presently still on sick leave which will be followed by long service leave and then I am giving up full time work.  The actual date is the 3rd of October.  I have submitted all the paper work and I am now looking at finding another direction.

My daughter-in-law is very ill with morning sickness and her mother has set off on a trip back to Holland before the baby is born.  So, I think I will help out there.  Things like housework and cooking.  I remember how ill I was when I was pregnant.  It would have been wonderful to have someone to help.

Now I have been doing a bit of hand sewing on my gingham serviette.  All  a disaster.  I have decided that the napkins will just be hemstitched, not fancy drawn thread work. 

 

I tried a number of stitches and each one was worse than the one before so they are just going to be hemstitched with a decoration in each corner of the serviette.

I am a bit behind on my challenge but put it up today.  That dragon is fierce, he kind of jumped off the fabric at me.

A break

I hope to go to New Zealand in 2011.  This is my daughter when we walked the Queen Charlotte track in Marlborough sound.  So beautiful.

I'm off to hospital for a few days so no posts till I get back.  My lap top is on the blink so I can't take that with me either.  No internet for four days.  Hope I don't suffer from withdrawal pains.

Antique Hand Towels - Design No 2

When I drew this design I thought I would stitch it out straight away.  It had been worked on a waffle weave fabric and I had some of that in my stash.  Unfortunately the fabric I have is too good.  The 'waffle' is just too high and I can't stitch on it.  It feels soft and absorbent but no good for stitching.  I think I gave away the cheaper fabric.  Looks like I will be stash digging tomorrow to see if I still have it.  That sounds like a good excuse to do some tidying up.

I have changed the design  and made the outer ring an embroidery stitch rather than a hem stitch with lace attached to it. 

Download Towel No 2

Antique Hand Towels

All the hand towels that were donated I took photos of because I don't need the old towels myself but would like to use some of the motifs on gifts.  These patterns are no longer available but just to be on the safe side I have decided to alter the design so that I do not breach copyright.  So, today I started to redraw them so that I can use them on gifts for friends at Christmas time.

This group of towels have been worked on Huck, which isn't easy to buy any more.  You can purchase the toweling on the role that they produce for use in public bathrooms but not the quality that used to be available.  I have a stash of fabric that I put aside sometime ago so I will be able to use that.  This is the first towel that I have used as the basis of my design .

Download Towel 1

TERS at the Guild

I visited the Tuesday group at the Embroiderers' Guild this week and Ronnie, who looks after the donations spread someones treasures, that had been donated by her family, on the table.  Most were purchased on the spot by members.  I took photographs to recreate my own treasures.  There was a mixture of embroidered items and crochet ones.

Most needed to be soaked to remove the age stains but I'm sure all will be returned to their former glory.  I think this family only saw the stains and not what each item was.  Among them was a rare piece of Marghab embroidery of a Crinoline Lady.

 

Then a blue and white doily with a Chinese theme.  It is so similar to some old transfers that my Grandmother gave me I think they must be from the same source.

Please use these images if you want them.

Winter flowers

I am always amazed at the beautiful flowers that bloom in the middle of winter here in South East Queensland.

On Coochie this last weekend there were banks of wild orchids alive with colour just behind the beach.

These orchids are very small but exquisite and are found on the island in orange and mauve/pink.

And then there is the wattle.  There are so many different varieties but I think this one is pretty good.

Being off work because of ill health lets me look at things I would normally just pass by.

Flinders Day

It was nice to get out of the house yesterday and it was a glorious winters day.  I didn't think I was disobeying the doctor by leaving my bed because it was a relaxing time. 

We go to the jetty, with loads of other people about 10am.  They had done away with the ferry and barge timetables and just filled up the boats, dropped the people off and got the next load.

There is a new sign welcoming you at the end of the jetty, compliments of the local council.

There was a local markets with all kinds of things for sale and all kinds of people looking at the wares.  (The feathered hat is a member of the drum band.)

Then people moved down the 'Flinder's Beach' to watch the reenactment, making sure they got a good vantage point that was in the shade.  Everyone had their winter woollies on but you don't sit in the sun in case of skin cancer.

Next a small fleet of boats came around the end of the island.  As they drew closer we could see they were pirates.

One little boy asked me if they were real?  Well they certainly looked the part, one even had a hook where his hand should have been.  (I think the hat was plastic though.)

 

Then I spied a fairy.  She had on elastic sided boots and red socks, stripped stockings, a fairy skirt and wings, her cowhide handbag and a stuffed toy with a santa hat on it's head.  Well a girl has to make a statement!

Then in the distance we could all hear the drums of the marching band,  with feathers decorating their hats, and behind them came the naval cadets.  At the same time Matthew Flinders was rowed to shore in a dingy.  Here he took readings with his sextant and raised the Union Jack.  Then they played 'God Save the Queen' although I think it was King back then.

His crew looked a motley lot.

I did notice that he was wearing Crocs.  Fancy Mathew Flinders wearing those!

It was a colourful crowd.  There were lots of Red Hat Ladies, who told me they are having a convention in Brisbane in July 2011.  I think those cadets were hot standing in the sun,

And I spotted Santa in the crowd.

  

 Parents seemed to be constantly trying to stop kids jumping in the water.

Then everyone moved back to the Main beach for boat races, food and other fun of the day.  We walked to our place to check how long the grass was.  It was very long so we will have to come back and mow before the council send us a bill.

The Wishing Well Cafe

Today is Flinder's Day.  That means it is the day that Mathew Flinders landed on Coochiemudlo Island back in 1799 and raised the Union Jack flag.  It was a beautiful day but far too many people were on my island.  So for lunch we came back to the mainland and stopped at a little cafe on Victoria Point.  Not flash but nice.  It is called 'The Wishing Well Cafe'  and yes there is a wishing well.

 

What is surprising is how this wishing well came about.

 

I knew there had been quite a bit of action in the bay area during WW2 but to think that this well is still here is a bit of a surprise.  It is a charming little cafe.  I liked the tea cosies that came with your pot of tea,

and the extra stitching on the table throws,

and there were some pretty patchwork cushions.

I can see me stopping for a cup of coffee every time I come to the island.  (I will tell you about Flinder's Day tomorrow.)